Help me pick a dry cut chop saw

[bmorefj40]

So, I've grown tired of my HF abrasive chop saw and matching 4x6 bandsaw. i have a hard time getting accurate, straight, repeatable cuts. And forget about quick...Last welding project took twice as much time as it should have because of all the time I spent tinkering with bandsaw trying to get to cut straight, which lasted a whole 8 cuts before it went right back to where it was. Finally, I broke down and just used the abrasive saw and touched up the angles with my grinder.

I started looking into dry cut saws, but I can't make up my mind on which to get. Either a refurb Milwaukee 6190 ($340), Evolution Rage 2($260), or Northern Dry Cut Saw($280). They're pretty close in price, but saving $80 on the Rage 2 pays for a new blade down the road. But I don't want to buy something that can't do the job well, I already 2 pieces of equipment filling that role. Any feedback on these tools would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/factory...al-cutting-saws&prefn1=condition&prefv1=recon


http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-RAG...qid=1345646089&sr=1-3&keywords=evolution+rage

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326857_200326857

 

[bmorefj40]

on second thought...should i just pony up and solve all my issues with this one. this would really push my budget, but would be nice to kill a few birds with one stone.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/5-x-6-Metal-Cutting-Bandsaw-w-Swivel-Head/G9742

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I'd go with Evolution if it were me. I've used a few of these including the Evolution. It's made well and holds up. Good power through the cut.

Here's another thread including the Evolution saws: https://forum.ih8mud.com/tools-fabrication/537847-evolution-saws-anyone-ever-use-one.html

J

 

[pillguy]

Most folks really like the grizzley quality of their woodworking tools.

 

[kulangot]

Get the Grizzly, let me know how you like it!

I was planning on getting one

 

[bmorefj40]

I'm actually looking at the grizzly and baileigh versions now. Price difference between the two is negligible. People seem to really like baileigh service. Any experience with that from someone on here?

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[kulangot]

Post up a link to the Baleigh that your interested in. Cold Saw or Band Saw?

I prefer bands saw myself. Cold saw blades cost $$$

 

[bmorefj40]

Check out this bandsaw. I really like the swivel head feature. For a guy like me, I'm not making a hundred cuts of the same piece. So being able to switch the cut angle quickly and accurately is something I'm really looking for.


http://www.baileighindustrial.com/saws/band-saws/combination/bs-128m.php

Talk to shane at baileigh for a good price.

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[misterpepper]

Makita LC1230. Or at least that's the one I want.

 

[kulangot]

Check out this one, not as big but portability is key for me and I rarely work with anything bigger than 2"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ERS9EM

Looks to me like all of the saws including the Baleigh are all made in the same factory. Perphaps the Bailey is better?

I have heard that if you can find one made in Taiwan that it is going to be better. The one in the link I posted is.

Also, don't forget to factor in shipping...

 

[bmorefj40]

I hear ya about all the saws being made in the same place. I brought up the same point too comparing it to the Grizzly. Baileigh says that they spec out their own units and while they have the same country of origin, they have better bearings, etc... I take it all with a grain of salt. In the end, as a consumer, I know what I'm getting into, just want to know I'll be able to source parts with some ease down the road.

Looked at that Dayton model, pretty cool, but couple of downfalls for me. odd blade size, no downfeed control (seems like it has to be human controlled for the entire cut), only 2x4 capacity, and the price was almost the same as the bigger units. my space is at a pretty big premium and getting another saw means something has to go, but i'm willing to do that if solves other problems.

Anyone here had experience with baileigh quality/ parts and service vs grizzly vs any others out there?

If someone actually has a swivelhead bandsaw like this, I would love to know if it cut straight out of the box, or if it required hours/days/weeks of tuning like the HF 4x6.

thanks,
nick

 

[kulangot]

Good points about availability of blade size and power down feed.

I am not sold on the smaller saw but I do like that it is made in Taiwan and not China (there is a huge difference) and it's a common type of saw used in the EU for portability. Looks like a great design. For me, being able to take it somewhere far outweighs the pro's of a heavier and bigger machine.

Also, my Jet 4x6 cut perfect right out of the box. Even though it and your HF are both Chinese, they are not the same quality of product. Perhaps the Bailey is even better.

Looking forward to seeing what you buy and how you like it. Thanks for being my Guinea Pig!

 

[Trollhole]

Could always look for used. First place I go is here. http://www.irsauctions.com/index_search_results.asp?ind=50

They mostly auction big stuff but have a good selection of small things if it's close to you it's worth a look.

 

[bmorefj40]

thanks trollhole, I check them out from time to time. nothing close at the moment. I used them when I was looking for an air compressor, but ended up sourcing one locally. I've been scouring CL for the past two years, which is how I found my 4x6 originally, but I've grown tired of constantly adjusting it and I have less and less time for it now. Time to move on and keep the projects going.

Found this on CL, but the WMC brand is kind of unknown to me. Looks good, capacity is great, price isn't too bad, but it's kind of a beast to move on my own. Plus, its and hour away.

http://york.craigslist.org/tls/3143911735.html

 

[bmorefj40]

No baileigh bandsaw owners out there?

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[Dirtsquirt]

I too am at this crossroads

The grizzly and the baliegh look to be the same quality tools
They also look to be the same as my current low buck
fixed bandsaw. I encounter the same issues you have describes re: straight cut.
I dont see that the design of these is any different except the swivel.
I would be am leaning toward the opinion that these will be more of the same.
I would like to have one of these if someone could tell me they are great.
The bigger the blade width the stiffer the blade from twist. the straighter the cut.

I have an evolution. I bought the all purpose blade. I wore one out in the first year. It has difficulty with long flat cuts. it comes with a jig to stand square tubing up so you cut it as if it were upside down angle iron. But i find this impractical for most of my cuts as they are 45's.
My next blade will be the one for steel only. I am hoping it becomes a new saw at that point.
I run a Cool mist coolant spray when i cut. http://www.koolmist.com/coolant-systems/general-purpose-wo-tank

This works well but would like something with bigger capacity.

 

[haveissues]

I say bandsaw all the way. I had a harbor freight abrasive chop saw and got tired of the noise and mess it makes. I bought the harbor freight horizontal band saw with a good blade and it works very well. A higher quality one would have been nice but it works well enough for the cost. It is MUCH quieter than the chop saw and I can do something else while the saw is cutting. I ended up giving the chop saw to my brother.

 

[bmorefj40]

haveissues- I agree, moving from the abrasive saw to the bandsaw was a blessing, but trying to build furniture and parts for the FJ out of steel can be quite frustrating when your saw cuts out of square by 1/4" over 2" and throws a blade every other hour that its on. I've spent more hours than I should trying to get it cut straight, spent good money on great blades, and gave it a new base for it so it wouldn't fall on my foot. I think I need to cut my losses and move on to something better. I think these machines can be great and I've seen them do amazing things, but the one I have was not destined for greatness.

 

[haveissues]

That seems to be the harbor freight way. Either you get one that works or it is a complete POS. I adjusted the guide on mine and it cuts square now (after I fixed the hole that stripped out on the guide while I was tightening it). I didn't have an issue with it throwing blades. A bigger, nicer one would be great but for the cost I can't complain. I might run mine for several hours a day and then it might not get used again for a month.

I think a larger bandsaw with a taller blade would be the way to go. Would help a lot with cut squareness.

 

[bmorefj40]

ok, I think it's safe to say I've moved on from the chop saw and firmly looking for the right bandsaw.

My preference with tools has always been to find something really good (Made in the USA) and gently used, but having not seen an ellis 1600 pop up around me in last 2 years, Im not holding my breath. However, just this past week, I've had two grizzly's pop up. One miters, which would be really convenient and the other one has a larger capacity and blade size, which might help with accuracy of cut. Prices are near enough to each other.

Which way would you guys go?

10x12 horizontal with coolant
http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/tls/3237680764.html

5x6 miter
http://allentown.craigslist.org/tls/3235858743.html