I got so fed up with chop saws that I installed a metal cutting blade on a wood compound miter saw. The difference in precision, versatility and ease of clamping is night and day better.
Just order my evolution after making my first freehand 45’s…takes a long time and they are hard to get just right- your video convinced me that this was a fabrication tool I could no long work without as a metal hobbyist.
I like how you showed off the features of the sponsor's product yet provided alternatives for those of us (like me) that are still using abrasive saws and those cheap roller stands.
I just picked one of these up a few weeks ago for a bumper project. My first cuts were through 1/4" steel angle...cut like a knife through butter, and no burrs to file off or hit with a flap disc. Pretty impressive.
I have an older dewalt dw872 that I bought used. These saws are pretty incredible! I was cutting round stock so thin that I made my own washers. I really like the look of what this evolution is capable of doing.
@@CamiloSantana I think I would try the evolution because of price and I like the fence. However, the screw threads on the clamp are better on the dewalt.
Thanks. I am absorbing this in anticipation of moving into a new home where I will have space to start practicing the things I have learned from you and books.
I just got this saw shipped for $345. It's on sale and with your additional 5% off. I have been using a regular abrasive chop saw for almost 30 years but I have been wanting to give this type a shot.
Very good video. I've got one of their older 14" chop saws (8 year old) and it still works GREAT!! One thing, make a "COMPLETE" cut before releasing the switch, it'll break off the teeth if you let the metal slow the blade down. Ask me how I know!! LOL!!
Hi Tim. Thanks for the video. I use a chop saw with an abrasive cutoff wheel and find it so frustrating that the wheel flexes when I try to remove 1/16” or so of material. Looks like I need to save up for an evolution. Keep up the great work!
@@DStein-jn9ls I can vouch for them the steel demon blades will even cut the 7018 weld pretty quickly. I was eyeballing a steel leg and it wasn't straight at all my fault at that point in time because I hadn't gotten my magnets yet
Get rid of that abrasive saw as quickly as possible. The dust is dangerous as it includes fiberglass as well as the abrasive, plus microscopic metal dust. This lingers in the air where you breath it in for hours. It covers everything in the shop, dulling blades and cutting bits from other machines, and is a general mess.
Awesome Video. I unfortunately don’t have the option to get a cold cut saw. Only have an abrasive saw. Can you give me some tips on cutting with an abrasive saw. To make sure I get the most square cuts. I notice that my abrasive saw wanders a little while cutting. So it doesn’t cut 90degree vertical cuts most the time. Is there something I’m doing wrong?
This video couldn't have come out at a better time, I just bought my first chop saw yesterday. It's an abrasive disc type so probably won't be as accurate.
@@desb9639 I've always wondered that. Just picked up my first abrasive Chop Saw a few weeks ago, and was wondering if a Carbide tipped blade would work on it
@@desb9639 unfortunately not. The blade speed for the abrasive machine is far to high for the metal blade. There is a good reason why the cold cut machine is much more expensive.
Eventhough I don't cut metal very often in my workshop, I considered buying a chopsaw in the past few years, and once used to it, you ask yourself how did you manage to get precise cuts with an angle grinder or abrasive miter saws.
Rusty, I bought a mini 6" chop saw from Harbor freight. It is great for little projects, inexpensive, lift and move it one hand. So much better than clamping stock in a vice and cutting with saws all.
I really like my evo saw. I hate the clamp. It jams, wiggles, and still allowed parts to move. More over it pulls& moved parts so they'd no holding it like you can with the abrasive wheel. Once that happens gurentee, you're ruining the carbide
Happy you didn’t just say; “I got this saw, or I picked up this saw”. Too many RU-vidrs are given equipment and don’t say so, as RU-vid rules require. So viewers think they actually bought the equipment. That’s deceptive. You can usually tell as every time it’s used the name of the company and model is given, usually with a throw off line such as: “A great …”. A welder company that makes green machines is notorious for that. I’ve been using a Diablo 14” 72 tooth cermet blade for a good four and a half years, and it finally dulled, so I bought another one. I’ll try to get this one sharpened. I was surprised at how long it lasted. It’s for steel and stainless. I’ve made several pounds of chips with this over that time. Hundreds of cuts. I wouldn’t even begin to guess if it’s approached a thousand. The blade, as has everything else, risen to $80, which is pretty cheap when compared to Freud and Evolution blades, and they have blades for steel and blades for stainless. I highly recommend it when the blade with the saw dies.
Hey man I need to cut two things I need to cut wood for a shed project and I also need to cut a trailer coupler witch is 1/4 thick I'd like to buy a saw that can handle wood and thick hard metal my budget is a big deal so I'd like to know what saw should I buy to cut metal and 2x4s ? I don't mind buying multiple blades and 1 saw I want a saw that will cut the metal perfectly.
I got one of those evolution saws and it cuts really nice but the angel the blade drops at isn’t straight. It drops at like a 91 degree angle with 20mm square it’s fine but when I tried cutting some 6inch pipe it was a bitch and didn’t work at all.
Hey Tim, I was looking at either the Dekopro welder you reviewed or the Chicago Electric Welding flux core welder. What do you recommend. I like both stick and mig.
Absolutely not! Abrasive disks are meant to be used with 3000 to 3600 RPM while this metal specific blades operate at lower speeds, generally 500 to 1500 RPM depending on the diameter and the density of the teeth. Using high cutting RPM will simply break the teeth and /or generate more heat than the they were designed for and let them come off. Considering the price of these blades, using abrasive disk will be more economically viable.
I've been using my cut of s for cutting cannel 3x1.1/4 and 4x 2 C channel, y question is what is the best way to cut this so that the blade can last longer?
Not much you can do with thicker wall materials. It'd going to burn through blades fast. Just the way it is. Factor the price of a new blade into the jobs you're taking, especially the ones with heavy wall material. That 100 or 150 bucks for the 14" adds up fast and there's nothing worse than cutting metal with a dull blade.
It depends on the stress you put on them, generally speaking, thicker materials or long cuts (where the teeth go through long paths from side to side of the piece to cut) reduce lifespan. Putting too much pressure during cut rather than letting the blade "eat' its way will lead to overheat and reduce also lifespan. Cutting too hard materials will also do the same (stainless steel, high carbon steel), use the blade to cut materials for which it was made. Sometimes using cutting fluid (not simply water), will help to reduce stress over the blade. The major problems of these blades are teeth breaking or simply coming off due to the above reasons. Avoid those situations and you're probably good for many years of thousands of cuts. For the sharpening issue, I don't think there's a simple way to sharpen those blades, as the teeth are most of the time made of cemented carbide, which will break rather than just become dull. It is technically possible to sharpen those teeth using diamond tools, but it will alter the shape of the teeth reducing the quality of the cut.
@@CamiloSantana thanks but I was referring to the tiny fine shards of metal produced by the cut. I’ve tried the magnet in the bag trick and it kinda works.
@@gcranch9913 your doing better than me then. I would think the bag would be a for hazard but 👍🏼 I have my saw up against a wall with a 2x2 piece of 16 gauge steel nailed in. chips hit the floor and shop vac from there when project is done.
@@CamiloSantana I've been looking at the dewalt aluminum oxide blades for steel. I've heard the hold up well. I was thinking of getting a 66 tooth carbide blade for aluminum but not really sure which brand works best.
thanks for the info Tim. I have been having an issue with my evolution chop saw. often when I cut, the cut piece will fly off (violently). even when I lower the blade down slowly. even if I have clamped work piece down tight. can anyone tell me why the cut-off piece flies off instead of just dropping off gently (staying near the blade after cut) (like Tim's cutoff piece does in this video)?
Are you using a length stop? These give me same problem. Also, depending on your saw, check to see where on the radius of the blade the cut is bing made. Try to avoid cutting stock at location on the leading or tailing part of the radius. Make sure that the support for the cutoff piece is at a lower or equal level to the cutting table of the saw.
The length of the cut off piece is the only time that I have had a problem like that. If it is not large enough to fall off of the side of the base, it will try to fall back into the slot in the base that the blade dives into. I know that it makes it hard when you can't just trim a little off of the end. I junked a blade once with a piece of angle. The blade literally bent.
Tim have you tryed the weldpro mig 155? Looking for a good first welder that will mig and stick, that won't break the bank! Looking at a multipurpose machine that 110/220. I have a hobby farm and have welded since high school in 1982. Want some I can weld fence or fix equipment. Outside will be running off my 9000 surge watt generator.
Hi John! I haven't tried that specific machine, though the specs and amazon reviews look good for the price. A dual voltage machine that will MIG and stick weld is a great option because you can leave the gas cylinder behind and stick weld something for a repair in the field, but have the convenience of MIG in the shop. Another similarly priced brand that I have used (though not their MIG welder) is PrimeWeld, which has outstanding customer service and good machines at a good price.
Honestly sponsored videos are essentially pointless to watch. I have this exact saw. Frankly, it sucks. My third one after sending two back. If you know anything about this saw, the fence is just absolutely terrible and the angle stops are off sometimes by like an 1/8 and totally worthless. Also, their blades are decent but Diablo Speed Demons are better, last longer, and are sometimes cheaper.