Harbor Freight (HF) also sells a saw. When my SteelMax failed, I bought one as a backup, but the replacement parts for the SteelMax arrived before the HF saw did. I have not use the HF saw to date.

Okay, we have established that a couple of brands are on a very new market. At this stage of the game some brands will already have a better reputation than others. Who makes the better blades? Which ones should be avoided? I would hate to import a couple of blades to discover that I got the bad brand . . . .

I checked my steel cutting blades this evening. The original blades that came with the SteelMax are worn, so I can't see any writing.

The blades I bought locally, are evolution blades. As best as I can remember, (which doesn't count for much :o ), the quality is the same as the original OEM blades.

Here in SA these saws have become very popular with the guys doing structural steel work (factory shells etc) that are replacing their fibre disk cut off saws and angle grinders - the main reason being speed and no loss of cutting depth as the blade is used. The cost of these blades are quite high but the structural guys have calculated the costs to be favourable, they stop using the fibre disk once it can no longer cut through an I beam or column.

I have found it to bery very convenient for my daily maintenance work in the factory - fast and clean, but I doubt I would use one for cutting steel sections all day long in a fabrication environment as the cost of blades may be too high. my father has a HSS blade machine as Gerald referenced above that would be better for this type of environment as long as you can find somebody to accurately sharpen the blades. The tungsten blades are NOT sharpenable, at least not here in CT. These HSS machines cut much slower but the resultant cut is clean not requiring any major deburring such as would be needed with the fibre disk machine.

So as usual its horses for courses, if you want a fast clean cutting machine and don't intend doing a large volume of cutting on an ongoing basis then one of the tungsten blade machine would be a good choice, if however you want a production oriented machine where the cost of consumables has to be factored into production costs and will be cutting small sections (pipe, angle and channel) then the HSS machine would be a better choice. If you just want to chop lengths of steel into handable sections and are not worried about cut quality and burrs then the fibre saw is the cheapest option.

Just my 2c worth...:)

Have you tried Renlaw for sharpening the HSS saws? (They actually produce HSS saw blades locally - but are essentially a sharpening company)

Yes my Dad uses Renlaw for his blades - nobody better in Cape Town, others have tried but are not consistent.

Good place in Johannesburg for blades and sharpening is LEUCO Tools in Edenvale 011 455 6313

Kobus

Be careful with Leuco and steel cutting blades, they are very good with woodwork tooling (on a par with Leitz and Austro) but they have been less than successful with steel blades.

Took delivery of a 180mm [7"] Evolution saw yesterday. . . . . . let's see if it will rip the 60 meter [180 ft] of angle iron lying here. (for 5 large MechMates). Did get a spare blade. Local prices R3300 for machine with no blade, R330 per blade (excl.VAT). This is the baby size machine.

Harbor Freight Tools Metal Cutting Circular Saw (United States)
 

I happen to see this in the circular from Harbor Freight Tools:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...8899/08897.gif

For some reason it is not listed on their web ordering system at harborfreight.com but it is listed as an in-store item here:

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...temnumber=8897

It's currently listed as 74.99$ USD as of 19-Jun-08. It sure looks like it shares some of the SteelMax saw parts (look at the base, guide and the side handle). It does seem to lack the bevel cut option and the laser that the SteelMax has.

I'd be interested in feedback on anyone that has used one of these Harbor Freight saws.

A question for the experienced "RailRippers" . . . . .

How much blade did you have protruding from the baseplate of these circular saws? (theoretical "depth-of-cut") I am assuming it was somewhere around 25mm [1"]?

I left as much of the blade below the base of the saw when I did my rails. My thinking was the same as when I cut wood with a circular saw - that the additional "width" would stabilize the cut.

Havn't checked carefully yet, but at full depth the teeth might span more than 6mm [1/4"] as it approaches the steel. I think I should have 2 to 3 tips engaged and cutting . . . . . . ?

When in doubt, read the manual . . . .

"Ensure that the blade protrudes a max of 4mm [3/16"] through the material being cut."

However, I think that statement is from a safety perspective and not from tooth life considerations. The tool is used for cutting tubing with thinnish walls, and one cannot do anything about the "angle of attack" in those cases.

Anxious to hear your review of the Evolution saw, Gerald.

I'm trying to decide which of these metal saws to buy.

The SteelMax has certain advantages (like changeable sole plate angle)
but the Evolution is a much cheaper option (unless I can find a steelmax on eBay...)

Let us know how she fares...

From a little bit of testing and reading, the rotation speed matches that of Skilsaws. If I had a Skilsaw, I would probably only have bought the blades. The only thing that is significantly different is the chip catcher for the Evolution. Maybe these things have heavier bearings to handle the fierce chatter? . . . . .

Our 180mm [7"] Evolution does have a changeable sole plate angle.

Ahhh Thanks Gerald,
I couldn't tell from the picture whether or not the Evolution sole
plate could be adjusted to cut a bevel. Thanks for that info.

For anyone else who's as crazy as myself, I've put together an
Excel spreadsheet to help make the decision or at least gather the data.
Might be useful to others... might not... feel free to toss in the bit bucket.


-Jeffh

Oops. Looks like spreadsheets aren't allowed. My bad.
Here's a PDF (should be safer anyways...)

First test on short length of off-cut was not too encouraging - rail height varied by 0.6mm. Surface finish is "smooth" in the sense that it won't draw blood, but it has a rough texture (like leather?). Will be testing on a longer off-cut tomorrow. Thinking of a skate to "dress" that saw-cut surface before tackling the bevelling.

Back in post #20 I found the same to be true on my tests here at the shop. Nice cut, but not machine tolerance as required by the MM.

" If using the steelmax, I would still require you to grind it smooth after cutting to maintain tolerance."

Thus, using the JR style grinder-on-a-shoe, I would dress the cut to the desired finished height.

Sean

Thanks you guys! For both the feedback on the saw and the tip for finishing the rail height with the grinder-on-a-shoe.

So it sounds like the plan is:
1) Cut the rail to rough size with the saw // Only to save time or get another
tool in the shop. Wife'll love that...
2) Dress the rail to finished height with the grinder/shoe/trashcan setup.
3) Bevel the rail using the JR Skate assembly.

The saw really only saves time since I have to build the height shoe jig anyway. Hmmm....

This was the most daunting task to me so now I think I've got it dialed in.

Thanks again.

Jeff ,seems you like to have new toys in the workshop.

Steps 1 and 2 have been successfully combined with the right cutting disc.

Moving the rail past a fixed grinder (trash can style) has not been proven for long heavy rails. The popular method is to put the rail down on a good bed and then move the grinder.

I am not convinced that a once-off MechMate justifies the purchase of a specialised steel cutting saw. My money will first go to a high-quality, high-power mini angle grinder and a 20-pack of Pferd disks/wheels.

Another thing I quickly discovered about the steel saw......it litters/sprays little sharp steel chips. Which stick to your shoes and spread everywhere. Where they start rusting and make permanent stains. Even at my factory, I will be using it outside only. (on gravel or grass).

. . . . . and after 4 meters [12ft] of cutting, the Evolution died. Burn smell at end of motor. Will be repaired under warranty, but won't be used for further rail cutting.

Service company called and informed that unit has thermal overload protection. Tried saw again, and now it works.

Gerald,
Yes works for now, but for how long if it keeps tripping the thermal overload? :eek:

The thermal overload on this Evolution looks like an after-thought. Not mentioned in the manual. Odd reset button "patched" in bottom of handle casing. Did push it more today, taking it much easier, and managed to trip it once more. If this thing wants to burn, it had better burn this week while their service guys are geared up to take it back.

Hmmmmmm.... That's not good news...

I did notice that there is a maximum recommended duty cycle for this saw
(which I did not see on any of the other saws) of 30 Minutes. Don't know
what that says about the quality but reading Gerald's report is not a resounding "Go buy it now" endorsement.

I do have other uses for a saw like this but... can't just go throwing a bunch
of money around on a whim.

OK Probably don't need to waste any more of people's time or bandwidth on this question. I'll just buck up and do it the "olde timey" way. (sweat, blood, tears, etc.)

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

After comparing the two brands in terms of spare parts illustrations, they are two totally different designers/producers. Also likely that they are of different qualities.

Neither brand mentions thermal overload switch in the trouble-shooting sections of their manuals. Steelmax does show their switch above the trigger. Evolution's switch is not mentioned/shown anywhere, but in real life sits below the trigger.

The cynic in me asks why this style of steel cutting saw is not being offered by the "big boys"....(Metabo, Makita, Fein, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc.)?

Makita is offering both a "Skil" saw type and bench cut off saw, models 4131 (Hand held model 1100w) and LC1230 (Cutt off 1750w) as listed in their september 2007 power tool catalogue. Speak to our friends at Power Tool Repairs for feedback if they have had any sales on these items. see here

Wish I had know that before buying Evolution. Makita is a brand that I am very happy with. Their local support is also excellent. That Makita 4131 is a no-frills saw....just the way I like it! The darn Evolution spits out its laser batteries when the going gets rough - the Makita has no laser. The Evolution's tilt adjustment screw comes loose (has plastic head) - the Makita has no tilt adjustment.

Milwaukee also has a Skil-type metal cutting saw that I've been eyeballing.

Milwaukee 6370-20 and 6370-21 (Not sure what the difference is, the specs look the same at a glance. Maybe just an update?)

Has an 8" blade with special teeth. Price is comparable (~$300 USD). I have
the same thoughts as you Gerald, I want a well known manufacturer that
I have had really good luck with in the past. Both Makita and Milwaukee
fit that bill.

We'll see. I have some time while my parts are being cut and bent so I'll stew
with this some more.

-

The -21 model includes a carry case.

Reading the Makita & Milwaukee literature, it is now clear that the blades are not TCT, they are CerMet (CeramicMetal), and it is now beginning to make sense. . . .

Here is what I am going to experiment with, to even out the rails after cutting them down with a circular saw:

Good idea! No reason why it wouldn't work. I am looking forward to hear the results.

Well, after a couple of mods, it does work. And it showed up how uneven the circular saw really was.

Gerald,
Your new grinder arrangement looks really interesting. Do you think you will replace the current design with this new one? Which configuration do you prefer?

Heath,
I believe that this new accessory "flattens" the cut via a bottom reference bearing - something I wanted to do and LEKO and I spent hours discussing how to do cheaply and without having a mill.
This appears to be an easy and readily available part.

I see a new plate being added to the Mamba set soon.

Yes Heath, as Sean said, this is a rig for grinding a flat top after sawing the rail down to height.

I underestimated the amount of tilt to be allowed to make the disk cut nicely, so some re-design is needed before it gets into the drawing set.

Gerald,
So did you use your metal saw to do all your rails and then the new attachment to finish flatten to exact height? Or did you revert to the old method with a cutoff disc? Just interested. I know from your previous posts you seemed unsatisfied with the circular saws results.