Does anyone have an Evolution metal chopsaw?

[Fawteen]

Update: Not sure if I'm ticked off or relieved.

Got a note this morning that the saw was backordered. Having had some buyer's remorse anyway, I cancelled the order.

I have a semi-derelict DeWalt 7-1/4 inch saw that I use for cutting aluminum sheet. I think I'll just try a steel blade for that. As mentioned, I have plenty of other options for cutting steel anyway, it was mostly just the urge to have a New Toy.

 

[JOCCO]

Update: Not sure if I'm ticked off or relieved.

Got a note this morning that the saw was backordered. Having had some buyer's remorse anyway, I cancelled the order.

I have a semi-derelict DeWalt 7-1/4 inch saw that I use for cutting aluminum sheet. I think I'll just try a steel blade for that. As mentioned, I have plenty of other options for cutting steel anyway, it was mostly just the urge to have a New Toy.

I would look online many times the price beats HD and free shipping.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Thinking about splurging on one. Don't do a LOT of metal cutting, and my Milwaukee 14" abrasive chopsaw works okay, but it's dusty and slow.

If you have one (or another brand of the same tool) how do you like it?

Is it enough of an improvement over abrasive saws to be worth the $500-ish price tag? Assuming normal usage (ie not abusing it) how's the blade life? At $100 a pop for mild steel carbide blades, that's a consideration.

Other comments/input?

I have a 14 inch DeWalt chop saw but 99% of my cuts are done on my antique metal bandsaw.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Update: Not sure if I'm ticked off or relieved.

Got a note this morning that the saw was backordered. Having had some buyer's remorse anyway, I cancelled the order.

I have a semi-derelict DeWalt 7-1/4 inch saw that I use for cutting aluminum sheet. I think I'll just try a steel blade for that. As mentioned, I have plenty of other options for cutting steel anyway, it was mostly just the urge to have a New Toy.

I've always thought Evolution's stuff was a little overpriced.

You can get this Wen brand from Amazon for a little over $200. It's almost identical to the Northern Tool one.
https://wenproducts.com/products/we...-carbide-tipped-metal-cutting-saw-blade?gQT=1

 

[DRussell]

I have an evolution electric demolition saw. (12" blade)

It came with a concrete blade. I bought a carbide-tipped blade for wood and a diamond blade for steel to go with it. The diamond blade will cut steel...about as fast as an abrasive blade (which isn't very fast)... but it lasts a long time and doesn't change diameter. It also cost 70 dollars.

On a whim, last fall, I bought a 36 dollar, 12", 40tooth, carbide-tipped blade for it...

I looked at the revolutions ratings of the blade and the saw, and everything was OK...

On another whim... I took this 36 dollar blade to some steel... and it cut it like butter...

I have a 14" abrasive chopsaw as well... thinking about it... the abrasive blades get worn down to 12" pretty fast anyway... so... as long as the arbor fits, and the blade is rated for the revolutions of the chop saw... my next chop saw blade might just be a 36 dollar, 12", 40 tooth, carbide tipped blade...

Why do you have to change chop saws to change blade types?

Why do you have to spend 100 dollars for a blade, when you can spend 36?

Am I missing something here? (honest question)

Most of the metal blades aren't rated for the high RPMs of the abrasive chop saw I believe. Most true metal saws are fairly low RPM.

 

[will-max dairy]

Most of the metal blades aren't rated for the high RPMs of the abrasive chop saw I believe. Most true metal saws are fairly low RPM.

which is kinda funny to me... I've heard and read about abrasive blades and grinding discs flying apart... never heard about a metal blade flying apart at high RPM... which gets me wondering if it's just about cut rate/feed rate...and the potential to heat/warp the blade

my demolition saw runs at 4600RPM, a dedicated metal-cutting chopsaw with carbide blades runs at 1400-1800 RPM

When I used the carbide blade on my demolition saw to cut metal, I used a very light touch... just let it cut what it could cut easily without any pressure...it ran easy, it ran cool, and it was still faster than the diamond or abrasive blade

The safety downside would be that any carbide tips that come off are gonna be humming at 4600RPM... but that's true of wood cutting saws with carbide blades that run in the 3000-5000 RPM speed range too... so I guess I still wonder what is behind the specsmanship...

 

[DRussell]

which is kinda funny to me... I've heard and read about abrasive blades and grinding discs flying apart... never heard about a metal blade flying apart at high RPM... which gets me wondering if it's just about cut rate/feed rate...and the potential to heat/warp the blade

my demolition saw runs at 4600RPM, a dedicated metal-cutting chopsaw with carbide blades runs at 1400-1800 RPM

When I used the carbide blade on my demolition saw to cut metal, I used a very light touch... just let it cut what it could cut easily without any pressure...it ran easy, it ran cool, and it was still faster than the diamond or abrasive blade

The safety downside would be that any carbide tips that come off are gonna be humming at 4600RPM... but that's true of wood cutting saws with carbide blades that run in the 3000-5000 RPM speed range too... so I guess I still wonder what is behind the specsmanship...

My opinion only, but I think it has to do with a combination of heat and the hardness of the metal that is being cut. The hardest wood is softer than metal, the faster the blade goes the more heat it creates. Also, the angle of the cut is much straighter on a metal blade than a wood blade.

Several years ago, I put a metal blade on a regular circular saw designed for wood, not a chop saw. The saw ran faster than the blade was rated. There was no problem with the blade, but the saw soon let out all it's smoke. The blade would get warm, quite a bit warmer than my Evolution metal chop saw. Not exactly hot, but pretty warm.

 

[will-max dairy]

My opinion only, but I think it has to do with a combination of heat and the hardness of the metal that is being cut. The hardest wood is softer than metal, the faster the blade goes the more heat it creates. Also, the angle of the cut is much straighter on a metal blade than a wood blade.

Several years ago, I put a metal blade on a regular circular saw designed for wood, not a chop saw. The saw ran faster than the blade was rated. There was no problem with the blade, but the saw soon let out all it's smoke. The blade would get warm, quite a bit warmer than my Evolution metal chop saw. Not exactly hot, but pretty warm.

metal conducting heat... from the workpiece to the motor...THAT (along with the blade warping from heat) is something to consider

this has been an interesting discussion...

My take is that... for an occasional cut on a little bit of plate stock, tubing, a piece of 1/8 to 1/4 angle iron here and there... with my demolition saw... I'm probably OK just using a light touch to manage blade heating...and heat conducted to the motor...

But... if I was cutting 2" bar stock, on the regular, or in a one-piece-after-the-other production environment, in a chop saw... should probably stick tightly to mfg restrictions and chop saws with lower RPMs...

 

[Non-farmer]

A while back, someone posted a video of a guy and his daughters building a trailer. They had just gotten their Evolution saw back from some warranty work, and the girls were using it to cut the square tubing for the trailer floor. IIRC, the stuff was on the order of 3" x 4" x .25". That saw was going thru that stuff faster than my miter saw can cut the cheapest pine 2x4s.

I might be due for a new blade

 

[glennster]

i picked up an evolution saw 2 years ago. i really like it. i have a milwaukee chop saw, oxy acetylene and oxy propane torches a milwaukee port a band and a wilton band saw. for fabricating, the evolution is the berries ! very accurate, doesn t throw sparks, but it does throw chips. wear safety glasses and a grinding shield.

 

[Dusty MI]

I worked as an electrician.

I have a 14 inch DeWalt chop saw but 99% of my cuts are done on my antique metal bandsaw. View attachment 105711View attachment 105712

Those saws are great when you are running/hanging conduit.
Dusty

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Much less heat. We had one for the farm. It keeps the piece nice and cold. Our blades in the slower turning saw with the right operator letting the saw cut instead of forcing down on it the blade life is longer than a large bandsaw probably not double the life but pretty close. It will make you hate a normal chop saw when you encounter one and burn your fingers but everyone else in the show will think there is something wrong with you. Are they worth it? Guess that depends. You can get 3 band saw blades for the price of one so…they do cost less than a good bandsaw.