Best Metal Chop Saw For The Money | Reviews And Comparison
A metal cutting chop saw is something that you need to have if you are going to be doing any kind of work that requires that you cut metal on a regular basis. It is however surprising how many people will try to get away with doing the work without one.
If you have ever tried to cut a piece of metal with a grinder you will greatly appreciate how much easier it is with a chop saw. Finding the best metal chop saws to meet your need can be a bit of a challenge.
We have therefore included on the list top of the line metal cutting chop saws that are clearly aimed at professionals and saws in the low and mid price range that are better suited for people who need to do some metal cutting but not enough that it would make sense to pay top dollar for a top saw.
Reviews of 6 Best Metal Chop Saw 2020
1. Milwaukee 14-Inch Abrasive Cutoff Machine
The Good
The Milwaukee 495-6177-20 is a seriously good metal cutting chop saw and it is highly recommended to anybody who needs to do a lot of metal cutting
2. Makita LC1230 12-Inch Metal Cutting Saw
The Good
More Photos and Price at: amazon.com
The Bad
The Makita LC1230 is definitely at the high end of the price range for a metal cutting chop saw but it is also one of the best on market and money that is definitely well spent if you will be using it enough to justify the price.
3. Porter Cable PCE700 14-Inch Chop Saw
The Porter Cable PCE700 is at the low end of the price range when it comes to metal cutting chop saws and you do tend to get what you pay for. It does the job but it is by no means the best saw on the market.
It is however an ideal option for people who need to be able to cut metal but don't really do it enough to justify the cost of one of the top of the line machines, this is probably the best option at the low end of the market.
More Photos and Price at: amazon.com
The Good
The Bad
4. MK Morse CSM14MB 14-Inch Dry-Cut Metal Cutting Saw
The Good
More Photos and Price at: amazon.com
The Bad
The MK Morse CSM14MB is probably the best metal cutting chop saw on the market and it comes with a price to match. That being said if you are a professional that needs to do a lot of metal cutting there is no better option and you will find that it is money well spent.
5. DEWALT D28715 14-Inch Quick-Change Chop Saw
This is a decent saw for people who need something reliable and that will get the job done but don't want to spend a lot of money on a top of the line saw.
The Dewalt D28715 is about the middle of the price range and that is about what you get a middle of the road saw. It does however offer fairly good value for the money.
According to my experience this is the best 14 inch chop saw.
More Photos and Price at: amazon.com
The Good
The Bad
6. Evolution Power Tools RAGE2 14-Inch Multipurpose Cutting Chop Saw
This saw really surprised me because it is not one of the big name brand so I naturally assumed that it wouldn't be all that good, boy was I wrong.
This saw cuts as well as any of the big name brands and given that its price is considerably less than other 14 inch cut off saws it has proved to be great value for the money.
The saw has plenty of power and goes through anything without a problem. I also liked the vise on the Evolution saw better than most others that I have tried, it works really well.
More Photos and Price at: amazon.com
The Evolution RAGE2 is a solid well built saw, the only real criticism that I have is that it is quite a bit heavier than some of the others that I have tested.
While this is good in the sense that it gives you a nice solid base it can be a problem if you have to carry the saw around a job site. I also found that the blades did not last all that long so they will need be replaced fairly quickly.
How To Choose A Metal Cutting Chop Saw
A good metal cutting chop saw is a major investment so you are going to want to make sure that you make the right choice. In order to help you to do that we have created a list of the most important things to look at when you are choosing one. We will then look at each saw individually to see how it stacks up in each of these categories.
Cold Saw or Abrasive Saw
There are actually two different choices when it comes to metal cutting chop saws, you can get an abrasive saw or a cold saw. An abrasive saw works largely like a grinder while a cold saw works more like a saw you would use for cutting wood.
There are a lot of advantages to a cold saw, they can make clean accurate cuts, they don't get too hot and they don't spray sparks everywhere.
If you use an abrasive saw you will have to leave a little bit extra on the cut to grind off which does not have to be done with a cold saw.
While a cold saw offers a lot of advantages it is also quite a bit more expensive so you will have to decide if you are going to use your saw enough to justify the price.
Size
This is an important consideration as you are going to want to make sure that you get a saw that is big enough to handle anything that you could realistically want to cut.
The obvious choice would be to just get the biggest saw that you can find; the problem is that the price goes up dramatically as you move up in size. All of that being said for a metal cutting chop saw you are probably not going to want to go with one that is less than fourteen inches.
Power
This is important for any saw the more power it has the easier it will go through material. It is not just pure power that you have to pay attention to however you need to look at things like the amount of torque and how smoothly the power is delivered.
Angles and Bevels
You will find that a saw that allows you to cut angles and bevels will give you a lot more flexibility. Of course adding these features also raises the cost pretty dramatically. Most people will choose a cutoff saw that can cut angles but not bevels. When looking at this aspect of the saw you want to make sure that you look at how easy it is to adjust angles and bevels.
Weight
This is particularly important if you will be doing work that requires that the saw be moved around a lot. While a lighter saw is more convenient to move you do have to be careful as a lot of time making the saw light will affect its durability, you want a saw that is both light and well built.
Vice
You want a good vice that will hold your work piece firmly in place. Most people like having a chop saw that has a quick lock vice although in most cases these do not hold as well as vices that use a hex bolt.
Blades
This is really only a factor if you go with a cold saw, the blades on an abrasive saw will need to be changed frequently anyway so the one that comes with the saw is not that big of a deal. A good quality cold saw blade will cost you more than a hundred dollars so if you need to replace the one that comes with the saw you will need to factor this into the price.
Final Thoughts
These are the main things to look at when you are choosing the best metal chop saw. There are a few other things to consider like making sure that there is high base so that you can complete the cut without hitting the ground.
Other considerations will be more personal, this is particularly true when it comes to handles, find one that is comfortable for you.
The reviews presented here will look at how the top metal chop saws on the market measure up in all of these categories. Overall I am quite impressed with the Evolution RAGE 2 it is a surprisingly good metal chop saw and excellent value for the money, I highly recommend it.
