What saw do I need to cut 1" square tubing?

so im fixin to start on my monster mower build and im trying to figure out the cheapest and best way to cut say 1" square tubing.

So... What's the point, here? You bought a HF saw? You WANT to buy one? Looking for reviews? A little more detail is in order here...

depends if you want accurate cuts or just cut it and weld the difference theres 20$ angle grinders everywhere 4 1/2" blade will do ok or you could step up to a circular saw think they make blades for them and then the always useful chopsaw if you find a cheap miter saw can go that route too but chopsaws tend to work ok when in doubt craigslist!

Thinking about getting this one. http://m.harborfreight.com/2-hp-14-inch-heavy-duty-cut-off-saw-91938.html

read the reviews: I was happy to see this thing when it came to the shop. I needed a cut off saw badly. The first problem came up was the weak vise, would not for s#'+. I use a vise clamp now. Then when fired up it wobbled all over the place getting up to speed and still shook while cutting angle iron. It's now bolted down to a heavy beach. The cut's are off because of the poor constuction of the hinge, too much end play thus making this saw unsafe for any average user without modifing it first to run right.

you may get a better one but you can still get it and fix whatever is sub par on it if the hinge for the cutting assembly is loose throw a washer between it and tighten it if the blade wobbles try another one you get what you pay for but you can always make it better with a little more money and a little time youd still pay less than they want for the high end models

Look around on eBay, usually you can find factory refurbished DeWALT 14in chopsaws for around $130.

1in square tubing though you could do with a grinder with a cut-off wheel (NOT A GRINDING WHEEL), a circular saw with a metal blade, or a chopsaw. Hell, even a manual hacksaw with a metal blade would work.

OK, so my post disappeared lol

Go to a hardware store and get one of these, or a few.  Put it in your circular saw and chop away.

And when it gets too small for the circular saw, you can put it in your angle grinder.

a 5 dollar hacksaw will do the trick

Lawren Wimberly wrote:

a 5 dollar hacksaw will do the trick

Every time, even in the middle of the woods.

T-Dub13 wrote:

And when it gets too small for the circular saw, you can put it in your angle grinder.

i would not reccomend that. my Dewalt 11 amp grinder turns at about 13,xxx RPM. most circ saw wheels are rated around 8-9k. could possibly explode

yup bread, Big Difference between need and want. The hacksaw id all ya need, you may WANT a power saw of some sort.

It ain't hard for a person that likes to tinker to come up with a power hacksaw.... If ya google DIY hacksaw, you can find lots of 'em out there. Lets keep in mind that a hacksaw blade is cheaper by the dozen than even a single cutoff wheel. If ya want Fast cuts, use door hinges to rig up your angle grinder and cutoff wheel. If ya stumble across a big cutoff saw at a yard sale, great! if not, there's more than one way to skin a cat... and at the end of the day, the cat ain't happy, no matter how he got skinned.

willis923 wrote:

i would not reccomend that. my Dewalt 11 amp grinder turns at about 13,xxx RPM. most circ saw wheels are rated around 8-9k. could possibly explode

I'm gonna go ahead and second that. Never exceed the rated RPM of an abrasive wheel. I'm not saying it's impossible, it depends on your equipment. I KNOW my angle grinder turns 11K, so I simply cannot and will not do that.

Speaking of angle grinders:

Awhile back, a buddy loaned me his 14" abrasive cutoff saw. I hated it. One, the kerf it cut was outrageous, as compared to the 3/32" thick cutoff wheels I use in my angel grinders. Two, on more cuts than not (notably bevel cuts) the angle was out. Now, before you say "hey, you gotta calibrate those!", I did. But on a 45° angle cut, the clamp was allowing the stock to slip slightly. Nothing I tried produced the kind of accuracy I was used to. And what am I used to? My little angle grinder. I simply mark my cuts with the appropriate tool, and cut by hand. Could be because I have been doing it for years, but my cuts are quite accurate. FWIW, my buddy's saw was a Milwaukee.

I recently picked up a cheapy 14" offbrand unit at a garage sale for all of about $10. I have not yet used it. Really, my purpose is quick, straight cuts. I will likely continue to do my miter cuts by hand...

I've had no problem with exploding cutoff blades in my angle grinder, but for liability's sake, I will only recommend it to myself.   

The reason the 7" wheels are only rated for 8,450 is because of their large diameter. When they get smaller, they can handle higher RPM's. The surface speed of the cutting edge will be comparable.  

Man you guys use some hi-tech stuff, I hacksaw, everything by hand, it has a really old rusty blade but that's how you build muscle.

T-Dub13 wrote:

I've had no problem with exploding cutoff blades in my angle grinder, but for liability's sake, I will only recommend it to myself.   

The reason the 7" wheels are only rated for 8,450 is because of their large diameter.  When they get smaller, they can handle higher RPM's.  The surface speed of the cutting edge will be comparable.  

I won't argue any of that, but you KNOW how this stuff goes...

MurrayMayhem wrote:

Man you guys use some hi-tech stuff, I hacksaw, everything by hand, it has a really old rusty blade but that's how you build muscle.

Man- I'm 40 years old, and bust my @ss for a living. Don't need to "build muscle" trying to do my hobbies!

i personally think you should use a dull razor blade to cut it...

lol I only have one use for a dull razor blade. And trust me its not for metal and can be considered inhumane.

partin_us_99 wrote:

lol I only have one use for a dull razor blade. And trust me its not for metal and can be considered inhumane.

Don't cut youngen..

o its not used on myself. But used on mouthy folks lol

Fyi it says saw not "I need more smart ass remarks in my ***** filled day"

partin_us_99 wrote:

Fyi it says saw not "I need more smart ass remarks in my ***** filled day"

Do you need a hug?

ur damn right I do lol

Doc Sprocket wrote:

partin_us_99 wrote:

Fyi it says saw not "I need more smart ass remarks in my ***** filled day"

Do you need a hug?

*Sends electronic hug through DVD ROM*

MurrayMayhem wrote:

Man you guys use some hi-tech stuff, I hacksaw, everything by hand, it has a really old rusty blade but that's how you build muscle.

Actually, a regular hacksaw isn't as bad as most people might think. Cuts reasonably quick as long as you keep a fresh blade on it.

Here's what I use for most stuff these days. We bought one new some years back and it has held up pretty good to some severe abuse. I like using the sawzall more than a cut off wheel/grinder (whatever it's called) since it makes a thinner cut and cuts a little quicker. If you try to cut too fast/push too hard on those abrasive wheels, they seem to overheat and wear down quick (or break apart if your really getting carried away). Also, you can cut wider stuff with these with the longer blade vs the cut off wheel which is only 2" or so depth (until it wears down). Anyway, you can get pretty thin blades for these also to make reasonably tight curves in sheel metal ect.

Ya after running through 5 cut off discs on my angle grinder installing my lift I'm kinda iffy on using it or a chop saw. They're fragile as heck and break at high speeds sending disc shrapnel everywhere. only down fall to a sawzall etc would be having to make an angle jig for any angled cuts I would need. Might even search craigslist for a wet chop saw idk