Bandsaw or hacksaw, that is the question

[MontanaLon]

I need a power saw, OK I want a power saw, hand hacksawing through various thicknesses of steel and aluminum isn't a whole lot of fun. Latest adventure in sawing was 4 cuts in 1" thick x 3" wide mild steel for AXA tool holders. Each cut took probably 20 minutes as I went slow to keep the cuts straight and perpendicular and took breaks to avoid having a heart attack.

I have been looking at bandsaws and hacksaws on the various want ads and they are available in about the same price range. I actually see quite a few of the harbor freight 4x6 bandsaws, "hardly used" for $100 to $150. But I also see a lot of negative reviews of the saw online. Add to that my penchant for old iron and it makes the hacksaw option even more viable.

When I weigh out the pros and cons, the hacksaws actually have a fighting chance with the biggest pro being the cheapness and availability of blades. 12" hacksaw blades are dirt cheap and can be picked up anywhere and quite a bit of them are made in the USA. I know the bandsaw would be faster when I am not putting the blade back on that is.

So what are your opinions? Any cons I am overlooking in the hacksaws?

 

[mikey]

I highly recommend you go for a horizontal/vertical bandsaw. The HF saws get a lot of bad press but there are thousands of them out there that are working hard day after day once they are tuned up to run well. A better saw in the same size category is the Jet 5X7 - this is an outstanding small HV bandsaw and is what I own. A Lenox 10-14 vari-tooth bi-metal blade lasts for over 5 years on this saw and will cut within a thou of dead straight.

The reason for a HV saw is that it allows you to cut raw stock in the horizontal position with zero effort, then you can raise it to the vertical position to trim pieces of stock to shape easily and quickly like any bandsaw does. Can't do that with a power hacksaw.

This is one of the most used tools in my shop and I would not want to do without it.

 

[mickri]

I went through the same issues. Using my trusty old hacksaw got to be a tiring PITA. I first bought an old craftsman vertical band saw. SPM is too fast to cut big chunks of steel. Does fine on sheet metal. Then I ran across an old craftsman 3x6 at a farm auction for $40. Got a new blade and cleaned it up. Still trying to get straight cuts. So for now I cut over size to compensate and mill the ends flat. What a joy to use compared to a hacksaw.

But you still need that hacksaw for some stuff.

 

[ttabbal]

I have the HF H/V saw. It needed a little work, but it runs great now. I'm running a blade that claims to be US made from HF (thus the "claims"). It's been working great for a long while now. Better than the Bosch blades I was getting from Lowes. I'll probably order a Lenox as I hear good things about them on here.

I use the vertical setup more than I thought I would. But it usually runs horizontal for rough cuts. I haven't tried to make it as straight as mikey's saw. I figure it's for roughing and use the mill and lathe to make sure the part is straight. Based on depth of cut I need to square up the parts, I'd say it's within 0.010.

The power hacksaws are fun to watch, but I don't think I'd trade.

 

[francist]

12" hacksaw blades are dirt cheap and can be picked up anywhere

This is quite true, but a power hacksaw does not run on ordinary 1/2” wide blades that a hand hacksaw does. And they are becoming not so easy to come by. Starrett makes some power hacksaw blades as does Eclipse and maybe Bahco, but after that I’m not sure. As for cheap, not.
I have both, 4x6 bandsaw as well as a good sized Keller 3WA that will cut 7x7. Bandsaw gets used 9 out of 10 times, and a blade will last me easily a year or more.

-frank

Edit: ok, might have spoken a bit too soon. Looks like some of the smaller power hacksaws may use a regular blade by the looks of some of the pictures. Mine definitely does not though.

 

[benmychree]

Count me a hacksaw man; but, not any machine that takes less than a 14" blade, even then, machines like the Keller are too wimpy. I have, presently, a 6 X 6 Peerless saw, it is OK, but previously, I had a Marvel saw that took 3 TPI blades; I challenge HF to try to keep up with it!

 

[Martin W]

Both work well. Sharp blades are important. They like to wander when they get dull. I use a nice steady steam of cutting oil for both my horizontal bandsaw and power hacksaw, keeps the chips moving away. (messy though when parts are covered in oil)
I would say my 18" hacksaw cuts faster than my bandsaw. The blade is pretty coarse compared to the bandsaw.
Cheers
Martin

 

[Downunder Bob]

For me a bandsaw all the way, much more versatile. Mine was originally made for horizontal only, but I have modified it so it now can be use as a vertical saw as well, bug improvement. my saw has a variable speed control from quite slow, top rather fast,

I have had a local blade guy make me up a variety of blades from very fine to fairly coarse, so now I can cut thin and thick metal and also wood. I use mine quite a bit for cutting firewood to length.

Next best tool after the lathe. Most of my metals supplies are from scrap bins of local manufacturers, so I'm always cutting up pieces to get what I want.

 

[projectnut]

I have all 3 style saws in the shop. A Startrite horizontal/vertical bandsaw, a converted Rockwell vertical bandsaw, and a Racine power hacksaw. By far the most used is the Startrite horizontal/vertical, although it's never been used in the vertical position. The next most used one is the Racine 14" power hacksaw, and the least used is the Rockwell vertical.

The Startrite is the HW175 model (7"x11"). It does 85%+ of all the sawing. It can be used either wet or dry. I use it dry with an Ellis 10-14 bimetal blade. It's an excellent machine, and was well worth the money. The 3/4"x 98" blades usually run between $30.00 and $42.00 depending on the blade material and tooth configuration. Depending on hours of use they generally last 2-3 years.

The Racine power hacksaw is the next most used. It's generally put into service when the Startrite is busy. This is a 14" wet saw with 2 blade speeds. Either 100 strokes per minute, or 140 strokes per minute. We used this style saw exclusively in the shop where I worked, and to be truthful I bought it not only because I knew it would dependable, but also for slightly nostalgic reasons. I have a variety of blades for this saw ranging from 3tpi to 14 tpi. It's a dependable workhorse that will probably last another 50 years (mine was built in 1966) with minimal maintenance.

The only downside to this style saw is that the blades are becoming increasingly more expensive. I used to buy them for $1.00 a piece or less when they fell out of favor in professional shops. The last few times I purchased blades I paid a little over $3.00 per blade. However more recently I see the asking price for the higher quality (Starrett, Blu Mol, etc.) in the $20.00 range. I couldn't understand why there was such a drastic increase in price until I looked in the MSC online catalog. They are asking $22.00 to $28.00 for 14" Starrett blades. I think all the other online and eBay vendors are copying their prices. I do like the saw and to keep it running I have stocked up on blades. I now have in the neighborhood of 60 blades in the cabinet, and keep my eyes open should more appear at a price I'm willing to pay.

These are excellent, well built, and accurate saws. They can generally be bought for about the same price as a HF bandsaw, however it will take some vigilant searching to find blades at a reasonable price. If you're thinking of going this route keep in mind the larger the saw the more expensive the blades. I have seen vendors asking nearly $100.00 per blade for the 24" size.

Another style saw worth looking into is a Cold Saw. There are now several models on the market that closely resemble the standard abrasive chop saw. The main difference is that the blade speed is usually in the 1,800 rpm range rather than the 5,000 rpm range. Blade tooth configurations are usually from 50 to 100 teeth depending on the material to be cut. The price of the saws range from around $200.00 to well over $1,000.00. The blades range in price from $50.00 to well over $200.00 again depending on the size and configuration.

I am currently converting an older B&D chop saw for use on aluminum stock. I picked up the saw nearly 20 years ago for almost nothing. It's sat in the corner until recently. I purchased a speed controller to lower the blade speed to 2,000 rpm, bought a 100 tooth aluminum blade, and am currently making a table to accommodate long stock.

Racine 14" power hacksaw:

Startrite Horizontal/Vertical Bandsaw:


Rockwell Vertical Bandsaw:

 

[coherent]

I started with a 14" dewalt chop saw. Got tired of the mess and sparks, not to mention a couple of small fires I started in my garage. Bought one of the evolution rage cold saws that I read good things about... motor burnt out the second time I used it. (I was only cutting thin wall steel tubing and taking my time) Luckily I bought via Amazon, so back it went. Bought a small HF Horizontal Bandsaw to see if it would work and be something I'd really use. A couple months later I sold the chop saw and never looked back. Lots of info and mods listed online. Used it so often I decided to upgrade to a Grizzly 7x12 1hp with a hydraulic feed and coolant system. Love it and use it often. I'd never go back to a chop saw. Maybe I just got a lemon with the evolution, but can't recommend them based on my experience. Horizontal band saws are the way to go!