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Bought a new metal blade steel chop saw

Landslide

Landslide

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
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I started off back in the early 80’s with a Milwaukee abrasive blade steel chop saw. Still have it but never use it anymore. Then during the late 2000’s I borrowed a buddies of mine new metal blade steel chop saw. I really loved how it worked and wanted to get one. Then around two years ago I bought a dewalt metal blade steel chop saw.

Whelp, right off the bat I had issues with it. When I first got it, I plugged it in to test run it, yep everything worked as it should. Then, a couple months later, I pulled it out to use it for a project. Got it all setup and cut line aligned and squeezed the power switch. It kicked on and then nothing… nadda. So I checked it out without digging into it and couldn’t find anything wrong and figured it was an internal issue. Fawking great. So then I look around for a dewalt service center. Well, I found out the hard way that they don’t have any around my side of the state. Unbelievable, I’m not about to box this turd up and ship it out of state to wait to be looked at. So I dig into it myself and get it tore down to the armature. Everything looked good. Then I find the shitty design issue failure on these saws. The outer motor winding plugs into the armature brush holder assembly. It wasn’t making connection at the spade connectors. So I plug it all in and test it, BAM! It works fine.

So now during the couple year ownership of this pos saw, I’ve had to plug the brush holder assembly into the motor winding several times and it’s very annoying.

Then the shitty super thin metal base is now bent up from cut off all pieces somehow smacking it after catching a blade tip.

The other night was the end of it for me as I am officially done with this pos dewalt chop saw.

Whelp, I went out and broke the bank open and pulled the trigger on an Evolution S355MCS mitering chop saw. I was definitely sold after I watched this video of it per this guys evolution of it.



I bought the saw which comes with a steel cutting blade and two other blades along with that. A stainless steel cutting blade and an aluminum cutting blade as well. I know I can cut aluminum on my wood chop saw and have but no reason to now plus it’ll be safer on the evolution saw being lower rpm’s and much better clamping system.

This new saw will do angles also a lot easier and much safer then the pos dewalt saw could do. The evolution saw I bought weighs over 70lbs. I’m going to purchase a bosch miter saw stand as it has wheels under it and their wheel setup design allows it to be moved around after its setup in working position

The saw should show up in a couple days from now. It will get put to use and I’m looking forward to trying it out and see if it really measures up to the video hype.

IMG_3079.jpeg
 
I went through the same thing with the DeWalt and the Evolution saw and bought this vevor portaband
Amazon.com
 
I have both of the original Evolution models - the regular straight chop saw and the sliding compound miter and they're both pretty shitty. The miter one is way to flimsy for cutting anywhere close to accurate on anything other than wood or aluminum and the chop saw always had a strange "bump" about half way through the travel that would visibly kick the whole blade over 1/8" or so.

But that new one looks like they improved every single aspect of the original models.


I bought my swivel head horizontal band saw last year, and other than being way slower than an abrasive or dry cut saw, it kicks ass in every other way. Plus it's way better at cutting thick metal. :smokin:
1707518853277.png
 
bgaidan said:
I have both of the original Evolution models - the regular straight chop saw and the sliding compound miter and they're both pretty shitty. The miter one is way to flimsy for cutting anywhere close to accurate on anything other than wood or aluminum and the chop saw always had a strange "bump" about half way through the travel that would visibly kick the whole blade over 1/8" or so.

But that new one looks like they improved every single aspect of the original models.


I bought my swivel head horizontal band saw last year, and other than being way slower than an abrasive or dry cut saw, it kicks ass in every other way. Plus it's way better at cutting thick metal. :smokin:
1707518853277.png
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That thing takes up a lot more real estate than any abrasive or dry cut saw.
 
I’ve had the Evo miter saw for 3-4 years. Mostly cut tube with it. I’ve used it on a few house jobs as well. Pretty OK with it.
 
bgaidan said:
I have both of the original Evolution models - the regular straight chop saw and the sliding compound miter and they're both pretty shitty. The miter one is way to flimsy for cutting anywhere close to accurate on anything other than wood or aluminum and the chop saw always had a strange "bump" about half way through the travel that would visibly kick the whole blade over 1/8" or so.

But that new one looks like they improved every single aspect of the original models.


I bought my swivel head horizontal band saw last year, and other than being way slower than an abrasive or dry cut saw, it kicks ass in every other way. Plus it's way better at cutting thick metal. :smokin:
1707518853277.png
Click to expand...
That guy in the video I posted cut some solid steel and an H beam he called an I beam. It cut all that very impressive and cleanly.

I use a handheld bandsaw and have a bandsaw similar to what you have where you can pivot the saw for angle cuts. It is a quality made saw but I need to figure out adjusting it to cut more truer then it does now. I have a big horizontal saw I plan on restoring but way down the road.
 
Landslide said:
That guy in the video I posted cut some solid steel and an H beam he called an I beam. It cut all that very impressive and cleanly.

I use a handheld bandsaw and have a bandsaw similar to what you have where you can pivot the saw for angle cuts. It is a quality made saw but I need to figure out adjusting it to cut more truer then it does now. I have a big horizontal saw I plan on restoring but way down the road.
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I once tried to cut a piece of 2" solid round stock with the evolution and the blade got so hot that it was floppy when I stopped.


Landslide said:
I never had any luck cutting stainless steel with a bandsaw myself
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Likely using the wrong blade.
 
bgaidan said:
I once tried to cut a piece of 2" solid round stock with the evolution and the blade got so hot that it was floppy when I stopped.



Likely using the wrong blade.
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Sounds like you had a blade issue not a saw issue imo.
 
IMO, The bandsaw and one of these miter saw are not direct replacements for each other.

So far I’m too cheap but I’d love to pick up one of these evolutions for tubing and aluminum.
 
bgaidan said:
I once tried to cut a piece of 2" solid round stock with the evolution and the blade got so hot that it was floppy when I stopped.
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Same, I have a abrasive disc chop saw still for that purpose only. Although a band saw is excellent for thicker material I just don't cut enough and don;t have the room to justify it.
 
Bacho said:
IMO, The bandsaw and one of these miter saw are not direct replacements for each other.

So far I’m too cheap but I’d love to pick up one of these evolutions for tubing and aluminum.
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^^^ this. I still use my bandsaws and will continue to.
 
I have the older 14" Evolution Rage chop saw, it's been used a ton and keeps going. My only regret is not getting the aluminum machined base version. That miter saw version looks sweet!

FWIW trying to cut a 4340 35spline axle shaft is a good way to kill a blade:homer:
 
94toytruck said:
I have the older 14" Evolution Rage chop saw, it's been used a ton and keeps going. My only regret is not getting the aluminum machined base version. That miter saw version looks sweet!

FWIW trying to cut a 4340 35spline axle shaft is a good way to kill a blade:homer:
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First one i had, bought around 2009 was cast iron (steel?) base.

It was stolen, bought a new one 3 or 4 years ago, it's a crappy stamped steel that flexes bad.
 
94toytruck said:
I have the older 14" Evolution Rage chop saw, it's been used a ton and keeps going. My only regret is not getting the aluminum machined base version. That miter saw version looks sweet!

FWIW trying to cut a 4340 35spline axle shaft is a good way to kill a blade:homer:
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Yeah, it’s one reason I keep my old abrasive saw for stuff I know will ruin a steel blade
 
I bought one of the earlier versions of the Evo chop saw and used it quite a bit. Then one day, someone helping me in the shop moved it to move something else while we were pulling my big dumb truck out of the garage. The saw got pinched between the garage door frame and the rear tire of the truck (Michelin XML and no mirror on passenger's side) and I basically ran over with motor with the sidewall scrub and twisted the whole thing at the hinge. Figured then that I had trashed it. Well, some good beating, prying, etc and bent the motor arm back straight and other than having a pronounced sticky spot in the blade swing, you could never tell. Thank goodness it was the older style cast base. I have the AL and SS blades for it too and it has its place in the shop, but it is not always the answer. Lately cutting 5" did x .500" DOM and I wouldn't even dare use the Evo on that.

The EVO saw gets used for thinner wall (1/4" and less) and anything solid around an inch or less; otherwise the parts get cut on the HZ bandsaw.

The blades will last a long time, until the person that thinks its an abrasive saw is helping you and then you are going to be buying a blade for it.

A friend bought a newer one with the stamped base, and it didn't cut straight unless you fight it with a square and tap things around after clamping the stock. We took and cut out a piece of 3/16" plate that matched the base profile of the feet and welded the feet to the plate and the thing is 10x more accurate and stable now. I'll try to see if he can send me a picture.
 
AlxJ64 said:
The EVO saw gets used for thinner wall (1/4" and less) and anything solid around an inch or less; otherwise the parts get cut on the HZ bandsaw.
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How do you feel about shit that's got one face that's basically 1/4 flat stock that you're probably gonna wind up hitting broad ways depending on the clamping situation.

6" L channel? 8x2 tube?

AlxJ64 said:
A friend bought a newer one with the stamped base, and it didn't cut straight unless you fight it with a square and tap things around after clamping the stock. We took and cut out a piece of 3/16" plate that matched the base profile of the feet and welded the feet to the plate and the thing is 10x more accurate and stable now. I'll try to see if he can send me a picture.
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Sounds like my HF abrasive. :laughing:
 
Landslide said:
Yeah, it’s one reason I keep my old abrasive saw for stuff I know will ruin a steel blade
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I didn’t read this whole thing, but we had a thread about saw blades that cut though hardened safes. (I think the name was Diablo) Would that be the blades this thread is discussing? Do those blades require special chop saws? Or can you just mount them in my Dewalt abrasive chop saw? What “stuff” will ruin one of those blades. The videos look very impressive.
 
arse_sidewards said:
How do you feel about shit that's got one face that's basically 1/4 flat stock that you're probably gonna wind up hitting broad ways depending on the clamping situation.

6" L channel? 8x2 tube?
Click to expand...

I don't care to cut that size stuff on EVO saw. Before I had the bandsaw, and I was cutting something like that I put the stock with as much of the cross section vertical as possible. If the HZ saw were to go down and I needed to use the evo saw... I'd take my cordless M18 8" and nip the top and bottom flanges first and then use the EVO, or just make the whole cut with the M18 cordless and a guide clamped to it. As for the EVO, when those carbide blades land on a big flat surface, they can get cooked easily. As for cutting things like that on the bandsaw, I bought an IC rated blade for cutting weird stock. It may be slow, and I run it slow, but I'll stand there and sip my coffee while watching the HZ saw saunter its way through something.
 
WaterH said:
I didn’t read this whole thing, but we had a thread about saw blades that cut though hardened safes. (I think the name was Diablo) Would that be the blades this thread is discussing? Do those blades require special chop saws? Or can you just mount them in my Dewalt abrasive chop saw? What “stuff” will ruin one of those blades. The videos look very impressive.
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Abrasive chop saws RPMs are too fast to use steel carbide saw blades in.
 
They work well on thin wall mild steel stuff. I'll drag one out in the field on occasion. It's not a good choice for stainless. Even the ss blade has an extremely short life.
 
Kinda just remembered this but good info for this thread. Sign up to their news letter, they run sales on blades occasionally.
 
bgaidan said:
Brand new blade. I bought a 20 pack of evolution blades on ebay when I first bought the saw. Dry cut/carbide saws just don't do well with thick stock. They can't get rid of the heat fast enough.
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and if you use coolant the teeth turn to dust from the thermal shock
 
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