What do you use to cut conduit?

I use a corded recipro-saw, but have seen a guy using a portable band-saw.

I've been looking at a cordless circular saw (15.6 V) made by Panasonic with a metal cutting blade. Anyone try this out???

Dave

P.S. Please spare me any comments about a good hacksaw. I don't need any more wear & tear on my wrists.

I use a cordless sawzall and it works very nice. I have tried a cordless circ saw with metal blade for cutting some unistrut and it came out really bad, I ended recutting it with my sawzall. I found it leaves really nasty burrs on whatever metal you are cutting.

Those Panasonics are the best thing to come along since sliced bread. My company has band us from using porta bands because of these. The Panasonic is getting harder to get parts for as they are supposed to be going out of production.(Not because its a bad product. Panasonic has a history of starting something great and then discontinuing it after a few years) We have gone to the Milwaukee version. It's a little bigger and has a little larger blade but works just as good. Hack saws have become a thing of the past.

What size conduit are you referring to, and are you talking about rigid or EMT? And why in the world would you be banned from using a porto-bandsaw, which is pretty much the accepted practice for cutting conduit? I can't imagine choosing a reciprocating saw or circular saw over a bandsaw!

Have used those panasonics on both rigid and emt up to 2". they are quick and can be used almost any where. Just keep a spare battery on charge and have a extra blade or two. works great.

Band saw, just wish they made smaller ones. A nice handy size for 1/2 - 2". The millwakee I drag out all the time is big enough to cut 4 -6" Cut like a dream though.

Saws alls chew conduit up too much.

Circular saw seems odd to me... Do they have a special blade for it?

But dare I say it... A simple hack saw with a Klien "golden tri-cut" blade. Once you've tried that blade, theres no going back! Starts easy at the front, cranks through at the rear. 24-18-16 tooth pattern.

The conduit I'm most interested in cutting is 1/2" and 3/4" emt. The blades on a circular saw seem a little expensive to chance going through one on 2" HW when a recipro-saw will do it. By the way, I like the new blades, I believe by Milwaukee called "The Torch". They're wider and less flexible.

I remember a salesman saying a couple years ago that the Panasonic didn't leave burrs like you would get from an abrasive saw. Has that been your experience Nick??? What kind of cordless reciprosaw are you using JCooper? I've thought about going to one of those also. On the issue of size, I wish they'd make a smaller cordless reciprosaw also. I wish there was a reciprosaw like a drill for easy one handed operation. I usually use my thigh and one hand to hold the pipe, then use the saw in the other hand. Something smaller with a better balance would be great, be it a bandsaw, reciprosaw, or circular saw. It seems like the circular saw would naturally have a better balance to use in one hand.

Dave

Dave
Milwaukee makes a 18volt sawzall that has a handle that swings so it can shaped like a drill or straight like a traditional saw. Called the Hatchet?? Pretty tough rig from what I have heard. I use a regular Milwaukee 18 v sawzall for cutiing 1/2 and 3/4 rigid. Its awesome. Works great for EMT also but then I don't use much in comparison.

I usually break out my band saw on a conduit job of any size. My wholesaler lent me the Milwaukee metal cutting circular saw to try, I thought it worked great & if I ever get another big conduit job I'll probably buy one.

Tom

I use the milwaukee circular metal saw. It is unbelevable. With a good blade and battery it will cut 1/2" as fast as you can move your arm. A full battery seems to last about a days work. It will still cut ok with a weak charge. I don't think the battery lasts as long in the sawsall. I use it for EMT, ridgid 1/2 - 2 1/2, and a few bords. It is nice for services where you have no power. Also great for demo. The blade in mine is 6 months old and about ready for replacement. All we do is pipe. I think it does 1 1/4 Ridgid in 1 pass.

The blade is is metal with teeth and not an abrasive cut off wheel. It costs about $55 mail order to replace. Sawsall blades add up too. If I changed a sawsall blade only 1 time a week it would be the same or more.

The saw is the same as the wood circular saw only the base does not pivit (so it only cuts strait) and it has a full guard. I have herd about guys putting a metal cutting blade on a saw with out the shield and getting hurt because sparks go every where.

You do get hot sparks on you at times and you should where your safty glasses. Small pipe cut offs sometimes go flying twords others. You should figure metal shavings will be all over if you have a lot of cutting.

It takes a little practice to know where your cutting. Once a small pipe hits the blade you can't see the pipe or line.

Tom

Wait. I forgot Dave your not working far from me. I take it back we use hack saws.

Tom

All you guys using power tools to cut 1/2-3/4 EMT! Next you'll be saying that you're using a Hilti instead of a star drill!

You can relax, Tom. I'm a Crystal Lake guy & I don't travel very far. I only took one job away from you in Carpentersville in the last 20 years (so sorry, I must have been hungry), but aren't you moving to Greyslake or Round Lake??? Definitely out of my territory.

Dave

I go for a dull hacksaw when I'm on overtime!

This is a Panasonic Metal Cutting blade, I have never tried one but I want to now after reading the comments.

I usually use the Milwaukee deep cut Portaband but it is heavy for small stuff.

I do have a couple of questions.

1)How much deburring do you need to do?

The band saw leaves a very clean cut.

2)How loud is it?

I work in finished buildings a lot and the band saw is the quietest way I know to cut pipe and strut.

[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 08-05-2004).]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I really appreciate it. I still have't made up my mind, but I'd like to try The Hatchet. I'm leary of the speed of flying metal bits with a circular saw.

Dave

I also do a lot of work in finished buildings and the Hatchet has been very good to me, cuts quick and pretty clean, I have the Klien conduit reamer and on pass and everything is good to go.

Hey Dave I use a hacksaw but I am a tool freak so I'll probly find a new way to cut pipe eventually. By the way, I was born in Woodstock and I grew up in Crystal Lake. Lived on Nash road for awhile then my folks moved to Coventry. My Dad's in Huntley right now, housesitting for the family of Precision Twist.
Well I sure don't miss the snow.
Brian in Sunny Arizona.

Funny, no one yet has mentioned that they use a Ridgid tubing cutter. I have the standard size for 1/2, 3/4, 1" emt, and a larger one for 11/4 to 2" emt. Always cuts a square end, just buy a round file to dress the inside and your done. For ridgid conduit I use a sawzall or bandsaw.
But I also use my hacksaw and Klein triple reamer.

edited

[This message has been edited by Dave55 (edited 09-08-2004).]

When I first started in the Trade, I was told tubing cutters were not allowed. Something about changing the diameter of the conduit. Never seen one used either,nor have I, but often thought about it.

Are they legal for that use?

As long as you ream it after the cutting it is fine to use a tubing cutter.

Anytime we have a pipe threading machine on the job we use pipe cutters, of couse that is for RMC but the rules are the same for EMT.


ARTICLE 358 Electrical Metallic Tubing: Type EMT

ARTICLE 344 Rigid Metal Conduit: Type RMC

Bob

[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 08-08-2004).]

Learned the tubing cutter trick from my last foreman... glad I did!

Ideal also makes a "triple reamer" called the Bur-Master - swivel cap on the handle, and a much shorter OAL make it my choice over the Klein.

We have used all types, but we recently purchased a blade from Milwaukee that fits our 6.5" circ. After cutting 2000' of conduit it is still going strong. Clean cuts. Safety glasses a must, cutting overhead treaturous.

Just in case anyone wants to know I looked at the new Milwaukee netal cutting circular saws today. It looked like a good tool but it was made in Tiwan.Ijust could not bring myself to buy a tool made for an American company in the Orient.I am really narrow minded about that and proud of it.It seems that everything we use anymore comes from overthrer

AMEN to buying made in America

I bought a Milwaukee 18 volt combo the circ. saw,Sawzall US made The blade made in NZ the batteries Japan the flashlight,radio,charger were made in China and the drill mfg in Germany. I forgot the case Chinese too,I do not like giving money to a country that has missles pointed at us.

Edited to change comment.

[This message has been edited by NORCAL (edited 08-19-2004).]

Tubing cutter and round file here. both fit in the tool pouch and are easier to deal with when you 20 feet off the ground.

15 inch abrasive cutoff wheel, (looks and works like a powered miter box) for anything heavier than 1 inch EMT.

Carbide blade in a power miter for the plastic.

TW

Look at the Makita 4390D cordless recip saw.

And .........

PVC can be cut with a fishing string!

Joe, or a bare #14! Melts right through with the same method.

Thanks guys. I got booted off the job for an hour yesterday, so I went tool shopping and got the Panasonic. All I have to say is...Baby, where have you been all my life! Quick, quiet and much less burr than the reciprosaw...hardly enough of a burr to even mention. I don't care for the way it talks to me though.

Dave

You might be allowed to use a tubing cutter with EMT, but I'll never do it. My dad's a plumbing contractor, so I've cut a lot of copper with a tubing cutter in my day. It not only leaves a burr, but it also bends (tapers) the pipe inward slightly. Obviously no big deal with plumbing, but with EMT, I feel this can catch on the wire. You can remove the burr, but you'd have to flare the pipe end just a bit in order to straighten the pipe to the profile it once was.

For 1/2" and 3/4" EMT, I use my Lenox Hackmaster with a 32TPI blade, and I ream the 1/2" with my Klein needle nose pliers, and the 3/4" with my Kleins. I stick the pliers in the EMT to ream the inside, and use the recess on the backside of the cutter to clean up the outside. Yes, it's a two part process, but geez, I've got too many tools in the bags as it is. With IMC or RMC, I use a Ridgid pipe cutter, but I also use a Ridgid reamer to deburr.

I did have a bad experience with a hacksaw though. I was cutting a piece of 1/2", and I had a 24 or 20 TPI blade in there. The blade bounced along on the EMT, and ended up coming down on the top of my finger right before a full stroke. Well, I stopped quick so it was only a 1/2 stroke at best, but it still opened up the top of my knuckle.

[This message has been edited by royta (edited 09-17-2004).]