On Wed, 7 Feb 2018 13:10:02 -0700, Bob La Londe
wrote:

I use mine occasionally. I used it a few weeks ago to break down some
steel square tube for a couple projects. In that case I had the little
band saw pretty busy breaking down solid bar stock, the mills were all
running, and I didn't want to stand around. I used the abrasive saw to
break down and cut all the pieces for a welded washing machine stand to
raise and prelevel a machine in a location where it could not easily be
leveled and the floor would catch and bend the feet if preleveled. The
other project was a simple rack for firewood to get it off the ground
and annoy the termites. I thought that was an exception. If that
bandsaw hadn't been busy I'd have used it.

Last week my little 4x6 band saw went tits up. When I opened the gear
box I found the brass worm gear (the steel screw was fine) had turned to
chowder and the oil in the gear box looked like a gold metal flake paint
that belonged on a 1980s low rider. Well after a lot of soul searching,
personal cheapness, and a few wasted days I over nighted a gear from
Grizzly that all the hobbyists said would fit my saw.

In the mean time mills were sitting idle and I had 4140 to cut for the
current project, so I added some arms to my roller table and threw my
old abrasive saw up there. It chopped several blanks and kept the
machines going until the new gear arrived.

Next decent size job that pays I plan to order a little heavier 7x12
bandsaw and just keep the 4x6 as a backup. I've started to put the
abrasive saw away and stopped about three times now. Not only did it
keep me going (at the cost of several blades), but I also found myself
using mini cutoff blades in one of the 4.5 inch angle grinders to do
other work I ordinarily would have done with the bandsaw in the upright
position.

Using the abrasive 14" saw and the 4.5 inch angle grinder is messy,
gritty, smelly, nasty work. I felt like I had sand down my neck for
days. Other than for sanding and grinding (with the grinder) is the
abrasive saw ever the best solution for the job if you have other tools?
Obviously if its all you have that's working then you have to run what
you brung.
A "cold-cut" saw is cleaner and less messy than an abrasive saw - but
otherwize similar. More accurate.
Faster than a band saw