What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15 Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

"Michael Koblic" wrote:

What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15 Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

I am guessing that you are looking at a sawsall. IIRC, there are various strokes such as
..75" to 1.5". More stroke in cutting metal would good afaikt. The .75 stroke is perfect
for demolition (aka remodeling stud construction). You can't cut out a stud if the blade
leaves the cut.

Dripping oil on the blade works wonders. A sawsall isn't my choice for cutting steel but
it will do in a pinch. I'd look at a portable bandsaw if space is a problem.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=552916 for some choices.

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

The answer would be bandsaw or power hacksaw, unless the cutting needs to be
done while standing on a ladder or some other unexplained situation.

The motor power in a reciprocating/Sawsall saw isn't easily applied to the
blade at the cutting zone, so motor power isn't a major factor in this case.
Both the bandsaw and the power hacksaw cut much more efficiently (and
accurately).

The power hacksaw at least lifts the blade away from the workpiece as the
blade is retracted, which a recip saw doesn't do.

The recip saw doesn't offer any load/pressure to the blade cutting force,
and the forces that are generated are actually counter-productive to cutting
efficiency.
The vibration doesn't contribute to cutting, but instead, counters the
cutting force due to overall shaking which makes the cutting more difficult
for the operator.
Since the blade generally stays in contact with the workpiece, the recip saw
is attempting to force the saw back at the operator half of the time.

The length of the cutting stroke, and the speed of the blade, would be of
more significance than the difference of a couple of amps of motor power.

When cutting wood, a recip saw is sometimes faster than trying to use a
handsaw, (due mostly to strength and stamina) but certainly not as efficient
as using a circular saw, for example. A recip saw offers better access in
many cases.

The lower speed required for steel and other metals will require more of the
operator's time, while realizing just how slow it cuts (and lack of
control).
Increasing the recip saw's speed will most likely reduce the cutting
efficiency, and dull the blade.

Cutting thin metal stock will likely be more problematic.

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html



"Michael Koblic" wrote in message
...
What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15
Amps? Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

On Nov 23, 12:47*am, "Michael Koblic" wrote:
What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15 Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

I doubt if there is much difference between 11 Amps and 15 Amps.

I would not want to use a reciprocating saw on much more than 1/2
inch mild steel round bar as a regular thing. Not that it will not
work, but blades are relatively expensive compared to hacksaw or
bandsaw blades.

Dan

Michael Koblic wrote:
What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15 Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.


All depends on what your using it on. The one we use at the Station is
the largest unit offered 3 years ago. With the blades we have we can cut
just about any material. I do like it for cutting the windshield out
(MUCH faster than a Glassmaster tool) however I'm not sure how it will
do with the new boron steel being used on some vehicles.

I would select the most powerful unit you can afford IF you plan on
using it a lot. Larger motor means less strain on it and cooler operation.

Some of the cordless units are pretty nice, BUT you have to make sure
you have at least 2 batteries ,4 is better...
--
Steve W.

"Michael Koblic" wrote in message
...

Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

Depending on the application I have found a cheap circular saw with abrasive
blade and/or a O/A torch are much faster. I do have some "torch" blades for
my sawzall style reciprocating saw. I have cut steel upto 2 inches thick
with one mounted in my 88 dollar crapsman I bought 15 years ago on sale to
do one job and throw away. (I still use it)

"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
The answer would be bandsaw or power hacksaw, unless the cutting needs to
be done while standing on a ladder or some other unexplained situation.

The motor power in a reciprocating/Sawsall saw isn't easily applied to the
blade at the cutting zone, so motor power isn't a major factor in this
case.

OK, why would then anyone pay $50 more for a 15 Amp saw as opposed to 13 Amp
saw? I have got a Cordless Wonder which is pretty much useless for cutting
*any* metal. I have used a "proper" recip saw (Milwaukee) once - about 15
years ago. I cut metal with it then and it was a significant improvement.

The power hacksaw at least lifts the blade away from the workpiece as the
blade is retracted, which a recip saw doesn't do.

All the Milwaukee corded ones have orbital action.

The recip saw doesn't offer any load/pressure to the blade cutting force,
and the forces that are generated are actually counter-productive to
cutting efficiency.
The vibration doesn't contribute to cutting, but instead, counters the
cutting force due to overall shaking which makes the cutting more
difficult for the operator.

Is this where the anti-vibration design (again: Milwaukee) comes in?

Since the blade generally stays in contact with the workpiece, the recip
saw is attempting to force the saw back at the operator half of the time.

The length of the cutting stroke, and the speed of the blade, would be of
more significance than the difference of a couple of amps of motor power.

Most of the big ones are 1-1/4" with speed up to 2800 strokes /min. The top
end have a dial up speed to reduce it for cutting metal.

When cutting wood, a recip saw is sometimes faster than trying to use a
handsaw, (due mostly to strength and stamina) but certainly not as
efficient as using a circular saw, for example. A recip saw offers better
access in many cases.

That is one of the issues here.


--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

"Steve W." wrote in message
...
Michael Koblic wrote:
What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15
Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.


All depends on what your using it on. The one we use at the Station is
the largest unit offered 3 years ago. With the blades we have we can cut
just about any material. I do like it for cutting the windshield out
(MUCH faster than a Glassmaster tool) however I'm not sure how it will
do with the new boron steel being used on some vehicles.

I would select the most powerful unit you can afford IF you plan on
using it a lot. Larger motor means less strain on it and cooler operation.

Some of the cordless units are pretty nice, BUT you have to make sure
you have at least 2 batteries ,4 is better...

And way more expensive...but do I understand you right? There is no
difference between a cordless and corded recip saw in terms of performance
on a full battery?

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

Michael Koblic wrote:
"Steve W." wrote in message
...
Michael Koblic wrote:
What is the reasonable maximum cutting capacity of a reciprocating saw in
mild steel?
What is the incremental benefit of going from 11 Amps to 12 Amps to 15
Amps?
Apparently Milwaukee make recip saw in all three sizes.
Accuracy in this case is not an issue.

All depends on what your using it on. The one we use at the Station is
the largest unit offered 3 years ago. With the blades we have we can cut
just about any material. I do like it for cutting the windshield out
(MUCH faster than a Glassmaster tool) however I'm not sure how it will
do with the new boron steel being used on some vehicles.

I would select the most powerful unit you can afford IF you plan on
using it a lot. Larger motor means less strain on it and cooler operation.

Some of the cordless units are pretty nice, BUT you have to make sure
you have at least 2 batteries ,4 is better...

And way more expensive...but do I understand you right? There is no
difference between a cordless and corded recip saw in terms of performance
on a full battery?


With a full battery they cut almost the same, the cordless is a bit
easier because of the lack of cord and the heavier pack tends to dampen
vibration as well. BUT you want to keep spare packs handy because they
eat batteries during constant use.

--
Steve W.

I can't speak for anybody else, but many consumers shop by numbers, so a 15A
tool would be better to them, than a 13A tool.
I'm certain that manufacturers are aware that bigger numbers produce sales,
whether it's a 15A motor or a 3GHz computer.

You might be able to find an unbiased opinion of someone that's used both
models of the Milwaukee saws, or it could be up to you to buy 'em both and
write a concise review.

There are other methods of cutting that aren't as easy as a reciprocating
saw, and many tradesmen would be lost without one. They're nice to have as
an option for lots of cutting tasks, but I'd prefer a different method in
most cases.

Any time I've used a recip saw, I've always thought that they would cut much
better if there were an extending fingers/jaw-type accessory to stabilize
the saw. Something like an F that extends from the end, where the workpiece
fits into the end of the F between the parallel lines (and adjustment for
workpiece thickness).
There may be many situtions where the material to be cut isn't exposed
enough with enough clearance to use that type of accessory.

Orbital action and anti-vibration may be enhancements or marketing hype. I
guess they would be meaningful if one needed to operate a recip saw for
extended periods, amounting to a couple of hours or more per day, on a
regular basis.

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"Michael Koblic" wrote in message
...

"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
The answer would be bandsaw or power hacksaw, unless the cutting needs to
be done while standing on a ladder or some other unexplained situation.

The motor power in a reciprocating/Sawsall saw isn't easily applied to
the blade at the cutting zone, so motor power isn't a major factor in
this case.

OK, why would then anyone pay $50 more for a 15 Amp saw as opposed to 13
Amp saw? I have got a Cordless Wonder which is pretty much useless for
cutting *any* metal. I have used a "proper" recip saw (Milwaukee) once -
about 15 years ago. I cut metal with it then and it was a significant
improvement.

The power hacksaw at least lifts the blade away from the workpiece as the
blade is retracted, which a recip saw doesn't do.

All the Milwaukee corded ones have orbital action.

The recip saw doesn't offer any load/pressure to the blade cutting force,
and the forces that are generated are actually counter-productive to
cutting efficiency.
The vibration doesn't contribute to cutting, but instead, counters the
cutting force due to overall shaking which makes the cutting more
difficult for the operator.

Is this where the anti-vibration design (again: Milwaukee) comes in?

Since the blade generally stays in contact with the workpiece, the recip
saw is attempting to force the saw back at the operator half of the time.

The length of the cutting stroke, and the speed of the blade, would be of
more significance than the difference of a couple of amps of motor power.

Most of the big ones are 1-1/4" with speed up to 2800 strokes /min. The
top end have a dial up speed to reduce it for cutting metal.

When cutting wood, a recip saw is sometimes faster than trying to use a
handsaw, (due mostly to strength and stamina) but certainly not as
efficient as using a circular saw, for example. A recip saw offers better
access in many cases.

That is one of the issues here.


--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

On Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:10:08 -0500, "Wild_Bill"
wrote:


Any time I've used a recip saw, I've always thought that they would cut much
better if there were an extending fingers/jaw-type accessory to stabilize
the saw. Something like an F that extends from the end, where the workpiece
fits into the end of the F between the parallel lines (and adjustment for
workpiece thickness).

Chain saws have them VBG

Alan

"Wild_Bill" wrote in message
...
I can't speak for anybody else, but many consumers shop by numbers, so a
15A tool would be better to them, than a 13A tool.
I'm certain that manufacturers are aware that bigger numbers produce
sales,
whether it's a 15A motor or a 3GHz computer.

Or a 20 megapixel camera!

I am beginning to suspect that you are right. I thought in the beginning
this would be a simple question with obvious answers (e.g. my cordless
circular saw does not cut nearly as well my 15A corded one). When the
answers came as somewhat counter-intuitive I decided to worry this
particular bone a little more. I e-mailed the Milwaukee tech department.
Their answer was interesting in that they related benefits of their bigger
saws to *associated fringe features*, not the motor strength per se. E.g.
12A saw cuts with orbital action, 13A saw has antivibration, dial-up speed
and head that twists to diffeent positions. 15A saw has electronic speed
maintenance. And so on.

You might be able to find an unbiased opinion of someone that's used both
models of the Milwaukee saws, or it could be up to you to buy 'em both and
write a concise review.

I looked long and hard before I posted and the info I was looking for was
lacking.

There are other methods of cutting that aren't as easy as a reciprocating
saw, and many tradesmen would be lost without one. They're nice to have as
an option for lots of cutting tasks, but I'd prefer a different method in
most cases.

No question. However that was not the point.

Any time I've used a recip saw, I've always thought that they would cut
much
better if there were an extending fingers/jaw-type accessory to stabilize
the saw. Something like an F that extends from the end, where the
workpiece
fits into the end of the F between the parallel lines (and adjustment for
workpiece thickness).
There may be many situtions where the material to be cut isn't exposed
enough with enough clearance to use that type of accessory.

I just pruned a medium sized tree with my cordless recip. I could not have
done it with any other tool, but I could have done better if I knew that
there were specific "pruning" blades. And yes, two batteries was not really
enough.

Orbital action and anti-vibration may be enhancements or marketing hype. I
guess they would be meaningful if one needed to operate a recip saw for
extended periods, amounting to a couple of hours or more per day, on a
regular basis.

My jig-saw has orbital action. I have not used it enough in its different
modes to say how useful it is. Most jig saw now do have it, though.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

For tree limbs, I've been seeing a wicked-looking tool recently, that's a
small chainsaw bar at the end of a tubular pole.
The power is from a small 2-cycle engine, similar in size to a gas weed
trimmer.

The trouble with gas powered stuff is fuel and carb related issues,
especially if the tool isn't being used frequently.

Electric power is a major convenience, that's for sure.

--
WB
..........
metalworking projects
www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html


"Michael Koblic" wrote in message
...

I just pruned a medium sized tree with my cordless recip. I could not have
done it with any other tool, but I could have done better if I knew that
there were specific "pruning" blades. And yes, two batteries was not
really enough.

My jig-saw has orbital action. I have not used it enough in its different
modes to say how useful it is. Most jig saw now do have it, though.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC