You don’t need to struggle anymore with a metal cutting band saw that is not good enough for its purpose. Why don’t you buy a professional, good working machine that will make your work a pleasant adventure?
The best metal band saws can be divided into 3 different categories. They can be horizontal, vertical, or horizontal & vertical metal bandsaw together. Today we are going to make a good review of the most famous options and help you get the best metal band saw for you!
Furthermore, we are going to give you some tips on what should be considered before buying a metal cutting bandsaw, and some answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Our Top Picks
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BEST OVERALL
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The 8 Best Metal Cutting Band Saws Reviews
1. KAKA Industrial Metal Cutting Band Saw BS-108G
best overall
KAKA industrial BS-108G is a horizontal band saw, famous for its coolant system. It comes with a coolant pump that can ensure a longer service life, and also ensure precise work. It is a safe saw since it is equipped with accident-preventing devices. It is battery-powered, and it is famous for its long battery life.
The KAKA industrial metal cutting band saw has a two-speed motor and the band can be easily controlled. The vise for cuts can be quickly adjusted, and the saw is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder that is used for control on the descent. It can successfully make precise cuts. However, it is capable of cutting only one side cut of maximum 45 degrees.
This bandsaw comes with standard accessories as an electric coolant system and blades. It is battery powered, is big in size and its blade length is 96 inches. This saw has pretty good customer reviews, and it is considered to be the best overall option. However, its price is a little high.
Pros:
- good coolant system
- good safety measures
- two-speed motor
- precise cuts
Cons:
- more expensive than the alternatives
- maximum 45 degrees angled cuts
2. Grizzly Industrial G0806-14” Variable-speed vertical metal-cutting bandsaw
best resistant
Grizzly Industrial G0806 is the powerful brother to the famous G0807 but in a smaller size. It is equipped with a 1.5HP, single-phase motor and an onboard blade cutter. You can adjust the chip blower and light, so you can keep your work table clean and bright. This is good for precision and safety.
The blade speed can be easily adjusted from 88 to 384 FMP, thanks to the variable speed blade controls. It offers a welding station, and this makes it possible for the buyer to create their own blades and do inside cuts.
This saw is a heavy one with a weight of 890 pounds. However, it is fully balanced and equipped with cast iron wheels. This bandsaw is one very expensive option, which makes it better for professionalists that are going to work with that. The Grizzly industrial G0806 is considered to be one of the best resistant saws on the market.
Pros:
- powerful motor
- built-in blade, grinder
- chip blower
- safe bandsaw
Cons:
- the price is very high
- very heavy, it will be hard to be transported
3. JET J-8201K, 14-Inch Metalworking Bandsaw
Best 14-Inch
The JET J-820K 14-Inch vertical band saw is one of the best saws available in the market at the moment. It is considered the best overall option since it can complete even the hardest job. Thanks to its gearbox, It can cut almost any material, including metal, wood, and plastic.
The Jet vertical band comes with a lot of amazing features and metal and wood cutting blades including, a table that you can easily adjust and a perfectly located switch on/off button. Even though it is really powerful and equipped with a very good motor, this bandsaw weighs 280 lbs. It has a simple design and solid construction. You can easily change the blades, and the blade speed can be adjusted.
The JET J-8201K comes with an amazing 2-year warranty that includes all its features. It is very highly assessed by a lot of buyers. Its price is high, however, according to many buyers, it is worth it.
Pros:
- can be used for almost every material including wood and metal
- extra stability
- includes wood and metal saw blades
- comes with a 2-year warranty
Cons:
- Difficult setup
- Doesn’t work on different angles
4. Grizzly Industrial G9742-5” x 5” ½ HP Metal-Cutting Bandsaw
best for its price
The Grizzly Industrial G9742 is one very popular metal-cutting bandsaw. It is famous for its ability to cut up to 60 degrees angle. And that’s not all, it can be adjusted easier than ever thanks to its easy-to-adjust head It comes with hydraulic down feed control and many other good features.
It is a powerful industrial bandsaw that can cut every metal piece. It is not a heavy one, with a weight of 168 pounds, which makes it easy to be transported. And that’s not all, it comes with a wheel system, so you can move it around when you need that.
This bandsaw does not require batteries to work, and its power source is AC. The voltage is 110, and the blade length is 6 inches. It comes with a lot of features, as expected for the brand.
Grizzly have always been popular with their great bandsaws. However, the price of the G9742 is pretty high. On the other hand, this product was given the title “best for its price”, which makes every penny worth it.
Pros:
- up to 60-degree swing
- adjustable down feed
- not a heavy one
- good safety measures
Cons:
- changing the blades is hard
- no good coolant system
5. Eastwood Horizontal Vertical Bandsaw
best budget option
The Eastwood horizontal vertical bandsaw is a highly recommended tool that can operate in a vertical position, but also in a horizontal one. This makes it popular amongst many people in this field.
It is equipped with a powerful 1HP motor and can make angle cuts up to 55 degrees. The bandsaw is also equipped with a heavy-duty stand with rear roller wheels, which makes it possible for the buyer to transport it easily. Furthermore, it weighs only 137 pounds and its dimensions are 40x15x16. It is a black and very good-looking saw. It does not use batteries, but corded electric, which makes it good for a shop.
It is definitely not an expensive one, which makes it a good, budget option. It has very good reviews, like most of Eastwood’s saws.
Pros:
- can work in a horizontal and vertical position
- it can be easily transported because it is equipped with rear wheels
- can make cuts up to 55 degrees
- good price
Cons:
- poor instructions
- quality is not as high as other models on this brand
6. Prolinemax 4×6 Horizontal Vertical Metal Cutting Bandsaw
The Prolinemax 4×6 metal cutting band saw can be used in both vertical and horizontal positions. It is a powerful machine with a ¾ HP motor. It is popular and it is considered to be one of the best overall options.
It offers three speeds for cutting that can be easily changed. It is good for usage at home since it is not a noisy bandsaw. It can easily be put together because it comes with very good instructions. The blades are solid, and the operation is smooth and efficient. As we already mentioned, it is a powerful machine that can cut metal, plastic, and wood. It is equipped with a scale for mitering vise.
The cutting capacity is 4.5” Round, 4” X5” rectangular, and it is famous for doing pretty good and precise cuts. It is not heavy, its weight is 100 pounds, which makes it a good option for people that do not work at one specific place. You can carry it around when you need it.The Prolinemac 4×6 is a budget option. There are a lot of good reviews about this saw, as usual about Prolinemax.
Pros:
- can be used both in horizontal & vertical position
- can be used with different materials like metal, wood, plastic
- good instructions
- smooth and efficient operation
Cons:
- not good switch off/on button
7. Eastwood Benchtop Metal Aluminum Cutting Bandsaw Electric Portable Benchtop Steel
This Eastwood saw is famous for its great ability to cut metal-like materials. It can be used with steel, aluminum, metal, and even harder materials and bigger projects.
You can get this saw in different colors. It is easily portable since it weighs only 47 pounds. This makes it the easiest to carry option.
You need a 52 inches blade to cut metal, but you can buy extra blades too. It comes with one blade. It makes great miter cuts, it can cut from different angles between 90 and 45 degrees.
This saw runs on 120 V and thanks to its high throat and capacity its blade can run with a speed from 100 to 260 ft. min. The motor is extremely powerful, 1V, and provides high speed high-speed.
This bandsaw is definitely the best one available for fabricating. This saw is very well reviewed and many people were satisfied.It is also an available option since it is on a good budget.
Pros:
- Perfect for fabricating
- Cuts from 90 to 45 degrees
- Powerful motor and high speed
- Can be used with different materials
Cons:
- blade speed can hardly be adjusted
8. Anbull Portable Band Saw with Removable Alloy Steel Base
The Anbull portable band saw is one of the most popular options for metal cutting. It is equipped with a 1100W pure copper model, which is considered to be one of the best motors at all. There will be no sparks, burrs, and burns while cutting.
This saw can be used with various materials such as metal, aluminum, composite cables, angle iron, PVC pipe, metal, etc. Its cutting capacity is very high, and the variable speed is around 100-3500 feet per minute, depending on the material.
It is considered to be a safe bandsaw since it has a superior balance. This also leads to more precise cuts. It is also easier to be carried around, thanks to its weight- 33 pounds. This saw does not need batteries, it is powered by AC.
Its price is definitely one of the best among metal cutting band saws. It can be found for under 500$, which makes it one of the cheapest and best for its price options available in the market at the moment.
Pros:
- low price
- 1100W powerful motor
- 45-90 degrees angle cuts
- can be carried around easily, not heavy
Cons:
- the cooling system needs improvement
Features that you have to consider before buying a metal cutting bandsaw
When you are buying a metal-cutting bandsaw, there are some things that should be considered. The saw has to be more powerful than usual, faster, and equipped with more futures. The factors that have to be considered are listed below.
Vertical vs Horizontal
You have to make the right choice based on the projects you have and the scope of your work. The horizontal band is perfect for precise, straight cuts. You have to adjust the arm to cut through the metal. The vertical band is good for more complex projects and people with experience because it requires feeding the material through. Small workshops usually benefit more from the vertical model, since it has a smaller footprint.
Some saws can be used both vertically and horizontally, and most of the time this is the best option.
Construction
The size and design are pretty important. You should pay extra attention to the size of the saw table. If you are going to use large materials, you will need a bigger saw table. Solid construction is of big importance because you don’t want the vibration to aid the accuracy of the cuts you are making.
Speed
The speed can be seen by looking at the number of the motor, which is written in amps. If the number is higher, the motor is more powerful, and the speed is higher too. You should choose the speed depending on your project, or more specifically the type of material you are going to cut.
It is always a good idea to choose a saw that offers easy speed changing, because this will give you a lot of flexibility while working on a project.
Coolant System
Тhe coolant system has always been extremely important for the life of a bandsaw. If you want your bandsaw to be able to turn off itself when it needs to, you should consider the coolant system. If you need the saw for a bigger project you must have this feature!
Blade Angles
The best vertical horizontal band saws have more than one cut angle. The typical cut is between 30 and 45 degrees, but some excellent versions can be rotated up to 60 degrees. So, keep in mind the blade angles if you want your saw to have better performance.
Portability
The portability is important if you plan to transport the machine often. The best option is a machine equipped with wheel locks because this will prevent rolling. Some of the metal cutting band saws may be really heavy! Keep that in mind if you are planning to carry the saw with you while working, instead of keeping it in your workshop.
Safety Features
You should always consider the safety features of a metal cutting bandsaw. They may be blade guard, automatic shutdown, in-built chip for catching the debris, and many more. It is always a good idea to buy a machine with better safety features since the metal cutting bandsaw is more powerful and more dangerous.
Before buying a metal cutting band saw, you should consider your needs. Consider the amount of work you have to do, consider the workshop space you have, because you can’t put an enormous saw in a small space. Consider the size of the job you have. Some machines can work for hours, others need to have a rest.
Consider the type of job and material you have to cut, and last, but not least- consider your budget. There are some amazing budget options that you should definitely look at.
Conclusion
To conclude we can say that buying the right metal cutting band saw may be harder than expected, having all these things that should be considered. However, if you conduct research, ask for professional opinions you will find a machine that will be perfect for your tasks. Remember, safety always comes first, so be careful with your choice! Good luck!
FAQ
A metal-cutting band saw- what is it?
A metal band saw is a powerful saw with a long and sharp blade, which has the ability to cut hard materials such as metal. Typically, it is more solid than the saw designed for wood cutting.
Can we use every band saw with metal?
No, we can’t. The band saw specified at metal-cutting has sharper teeth, and can be used on heavier materials. Of course, in some cases, you can use a wood band and change the blade, but most of the time this is risky and will end badly.
What should I look for in a metal bandsaw?
In a metal bandsaw, you should look for several things. The first one is a variable speed since every material is different and requires a different speed. So, you better look for a saw whose speed can be easily adjusted. The second thing is the ability of miter cutting or dual miter cutting. It is very useful for every user. You should look for solid construction and good performance. Of course, you should look for a saw equipped with a coolant system, since for machines that perform bigger cuts is vital
What is a good band saw for cutting metal?
A good band saw for cutting metal is a saw, equipped with a powerful motor, built of solid construction and containing useful features. A good band saw will always have a coolant system. It will always be powerful enough to cut not only metal but alumni and other thick materials too. Last, but not least- it will be equipped with safety systems, since using such a powerful machine may be really dangerous.
Is it possible to put a metal cutting blade on a band saw?
Yes, it is possible to put a metal cutting blade on a band saw. However, this may be dangerous for the saw, and for its user. If you want to cut metal it is better if you get yourself a machine, equipped with the needed features.
Is it possible to cut aluminum with a wood bandsaw?
It is not possible to cut aluminum with a wood bandsaw. Some people may say that it is if you change the blade, but as we already said this is not recommended, since it is dangerous.
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