Anyone have one? how Much $? What is the proper name for this tool?Where did you get yours?PICS......

We have one. I don't have a good pic of it though. It's a DeWalt. The proper name for the blades are multi-cutter blades. They're nice, but take some getting used to. We dullened several blades before we learned the right pressure to apply when cutting. The blades are expensive. ($130+ new.) They're about $20 to get sharpened.

We have 2 blades that we rotate out while one is at the saw show being sharpened. One is 90 teeth, the other is 70. People say to get as many teeth as you can afford because they cut better/smoother and last longer. That hasn't been my experience at all. Our 70-tooth blade not only outlasts our 90-tooth by more than twice the cutting time, but also cuts MUCH faster. People have told me, "Yeah, it cuts faster, but the cuts aren't as NICE." Fuck that! A cut is a cut is a cut! They both make nice, smooth, accurate cuts that look no different from one another!

Oh, and finally, something I was mad about when we bought ours is that they won't cut through flat bar worth CRAP! We called DeWalt to ask them about it and they were like, "Yeah, they aren't suppossed to be used to cut though flatbar, didn't you know that?" :confused: All that happens is that the blade work-hardens the flat surface, stops cutting, and dullens itself. With a regular old abrasive saw you can cut thorgh anything. The multi-cutter will cut though flat-bar if you cut along the edge, but not the surface. But we have a plasma-cutter to cut flat stuff, so that solved that problem.

Anyway, if I didn't have a plasma cutter, and I needed to cut anything flat, I would NEVER get a multi-cutter saw. If you have something to cut flat bar with, the multi-cutter is great for cutting tubing, and other stuff! The blades last a long time under the right conditions and not long at all under the wrong ones.

J. J.

These saws are called cold cut saws, or just chopsaws. The process is more of a milling cut than a friction cut as abrasive types saws are. This type turns the blade much slower than the traditional hot chop saw and does not leave the typical large flash of the friction saws. The disadvantages of this saw is the high blade cost if you manage to bugger one up, the failure is normally broken teeth rendering the blade useless. With an abrasive type saw the blades are much cheaper and thus less of a pain if you wreck it. The initial cost of the cold cut saw is also much higher than a friction saw, but may be worth it!! Good luck.


:beer: :beer:

Originally posted by mywillie
The disadvantages of this saw is the high blade cost if you manage to bugger one up, the failure is normally broken teeth rendering the blade useless. With an abrasive type saw the blades are much cheaper and thus less of a pain if you wreck it. The initial cost of the cold cut saw is also much higher than a friction saw, but may be worth it!! Good luck.


I've had tips replaced on my multi cutter blade! Tips were 2.30 each for replacement, plus 22.00 for the sharping.

I don't know your budget, but my Dewalt is a flimsy POS. I have used it for 10 months and the screw in the clamp is shot and the base is made out of flimsy sheet metal. The Porter Cable is a much better built machine.

I have the porter cable unit it works well

Originally posted by dan killer


I've had tips replaced on my multi cutter blade! Tips were 2.30 each for replacement, plus 22.00 for the sharping.

I don't know your budget, but my Dewalt is a flimsy POS. I have used it for 10 months and the screw in the clamp is shot and the base is made out of flimsy sheet metal. The Porter Cable is a much better built machine.

(Patooyee's brother I am:D)

Our clamp thingy is all bunged up too! I havent had any problems with it otherwise.

A bandsaw is about the best for cutting structural steel.

I dont really like my dewalt too. even with the abrasive wheel it wont cut through flat bar to save its life......and once the blade shifted while I was cutting and I cut through part of the base....of well

I've used cold cut saws and several diffrent chop saws with lots of diffrent types of blades over the years. Ever since I got a good band saw the chop saws with the $100.00+ blades are covered with dust sitting in the corner of the shop.:)

Originally posted by xextr3m3
I dont really like my dewalt too. even with the abrasive wheel it wont cut through flat bar to save its life......and once the blade shifted while I was cutting and I cut through part of the base....of well

I have little experience with a regular abrasive wheel, but I DO know that the multi-cutter saw runs at about half the RPM's as an abrasive saw, so if you're putting abrasive wheel on a multi-cutter saw, that could be where your problem lays.

J. J.

If you are gonna spend the money get a band saw

I have one of the Dewalt Multi cut saws and I think it works great. The table is a little flimsy but for $200 vs the $500 or so for the Porter Cable it's not that bad.

It cuts through tubing very easily. I've cut up to 3"x2" solid steel. I'm sure a band saw would be better but it serves it's purpose well.

I also have had great luck with the multi cutter by Dewalt. It has been one of the best fab tools I ever purchased. I bought it remanufactured from Harbor Freight for $200. I am weekend warrior. It has worked great for me so far. It was money well spent. Good luck . RK

I'm using the 12" Dewalt at home and although I use daily at work a Marvel bandsaw...I'm very pleased with the "chop saw". I've done diff tubes, trac bars and fabbed a few tie rods and links from d.o.m. It gets the job done well.

Good info:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23036&highlight=multicutter

Blades for $99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42598


I just bough one of these:

http://www.hitachi.com/Apps/hitachicom/content.jsp?page=MetalSaws/details/CD14F%20Metalworking%20Tools.html


I love it. Quality and beef is worlds above the Dewalt abrasive I have which is essentially identical to the Dewalt Multicutter other than the motor speed and the blade. It even has a usable accurate degree scale.

Any one use the mulit- cut saw on aluminum? I do small-scale mfg. with a 14" band saw and a 12" mitter saw with a carbide blade. I am looking for a cleaner cut. It would also be nice to get the multi-cut to replace the chop saw on steel. Don't some multi-cutters have a click style angle adj. like a mitter saw?

Marc