Portable Band Saws Reviews

Porter-Cable 7724 Big Capacity Variable-Speed Porta-Band Saw

I've owned one of these since November 1993, and can't think of a single thing that needs improvement.

- I've never had a blade pop off, break, bind in the work, or slip. Once it's mounted, it stays put; once you start cutting, it keeps going. Blade wheels have rubber "bands" on them for blade traction, similar to what you find on wood cutting band saws. (Store the tool with tension released so as not to damage the rubber bands or stretch the blade.)

- designed for right-handed users, as the blade is on the left where you can watch it.

- variable speed works flawlessly, but isn't like what you find on a hand drill, where the trigger controls the speed. On this tool, you set the speed dial from 1 (slow) to 6 (fast) or any point in between, based on what you're cutting - when you pull the trigger, the machine soft-starts and quickly attains the selected speed. This action allows you to gently set the blade on the piece, then pull the trigger. The speed dial clicks as you move it, so it won't slip to a different speed by itself.

- ergonomically perfect for my large hands - there are no sharp places or pinch points; fit & finish is 1st rate. Front and rear handle are just right for getting a solid grip on the saw.

- the steel tool case is very nice (it's also huge: 11" x 10.5" x 24.5", but it's a big tool). Has metal clasps and an all steel, rounded handle for comfort.

- cuts very fast when the blade is sharp.

- low profile design allows it to fit in tighter spaces than most other portable band saws. With the motor in the rear, your view of the material being cut is better than machines with the motor in the middle of the unit.

- maximum cut is 4 3/4" by 4 3/4", the same as the other deep cut portable band saws.

- exudes quality. Mostly metal, no vibration when in use, no sparks, smooth as silk, sounds like a quality machine when it's on, everything works as expected.

- blade is well controlled with three roller bearings on each side of the opening.

- blade changes, which are very infrequent, couldn't be simpler or faster. Release the tension (front lever), slip off the old blade, slide on the new one slipping it through the blade roller bearings, re-tension blade.

- even the electric cord is just right - soft flexible rubber, 3-prong, and 10' long.

- have never needed more power.

Summary:

Unquestionably a 5 star tool. First rate in every aspect.

These are excellent saws. The variable speed is great for changing the speed to cut different materials such as steel and aluminum. The motor is mounted back out of the way and out of your line of sight. By far the best design on the market. Don't waste money on the Chi-Com knockoffs, invest in the real thing. I currently own 2 of these.

This saw is a great product. There are only two drawbacks but they are minimal. One, the maximum cutting depth is 3 1/2 inches compared to the other models at 4 3/4, however the cutting width is 4 1/2 inches so if your good you can cut things as big around as 5 or 6 inches if you roatate the stock. Second, this tool is not equipped with a variable speed trigger. It is two speeds, controlled by a seperate switch. Overall though it is an excellent heavy duty saw. Easy to use and fairly light weight under 20 lbs. to lift and cut, with easy to use front handle for great control. I used it to cut 2/0 service cable at about shoulder level worked really great!!

Milwaukee definitely holds the market on this specialty tool. The Deep Cut bandsaw makes it the ideal way to cut pipe, and the weight (as it has a casted shell) does the work for you! There is no comparing the quality and the legnth of life this tool can give you.

I recommend Milwaukee blades, as well. I have tried the PC blades, and those made by Morse and Starrett and have found none to even come close to matching the quality of the Milwaukee.

This is a tool that is built to last, and when it does need servicing, it always comes back to me like new.

I am a residential remodeling contractor, and as such have the need to cut all sorts of materials. In the past, I have relied on the ever present Sawzall (another great tool) for most utility cutting needs. Unfortunately, the one thing that the Sawzall cuts only marginally is metal. While it is possible, the Sawzall leaves a rough, ragged cut, and unless carefully controlled, never a nice straight line. None of this is meant to trash the Sawzall - I couldn't get along without it. However, the Portable Bandsaw adds a dimension to cutting that I never had before.

I have found the Milwaukee Portable Bandsaw to be a highly effective tool that not only cuts much faster than either a Sawzall or a hotsaw, but leaves a much cleaner cut. In use, there is almost no vibration, great ease of control, and with a deep capacity, there is little I can find that this saw can't handle. It also makes for a much safer situation in those instances where I would normally use an abrasive hotsaw - the bandsaw cuts without any sparks, the hotsaw shoots a rooster tail of sparks that will ignite any nearby flammable material. Since most of my work takes place outside a carefully controlled shop environment, no sparks equals greater safety.

The blase is inexpensive and easy to replace. Go get it!

This was my first portable band saw and I could not have chosen a better one. Milwaukee quality screams out every time I use it. I also purchased the optional stand with it. It is expensive, but well worth the extra money. It ensures straight cuts every time. The only caution I would give is to not let the blade bind. If it does, it's usually toast. It will get a waver in it and will not cut right afterwards. Be sure to clamp the material down well.

I have used this saw extensively for about 2 months now and can find little to fault it. The saw cuts accurately, is easy to adjust, and works well with the water soluable cutting oil I use. The machine is well made with quality heavy duty materials through out.I trimmed a piece of 3" channel with it that measured only 1/1000 of an inch different from top to bottom (and the trim piece was only .28" thick). Nice work for a saw in this price range! The cutting oil pump works well and is easy to adjust the flow.
The only things I would like to see added to the saw would be a splash guard for the cutting oil on the off-side, locks for the wheels so that it doesn't roll around so easily, and a way to lock the blade up from the on-board side while I make adjustments for my cut. - All of which can I built and added after the first few days of use. Tapering the drain pan a bit would also be nice so that cutting oil isn't left in pools on it. All of the things are minor though, and if you are looking for a saw to cut small to medium size steel in a shop, I recommend it totaly.

- The instruction book (which is good) says it takes 1 gallon of cutting oil. One gallon will barely be enough to get the pump to work. Figure 2-3 gallons.

- Buy a couple Starrett or Lenox blades as the saw comes with only one and it didn't last but a few dozen cuts with me.

- Tweek the adjustments on the blade after a few cuts. The saw comes well set up but it can be tuned a bit better.

- Make sure you have a way to unload the saw if you have to pick it up from the shipping company. This thing is heavy and it comes crated completly set up (other than the putting on the wheels).

What an awesome review! Actually I was looking for a tool that did something else, however I ALMOST bought your saw just because you gave such a great description of what this could do. I had no idea of the complexity and techniques to cut pipe --- clear, practical advice. Thanks!!

You've probably seen one of these Milwaukee portable band saws around on various job sites for years. The 6232-6 is Milwaukee's kit number for the 6230 variable-speed, deep-cut band saw with a blow molded plastic storage case.
I bought the 6230 band saw for the same reasons that everbody else does, to cut steel strut, pipe and conduit. Although it doesn't cut nearly as fast as a chop saw, this tool does have certain advantages over and above even the best chop saws. The most obvious being that you can bring this tool to the work as opposed to bringing the work to the tool. It also doesn't require dedicated space and the ampere draw is much lower for generator-powered job sites.
It has the capacity to handle up to 4" heavy-wall rigid conduit or black iron pipe and it's heck of a lot faster than a hacksaw or pipe cutter. It also makes a much cleaner, straighter cut. The variable-speed switch makes it easier to start a cut and to control the saw throughout the entire cut than with the older style two-speed models, especially when cutting thin wall material like EMT or softer materials like brass.
The 44-7/8" X �" X .020 blade runs at up to 350 FPM, and good quality bi-metal blades are relatively inexpensive at a little under six dollars apiece. They do last a fairly long time when cutting mild steel, but for cutting thicker material, stainless steel or hardened tool steel, it makes sense to spend a little extra and get a true cobalt blade such as the Morse cobalt varied-pitch 10-14 TPI or else you'll be replacing bi-metal blades every few minutes. The saw comes with one 14 TPI bi-metal blade installed. I wouldn't recommend buying regular carbon steel blades because they don't last very long at all and the better bi-metal blades are usually only a few cents more in price anyway.
A good dark cutting oil will help keep blades alive when cutting steel, but you probably don't want to use a wax based stick lubricant on the edges of the blade if you can avoid it because the build up can cause the tools rubber edged drive wheel to loose it's grip, letting the blade slip off right in the middle of a cut. This usually causes the blade to become kinked, requiring it to be discarded. You won't find any reference to this in the owners manual, but it has happened to me a few times over the years.
Blade changes are fast and easy, just release the tensioning lever, remove the old blade, feed the new blade through the guide and rollers, then move the tensioning lever back to the lock position. There is also a storage space for a few spare blades in the tools plastic storage case. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Milwaukee hasn't added the quick-lock cord to their portable band saws.
Overall, the 6230 is very well made and has always proven to be very durable. If you have a need to cut various metal materials in the field frequently, I would say that this tool pretty much recommends itself.

My experience with portable band saws started with an earlier version of the Milwaukee 6230 (the 6230 and the 6232-6 are the same model) and it was the two speed model. That two speed model worked very well in cutting Uni-Strut and rigid conduit. My only problem with the saw was that it had two speeds, low and high. The low speed was ok, but you could not "ease" into the cut or switch into high while cutting.

When my electrical job was done I sold that saw and used an abrasive chop saw for a long time for cutting conduit and Uni-Strut. While at a job site I saw a guy with a Milwaukee 6230 Deep Cut Band Saw. It was a variable speed saw and what appeared to be a slightly larger capacity cut. I tried it and it would start at a crawl and go to full speed (and any speed in between) by pulling the trigger. I was hooked! I had to get one.

The chop saw was fine except that it was loud, threw sparks everywhere and the cut often left a large sharp burr that had to be filed or ground down. The portable band saw could do everything I needed to do and then some. It was also quiet, did not pull a lot of power (current out of an electrical outlet) when cutting, did not leave a large burr after cutting, and it sliced through Uni-Strut, conduit, re-bar, all thread rod, and anything else metal, like a hot knife through butter.

The Milwaukee 6230 quickly became my favorite cut off tool. The name plate on the tool says 6230. The kit I bought was called the 6232-6 and the saw came with a 14 TPI (teeth per inch) bi-metal blade and a plastic carry case. The cutting capacity for round stock is 4-3/4" and square stock of 4-3/4" x 4-3/4". It operates on 120 volts AC only and has a range of 0-350 feet per minute (no load speed) on the blade and the motor draws 6 amps. This saw uses a 44-7/8" x 0.020" x �" blade.

Blades: A discussion about them is in order. In general you should try to have 6 to 12 teeth in contact with the material when using a bi-metal blade and cutting metal. More teeth per inch is required for thin, hard or if the finish is important. Blades with more teeth per inch are required when cutting soft or thick material. These are rules of thumb and you'll have to experiment a little to see what works best in your job.

A variable pitch blade has teeth that vary from (let's use a 14-18 TPI blade) 14 teeth per inch to 18 teeth per inch. The varying tooth sizes and gullet depth changes over a predetermined distance and then repeats. Teeth are set left and right with a single straight tooth called a "raker" tooth used to help maintain a straight cut. The design of the variable tooth pitch cuts down (no pun intended) on the "harmonic" frequency of the cut. In other words, the variable tooth blade design does not vibrate or chatter as much (or at all) while cutting when compared to a fixed pitch blade. Since a variable tooth blade has teeth at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 TPI, it can handle a larger range of material thicknesses without having to change blades.

Milwaukee makes several fine blades and the one I use the most is a variable tooth blade 14-18 TPI bi-metal blade. This blade will handle just about any sort of sawing job around whether it may be a solid or hollow stock, or a combination material such as bonded electrical conduit with a plastic outer jacket and a steel/copper spiral wound tube in the middle.

Using the saw is a breeze. Align the blade where you want to make your cut, taking care to put the saw rest against the work and then squeeze the trigger. As the cuts progresses you can increase the saw speed. Changing blades is about a one minute job. You unplug the saw, flip the tension handle, remove the old blade, install the new blade with the teeth pointed to the back of the saw, guide the blade into the grooves and then flip the tension lever back. It's as easy as that.

While this saw is meant to be used free hand, it's not a scroll saw to cut out intricate patterns. It's also not nearly powerful enough to cut through some of the heavy wall materials but... it does have a place at your home or the jobsite. If you are cutting �" and smaller re-bar, Uni-strut, conduit, copper or steel tubing or shapes, and the like, this is the saw. I have only made a few cuts on 3" solid steel and it cut through it pretty quickly all things considered. Would I want to do that all day long? No. You'll need a bigger saw. But this is the saw I'll reach for when I need to made overhead cuts as it is light enough to do that. I did not weight the saw but I'll guess it weighs around 15 pounds.

The speed control is a small knob located on the trigger of the saw. Turning it will make the saw run from the slowest speed to the maximum speed of that setting. This saw does not have a "lock-on" switch. It would be handy for the longer cuts but it is not much of an issue for me.

Also, Milwaukee makes a stand for this saw with a clamp to make precise cuts and it works very well.

Warranty. Milwaukee is offering a 5 year warranty on the saw so ownership costs should be very low.

What would I change? I wish Milwaukee would go back to the "Quick Loc" cord they have used on their many other corded tools such as their Sawzall or Right Angle Drills. My cord has become damaged and you have to take the handle apart to change out the cord. Again a minor gripe on my part.

Would I buy another 6230 again? Yes!

This saw gave me everything I needed for a lot less than the Milwalkee saw with its base. I cut 1/2" solid metal stock and this saw does it with no problem. The cuts seem to be ok but I really don't need straight cuts anyway so I don't pay much attention to how it cuts. Only time will tell how it holds up, but right now I'm enjoying spending the money that I saved.

I purchased a Porter Cable 9725 Porta-Band Saw Kit a few months ago and it has performed well. The compact right angle worm drive keeps the tool compact and quiet. Like most of the older Porter Cable tools the Porta-Band saw is made almost entirely of metal with excellent quality throughout.

The saw cuts cleanly through everything I put it up against. The two-speed feature allows the user to slow the saw down for hard material like tool steels. Porter Cable sells high quality bi-metal replacement blades that cut fast and clean. The supplied cutting lubrication stick really helps speed up the work and extend the life of the saw blade. My only reservation is the omission of a power lock button. When using the saw with the optional stand (the stand comes with a funky spring clamp) or when cutting through large stock a power lock button would be nice.