Building a Cordless Copper Chopper

hot_rod

These small Milwaukee Hackzalls are handy saws, light and fast, quick change blades. They offer a 4" fine tooth, thin kerf EMT/ tube blade for it also.

I'm working on an adapter to cut tube with a clamp on attachment.
It prevents the tube from bouncing, bending or breaking a blade, and provides a nice straight cut.
Any suggestions or thoughts?


keep
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JUGHNE

When do you put them on the market?? I have the 18V version of that handle design, one of the handiest tools ever for EMT, all thread, strut etc.

Tinman

Ridgid 122

SWEI

Anyone tried one of these?

Firecontrol933

SWEI said:

Anyone tried one of these?

I use one all the time. 1/2, 3/4, 1" copper. When putting together a boiler room it easily cuts time by 1/3 -1/2.
Gets into a fairly tight space too.
Doesn't like getting wet though when working on existing pipe, especially when there is antifreeze involved. Just have to make sure the head is pointed down and then let it sit head down after you've made the cut.

Tinman

Count on two of those a year, same with the Milwaukee Hackzall. Like @Firecontrol933 said, they don't like any water at all. I've been using the 122 since they came out but only for bigger jobs and pre-fabs in the shop. Set it up on our portable 8' bench and we fly. The time saved plus the reduced chance of repetitive stress injuries makes it worth it, hands down.

EzzyT

I use mine all the time too, I've made the request to milwaukee tools about coming out with a line of battery operated pipe cutter up to 4"

Paul48

And a trailer to haul it!

SWEI

Also check @Mark Eatherton 's method of using a one inch belt sander for copper prep.

Fred

I have one of those too. They work great for cutting new copper pipe. I use a manual pipe cutter if I'm cutting into pipe that may have residual water in it.

Hilly

I have a couple of the Milwaukee's. Also walk through the 'sale bin' at HD when I'm in there. Got three in all for less than the price of one. same with the hacksalls. Like mentioned you always want backups of these tools. But honestly baretool only is cheap enough that it's not wasteful to have an extra.

hot_rod

Hilly said:

I have a couple of the Milwaukee's. Also walk through the 'sale bin' at HD when I'm in there. Got three in all for less than the price of one. same with the hacksalls. Like mentioned you always want backups of these tools. But honestly baretool only is cheap enough that it's not wasteful to have an extra.

I'm not sure any of the cordless tools are built to last 10 years as a daily used, and abused tool.

I wonder how the Harbor Freight model of tools works, all I see is people returning tools they bought a month earlier.

Tinman

I think Milwaukee cordless tools are, for the most part, solid. Their drills last a long time, band saws too. Maybe they just need to seal up a couple of the others so a drop of water won't kill them?

jonny88

Do Milwaukee make 2 different brands. one you buy at a tool store and a different one for Depot similar to what Kohler do.Cordless seems to be the way to go though and @EzzyT I think you will agree.Would be nice if they made a tool like Ezzy said that cuts larger pipe.

SWEI

Not per se, though TTI (the parent company of Milwaukee) also owns Ryobi.

EzzyT

From my dealings with Milwaukee they only make one brand grade of tools the difference is that Home Depot deals with Milwaukee directly not through one of there manufacturer reps. What I was told was that there were only several dozen request to produce a larger pipe cutter but that's not clearly enough of a request to start looking into production

jonny88

Maybe worth a petition on here to request it?Sure would come in handy.Enjoy the holiday Ezzy I will touch base on Tuesday.

Hilly

I believe the same parent company of Milwaukee is the parent of HomeDepot. I also hear the same unnamed parent company owns or owns shares in Ridgid. I'm not certain of that. Just something I heard along the way. I'm sure (or hoping) that somebody will confirm or set me straight.

Hilly

i should have google first
TECHTRONIC INDUSTRIES Owns:
AEG
Empire Level (owned by Milwaukee Tool, as of mid-2014)
Hart
Milwaukee Tool
Ryobi
Stiletto (owned by Milwaukee Tool, as of 2007)

TTI also develops and produces Ridgid power tools, under a licensing agreement with Emerson. This arrangement began back in 2003

Emerson owns:
Ridgid, ProTeam, & Workshop

hvacfreak2

For small steel and copper , threaded rod , kindorf ,emt , Greenfield , liquid tight conduit , etc. this one is hard to beat . It just takes all of the effort out of cutting most day to day materials.

https://milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2429-21xc

bob_46

This will adapt a sawzall to cut pipe https://www.milwaukeetool.com/accessories/cutting/49-22-1012
I used a saw on the job that was amazing it was a sawzall on steroids much heavier blades. I was cutting 4" or 5" with a small one, they make them to 14". Asada saw.

jonny88

So many tools,Super Sawzall always has been my choice you just got to get used to it.Its amazing that some of these batteries cost more than the tool.

EzzyT

All my cordless and most of my power tools are Milwaukee. I have enough batteries multi-port chargers that most jobs are all done with cordless tools

Tinman

25 years ago every tool I had was Porter Cable. Today, it's all Milwaukee except for a couple Dewalt table saws and miter saws.

Gordy

Honestly it's the battery longevity verses the tool. Depending on the tool. Saws take the most abuse circular, and sawzall. More potential to burn the motor up from binding. Most brand name cordless are equals. Makita, PC, Milwaukee, dewalt.
Lithium bats are only good for so many charges then they are junk. The cost of which most times is more than the bare tool depending on the tool.

PC discontinued the 18v lineup in favor of the 20v. Still can get the 18v batteries, but not the bare tool unless you go to the website, or eBay used stuff.

None of them like water much. A given with electronics. I got a hilti te7 36 volt hammer/chipper drill. 2 year warranty. They honor that well. Came with one battery. An extra 36 volt battery is 350 bucks total package was 1700 bucks. It's been worked on twice, and 2nd set of batteries under warranty. Once the warranty runs out, and the batteries are junk may as well pitch the whole works. Throw away society..........

Gordy

As far as the tubing cutter for large dia. Thin walled pipe. They need to make a thin curf metal blade for a miter box. No problems with that in keeping pipe square. However the Rpms are probably to excessive for such a thin large diameter blade which would probably wobble.

Chop saws obviously burr up tubing to much, and thin blades would have same issues. Let alone sparks on ferrous tubing. Also chop saws are not the most accurate for square.

So to add to HR's gadget. Think of the hand saw miter boxes for trim. Develope a clamp device with in it.

Gordy

If you look at the pic there is screw holes in the bottom of the box to fix it to a bench for stability. You could design it so there is a tongue on the fence, and groove in the bottom of the box so one fence could slide into the groove at various intervals to O.D. Pipe sizes. That alone would lock the pipe in so all that is left to clamp is vertical movement.

Sam81

in our company we use band saws and bench belt senders to cut and clean copper for any given job we recently added two Makita cordless that could handle up to 4", so far good stability fast cut and clean

rick in Alaska

Just for informational purposes:
If you use the Milwaukee copper tubing cutter, do not let your knuckles get too close to the head when you pull the trigger. Those teeth on the gears can really take some meat off.
Rick