I purchased this saw for cutting small material (Brass) I use for modeling. The saw operates and cuts rigid material great. The only flaw I have found is in the way the saw does not support the material being cut, on the right side of the blade.. This causes the material to not be square or have a lot of extra tear out. I fixed this with a custom table. I also agree with one of the other reviews about the possibility of the blade hitting the vise if you are not careful in setting up your cut. Overall this is a nice saw and I am glad I bought it. Proxxon 37160 KGS 80 MICRO Chop Saw
I struggled with those horrid aluminum miter boxes for years! This little beauty makes perfectly perpendicular cuts. The vice and stop combination works like a dream. Trust me, this product rocks and I am VERY picky about my tools.
Needed a small diameter saw to make close cuts on aluminum. This saw was well built with plenty of power. Very compact and user friendly.
Only problem was that the unit was shipped with a broken plastic blade guard....which the distributor arranged to be replaced at no charge within a week or so.
A very nice portable table-top chop saw. Very stable, sturdy and relatively vibration free. It cuts quickly and smoothly. The noise level is moderate.
The vise rotates +/- 45 degrees from zero, but the ends of the vise clamps extend too far and prevent making a "deep" cut without cutting into the clamps. The right ends of the vise clamps need to be shortened by about !/2" to fully clear the blade! This is a major drawback when cutting thick material at 45 degree angles.
Otherwise a nice saw for thin material up to about 1/2".
My four stars are only as I've been using this saw for only two days - there must be something wrong I haven't found, else I'd give it five.
I bit the bullet and ordered it on the overall thrust of the reviews. My needs are a bit different than the other reviewers. I cut small very hard steel pieces, and larger less hardened steel. I also have a problem with the short stock on some of my cuts. I've been using the cheap mini-chop, and a larger chop saw - but neither grip the stock well, and neither gives an accuracy of angle.
I bought an abrasive blade for ferrous metals for this saw, and I've tested it. I make wood turning "hollowing" tools for my own use. That involves chopping 2 1/2" 10" Cobalt HSS square blanks of 1/8", 3/16", and 1/4" in half. I tried a 1/4" blank tonight - cut it square in about 5 minutes (including taking time out to avoid excess heating). My concern was that the blank had only about a half inch of support on the vise - was afraid that it would shift downwards from the pressure of the saw. The grip of the vise is both strong and positive - I got a square cut on the short blank (except when I got impatient at the end and pushed too hard). I'll probably make jigs to support the short blanks in the future - but that is easy, a long piece of soft wood slightly oversized to the cutter blank - the wood will compress and the blank be grabbed, yet it will be supported. I've not seen a better vise yet.
My shafts are O-1 steel. I went through a 3/8" shaft in a minute or so, again a fine cut. I expect that I'll be able to cut my larger shafts (9/16" O-1 round stock) in about 10 minutes. Sounds like a long time, but the alternatives are worse - expensive machines, or less accurate approaches - and a lot of noise. I could cut faster with more pressure, but then I'd wear the abrasive wheel with the heat.
With an optional wheel this machine cuts hardened steel. As to the wood cutting and soft metal the other reviewers have covered that.
One last comment. One reviewer mentioned that at an angle the blade hits the vise jaws. I suggest he try the excellent design feature that allows one to move the entire saw head left or right with a knob. This is more than just a way to adjust the point of the cut - it is also a tremendous convenience in locating the cut. Instead of moving the workpiece to the location of the blade one can clamp the workpiece in the vise securely - then move the saw laterally to hit the point of the cut. I admit that one needs a flashlight to do it (to see one's mark), but a built in light would make the saw package larger. No problem with one handing the operation while holding the flash - the know only requires one hand to shift the saw. It makes a much more accurate line up than re-adjusting the vise.
This is a keeper. I could handle accurate wood cuts with a cheaper cut-off saw, but hardened metal needs a good grip, and a positive angling. So far, so good - I think "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" (to quote Casablanca and Bogart) with this saw.
One final suggestion - and one that is often mentioned in reviews of cut-off saws when used on metal. The sparks. Take a cardboard box and cut it to fit under the saw (this saw requires no positive bench mounting, there is no "movement" pressure)and behind it. Leave enough of the top to hold it together, and cut away the sides for the cord and the knobs. Captures the sparks and filings, and makes for easy clean-up.
The strong vise and the positive turntable are what makes this worth the extra money over the other micro cut-offs. It is also a lot quieter. It is not a machine I'd recommend for production metal cutting on the job - one does have to take it slowly. But for me, making tools where most of the process is the later hand finishing, it is perfect.
Best, Jon
This is a solid and very quite mini chop saw. I would not compare it to a compound angle mitre saw. The blade will not hit the vise if the head is adjusted as advised in the instructions. I use it to cut allthread; 6/32, 8/32, and other small metal diameters. The self centering vise jaws are excellent for this operation! I don't use a saw to mitre small wood parts. I find a guillotine (Grizzly G1690)Miter Trimmer to be a better choice. - Bandsaw - Circular Saws - Model Trains - Saw'
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