How to choose a good saw: what to look at before buying a machine?
The advantages of an electric saw. Types of equipment for working with wood. What to look for when choosing a chain saw: instruction. Helpful advice from the pros.
Types of electric saws
If you need to cut a variety of materials – plywood, wood, plastic, chipboard, metal pipes and sheets – you should purchase a circular saw. Cutting is done with a rotating saw blade, and there are specific types of blades for each material. There are two variants of models – manual and fixed, attached to the bed.
A fairly versatile tool is a reciprocating saw, which is often used for cutting in hard-to-reach places. It is convenient for roofing and installation work. The working element is a file, the length of which varies from 0.1 m to 0.35 m. It produces oscillatory or translational movements.
Smooth, neat, even curly cut can be made with a jigsaw. It works equally well with ceramics, wood, laminate and metal. The file (working blade) of a jigsaw is indispensable if you need to cut a round hole or make a curved cut.
The best saws for giving are recognized as chain aggregates, the main active element of which is a tire with a chain stretched over it. It is easy to use, relatively compact, and does not require fuel mixture preparation. Almost all gardening work can be done with its help: to knock down an old tree, cut off branches and branches, saw a trunk. It is good for carpentry and construction, especially in confined spaces.
When working with a chain saw outdoors, you must follow the safety rules. For example, you cannot use the tool when it rains – a short circuit is possible
Engine power
This is one of the most important indicators. For gardening work, a tool with a power of 1000 W to 2100 W is suitable, but it is better to purchase a stronger unit. The fact is that powerful saws respond more adequately to voltage drops in the mains, therefore, they will last longer. For example, the engine of the popular CHAMPION 420 model has a power of 2000 W, that is, with small voltage fluctuations (200-224 V), it will remain operational and will not allow critical overheating. In addition, an indicator from 2000 W is a guarantee that in an extreme situation, when a large amount of work is required, the engine will withstand the load.
Saw Husqvarna 321EL has characteristics suitable for garden and construction work in the country: power – 2000 W, bar length – 40 cm, soft start, motor protection
Electric tool advantages
Both an electric saw and its gasoline counterpart are good for garden and summer cottage work, but many still choose the first option. Why is he so attractive?
The power tool, indeed, has a whole list of advantages:
- Does not require constant material costs for fuel – gasoline;
- Easy to use and maintain;
- Makes less noise during operation than a chainsaw;
- Clean from an environmental point of view – works without exhaust gases;
- Allows for cutting indoors;
- It works equally well, despite the climatic features (the gasoline analogue has problems with starting in frosty weather).
If the power source becomes unattainable, a rechargeable chain saw will come in handy, for example – Makita BUC122Z (price – 9000-10000 rubles). Battery and charger must be purchased separately
Option # 4 – bow
Bow-type saws are more bulky devices that act as an analogue of a jigsaw.
The main purpose of this type of saw is to create an accurate cut when working with surfaces located at any angle.
Due to the solidity of the design and the threaded connections of the handles, the bow-type saws are able to easily overcome knots, cutting along radii and curved patterns.
Depending on the purpose and design of the saw, there may be:
- Swinging – for longitudinal cutting;
- Transverse – for sawing blanks across the wood fiber;
- Circular – for cutting holes, making rounds and curly sawing;
- Spike – for cutting connecting spikes, as well as cutting out simple geometric shapes on the workpiece.
Only an onion-type hacksaw can cut the material up and down, sawing blanks with complex fishing lines and performing the work alone without involving an assistant.
Parameters of teeth on the blade
The determining indicator of the productivity of the tool and the accuracy of cutting wood is the size of the teeth.
The teeth of a hacksaw for woodworking have a double function: they cut the wood and at the same time remove the sawdust
Cutting accuracy is determined by the TPI, the number of teeth per inch.
There is an inverse relationship between these technical parameters:
- Blades with large teeth set a high speed of work, but the saw cut is rough and sloppy;
- Fine-toothed hacksaws guarantee a clean and precise cut, but at a relatively low speed.
When determining the required size of the teeth, one should be guided by the type of material being processed. For example, for work with chipboards, where high cutting accuracy is required, choose a tool with a high TPI 7-9, and for sawing logs and work in the garden, where the cleanliness of the cut is not so important – TPI 3-6.
When choosing the optimal hacksaw option, be guided by the rule that the minimum log thickness should in any case be greater than the pitch of three teeth
If we compare a hardened and an ordinary tooth, then the difference is that in the first version, subject to domestic use, the product does not dull for a long time. But a hacksaw with a hardened tooth cannot be re-sharpened. When it starts to cut badly, you just have to throw it away.
A regular tooth lends itself to sharpening. It can be periodically performed using a special file marked with an accident (for sharpening saws). To sharpen the blade, it is enough to perform several movements on each tooth.
Depending on the type of teeth used, there are three types of hacksaws:
- For rip sawing. The products are equipped with teeth in the form of an oblique triangle and look like hooks. The tool allows you to cut wood along the grain. Such saws are sharpened on both sides of the tooth, due to which they are able to cut both when going forward and in the opposite direction.
- For cross cutting. The tool teeth are made in the form of isosceles triangles. This design makes it easy to cut the material both when the cutting edge is carried forward and backward. But this type of tooth is only suitable for working with dry pieces, not fresh wood.
- For mixed sawing. The products have a combined composition, in which triangular edges are combined with slightly elongated semicircular notches. This solution allows, when the hand moves forward, the semicircular teeth make a guiding cut, and when returning, it expands the channel in triangular shape, removing chips and sawdust from it.
Some types of modern tools are equipped with teeth that are trapezoidal. This solution allows you to make the blade more durable and wear-resistant.
But it should be borne in mind that sharpening such a blade is very problematic, since it is difficult for trapezoidal teeth to give the desired shape. This significantly reduces the service life of the product, after which it is necessary to change the blade or purchase a new tool.
For cutting fresh branches, it is more convenient to use blades equipped with triangular teeth, processed with parallel sharpening, in which each element is sharpened only on one side and in a staggered manner
Often on the market you can find a modernized type of hacksaws.
Upgraded hacksaws can be easily distinguished by groups of teeth located on the blade, between which the gaps are clearly visible
Upgraded hand saws are effective for cutting raw wood. Wet chips through the gaps between the teeth in the process of cutting easily come out of the cut without hindering the movement of the tool.
How to choose the right hacksaw: looking for the best hand saw for wood
There is always a functional and easy-to-use circular saw in the home craftsman’s arsenal. But there are situations when you need to saw off a part and perform a small amount of woodwork, and there is no time or desire to unfold and connect the unit. In these cases, a hacksaw is excellent. But we will consider in more detail how to choose a hand saw for wood, so that it is convenient to use and easily “gnaws” any wood species.
How to choose a hand hacksaw
By combining all the basic parameters of the saw, everyone can easily decide for himself which one suits him best. When choosing a tool, you need to decide for yourself which saw is more suitable – carpentry or joiner’s. If cutting speed is most important, then, undoubtedly, you need to purchase a carpentry. The carpenter’s hacksaw has fewer teeth per inch for quick productivity and sawdust removal. If cutting accuracy is a priority, then you should use the carpentry.
The quality of a hacksaw can be determined in simple ways. First, you need to visually verify the flatness of the canvas. Then you need to bend the canvas with a little effort and release it as soon as resistance appears. After the blade plays back and calms down, you should again look at the evenness of the blade. If it deviates slightly from its original position, then the tool is of poor quality and it is not recommended to buy it.
If you are looking for a rip saw, you must choose a hacksaw with a sharp tooth angle. The teeth of such saws are sharpened only on one side, so the sawing will be done only in one direction – away from you.
When ripping, the sawing occurs parallel to the grain of the material. For rip sawing, circular hacksaws and bow saws work well.
Cross-cut saws are the most common. Their teeth are made in the shape of an isosceles triangle and are sharpened on both sides. This allows cutting in both directions.
When crosscutting, the material is cut across the grain. For such sawing, classic hacksaws, hacksaws with a backrest, and with a large thickness of material, two-handed saws are suitable.
The price of a saw is also an equally significant factor when choosing. A more expensive hacksaw provides a guarantee of reliability and wear resistance. Those saws, the price of which is much lower than the average, are made from cheaper raw materials and do not guarantee you a long-term service.
Handle type
Ease of use depends on the correct choice of the saw handle. Handles are made of wood or plastic. A very important point – the surface at the place of the grip should be such that the hand does not slip. This is eliminated by making scars on the handle, or covering it with a rubber layer. The hacksaw can be either a classic cast or with a folding blade. The latter allows you to replace the canvas, which is very convenient.
Sharpening teeth
The usual triangular shape of the hacksaw teeth is taken as standard. The teeth are made in the form of an acute-angled triangle or isosceles, depending on the purpose of the cut. Such a blade can be sharpened with particular ease by repeating all the corners of the teeth. You can use such a blade for both longitudinal and cross cut to avoid rough chipping.