Should I buy this saw?

[Stacey K]

I still don't have a panel saw. This exact saw is on silent auction, still in the box, at a local factory.

1. Is this going to work for me to cut down ACM and .040 aluminum? Of course there will be no warranty.

2. It's purchase price was $1800.00 - what would you bid? (one guy bid so far and he bids on everything and then resells so I'm guessing its a low-ball bid)

Try for $1000?

 

[Signstein]

We had one of these in my last shop. It worked great for MDO, and I would assume would cut ACM and aluminum just as well with the correct blade. I do know there's an optional hold-down bar that can be added (the vertical bar on the far right with the red knobs and black bands) to help keep material flush against the back of the panel. You could probably achieve the same thing with some spring clamps.

 

[JBurton]

Nobody will want this aside from a sign shop, drywall outfit, or a carpenter why needs every tool. Start your bid looooooow, like $250.

 

[Stacey K]

OK I think the same thing. The on

Nobody will want this aside from a sign shop, drywall outfit, or a carpenter why needs every tool. Start your bid looooooow, like $250.

OK I think the same thing. One bid, highest bid gets it

 

[d fleming]

I have this exact saw. Paid 1200 for it 23 years ago. Still works perfectly. I am on the second blade. The blades are pretty much a funky off size and not cheap, I paid 250 for the second one but if used properly they last years. My first is actually out being sharpened so I can swap out blades again soon. Mine has the hold down mentioned above, stops chattering very well.

 

[JBurton]

OK I think the same thing. The on

OK I think the same thing. One bid, highest bid gets it

I've never heard of a single bid silent auction. Kinda takes the air out of anything a bunch of folks may be after?

 

[Stacey K]

I've never heard of a single bid silent auction. Kinda takes the air out of anything a bunch of folks may be after?

I think it's because they are a large company and they just want to get rid of stuff. I guess they have auctions pretty often on mostly junk. I put a bid in for $551. I was trying to pretend I was on The Price is Right...added $50 and then added $1...IDK, we will see what happens. I found a bunch on Marketplace also for between $500-1000.

 

[highrolling24]

I think they are great! I still have a old Black and Decker/DeWalt one that I still use. Get a good blade so cuts clean (somebody will suggest a good one) and hopefully that is a model that you can change out the saw and put a utility blade holder to cut coroplast like butter, straight, fast.

 

[Creative Sign Guy(s)]

I, too, have this exact saw. It works great.

Make sure you have ample room wherever you are planning on putting it. We had to have direct 480(no step down from powerlines) brought in to run one our massive presses. The electrical boxes all had to go on the wall where that saw was. I had to move it to the only wall space we had left. Much less room. I cannot cut as versatile as I was once able to since there is now a wall 6 ft away on one side.

 

[Stacey K]

I'm pretty excited now! Seems like everyone loves their panel saw, I should know tomorrow if I got it!

 

[Gino]

We have a saw trax with laser guide set up for 10' panels. You can switch to a utility knife and it has a small tray-like shelf that slips on for doing smaller projects. You can cut .040, but ya need to sandwich it between some scrap wood or something. We use our fletcher for that stuff. Got it brand spanking new for $750.00 He said it cost about 5k.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I've never heard of a single bid silent auction. Kinda takes the air out of anything a bunch of folks may be after?

That's the point. If only 1 or 2 people want it, they will go high. Not really much of an auction, more of a timed sale.

 

[2B]

Panel saws are DIRTY, even when you have a powerful shop vac.
Will blow debris EVERYWHERE, be mindful of where you are cutting

if you don't get this, look for a
* KeenCut (we have the SteelTrak)
* Fletcher
* Speed Safety

GREAT INVESTMENT

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Stacey I'd also look at a 52" stomp shear for aluminum and ACM. It's a lot cleaner and you can use it after you apply the vinyl.

 

[Gino]

They ARE dirty.

 

[Johnny Best]

They ARE dirty.

That is why someone with a marker wrote on it, ‘turn the shop vac on’.

 

[SightLine]

Agree with notareal on the stomp shear. The other pluses with a shear is you do not lose any material and get really nice clean cuts that are ready to use. Depending on the shear you can cut at least .040 aluminum and 3mm ACM no problem, some will cut thicker. The drawbacks are the wider the cut and the thicker the material, the harder it can be. I just about have to jump on the bar when I'm trying to cut 48" wide on thicker stuff.

With a panel saw, and we have one (a Safety Speed Cut), you do lose some of the material. So for example you cannot get exactly two 24" pieces out of a 48" piece... you will get two 23-7/8" or so depending on the blade thickness.

 

[Creative Sign Guy(s)]

Agree with notareal on the stomp shear. The other pluses with a shear is you do not lose any material and get really nice clean cuts that are ready to use. Depending on the shear you can cut at least .040 aluminum and 3mm ACM no problem, some will cut thicker. The drawbacks are the wider the cut and the thicker the material, the harder it can be. I just about have to jump on the bar when I'm trying to cut 48" wide on thicker stuff.

With a panel saw, and we have one (a Safety Speed Cut), you do lose some of the material. So for example you cannot get exactly two 24" pieces out of a 48" piece... you will get two 23-7/8" or so depending on the blaze thickness pieces.

That is true, but also true for CNC cutters.

 

[JBurton]

That is true, but also true for CNC cutters.

I was going to jokingly try to steer the conversation to CNC's, everybody needs one!
Except maybe Stacey, sounds like she'd rather invest in something to make stuff a little easier, rather than stuff that will build her sign making empire to pass onto her boys (which is understandable I reckon).

 

[GAC05]

Can never have enough power tools - go for it.