Results 1 to 20 of 20

Blades for cutting ac loops

| Scrap Metal Tips and Advice
  1. #1
    mike1 started this thread.
    mike1's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Rochester indiana
    Posts
    551
    Thanks
    231
    Thanked 93 Times in 76 Posts

    Blades for cutting ac loops

    Im goning to get a sawzaw to cut the ends off my ac's im going to be getting soon. I was going to go with either diablo or spyder suggestions of other good ones? I dont want generic they wont last. I was going to get a walmart brand sawzaw and just get a good blade would that work or not?


  2. The Following User Says Thank You to mike1 for This Post:



  3. #2
    kss's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    May 2019
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    839
    Thanks
    465
    Thanked 715 Times in 403 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by mike1 View Post
    Im goning to get a sawzaw to cut the ends off my ac's im going to be getting soon. I was going to go with either diablo or spyder suggestions of other good ones? I dont want generic they wont last. I was going to get a walmart brand sawzaw and just get a good blade would that work or not?
    I've found that the angle grinder works much better. A plug in ryobi 4" angle grinder from home depot is $40 and a 10pack of metal cut off disks from harbor freight is like $10... Once I got an angle grinder with metal cut off wheel, I rarely use the sawzall on anything metal anymore.... Just my thoughts

  4. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by kss:


  5. #3
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    2,072
    Thanks
    615
    Thanked 2,445 Times in 1,092 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by mike1 View Post
    Im goning to get a sawzaw to cut the ends off my ac's im going to be getting soon. I was going to go with either diablo or spyder suggestions of other good ones? I dont want generic they wont last. I was going to get a walmart brand sawzaw and just get a good blade would that work or not?
    Yes definitely use a name brand blade, I use a blade with 24tpi for AC headers and for cutting off cats.

  6. #4
    greytruck's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Thornton, Illinois
    Posts
    1,873
    Thanks
    1,638
    Thanked 1,733 Times in 893 Posts
    I use a hacksaw. Less blade kerf

  7. The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by greytruck:


  8. #5
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,306
    Thanks
    3,232
    Thanked 1,922 Times in 785 Posts
    Bandsaw or hacksaw definitely better for cutting ends. No matter the sawzall brand or blade you're gonna want something to keep the coils secure while you cut. The more they vibrate the more of the coil you'll leave on the end and, worse, the higher the likelihood your blade will catch somewhere. That will burn out the motor on any sawzall. Had the best luck with Makita, Chicago and Milwaukee sawzalls.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to JJinLV for This Post:


  10. #6
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,306
    Thanks
    3,232
    Thanked 1,922 Times in 785 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by kss View Post
    I've found that the angle grinder works much better. A plug in ryobi 4" angle grinder from home depot is $40 and a 10pack of metal cut off disks from harbor freight is like $10... Once I got an angle grinder with metal cut off wheel, I rarely use the sawzall on anything metal anymore.... Just my thoughts
    If you're getting relatively small coils a grinder with a cutting blade works good. If getting multilayer radiators though the grinder is simply gonna run out of blade length.

  11. The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by JJinLV:


  12. #7
    mike1 started this thread.
    mike1's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Rochester indiana
    Posts
    551
    Thanks
    231
    Thanked 93 Times in 76 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by JJinLV View Post
    If you're getting relatively small coils a grinder with a cutting blade works good. If getting multilayer radiators though the grinder is simply gonna run out of blade length.
    Definately wanting to use something powered cause i think i have arthritis haha from all that hacksawing. Oh and plus all the wire stripping ive done by hand to a ive done with a box cutter haha. Im going to get 2 central acs and 8A frames saw a video of a guy doing them okie scrapper i think. I tried a angle grinder last time i had my grandmas ac it had some recoil haha. Curious think ill get 10 acs done with just one blade? Also what is kerf??? Thats 20 ends i have to cut id b exhausted with a hacksaw. Plus i work now so i can do it after work. I got a guy who breaks down the compressors for me so i get the motor and dont have to deal with the sparks or having to hacksaw through it haha.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to mike1 for This Post:


  14. #8
    mike1 started this thread.
    mike1's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Rochester indiana
    Posts
    551
    Thanks
    231
    Thanked 93 Times in 76 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by JJinLV View Post
    If you're getting relatively small coils a grinder with a cutting blade works good. If getting multilayer radiators though the grinder is simply gonna run out of blade length.
    Definately wanting to use something powered cause i think i have arthritis haha from all that hacksawing. Oh and plus all the wire stripping ive done by hand to a ive done with a box cutter haha. Im going to get 2 central acs and 8A frames saw a video of a guy doing them okie scrapper i think. I tried a angle grinder last time i had my grandmas ac it had some recoil haha. Curious think ill get 10 acs done with just one blade? Also what is kerf??? Thats 20 ends i have to cut id b exhausted with a hacksaw. Plus i work now so i can do it after work. I got a guy who breaks down the compressors for me so i get the motor and dont have to deal with the sparks or having to hacksaw through it haha.

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to mike1 for This Post:


  16. #9
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    1,306
    Thanks
    3,232
    Thanked 1,922 Times in 785 Posts
    A sawzall is a brand name. The type of saw is called a reciprocating saw and the reciprocation creates recoil that basically your arm absorbs a lot of. Natural recoil from its proper use is more than anything you should get from a grinder. So if it's recoil you're worried about, go for a bandsaw or tablesaw. When we were shredding radiators at my old job staff could cut the ends off at least 80 radiators with a single blade. With careful use you can expect at least that many from a single blade.

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to JJinLV for This Post:


  18. #10
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    2,072
    Thanks
    615
    Thanked 2,445 Times in 1,092 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by JJinLV View Post
    A sawzall is a brand name. The type of saw is called a reciprocating saw and the reciprocation creates recoil that basically your arm absorbs a lot of. Natural recoil from its proper use is more than anything you should get from a grinder. So if it's recoil you're worried about, go for a bandsaw or tablesaw. When we were shredding radiators at my old job staff could cut the ends off at least 80 radiators with a single blade. With careful use you can expect at least that many from a single blade.
    For every action there's a reaction 'm sure that your capable of figuring out the physics. Use a heavier saws all to counter the reciprocating motion.

    The big guy wins.

    Last edited by alloy2; 11-10-2020 at 10:30 PM.

  19. #11
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    164
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 62 Times in 47 Posts
    The more I read, the more I think someone should stick with a hacksaw.

    Sorry, not sorry.

  20. The Following User Says Thank You to IamTheGreatest for This Post:


  21. #12
    mike1 started this thread.
    mike1's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Rochester indiana
    Posts
    551
    Thanks
    231
    Thanked 93 Times in 76 Posts
    Not with the either arthritis or carpel tunmel i have no way. I still strip wire with a box cutter.

  22. The Following User Says Thank You to mike1 for This Post:


  23. #13
    pappawheelie's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Apr 2013
    Location
    WI
    Posts
    94
    Thanks
    69
    Thanked 148 Times in 48 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by mike1 View Post
    Not with the either arthritis or carpel tunnel i have no way. I still strip wire with a box cutter.
    (EDITED) One of the most useful and time saving tools I use is an old 14" vertical wood cutting bandsaw. I run a good quality 14tpi metal cutting blade and cut up all my non-ferrous and radiators. It only takes 5 to 10 seconds to zip off the loops on the end of a radiator, then 1 or 2 whacks with a hammer to knock the steel plate off. FAST and EFFICIENT !!!! I use the same saw to clean my aluminum radiators. The plastics ends go in with aluminum breakage and I get a clean radiator in just 20 seconds. No garbage to dispose of and no time wasted trying to pry all those stupid aluminum tabs to separate the tanks. For me it's all about time and getting more processed per day. Angle grinders work great for many things but personally I avoid the dust they generate at all costs, my sinuses have issues after years of abuse working with this stuff. I switched my cutoff blades to the diamond impregnated Lenox. The diameter doesn't wear down small and most of my dust issues come from the ABRASIVE WHEELS breaking down, not the metal dust. Be safe guys, wear your safety equipment (dust masks, respirators, hearing protection, gloves etc etc) when you get OLDER you will be HAPPY you did! TRUST ME, talking from experience !!!
    Last edited by pappawheelie; 05-16-2021 at 10:34 AM.

  24. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by pappawheelie:


  25. #14
    t00nces2's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    1,693
    Thanks
    1,187
    Thanked 2,341 Times in 958 Posts
    I use an angle grinder with a metal blade. Just zips the ends cleanly off either on the coil side or the loop side, whichever is easier. If the coil was thicker and I needed to go deeper, a metal blade circular saw might work.

  26. #15
    jimicrk's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    2,825
    Thanks
    2,917
    Thanked 4,838 Times in 1,877 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by pappawheelie View Post
    One of the most useful and time saving tools I use is an old 14" vertical wood cutting bandsaw. I run a good quality 14tpi metal cutting blade and cut up all my non-ferrous and radiators.
    Bandsaws come in handy. I don't scrap radiators but I do get a lot of transformers and my horizontal bandsaw works great.
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  27. The Following 5 Users say Thank You for This Post by jimicrk:


  28. #16
    t00nces2's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    1,693
    Thanks
    1,187
    Thanked 2,341 Times in 958 Posts
    My bad. I thought you were talking about AC coils. A hacksaw or bandsaw would be what I would use for electric coils if I couldn't spit the chassis with a hatchet.

    Actually, I was right. They were talking about AC coils.

  29. #17
    pappawheelie's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Apr 2013
    Location
    WI
    Posts
    94
    Thanks
    69
    Thanked 148 Times in 48 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by t00nces2 View Post
    I use an angle grinder with a metal blade. Just zips the ends cleanly off either on the coil side or the loop side, whichever is easier. If the coil was thicker and I needed to go deeper, a metal blade circular saw might work.
    I use a 6" metal/diamond blade on my 4" grinder, cuts deeper and works GREAT !!! Just don't get bit by it, burns like #@%*... !!!!

  30. The Following User Says Thank You to pappawheelie for This Post:


  31. #18
    Patriot76's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Buffalo Commons
    Posts
    2,949
    Thanks
    10,589
    Thanked 7,220 Times in 2,256 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by pappawheelie View Post
    I use a 6" metal/diamond blade on my 4" grinder, cuts deeper and works GREAT !!! Just don't get bit by it, burns like #@%*... !!!!
    I am n the same ballpark, I use a diamond blade cutting wheel on my grinder for everything.
    Give back more to this world than we take.

  32. #19
    t00nces2's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    1,693
    Thanks
    1,187
    Thanked 2,341 Times in 958 Posts
    Well, I needed to cut the loops off a couple coils this morning and I used my new saws all, worked great.

  33. #20
    Kemper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Farmington Mo.
    Posts
    20
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked 15 Times in 6 Posts
    Sawzall or similar works great. I just cut the ends off of about 200 pounds of coils and blade still looks good. I always cut on the inside of the end plate if possible. Then I pop the copper loops out of the end plates with a screwdriver. One problem is when the blade gets oily from any oil still in coil but if you put hand on saw near bottom and push in the direction of cut it helps . Wear leather gloves but it seems relatively safe.


  34. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. this thread has pictures - new sawsall blades
      By corycouch in forum Tools and Equipment
      Replies: 28
      Last Post: 06-05-2014, 06:21 AM
    2. Metallic looking loops in some wire - what are they?
      By scrap1025 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 11-12-2012, 10:43 PM
    3. drill bits, circular saw blades, hackaw blades
      By copycat in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 2
      Last Post: 07-24-2012, 06:28 PM
    4. Old Metal Cutting/Grinding Blades
      By phil377 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 05-03-2012, 05:43 PM
    5. Replies: 4
      Last Post: 04-18-2011, 01:20 PM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook