Subject: Re: Ryobi metalworking tools

From: [email-masked] (Grant Erwin)
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 02:30:23 GMT

I wanted to post a specific review of a 14" metal-cutting chop
saw, a Ryobi C-355C. Also, I want to put my $.02 worth in on
the thread of Ryobi tools in general.

My pal just bought the chop saw. I needed it to make about 13
cuts through 1" steel square bar - not square tubing, square bar.
I found this saw to be easy to use and well set up - but sadly
underpowered. Admittedly 1" solid steel square bar is not butter,
but the motor shouldn't stall either. Probably fine for angle iron
and such, or for steel studs, but a little weak for me.

On the topic of Ryobi in general, I have a Ryobi 4 1/2" angle
grinder that I have simply beat the shit out of for over ten
years. It is still going strong. I did have to buy a small part
for it. This was trivial, since they have a major parts store on
Aurora Avenue (what's the matter, Ernie, your car broke? Only
about 15 miles from Renton!) and they had the part in stock.
The grinder cost me about $55 in 1985, and is still going strong.
So I guess it depends on what tool you get from Ryobi.

--
Grant Erwin                     | Senior Member, Technical Staff
Cascade Design Automation Corp. | Internet:  [email-masked]
3650 131st Ave SE, Suite 650    | TEL:       (206)-649-7613
Bellevue, WA  98006             | FAX:       (206)-649-7600

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From: [email-masked] (Dave Vogel)
Date: 30 Jul 1995 09:15:28 GMT

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Grant
>So I guess it depends on what tool you get from Ryobi.

Hi!

I think that you will find that most of the "chop saws" that have an
integral motor turning a 14 inch wheel, will be giving there all when
cutting through 1 inch wide steel. In order to keep the wheel cutting,
and not just heating the metal, you have to apply a certain amount of
downforce per inch of blade contact. Even if they have 14 amp motors,
most saws will come close to stalling on this job.

One thing that I have found to work very well for cutting wide thick
stock, is, rather than clamp the work in the saw vise, I hold the stock
with my left hand, and carefully roll the work back and forth under the
blade. Doing this allows the blade to maintain a small contact point on
the metal, and the saw will cut through in seconds!

Of course the proper fix is to buy a 10 hp., 18 inch, three phase cut
off saw, but I don't imagine that there are too many home shops that
can really justify that!  :-)

Best wishes all!