At first glance we thought what could we do with a Band Saw that only has a 1-5/8” capacity? Our thought with any tool in our arsenal is never how many things can this tool do a medium job at. We look for 1 thing the tool can do a great job at, then any additional tasks it might do is a bonus. We had to build several concrete pads with rebar inside for training event so it was the perfect opportunity to test out the M12 Band Saw 2429-21XC ($199, Ohio Power Tool). We also happened to have access to a $1700 Multiquip Rebar Cutter which we did some comparison bench marking.
The Milwaukee M12 Band Saw is the first official one handed cordless band saw so it is super easy to use holding the rebar in one hand and cutting with the other. The blade is fully enclosed so safer but with the blade pushing the material into the shoe band saws in general really feels like one of the safest ways to cut anything metal. With only a 1-5/8” capacity we would definitely push someone who worked with any pipe or tubing into a larger band saw unit. For cutting rebar and threaded rod however this little tool really is extremely handy.
Comparing with a Hydraulic/Electric Rebar Cutter
If you are a serious concrete guy it is possible you have invested in a rebar cutter that looks like the one we have used here for somewhere between $1500-$2000. A cutter like this hydraulically breaks the metal in about 4.12 seconds. The unit also requires 110v power and weights about 27.7 lbs. If you are going to make a few hundred cuts before lunch probably a good investment. If you don’t have one but occasionally do need to cut rebar how does a cordless tool that weights 6.7 lbs, costs less than $200 and makes about 50 cuts (in 1/2” rebar) per charge. Yes it does take a whole 7.11 seconds per cut but only 10.86 seconds to cut 2 at once, pretty darn close to the speed of a unit almost 10x cost. See more comparison pictures in this Facebook Album.
By nature band saw blades work very well for cutting metal for several reasons, 1 they use every inch of cutting (unlike recip blades that burn out the first inch with rest nearly unused), 2 the blade rotates so it has much more time to cool down. Heat being the absolute enemy of any metal cutting accessory.
Overall we think we have found a great place for this little band saw. For those remodeler, landscaper, handyman, etc that do have a need for occasional concrete work but don’t need it every day this is a great options. Even a decent 5/8” manual rebar cutter ($272, Amazon) will cost you more and be far less useful. Good luck making 50 cuts in a row with that tool! Contact the Milwaukee Tool experts at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424 for more information on the 30+ M12 Tools, almost all of which are current in-stock there!
