Bandsaw or Cold Saw?

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Hi guys,     I searched a little and found a few threads but I'm still on the fence. I'm really considering the Ellis 1600 saw but I'm not sure if I should get a bandsaw or cold saw.. My budget is around 2,500 so that kinda limits me. I'll be using the saw in my home/garage for light fabrication such as turbo manifolds, roll cages, or anything automotive/motorcycle related. What do you boys think I should get? I won't need the saw for any type of production. I personally think the bandsaw would better suit me, however, I'm also not that familiar with a cold saw and its capabilities. The one thing I did notice was the cold saws usually have a limit around 2.5 inches. I dunno, any help would be appreciated guys.. Thanks again and happy new years to all.Dynasty 200DXNo MIG as of yet....
Reply:dang guys no love?Dynasty 200DXNo MIG as of yet....
Reply:Hey SD_,The lack of a response is probably because everyone went back to work today. In addition, a simple search would reveal many posts regarding types & usage of saws the fellows here find most appropriate for their particular needs.Ok, I'll start. I have a welding/fab/machine shop & use a bandsaw, dry cut saw, table saw, O/A & plasma cutter to cut anything I need. Most fellows in the fab arena use several different methods..... simply comes down to the most efficient & most effective to obtain desired results. I probably use the dry cut saw the most & I can cut 4" dia. pipe or solid with ease. Here's a couple pics....Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:I would go with a nice band saw and a metal chop saw. You can get a band saw with a wetline for around a $1000 or so. The chop saw is nice when you need a quick cut on the go and you don't need it to be perfect I use y chop saw all the time. You can get one of those for around $200 and have another $1300 left over to buy a nice used plasma cutter for everything else. That would be about everything you need for a nicely equipd shop.Vantage 300 kubota ,miller 304 xmt ,lincoln ln 25 pro , ranger 305 G, plenty of other tools of the trade to make the sparks fly.
Reply:Well I already have the Jancy 14" Dry Cut saw and it works great... I just need to get a bigger saw for certain things.. I'm really leaning towards the Ellis 1600..Dynasty 200DXNo MIG as of yet....
Reply:I'd buy the ellis.  It's on my wishlist.ars sine scientia nihil est
Reply:For turbo manifolds and small diameter tubing where fitup is critical to a good weld, no doubt go with a cold saw.  The cut quality is as good as you can get from a saw, and it is relatively versatile and fast to use.Ours will max out at 4" x x.065 stainless, but easily does 2.5 and 3".It is very important to match the right blade to the type/thickness material, other than that it will cut anything you can throw at it.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:2 other good things about a cold saw is there pretty quiet because there low rpm, like 50rpm kind of low, & they are completely dust free, no metal shrapnel dust flying everywhere... the shavings are all collected in the drain tray... I guess a wet band saw is probably similar in those regards too though?miller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....
Reply:Cold saw and dry cut saws are two different animals. A quiet mitering cold saw would be nice to have. I have a Milwaukee dry cut saw that is loud and sometimes sends small parts that are being cut off flying across the shop. While it cuts clean I was never thrilled with it.Eventually I bit the bullet and purchased the Ellis 1600 and was amazed at the difference. I am not exaggeration when I say that I retried the dry cut saw only one time again after using the band saw (that has been about three years).Ken