First time tube notcher.....

admin

Hey I was just wondering what you thought of this tubing notcher..... Im not sure exactly what I should try to buy for my first notcher but I think the price is right on this one. http://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-tu...:referralID=NAIts cheap will likely have to be clamped or held in a vice and I know I have to use a hand drill since I dont have a press. Im  mainly looking for a reason not to buy it. ThanksMiller Diversion 165Rage 2 Chop saw
Reply:Remember one thing when making this decision on what to buy..You get what you pay for.I'd kill it in 2 minutes....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:The Pro-tools and JD coping devices are way better.  Ya pays a little more up front, but ya doesnt gets to run back to HF 2 or 3 times to replace it when it fails.  If you only have one job ever the HF would do, if ya plan to keep doing it spend the money and get a decent tool from the git go.  Just my disabled .02 worth.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:well thats why i asked... Harbor freight is a junky Chinese company i know. So what do you guys think would be a good first time notcher? Any links?Miller Diversion 165Rage 2 Chop saw
Reply:go with the jd square. northern tools sells them $249.99 Attached Images
Reply:I bought the HF notcher for a roll cage project in a car. We cut about 30 notches before it had a huge amount of play in it. It didn't last long and was getting worse quickly. I tossed and I have the same setup as Ed above. The JD Squared Notchmaster and a 1/2" Milwaukee drill to power it (same drill with the keyless chuck and all). It's absolutely spectacular. Buy it once...KevinHobart Handler 210Tweco Fabricator 181iLincoln Squarewave Tig 175
Reply:ok cool I will definitely look into that... I am looking at cheap cut off saws first for cutting steel. Once I get one I will start looking for a notcher!Miller Diversion 165Rage 2 Chop saw
Reply:Look at the Evolution Rage 2. Great carbide cutter cutoff saw. Much Much better than an abrasive saw and not priced too badly considering the milwaukee one is almost twice the price
Reply:the Major issues with the cheap notchers are: the bushing that they come with for the cutter shaft is low grade brass.seems to wear out almost as fast as if it were carbon.this sucks for two reasons.1 as the bushing starts to wear out its hell on the hole saw.a decent hole saw isn't cheap,and 2 once a few teeth are missing from the chattering of the oblong cut because of a worn out bushing your wrist is the weak link.also everyone i've ever worked with seamed to be off center by a couple degrees.accompanied by cheap hardware and you're better off to spend the extra cash like the guys above have stated.good luck~we the uneducated have been led for so long by the inexperienced, that we feel we can do anything,with nothing~Miller Syncrowave 200Miller 251 mig
Reply:I'd like to add a thought ...Milwaukee's right angle drill works great for those.I have to drill 5" hole's in plywood forms and a regular 1/2" drill just about break's my hands...the other I can stall it out.I have the JD notch er myself
Reply:I have that harbor freight notcher ..It copes the tubes alright...Its kinda rickety and flimsy.The bushing on mine wore out, got a free replacement , bushing wasnt even tight on that one , so i just said screw it..But it does the job alot easier than an angle grinder...I tried it in my drill press and to be honest it takes way to much time to set up in there..I had mine bolted to a table with a hand drill which I liked better...This thing burned up my old drill and I bought a heavy duty drill with gears in it..The problem now is the more powerful drill wants to break my wrist when the holesaw catches, which it WILL..
Reply:Originally Posted by ak4130I have that harbor freight notcher ..It copes the tubes alright...Its kinda rickety and flimsy.The bushing on mine wore out, got a free replacement , bushing wasnt even tight on that one , so i just said screw it..But it does the job alot easier than an angle grinder...I tried it in my drill press and to be honest it takes way to much time to set up in there..I had mine bolted to a table with a hand drill which I liked better...This thing burned up my old drill and I bought a heavy duty drill with gears in it..The problem now is the more powerful drill wants to break my wrist when the holesaw catches, which it WILL..
Reply:do not buy anything from harbor freight if you can help it.
Reply:I'd get the JMR honestly...I bought the JD2 notchmaster and after getting to use a buddies JMR I regret buying the JD2 instead.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Couldn't you just use a center head or Curve-O-Mark and a normal hole saw in drill press?Semper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:I have the one pictured below. I have had it for about 7 years now and just used it yesterday for a production run of light bars. Has been holding up great! Only faults I don't like about it are you can't notch short pipe because the clamp is about 2.5-3" away from the hole saw and setting it up on the drill press is a pain to get the shaft lined up strait to the spindle in the drill. Other then those two problems I like it and it can be portable.
Reply:Never had a problem lining up the drill. Normal hole saws have a pilot bit.I've used both a regular center head on my Starrett, (scribed center then center punched) and the curve-o-mark with the built in punch (easier & faster). Then just line the center punch up to the pilot bit.Of course using a hydraulic pipe notcher in the shop only takes a few seconds.I can see where portability would be the benefit to these systems.Depending on what style you like, http://www.vansantent.com/tube_coping_machines.htm is a site with a few different styles. Some even come with a porta-power ram.....lolSemper FiJesus may have been a Carpenter, but his dad was a Millwright" A grinder and a can of paint, will make a welder what he aint' "I've done so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing!
Reply:Have been using the Harbor Freight notcher for years.  Replaced the bushing with one from McMaster, no troubles since.
Reply:You already started with the WRONG approach! Never start with the idea of a "first time" anything. Figure out what you want and buy the best and plan on that being the last time you have to buy it!You'll save yourself thousands of dollars. The phrase, "do it right the first time" comes to mind. Why buy throwaway tools if you KNOW you will use them for years to comeI have a bias towards H Milling machines but will not beat the horse we beat in the following thread. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=59174Granthttp://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything
Reply:I agree! If it is a tool that you will use for years and at least once a month or so get a good one. Every time you use a piece of junk you will be bitching and fighting with it the whole time every time.The notcher I have is boarder line to cheap for me and it wasn't very cheap as far as cheap tools go. It has worked fine for me every time I use it but like I mentioned the setup kinda sucks but being portable kinda makes up for it at least for me. If I didn't need portable I would have one of those lathe type ones with the endmill.
Reply:I had a calculator saved, before a computer crash, that would give two straight angles to cut, to give you a notch on tube. Never tried it, but would like to.. anybody ever use that approach?
Reply:try     snip.awardspace.com
Reply:Save your money. First buy a good saw. Then just use the chop saw method for tubing notching. It works good and is free once you have the saw.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadtry     snip.awardspace.com
Reply:This one will print you out a coping template.http://www.metalgeek.com/static/cope.pcgi#danLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175I bought one about 6 months ago and have never used it!  This is one a guy modified a little.[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty915Z0GrJo[/ame]
Reply:A good first time tubing notcher is the one from williams low buck tools.  Very well made and has lasted me over 12 years of continued use.
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTI have the one pictured below. I have had it for about 7 years now and just used it yesterday for a production run of light bars. Has been holding up great! Only faults I don't like about it are you can't notch short pipe because the clamp is about 2.5-3" away from the hole saw and setting it up on the drill press is a pain to get the shaft lined up strait to the spindle in the drill. Other then those two problems I like it and it can be portable.
Reply:Originally Posted by vdotmatrixwhat is this tool?
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTReally?   It is a tubing/pipe notcher.
Reply:Originally Posted by SeanMurphy265I bought one about 6 months ago and have never used it!  This is one a guy modified a little.
Reply:Originally Posted by vdotmatrixNO not WHAT IS THIS TOOL....WHO MAKES THIS THIS TOOL .  SORRYWho makes this tool etc.....you describe it but I didn't catch the model or make....