Milwaukee Sawzall blades

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hanovertom

Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

Anyone else had problems with these. I bought a package ( I think at TSC) several months ago. They were in a package that said Mikwaukee and made in USA. Opened package yesterday to cut a piece of angle iron that is approx 1 1/2 x 1 1/4. 3 blades, DULLED Immediately, teeth gone before the paint. I ended up taking the piece to the vise and using a hacksaw.
Does Milwaukee have different grades? Counterfit?

 

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Mike Groom

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I had the same problem,I started using Dewalt blades and have been happier with them.

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

They are a good blade, and I have had that happen also, and also with other brands as well. Could be a bad batch or could be partially in the metal you are sawing. I've had some metal that you couldn't saw with the best hacksaw blade available. There seems to be a wide variation in the quality of blades within the same brand anymore, I guess it has to do with quality control, or cheap labor, or both. You will get one package good and the next not so good. Some of the cheaper blades will do a good job, you just have to experiment and find the right one. I remember years ago Dad bought some cheap foreign brand blades, and they were some of best long lasting blades he had ever bought, of course couldn't find the same ones again.

 

Steve A W

Member

Location

Northwest Indiana

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I've had good luck with the millwaukee gold tooth
blades.

 

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moresmoke

Well-known Member

Location

E ND

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I been using the Irwin Marathon branded ones lately, affordable at Lowes, and work really well.

 

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souNdguy

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

i think you mighta got some with bad heat treat.

I had a pack that i opened. 2 blades did the same. peeled down like nothing barely touching the mild steel angle. 3rd blad cut it like butter.

go figure!

 

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dr sportster

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

It's the whole action of the Sawzall. Very harsh tool on blades. I have seen guys use 12 blades to cut one bolt when the blade was pinched between large switch gear being separated. Each guy would run the blade too fast across the bolt and eat blades.Slow the pace way down. This is what separates the mechanics from the imposters.

 

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Sean Feeney

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I used to buy lenox
Blade

 

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CenTex Farmall

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I've had as good a luck with those as others. As long as you're using the bi-metal ones then should be good.

I think a lot of them have too much rake to begin with. I have re-sharpened a number of them by touching the back of the blade lightly to a grinding wheel. They seem to last longer then, regardless of brand.

did you get down into the metal at all? There's tiny chance you hit some kind of hard spot. Try moving over an inch or so if you can and see if that works.

There's a reason they call it a "Dullz-All"!

 

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David G

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

I have much better luck with cutoff disk.

 

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Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

Hi Tom;

The Milwaukee Sawzall has been one of my favorite power tools for about 40 years, the length of time I've had the one I'm still using. I bought the improved (?) version about 20 years ago in expectation of the original finally giving up, but it just won't. That said, I've never been impressed with Milwaukee blades. They always had a tendency to shatter dangerously. Lennox bi-metal performed much better, and now there are other brands of bi-metal blades which also give good service. If you haven't tried a cut-off wheel on an angle grinder, as David G recommends, you're working too hard. A $1 Harbor Freight cut-off wheel on a $15 H/F grinder (when the situation allows) is a revelation. Plus, it will do plunge cuts on sheet metal, which is close to impossible with a Sawzall.

Stan

 

Loosehandle

Well-known Member

Location

Wisconsin

• Jul 17, 2014

• #1

You have to keep the speed way down,Even then its not a good combination for production work.

 

Butch(OH)

Well-known Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

Sawzall blades have to be the most abused tool on earth but could have been a bad batch? Hard to say. Same as Stan I have had very good luck with Lennox. I have watched blades get ruined as fast as they could be installed because the operator insisted on running the saw wide open with no lubricant. Same as any other metal cutting tooling high speed and no lube equals no tool life. You will get lots more sawing accomplished at half speed and stopping to add a bit of oil than you will ever get done with a dry blade running wide open. Also helps a lot to work the saw back and forth a bit so the same teeth are not doing all the cutting, that way they have time to get rid of some heat.

 

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Bret4207

Well-known Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

Like Butch said, slow way down and lots of lube. I have a pretty old Makita that has a very touchy trigger. I've ruined a lot of blades not being able to get it slow enough. It really does make a big difference.

 

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Spook

Well-known Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

You might have gotten some pretty hard metal also. I know I've cut up some bed frames, and they were pretty hard on blades. A thin, angular section is hard also, you really want to have at least 2 or 3 teeth cutting at the same time, only 1 tooth puts a lot of stress on that section of the blade.

 

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Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

If there's anything made of steel that's more variable from one to the next than bed frames, I haven't run into it. I did a concrete project years ago where I used bed frames to brace my forms. Some could be cut and drilled like standard mild steel, and some were so hard that they resisted cutting or drilling to an amazing degree. Very annoying to work with.

Stan

 

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dr sportster

Well-known Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

Yes I have alway thrown bed frames in my truck to take home as free angle iron but what's up with that steel ?

 

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JimDRIl

Member

• Jul 18, 2014

• #1

Haven't used the sawzall since I got the angle grinder with a cutoff blade. Works like magic. I also retired the hacksaw.

 

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MPK

Member

• Jul 20, 2014

• #1

Maybe you got the wood cutting blades.