Cutting · abrasive against cold cut
Is a cold-cut saw worth seven times an abrasive one?
Both cut 355 mm (14 in) through steel section. One grinds the metal away in a shower of sparks; the other shears chips out at low speed and leaves an edge you can weld without dressing.
| Compared on | GMT 355-2300 | S355MCS |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting principle | Abrasive disc | TCT carbide blade, cold cut |
| Power | 2,300 W | 2,200 W |
| Mitre range | −15° to 45° | ±46°, micro-adjustable |
| Edge after cutting | Hot, blued, burred — needs dressing | Cool and clean |
| Sparks | Heavy shower | Almost none |
| Consumable cost | A few dollars per disc | Expensive blade, resharpenable |
| Price | ≈ €120 | ≈ €880 |
| Listed on amazon.com | No | No |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these machines answer different questions.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the Güde if you cut occasionally and the noise is nobody else’s problem. It is the cheapest way to cut steel section square, and the dressing afterwards is a minute per cut.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the Evolution if you cut daily. Count the minute of dressing on every cut across a year and the price difference becomes arithmetic rather than luxury — and the workshop stays usable while it runs.
The blade shears chips out of the steel at a low rim speed instead of grinding it away. The energy leaves in the chips rather than as heat in the workpiece, so the offcut stays cool enough to hold, there is no blueing, almost no spark shower, and the cut face is clean enough to weld or paint as it is.
It depends on volume. Abrasive discs are cheap and wear out fast, shrinking as they go so the maximum cut depth falls with them. A carbide blade costs many times more, lasts a very long time in steel and can be resharpened — but a crash into an unclamped workpiece takes teeth off, and that is an expensive noise.
2,300 W · 355 mm (14 in) · mitre −15° to 45° · €120
The cheapest way to cut steel section square, and the loudest tool in this batch by a distance.
Best for: Cutting stock to length in a workshop where the noise is nobody else’s problem
2,200 W · 355 mm (14 in) TCT cold cut · mitre ±46° · €880
A carbide blade instead of an abrasive disc: no sparks, no burr, and an end you can weld without dressing.
Best for: Daily fabrication where every cut would otherwise be dressed by hand
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
