Many Hands Make Light Work: A Construction Blog

Pipe cutting is a basic and essential skill for a competent DIY person. Many plumbing jobs around the home can be done by the property owner and it is during some of these times that a pipe may need to be cut to size, perhaps to repair a broken section of piping.

There are two main ways of successfully cutting pipe: using a hacksaw and using a pipe cutter. This article compares both tools so that you can decide which tool is better suited for you:

Versatility Of A Hacksaw

You may wonder why people continue to use a hacksaw to cut a pipe when there exists an exact tool for the job. The answer is simple; hacksaws are a multi purpose tool that can be used for many DIY jobs, making them a valuable part of a person's DIY kit. In addition to this, the vast majority of people will already own a hacksaw, meaning that they don't need to go out and purchase another tool to use when they already have a good enough tool in the first place.

People like to get value for money and a hacksaw, with its range of versatility, delivers this value. One pipe cutter will not be sufficient enough when you are cutting through, for example, plastic and then copper. You would need to use two different pipe cutters, each suited for their own material.

Perfect Cut With Pipe Cutters

The way in which the pipe cutters make their cut ensures that a better cut is achieved by this device, rather than using a hacksaw. Even with the steadiest of hands, a pipe cut with a hacksaw will likely have to be rubbed and smoothed to remove the burrs. This is because you are only cutting from one side with the hacksaw; a pipe cutter rotates as it cuts, ensuring that the pipe is cut cleanly from all sides. This gives a cut that is smooth and doesn't need readjusted.

Pipe Cutters Need Maintenance

It is common for people to treat their hacksaws rather impolitely and throw them into their kit when finished with. The hacksaw is sturdy and will still work perfectly. No maintenance is needed and if it breaks, it is a couple of dollars to replace. Pipe cutters, however, do require a little care and maintenance; they need to have the blades sharpened quite regularly. The blades have to be removed, cleaned and sharpened in order for the pipe to cut properly.

If you plan to carry out a large amount of pipe work repair, you should invest in a range of pipe cutters; if you only plan to carry out some small repairs, a hacksaw works well. Contact a company such as Field Machine Tools to learn more.