blair spot weld cutters which one is best?

Posted By: haddixj

blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 05:53 PM

About to start on my car and have alot of spot welds to cut, so which one to buy? Either way I will get the lube that seems to be recommended and extra cutters.

http://www.amazon.com/Blair-BLR11096-Cut...pot+weld+cutter

http://www.amazon.com/Spotweld-Rotabroac...pot+weld+cutter

http://www.amazon.com/Double-End-Spotwel...pot+weld+cutter

I have heard these break pretty easy?

So for whoever has done this which ones do you prefer?

Posted By: Jeremiah

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 06:01 PM

I have both and think the Rotabroach is a better value. The teeth on the cutter are wider and will not peen over with use like the blair unit that uses the double ended cutters. If I were you I'd get the full Rotabroach set to start with. It is a little more expensive that the one you linked but it sure does come in handy.

Posted By: haddixj

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 06:13 PM

What is confusing is that the "heavy duty" one seems to use the same cutters at least that is what they are linking in the amazon buy this for XX amount all together. I think the double ended ones are out. But what makes one heavy duty is what I dont get? I will look for the other kit. Does it just come with different sizes? From what I have seen 3/8" is the only size I will need? Is that correct? I am doing both quarters, a front frame rail and need to remove the upper cowl to patch it up.

Posted By: T2R9

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 06:19 PM

I have the center kit linked. I just replaced the cowl and firewall on my Cuda. These worked beautifully and I did not need any extra cutters. I did use the lube stick that's recommended. I also have an older set of the doubled sided ones. I wont even use them anymore.

Posted By: Jeremiah

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 09:26 PM

When I get to the shop I'll get you the p/n of my kit. Please hold...

Posted By: RoadRunner

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 11:53 PM

I have the first one and last one in your list. I use them both. The teeth are more fragile on the double ended cutters, but I find the effort to cut through the top layer to be a bit less. I also finnd the double ended cutters work well in areas where you can get a good center punch, and the spot weld is pretty smooth (as not to catch one of the teeth).

Posted By: nomore65BelvJim

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 02/28/14 11:56 PM

Got a Harbor Freight close by?

I used to use the Blair rotabroach for cutting spotwelds. Worked great, cut like a little lathe...until a tooth snags a weld and breaks off.
Dealt with that for a dozen or more bits at @ $9 each until I found the HF cutter.

Double sided 3/8" cutter for $4-$5. Doesnt last as long as the Blair but if it breaks off a tooth it still works.
I used to use up 2 Blair cutters per car. Now I may use 2 or 3 of the HF cutters. Around 1,000 spotwelds cut on each car, give or take a couple hundred depending on how thorough the breakdown.

I still use the rest of the Blair kit for other hole making needs. Holes in a step bumper and frame to mount a hitch and the like. Works great, better than a drill IMO.

Posted By: Jeremiah

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 12:09 AM

Here are the pics of my preferred kit. It cuts much faster than the style above and for me time is money. YMMV...

Attached picture 8056337-0228141403a_247976.jpg

Attached picture 8056337-0228141403a_247976.jpg

Posted By: Jeremiah

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 12:10 AM

I apologize for the poor quality cell phone pictures.

Attached picture 8056339-0228141401a_265026.jpg

Posted By: Jeremiah

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 12:10 AM

Last one.

Attached picture 8056340-0228141400a_257896.jpg

Posted By: haddixj

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 12:42 AM

thanks and yes I have a harbor freight 30 or so miles away but I would prefer to get a nicer tool for such a miserable job.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 01:03 AM

Honestly I have used the blair cutter(very fragile, don't like them)

Then bought the kit shown above, very nice works well.
But my most favorite cutter is a reg old drill bit. It worked the best for me and I even resharpened it with my drill doctor. You get good at it. I did all this with just a drill bit. There's no draw back or compromise when using a reg drill bit, imo.
Got to be a tough guy and get up on that drill and show it who's boss.

Posted By: nomore65BelvJim

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 07:56 AM

Quote:

thanks and yes I have a harbor freight 30 or so miles away but I would prefer to get a nicer tool for such a miserable job.

No problem, up to you.

I do that "miserable job" for a living

Posted By: nomore65BelvJim

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 08:06 AM

Quote:

Honestly I have used the blair cutter(very fragile, don't like them)

Then bought the kit shown above, very nice works well.
But my most favorite cutter is a reg old drill bit. It worked the best for me and I even resharpened it with my drill doctor. You get good at it. I did all this with just a drill bit. There's no draw back or compromise when using a reg drill bit, imo.
Got to be a tough guy and get up on that drill and show it who's boss.

The Blair tools are fragile, brittle even, but they do cut clean when they are working.

I use a drill bit on a few areas that the cutter shank isnt long enough.

If you have to really lean into it to get it to cut, its dull

Posted By: 440gtx6

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/01/14 07:58 PM

Maybe it's just my lack of skill but I've been cutting welds on 3 cars lately and about half of the welds I either can't find the center of the weld (like on really rusty floors) to get the 3/8 cutters to work or the weld's just too big of a diameter. I was thinking I need to get one of the 1/2 cutters but doesn't anyone use one, results?

Posted By: Stanton

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/03/14 01:32 AM

I hate those Blair-style cutters because they leave that little "plug" that you have to grind off later, doubling your work.

I really like the way this style works because it will cut flush to the inner panel (with one or two practice cuts). Usually seeing rust dust is an indicator that you're through!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PC-Set-HSCO-Tit...=item51ba0f5e81

These are available at virtually every swapmeet from those guys that sell all those offshore tools.

Unfortunately I found the smaller two cutters are useless because they're too small. The larger one is 3/8" which seems to be ideal. The down side is they are China-made and wear out quickly (got one and an half inner fenders cut before it was toast). However there is a US-made cutter available but the name escapes me right now.

Posted By: cudaman1969

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/03/14 10:47 PM

Quote:

Got a Harbor Freight close by?
I used to use the Blair rotabroach for cutting spotwelds. Worked great, cut like a little lathe...until a tooth snags a weld and breaks off.
Dealt with that for a dozen or more bits at @ $9 each until I found the HF cutter.

Double sided 3/8" cutter for $4-$5. Doesnt last as long as the Blair but if it breaks off a tooth it still works.
I used to use up 2 Blair cutters per car. Now I may use 2 or 3 of the HF cutters. Around 1,000 spotwelds cut on each car, give or take a couple hundred depending on how thorough the breakdown.

I still use the rest of the Blair kit for other hole making needs. Holes in a step bumper and frame to mount a hitch and the like.

[image]http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_3222.jpg[/i

I use this, only problem is the center punch,after it brakes i replace with a 6 penny nail, center punch the spot weld and drill with 1/8 bit, no skipping then. Didn't know about the lub,need to try. If you are using a spot welder, weld up the hole first, if welding with mig no need to.

Posted By: haddixj

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/03/14 10:58 PM

Ill stop by and pick up a few at harbor freight and give them a shot. I am going to test it out on a different car and do the repair on its lower quarter first
thanks for the help

Posted By: 5carguy

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/03/14 11:55 PM

I have used the double end type for years,and have had good luck with them.Try not to push so hard and they last longer than most of the other designs.

Posted By: nomore65BelvJim

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/04/14 07:54 PM

also keep the speed down, heat shortens the tool life...plus its not a race

Posted By: demon

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/05/14 05:57 AM

From someone who replaces body panels for a living, I rarely use a spot weld cutter. I do own the Blair Rotabroach and others. I use them when I need to disassemble and then reattach the same panels. They are designed to save the top and bottom panel. And the little button left behind needs to be ground off, meaning more work.
When replacing rusty junk like trunkfloors and old 1/4's etc, there is no need to drill anything. The fastest, easiest and least harmful way to seperate the rusty top from a solid lower panel is to grind away the spotweld using a thick zip disc. It takes practice but once you know what you are doing it really works the best. Do as many as you can, and then slide a thin chisel type tool between the two panels to pop them apart.
You can usually see how far to go because you will see a halo when the weld is gone. Done right, the old top panel should pop right off and the lower panel will be unharmed and smooth.

Posted By: 5carguy

Re: blair spot weld cutters which one is best? - 03/05/14 04:01 PM

I have used these too.They look like a cut off wheel but much thicker,1/4 in thick.I buy them at a paint and body supply store and mount it on a die grinder.A lot of sparks but work well.