Spot weld cutter...which one?

[F100builder]

Hi everyone. I'm looking to get a spot weld cutter but I've looked at several dozen online and don't know what to get. First of all, I'm not spending $50 on one. I only need it to last through one front cab corner but I also don't want something so cheap that it doesn't work well for even a small job. I only looked online for a little pricing research...I'll try to find a decent one locally but wondered if anyone has picked up a particular brand from a particular store that did the job well for the money. I'm hesitant to buy one from harbor freight even if it is only 5 bucks. I see almost a 50-50 split on reviews for them. Thanks for any info!

[hazelnut]

I know someone that used a HF one and he had a problem of it wanting to jump away from where you want to cut the spotweld and knock off teeth. I drilled him a small hole for center guide and the cutter worked fine after that. Ive got one i paid $20 for at a body supply store, It cuts the same as mine dose with a guide hole. The problem with the HF one is the spring in the guide is weak and will let the cutter jump away because it don't have enuff pressure to hole in place.

[67 F100]

HF works fine.

What hazelnut said. Drill a pilot hole. Not only does it keep it from jumping it cuts down on the wear and tear on the cutter bit.

Off the top of my head I remember getting 20+ spot welds cut from one bit.

[F100builder]

Thanks for the input guys and the info on the pilot hole. I seriously doubt I'll need to use one very often so I don't want to spend a fortune on one. I'll pick up an HF one and see how it goes.

[HIO Silver]

Blair spotweld cutters are my tool choice... the HF kit is OK if ya only have a few to do.

2X....I suggest punching and then creating a divot with a 1/8-inch drill bit so the pilot but doesn't wander.

[BobbyFord]

Mine is Blue Point, prolly more than you want to spend. The key is to use plenty of cutting oil to cut down on tool wear.

[cep62]

I've used Blair cutters for years , Some will last until they're dull and some will spit the teeth on the first hole.
A sharp punch or a pilot hole is a must .
Another option is a round carbide bur on a die grinder .

Either way you may need to separate the two pieces with a flat chisel. (Air powered is best)

[DCrusher]

The only thing going for the HF is that you sure to wear it out and you can flip the cutter so it doubles your pleasure but it is worthless if your planning on NOT doing a lot of spot weld cutting it works BUT it's garbage you'd be better off drill a hole through the center On the lighter side it does come with a nice case to store it in. What I ended up doing is take your drill bit and flatten out the bit angle on a grinder to lessen the drill through.

Hi everyone. I'm looking to get a spot weld cutter but I've looked at several dozen online and don't know what to get. First of all, I'm not spending $50 on one. I only need it to last through one front cab corner but I also don't want something so cheap that it doesn't work well for even a small job. I only looked online for a little pricing research...I'll try to find a decent one locally but wondered if anyone has picked up a particular brand from a particular store that did the job well for the money. I'm hesitant to buy one from harbor freight even if it is only 5 bucks. I see almost a 50-50 split on reviews for them. Thanks for any info!

[pincheweddo]

Hi everyone. I'm looking to get a spot weld cutter but I've looked at several dozen online and don't know what to get. First of all, I'm not spending $50 on one. I only need it to last through one front cab corner but I also don't want something so cheap that it doesn't work well for even a small job. I only looked online for a little pricing research...I'll try to find a decent one locally but wondered if anyone has picked up a particular brand from a particular store that did the job well for the money. I'm hesitant to buy one from harbor freight even if it is only 5 bucks. I see almost a 50-50 split on reviews for them. Thanks for any info!

[/quote]

I bought a HF model. Worked great except if that center pin doesn't grab exact and center, it will walk all over the place. Use a fine center punch to mark your spot weld center then get busy.

[PetesPonies]

None, I don't use them. What you want are B&D Bullet bits. They cut flat with a small pilot hole left over. They are durable, something spot weld cutters are not and they leave a nice spot for a perfect rosset weld.