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When it comes to specialist tools, there are so many on the market that nearly every job you could think of has one designed for it. Today we’re looking at the Prazi Beam Cutter; a specialist saw aimed at anyone who regularly works with timber and needs to achieve a variety of different cuts.
In this Prazi Beam Cutter review and guide, we’ll be looking at the core features of this particular tool and looking at how owning one might benefit your business.
Later on, we’ll be diving into the details of this tool and looking at how exactly each feature benefits users and examining the overall pros and cons of this saw. We’ll then offer up a few alternatives for you to consider before answering some frequently asked questions and giving some of our own thoughts.
But before we get too technical, let’s have a look at an overview of the Prazi Beam Cutter.
Key Specifications of the Prazi Beam Cutter
| Dimensions | 84 x 49 x 30 inches |
| Weight | 3.44 pounds |
| Finish | Metal casting |
| Blade length | 12-inches |
| Price | Check here for the latest price |
Key Features of the Prazi Beam Cutter
Prazi is an American company that’s made a name for itself as a quality manufacturer of tools and accessories ever since its launch in 1989. The beam cutter that we’re looking at today is their most popular product and the one that arguably gets the most recognition.
If being able to make accurate one-pass cuts on beams, logs, posts, or railroad ties without breaking the bank, this beam cutter is one to take into consideration.
It comes in at a wallet-friendly price, undercutting some of the bigger names in the market like Sword Saw, among others. While it’s more of an accessory than a stand-alone tool, it’s compatible with 99% of circular saws you can buy today.
Prazi has released two versions of the beam cutter, one designed for sidewinder and the other for worm drive circular saws. This means you’ll need to ensure you pick up the right one depending on the saw you already have.
But what makes it so good? Let’s have a look at the core features that make the Prazi Beam Cutter such a valuable addition to the tool kit of any workers regularly using timber.
12 Inch Cutting Depth
Possibly the most important aspect of beam cutters is the blade length. This helps users to determine whether this particular tool will be useful for them day to day. Those who work with timber and cut beams regularly will know that 12 inches are more than enough to work with, allowing you to precisely cut beams to size whenever you need to.
There are longer options available elsewhere on the market, but the 12 inches offered by the Prazi are perfectly adequate as it increases typical cutting depth from 2 ½ inches.
Integratable With Most Circular Saws
Vital to its success is Prazi’s ability to work when fully integrated with the majority of circular saws on the market. The manufacturer says that this beam cutter is compatible with 99% of all 7 ¼ inch circular saws available, including Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, and Ryobi.
Great Price
Compared with many of its competitors, the Prazi beam cutter comes in at a considerably lower price. This means it provides better value than many other options but doesn’t sacrifice any of the quality a good tradesperson needs in their tools.
Smooth Cutting Experience
This accessory comes with a vertical foot-plate and built-in sight to allow for exact cuts every time. This is particularly important if you’re cutting precise angles for timber frames and ensuring gliding manageability when attempting to see straight lines.
Easy Installation
Prazi claims this tool add-on takes just 60 seconds to install. It comes with three bolts included, and you don’t need to remove any tool parts already installed on your saw – this makes it a viable option for most carpenters.
Enhanced Safety Features
This unit comes with an array of safety features to keep the operator safe from potential injury.
It comes with a dust deflector guard to protect from harmful dust and debris particles, kickback resistance to stop any sudden jerks from happening while cutting, a guide bar for maximum control, and a chain guard with OSHA recommendation to prevent users from coming into contact with the razor-sharp cutting chain.
How Does the Prazi Beam Cutter Perform?
Although the average DIY enthusiast probably won’t need one of these around the home, a tool ad-on like the Prazi beam cutter could prove invaluable for professionals. We put it to the test recently to find out just how all those features stack up in real life.
The first thing to note is that Prazi’s beam butter is pretty easy to install. We were using a Makita circular saw, and using the bolts supplied, were able to quickly remove the circular and attach the beam cutter. It was a straightforward process that seemed consistent among other brand and drive types.
Once the unit was attached, it felt strong and securely held in place. This is important as removing and reattaching blades has the habit of loosening connections – no such issues here.
Then, we lined up the Prazi using the footplate and sight to accurately cut into our test piece of timber. Again, no problems here as the saw cut easily into the wood, even when using the full 12 inches of the blade.
The overall cutting experience was a smooth one. The blade felt sharp with the anti-kickback features that have been introduced working well to stop any unwanted sudden jerking movements from disrupting you while you work.
When taking a step back and admiring our work, everything had been completed precisely and accurately. The only downside is that compared with some other beam cutters on the market, the Prazi comes with a less-than-premium feel. But at a fraction of the cost, the performance more than stacks up against them.
Pros of the Prazi Beam Cutter
If you’re going to be picking one of these up for regular use on jobs, you need to be aware of the benefits you can expect to enjoy. So here are some of the best.
Price
The most obvious pro of the Prazi beam cutter is the price of the unit. It comes in at just a couple of hundred dollars, much less than competitors like the Festool, which will run you well over a thousand.
Useability
As we found during testing, this is an easy attachment to install and a simple one to use. Once you have removed the circular saw from your tool, you attach the beam cutter using the supplied bolts, and away you go. Despite this being a specialist saw, there is nothing specialist about setting it up.
Ideal for Pros
Although this isn’t a tool that will suit everyone, it is ideal for professionals and anyone who works with wood regularly. It allows them to achieve much more accurate results when cutting timber beams than they would otherwise be able to. It also saves time and resources while on the job.
Cons of the Prazi Beam Cutter
Despite the overwhelmingly positive view of the Prazi, there are a few negatives to take into account before getting yourself one.
Highly Specialised Tool
This is a tool that does one or two things very well. Therefore it’s not going to be suitable for the majority of people, including DIY enthusiasts. Unless you’re working with wood in your day-to-day life and need highly accurate results, there is little benefit to purchasing one of these.
Not a Premium Product
The Prazi beam cutter is one of the cheapest on the market. While this is a good thing, some competitors offer superior products that tend to look, feel, and perform better. The only thing is that they cost considerably more – something to weigh up before purchase.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Festool Sword Saw
The Festool Sword Saw represents the premium product within their market. It comes with a 13-inch reach and rotary dust extraction feature for tidy working. Pricewise, this comes in at over a thousand dollars, a good seven or eight times the price of the Prazi.
Makita Beam Saw 5402NA
The Makita Beam Saw is also an option but one that works in a slightly different way. Whereas the Prazi operates a chainsaw-style blade, the Makita goes with a circular design. As a result, it’s more powerful than a conventional circular saw and comes with a greater degree of flexibility, making it great for cutting and shaping timber beams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How Do You Install a Prazi Beam Cutter?
Answer:
• Remove current blade
• Slip busing in place
• Fully extend footplate and slide beam cutter blade into place
• Align beam cutter with saw spindle
• Loosen the two screws on the hinge
• Bolt hinge on beam cutter to slide on the saw. Tighten screws with fingers
• Screw bolt with washer counterclockwise until tight
• Align beam cutter, so it is perpendicular to the footplate
• Tighten all remaining screws and bolts
Question: How Deep Can a Beam Saw Cut?
Answer: Used by companies and professionals who need to perform long and straight cuts, beam cutters can cut anywhere up to 22 inches, depending on the size of the blade.
Question: What is a Chainsaw Beam Cutter?
Answer: A chainsaw beam cutter is another name given to beam cutters that use chainsaw-like blades to work. The Prazi is a good example of this, whereas the Makita is a circular saw version. However, they both work in similar ways.
The Final Word – Should I Get a Prazi Beam Cutter?
These attachments are an excellent choice for any professional who works with timber to add to their toolkits. They allow for a high level of precision in work and make cutting accurately much easier than trying to use a conventional circular saw.
While they may not be suitable for everyone to use, for those that need them, they’re sure to help ease the workload day-to-day. Although the Prazi is a fantastic example of a quality beam cutter available at a friendly price, there are others to have a look at. The ones we mentioned, the Makita 5402NA and Festool Sword Saw, are particularly worth considering.