Plunge Cutters are Hawesome

Not usually for automotive use, I must say that this little tool has saved me a few times. Tonight wasn't a big save but it sure allowed me to not do more surgery to get a board cut. 
 

I normally avoid harbor freight power tools but got this years ago in a pinch and it has continued to remind me that it is one of the best $15 I've ever spent. 
 

I had to cut out a crossmember in an aluminum trailer and I do not know how else I would have cut the weld that was against the top (going from the bottom) and next to the side rail.  A wheel would have never reached.  
 

here was a board I just cut:

and here is the glorious tool 

I have one and have used it a lot.

Can confirm, it's awesome

Great tool, unbeatable price. I have yet to try the wide variety of attachments that are available though. Have you guys ever used these for sanding or other projects?

Sharpen the edge of the scraper blade and you have an amazing tool for scraping gaskets.

I've sharpened the narrow scraper and used it to remove auto glass, it heats up from friction and cuts through the urethane like butter.

With the scraper blade they work OK for getting seam sealer out of tight spots.  I also have a 210deg saw blade for it which is terrifying but lets you make continuous cuts on all sorts of stuff.

A regular scraper blade is good for cleaning racing slicks.  When I flip the tires on my Formula Ford, I like to get rid of the picked-up rubber so the balance isn't affected.

Today I learned what a plunge cutter is.

I've always called them a multi-tool.  I bought a cheap one a couple years ago just to try, and now it gets used at least weekly.  

I picked one up about 10 years ago and after a couple of attempts to use it where the blade ended up getting destroyed in short order, I never used it again. I'll have to pull it out and give it another chance after buying more relevant blades.

I just spent like $30 on 3 blades and they are lightyears better than the ones that came with my corded DeWalt.

I have looked at them but never tried one - maybe next hammerstore purchase

I bought one of Amazon recently for an upcoming flooring project. It's already gotten used several times and the flooring hasn't started. It's great for those weird situations that could be done with some other tool but it would be a pain in the butt. One reviewer said he didn't know what he'd use it for when he bought it but now it gets used more than any other saw he owns.

We use ours a ton, works great! The Harbor fright blades work awesome to. 

I agree, I've used one a ton.  I highly recommend getting some of the carbide-tipped version of the saw blades shown on the box.  I think the hammer store has 'em for $4 or 5 apiece and they'll last about 50 times longer than the stamped steel version that comes with it.  And yeah, the round ones are great too.

I haven't used it for much other than cutting, so no comment on sanding or anything.  

A great use for it was when I cut a hole in my wall to put in a bar, I was able to drop this in between the two sides to chop down the studs to size to put in the bottom & top of the frame:

boxedfox (Forum Supporter) said:

Today I learned what a plunge cutter is.

Yup. Me too.

Didn't someone once sing these things' praises for getting sound deadener off a floor pan? I still haven't tried it.

Although not as effective (or dangerous) as some other tools, a battery powered one comes in handy at the junkyard for being persuasive with small bolts, interior trim, etc.

Having just finally dropped a whopping $40 on an electric finger sander that is new my favorite tool, it sounds like it's time to try one of these, too. 

ooo, cordless options. hmm.

I wouldn't have been able to replace the floor in my bathroom without one of these. It's one of those tools that once you use it, you wonder how you lived without it.

I'll echo the sentiment of getting the good blades- they're worth spending the money on, and will make the HF unit look like a hero. The converse is true- use cheap blades in an expensive tool, and you've really got a cheap tool, since the business end is going to suck.

bluej (Forum Supporter) said:

Having just finally dropped a whopping $40 on an electric finger sander that is new my favorite tool, it sounds like it's time to try one of these, too. 

 

ooo, cordless options. hmm.

For what it's worth, the cordless ones were almost universally disliked by the pro reviews I read before buying. Corded gets you a lot more functionality for the money.

they're also great for trimming that pesky hidden romex without tripping the breaker