Fastest Way to Cut Cast Iron Pipe

[@jimsack1]

Straight explanation, clearly spoken, concise.

[@alvinnorris1977]

The sawzaw seemed much easier for what I was planning. Gotta love them diablo blades. They all are a beast when it comes to work and is all I keep now. Great video. Thanks for the sharing your knowledge.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for your appreciation!

[@AGueroAFuera]

I saw this video off your website, just wanted to come to your page and like this video. Thank you for your knowledge and expertise

[@Krakenflyfishing]

Thank you for doing this!!! I had no idea a sawzall could be so efficient on cast iron. You have made my life easier!!!

[@djg4015]

I didn't know that either... Ran into an issue with a cast iron pipe, decided easiest thing would be to cut it out.... Then said, oh crap... How do you cut through a cast iron pipe?? Lol.. Thanks for the education.

[@jamieclemons1526]

Make sure to use the right blades.

[@nickosmal]

If is a heavy duty cast iron is a b..... to cut it.what he cut is a regular cast iron.

[@bhadz100]

@@nickosmal what?

[@nickosmal]

@@bhadz100 no hub is thinner than hub .

[@mysingingmonsterspmg]

Omg that was quick, that's a heck of a blade... great vid..

[@nothing_sacred.]

Thank you for this! I was ready for hours of tediously cutting out an old sprinkler system, but I got the blade you recommended and was done in 45 mins! What a difference to other videos with people taking 5-10 minutes on each cut. I thought this was too good to be true, but it worked beautifully.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

So glad to hear that the video helped you get our job done faster! Thank you.

[@rasandberg]

I appreciate what you taught me in this video about cutting cast iron pipe. I bought a Diamond Grit 8-in Grit-TPI Wood/Metal Cutting Reciprocating Saw Blade. I needed to make three cuts in a 14 ft long section of 100-year-old cast iron pipe. I made the first cut, and when I was close to the bottom it just snapped and broke in two. What I discovered was that by taking a sledgehammer to the pipe after cutting it a few inches deep, the pipe just shattered. Done. Much easier and continuing to cut with the blade.

[@davidpare1775]

Reciprocating saw it is! This just might have saved me from a trip to the ER.

[@MrDmadness]

Lolz, a racipricating saw ( as im sure youve discovered ) is literallt the worst tool for this job ever.

[@yocz2007]

Man i should of watched your tuto 24 hours before,i went through alot trying cutting the drain cast iron,i burned 9 cutting blades and my lovely angle grinder died on me.Now i learned my lesson, for a happy ending though. Thanks pal!

[@kayraro1933]

Thank you! The last time I cut drain pipe, I used a diamond blade that was MUCH more expensive and almost worthless. But this blade went through the pipe like butta.

[@julierawlins5984]

Thank you for a straight up video on this subject.

[@justins8004]

I use both. Sometimes access is the determining factor. The reciprocating saw can cause some serious rattling and jarring of the pipes. Not a big deal if it’s mostly all going. But I’ll usually try to do any cuts connected to sections I’m keeping (especially that are going into walls) with the cut off.

[@g-man5809]

Thanks for the coaching mang and the blades you sacrificed for us.....

[@frasercard7714]

Awesome ! great vid., life is going to be better with our project ( old cast plumbing removed ) Thanks again . . . . :)

[@5roundsrapid263]

I figured this out the hard way. I had a hacksaw and tried cutting galvanized pipe with it. After an hour, I bought a reciprocating saw. Got it off in a couple minutes!

[@dgrabstein]

Having done this job several times, it's best to start the cut with angle grinder, then use recip into the pilot groove

[@johnjohnson1146]

Just what I needed to know! Blades are ordered, thanks!

[@KaylaAndSamantha]

Thanks 🙂✌️

[@brianflack1510]

Thank you for making this simple and quick example. I will head into the crawl space with my sawzall. Have a nice day.

[@sjacobson005]

Excellent video. Smart man.

[@paulmikul2280]

Thank you my brother for your effort to help us out here in "how do I do this". Mahalo

[@jackikhtiarisr2439]

Your video was very helpful, thank you.

[@pooliephillips]

Cutting sewer drain pipe 18” below concrete- I would have to dig a lot more around pipe to use my angle grinder as your movements in video show- recip saw clear and quicker winner for me- Btw, one of the best and concise youtube videos I’ve come across-

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you.

[@five-forty3431]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@vadymbabaiev5644]

Scientific approach 👏 👌

[@HHOGAS]

The reciprocating saw looks like the way to go cutting any steel or even PVC pipe giving you a straight cut with the reciprocating saw because of the flat face alignment on the saw to start you out straight. Great job demonstrating the differences between the 2 saws.👍👍

[@RexBanner_]

This video is PERFECT!

[@wemcal]

Great video

[@kajekage9410]

Any suggestions for cutting a main vent that is right up to a corner?

[@tnc200]

Good vid thx. Finally a guy who knows what goggles, glasses and ppe are for.

[@jonathanklopf7581]

I'v used the Diablo blade for cutting cast, it's amazingly fast. It lasted for around 12 cuts, probably good for many more cuts but it broke. I'll be buying another tomorrow to make a single cut and then I'm done with the plumbing, yay!

[@JohnAnderson4242]

Cool video ! I am doing a home bath, did subfloor patch and now looking at a nasty 4" cast iron pipe (got the old flange off) - think I might try to grind the lip down some with a angle grinder. I think angle grinder tears through metal quick! But can't get things straight, like your rotate method - imagine if 2nd person was slowly rotating the pipe, that'd be quick.

[@leathelandlady]

That was interesting. Thanks for the different time trials.

[@doninmichigan]

Holy moly, that was bad ass dude, but please be more safe, the wife and I were holding our breath watching some of those cuts, lol!

[@justinjohnson6481]

Clicked the video because your rig in the thumbnail is my exact same day-to-day. Milwaukee super sawzall and a diablo carbide blade. Also, everyone ignores the manufacturer recommendation of using wd-40 on the blade to prevent overheating.

[@joeynelson1468]

Awesome video! Thanks for taking the time to film this. You saved me a bunch of time.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you, and you're welcome!

[@mediateatime]

Nice facts 👏 👌 👍 💯

[@shawnbrown1010]

good job brother. most people will never understand how hard cast is to work with!

[@stevenauldridge2679]

Perfect, thank you

[@anon31415]

Perfect video for my shower drain work. Subscribing!

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Glad to help! Thank you for the comment.

[@nman2563]

Excellent video!! Just what I need. I am planning to cut the basement bathroom branch off the main stack and I was worried that the rep saw would mess the bell and spade connection. I see now that it is hands down the best method. It would be tough maneuvering the circular saw round the pipe. By the way, I hear that it is best to make videos at least 10 minutes to get more ad options. Yours is just a few seconds short.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you for the kind words and the tip!

[@anthonyhitchings1051]

chain tool snap method is fast! If you have the tool available.

[@Bluewater-42]

Thank you!

[@davidberry2576]

Can you cut new cast iron pipe same time

[@FoodyBone]

Can you give the link to the reciprocating saw you use. The battery how long it last. How many cuts before you need to recharge the battery. What about the non cordless for Milwaukee can you use the 12 Amp or the 15 Amp is better.

[@erlinavicente7411]

Have you tried a diamond blade?

[@jeverettedwards]

I raise my 10 pound sledge hammer towards the sky, holding it’s 15 inch long hickory handle in one hand. Down comes the hammer, and the iron shatters like glass. My name is not Giovanni Giorgio, and nobody calls me Giorgio.

[@penlam]

Thanks, my blades were not as sharp as yours, but got through it with the reciprocating saw in 4 minutes. Thanks for the tips!

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Glad to hear that you were able to get it done!

[@frickinda]

Awesome info sir thank you ☺️

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you

[@thenomenclature7243]

With proper PPE's a 5" grinder with a thin cutoff wheel is much faster than any any reciprocating saw. For the homeowner a grinder/cutoff wheel is not the way.

[@lucashendley8636]

C clamps or something holding the pipe for you would help a lot

[@pat7473]

can you use a plasma cutter to cut through iron?

[@kewlbreeze61]

How many cuts would you say you can get out of a single charge on the battery on pipe that size?

[@clint7-1]

What type blade for sawzall

[@derwall2005]

great vid. i am cutting a cast iron pipe tomorow and was planning to use my angle grinder but its a 115 m. i never thought of using my reciprocating saw, so i'll be using that now instead. cheers. ps the pipe is being used as a chimney for a pizza oven

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Awesome! Don't forget the carbide tipped blade. Cheers!

[@shanenice5380]

Diablo blade for the metal pipe.

[@jonhcontreras]

thank you for sharing sir

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you!

[@michaelweaver9528]

I thought the grinder was going to be faster at first. The sawzall seems more convenient as well. I’m curious if you had a longer blade on the sawzall if it would’ve been even faster.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

I think the only way the sawzall would have been faster with a longer blade, is if you used different sections of the blade as you cut. I say this because the length of the blade stroke is determined by how you have the saw set. So if you have the saw set on the maximum stroke length (about 1-1/8 inches), the same amount of blade will make contact with the material you are cutting, regardless of the length of the blade itself. You can only manipulate this by sliding the blade forward or backward along the surface you are cutting, which will allow you to use a fresh section of the blade. Now you noticed that this blade does kick at several points when the end of the blade hits the inside of the pipe. A longer blade would have prevented this. And this did cost some time, so in that respect, we could save some time with a longer blade. Thank you for watching and for commenting. I recently did a video comparing the reciprocating saw in this video to the most powerful corded version of this saw by the same manufacturer. The results were surprising. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4jNoZKInrh8e8k

[@5roundsrapid263]

RENOS 4 PROS & JOES You have to cut like you’re cutting a tree with a chainsaw. Keep rocking the blade back and forth, then cut the bottom out so it won’t bind up.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

@@5roundsrapid263 I follow what you are saying and that would work with a longer blade. I was explaining above that the blade used in this video is just barely long enough to make this cut because the length of the blade is almost the same as the diameter of the cast iron pipe. So the blade had to be positioned so that when it returned to the shortest point on its stroke, that the end of the blade didn't go inside the pipe and hit the inside wall of the pipe as it traveled back in the other direction.

[@MrDmadness]

Grinder IS faster. Just score the pipe and it will break off. Snap cutters are best ( no dust, fast and a one time purchase if doing a lot ) Sawzall is most expensive, you will get maybe 4 cuts before the blades start to ne garbage and they are pricey Grinder throws a lot of dust, wear a mask or get pulminary siderosis.. bitumen smoke is also carcinogenic. And zip discs are cheap .

[@MrDmadness]

​@@RENOS4PROSJOES if you dont have the sawzall boot against the pipe youre not cutting anything with it.. plumber here for over 30 years. Respectfully intended

[@preston8859]

I had to cut cast iron in my crawl space to get it out and tried a sawzall first with a metal blade and it wouldn't hardly cut through the face of the pipe to get started. Ended up having to use an angle grinder. Maybe different type of pipe? It was a good blade

[@anthonyholmes5606]

Ok guys/women, this guy was moving the pipe around, remember this, your not going to move the pipe around to cut it. So the fastest way is actually yes the the sawzall, so I just wanted to say this bc if you're going to show how to cut the pipe then don't move it on video if your trying to make it more realistic, and it takes much longer to cut a pipe with the other saw

[@DavidSmith-ym9yz]

I would have secured the pipe somehow for the grinder to give it a better chance. Negatives for the grinder are that you can’t get it into a lot of spaces. Such as cast iron in the ground, unless you dig a big spot under the pipe. Sawzall is what I use 99% of the time when I’m cutting cast.

[@marvellstarks2434]

Yeah Sawzall clear and safety waycto go

[@albelsito1066]

I have been a plumber for 40 years and have never cut through 3" cast iron that fast with a sawzall! Especially when it is in a wall or ceiling!

[@MrDmadness]

Im sceptical. Ive been a plumber aa long as you, the only time id ever use sawzall is if its an old line in the ground. Snap cutters are fastest for install and dont throw dust ( pulminary siderosis is not something people seen to know about ) a grinder is my second choice, but you dint need to cut through, just score it and then drop it on its edge and it will shear off right where the score is.

[@alexplorer]

One candidate I've never seen anyone try: Mortar blade on a circular saw. I've cut plenty of concrete, but I've never had a reason to try it on cast iron. (I've used a hammer on cast iron, and that works... but apples and oranges.) Old cast iron in particular behaves more like concrete than it does metal (e.g., cracks and throws dust when cutting instead of bending and giving off metal filings). Alternatively, the chain pipe cutters work well if you have one. I once rented one to cut into a line in a confined space, and that did the job in a few seconds. I could go that route if I had a lot to remove and still needed to retain sections with clean ends to tie into new lines.

[@daveslim3692]

I need to cut a cast iron drainage pipe in my basement. the pipe is used to drain the washing machine but i want to put a T in it to also hook up a drain into a utility sink. If I cut the pipe with a reciprocating saw, do you think the cut will be too rough to put a pvc collar (and tube) on it?

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Yes, you should be able to do it without a problem. Get a good blade and take your time. so that you can make sure that your cut is straight.

[@daveslim3692]

RENOS 4 PROS & JOES thanks for the tip. Keep the videos coming!

[@johnarizona3820]

I'm planning on doing this under my house so thank you! What blade were you using?

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Hi! This is a carbide-tipped blade. Links to the blades used in this video are in the description box. If you are cutting 4-inch cast iron, go with at least a 9-inch blade. The blade used in this video is a 6-inch and as you can see its a little short and bumps the inside of the pipe at times. Thank you for watching.

[@HappyHands.]

Grinder = multiple materials with one disk, better for material prep, better for where space is limited and curved cuts or gouging is needed, better for wire cuts, loud and dusty. hearing protection and dust mask advised. Sawsall = dedicated blades for different materials, blades wear out quicker, requires more space, faster for straight cut offs, quieter , less dust.

[@jco294]

Consider also than pipes often are close to a wall, and you may consider some other ways to approach this task.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Great suggestion! I may do a video on that in the future. The purpose of this video was specifically to demonstrate the difference between cutting cast iron pipe with these two specific tools because more people are familiar with and/or have access to these two power tools. The question of which one of these two tools is best comes up often, so I chose to compare them in this video. The reciprocating saw is the clear winner. I felt that viewers would get the most out of seeing the head-to-head comparison so that they can clearly draw this conclusion for themselves. But I will take a moment to clear the air and clarify below. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Cut cast iron with a reciprocating saw, not with an angle grinder. The reciprocating saw cuts faster, easier, creates far less dust and sparks, and is easier to use in tight spaces (like in the dirt).

[@PetePuebla]

It's hard to hear what you said but the music playing in the background.

[@hunterdoxtater9106]

Corded tools are the best.

[@schenman2]

Cast iron or galvanized pipe?

[@Faruk651]

Reciprocating saw is for pansies and demolition. Keep your reciprocating saws for wood.

[@JWolff-md3ij]

I don't cut iron all the time and I don't own a angle grinder. I have a small corded jigsaw and a corded oscillating saw. Which would you recommend to cut a iron weight plate in half?

[@MrDmadness]

Torch

[@g-man5809]

Sawzaw, winner

[@albertfrank6]

The blades were the ticket

[@joewest1972]

I'll be honest with you that cast iron pipe looks like the little baby sister of the cast iron 4 in pipe in my basement from 1950 I used carbide blade to cut off on my reciprocating saw and it was over an hour and a half trying to get through that 4 in pipe

[@MrDmadness]

Yup. He is cutting white cast, it has a thinner wall ans more silica in it, cuts much easier. What you have and what modt people have us called "grey cast" its iron and bitumen.. sawzall wont cut it unless its the ONLY way, and in that case u need a carbide abrasive blade, they are about $50 and you will get about 6 cuts before its completely cashed out blade

[@ReadTheBible33]

The int I also have a 1950s home With 4 inch thick pipe in it's time for some of it to come out=( it's leaking!!

[@wat6592]

what size was the pipe??

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

4 inch cast iron

[@jimc1499]

Sawzall say less copy! Thank you and yea up here in nyc old homes are all we have

[@cherieconley4971]

Almost cut your leg in half too! Had me nervous :-)

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

No matter how hard you try to cut it strait with the sawsall, you will need to come back and use the grinder to get it strait. Assuming you are going to be making a cut that will be the joint between the cast iron and ABS? Use a test ball as a sewer gas stopper and anti spark igniter, shove the test ball down the pipe opening to block sparks from igniting sewer gasses, you can use the small grinder to make the pipe end a perfect 90 degree cut. This will help the fernco fit better.

[@miguelvega1975]

i found this video interesting! now! which is the best saw blade to use for this cuts?

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thank you for the positive feedback! I wrote a blog post that includes links to both the 6" and 9" blade: www.renos4prosandjoes.com/cut-cast-iron-pipe/

[@johnfultz618]

What about a skill saw? That pipe in the attic won’t spin for me

[@ericsiggins254]

How about cutting a cast iron radiator coupling

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

That's a good idea.

[@justinjohnson6481]

Procure a vise! Couple times I thought that grinder was gonna take a leg out

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

I do need a vise.

[@pauljohnson5116]

A longer reciprocating saw blade probably would have done better but overall great video

[@jamieclemons1526]

I don't think I will have room to go around it with the grinder. I can use my reciprocating saw. Hope I can find the right blades. You could have done it faster with a slightly longer blade.

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

The reciprocating saw is the way to go in most situations. It makes way less dust and is easier to control. I agree that the 6" blade I used here was a little short. Price was the determining factor on this one.

[@shanenice5380]

U using Diablo

[@15DurangoRT]

The best pipe cutter would be a soil pipe cutter

[@jonathansgarden9128]

My issue was the blade. Time to go to lowe's and get better blades for my old cast iron nonsense!

[@MatthewMarcum1]

I didn't know I wanted home improvement with a hiphop beat

[@ajm5636]

Watching you use that grinder was scary

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Exactly! The reciprocating saw is the preferred and more practical choice. The grinder can get you by if there is absolutely no other option.

[@nickfreesman2191]

one hand on a grinder/uneven pressure is a good way to tempt a blade to shatter. google grinder injury photos.

[@gandl2123]

I have a black cast iron pipe and have tried metal blade...you are not getting through it.likr that. I've sawed for 2 min and only just broke through surface. Must be a better way.

[@killiemon]

was anyone else cringing the entire time he was using the angle grinder with his unbuttoned shirt dangling right next to it? 😬

[@normannixon991]

Appreciate the comparison in methods but I was concerned for safety with the way you were one-handing the grinder up against your body. If that thing binds in the slightest way it could force itself off the cutting material and onto your leg. Glad nothing happened, just remember your safety comes first! 👍🏽

[@LightSkinJedi74]

Bandsaw all the way. Quieter, faster, way smarter than this!

[@politic17]

Let's just say that the SAW is better in terms of safety and efficiency. The angle grinder is powerful, but too much danger and requires more grip because of its crazy kickback probabilities. All in all, For me, even though I love angle grinders, I'd appreciate safety and convenience with using this saw. Angle grinders are great, but they have their own uses that will ,probably, never be done by the saw, so this saw is kind of giving you some safety and preciseness for the work that was done by angle grinders.

[@tmyers8032]

what about 4 inch cast iron from back in the day 70 plus years ago

[@RENOS4PROSJOES]

Thats EXACTLY what this is.

[@markangel1992june]

I can taste the cast iron dust in my lungs just watching

[@moogleguser4908]

There's cast iron that cuts pretty easy and then there's cast iron that will eat any metal blade in seconds leaving only rounded and flattened teeth on any metal blade tried. Guess which one is in the video!

[@MrDmadness]

White cast ( thinner wall, higer silica.. more chemically resistant ) you are speaking of grey cast... it is possiblle to cut with sawzall, but only if you MUST as the blades are $$ and last for only a few cuts

[@obi.officialChannel]

The grinder is dangerous without using 2 hands.. too much kick-back & jumping