Bare-Tool Makita BCS550Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 5-3/8-Inch Metal Cutting Saw (Tool Only, No Battery)

by Makita

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Quickly cut through all-thread, rebar, metal conduit, steel studs, metal roofing, garage door track, unistrut®, and other materials more accurately with this powerful little saw. It has a high torque, 3,400 rpm motor to cut faster than a portable band saw. When you’re up on the roof or on a high scaffolding, or there is no outlet nearby, cordless is the only way to go. Working with metal, cords can often snag on sharp corners, creating an electrical hazard. A cordless tool offers the best solution. This tool is great for automotive body work; electricians, steel/iron workers, roofers, metal fabricators or anyone who wants to cut metal fast will love it. It uses a 5-3/8-inch blade, and has a 2-inch cutting depth capacity. This quality tool has LED lights to light up the workpiece during the cut, which is essential when cutting dark steel or cutting in dimly lit areas.

This metal cutting saw comes with a spark shield to contain the rash of burning mess that comes with cutting steel. Wear hearing protection when cutting steel. This is a tool-only option, meaning it does not come with batteries, charger or a case. It is a great addition to a pre-existing LXT tool or tool kit that uses Makita’s LXT 18 volt lithium-ion batteries and charger. Lithium-ion means more power with less weight and 18 volt lithium-ion is best power-to-weight ratio of any cordless tool. -- Gabriel Shantara Ford

Product Description

Includes 18V Cordless LXT Lithium-Ion 5-3/8-in Metal Cutting Saw (Tool Only) - BCS550Z-R, 30T Carbide Tipped Blade - A-94518, Tool Only - Battery and Charger Sold Separately, Operating Manual

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000K6GFMQ
• Item model number: BCS550Z
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,564 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #12 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Saws > Metal-Cutting Saws

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable performance from cordless tool, October 22, 2007

By 

Gregory Girard (Beverly, Massachusetts (Boston)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bare-Tool Makita BCS550Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 5-3/8-Inch Metal Cutting Saw (Tool Only, No Battery) (Tools & Home Improvement)

Among many other tasks cutting stainless steel and various grades of aluminum stock, my current project includes cutting massive 5/8" thick solid plates of cast aluminum, each over four feet long and weighing in at over 100 lbs each. These plates must be cut to exact specs, then the final dimension achieved by trimming to +/- 1/164th inch tolerance for the whole length of the cut. I originally purchased this Makita saw for general cutting of lighter aluminum stock and, on lark, tried it on these big aluminum plates. This very demanding cutting task seemed, on the face of, absurd to consider trying with a cordless handtool given the sheer amount of metal to cut, its thickness, binding potential, and the need for accuracy. Though my saw had seen much other use (so the blade was not razor sharp), I was absolutely amazed that tiny little saw aggressively cut through these big aluminum plates as if they were made of brie cheese. I cut at a moderate rate, running the saw edge along a straight edge guide, such that it took me about 3-5 minutes to cleanly and accurately slice off a full length aluminum "plank" from one of the aluminum plates. This extremely demanding task required installing a freshly charged 3.0 Amp battery just before the cut was complete. The cut was so clean and straight that it looked almost as if it had been milled, with virtually no significant irregularities. My heavy-duty saw, previously serving to cut this big plates, had been completely outclassed: it was noisier, took three times longer due to binding and sticking of the blade, was exhausting to use, made four times as much metal chip waste, and could not duplicate the near-perfection of the cut achieved by the Makita. It has now been set aside, replaced by the "new guy" (the Makita BCS550). I have continued using the Makita cordless for my work on these aluminum plates (in addition to other far less demanding tasks). I also got rid of my wood circular saw that I use cut plastic plate material, plywood and other wood stock, since the metal-cutting saw really doesn't really care what cuts, within the hardness limits of the blade installed. The stock blade works great for everything, so I picked up a spare to have on hand. Do not hesitate to buy this saw for fast, efficient, convenient (cordless) cutting of stock, whatever that stock may be.I use it in conjunction with a 14" dry-cut metal-cutting cut-off saw, which is perfect for cutting things off squarely and precisely to length.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Small saw with a smooth cut, August 28, 2008

By 

Mark Jones (Los Angles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bare-Tool Makita BCS550Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 5-3/8-Inch Metal Cutting Saw (Tool Only, No Battery) (Tools & Home Improvement)

I recently purchased this little saw and have been glad I did. I'm an industrial mechanic and this saw has proven to be a job saver. It cuts steel without effort. The cuts are extremely clean and straight without the need for a fence or guide. It's lite weight and easy to handle. I highly recommend this tool.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great saw replcement blade very expensive, May 11, 2009

By 

A. Pena (Fl) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

First of all my tools are Makita ,saw is awsome light,easy to use. The (ONLY PROBLEM)is the blade is exclusive to Makita do to the arbor size 5/8 or 15mm. All others like Bosh,Dewalt are 10mm cost about $20.00 the Makita blade is $42.00 plus shipping and you have to order online. The other brands Bosh,Dewalt you can purchase at local hardware stores.