Best saw for cutting pallets

hairyslug · 11-02-2018 09:16AM #1

I have a regular supply of pallets coming to us, I'm using a small B&D scorpion saw at the moment and it's requiring a fair bit of effort to cut them up. Is there anything better I can use to speed it up or am I just being lazy.

gozunda · 11-02-2018 09:20AM

hairyslug wrote: »

I have a regular supply of pallets coming to us, I'm using a small B&D scorpion saw at the moment and it's requiring a fair bit of effort to cut them up. Is there anything better I can use to speed it up or am I just being lazy.

Pallets are tough to break up - I would recommend one of these first then use the saw

Pallets breaker - just add a handle and away you go

You can buy them online or make one if you are handy with a welder ...

In use

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_iR8F8qUCE

GreeBo · 11-02-2018 09:27AM

How small do you need to get them?
I'd probably use a circular saw, but you might need a chop saw for the thicker parts afterwards.

Though maybe it's just technique...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbLpwGhCOJU

hairyslug · 11-02-2018 09:35AM

GreeBo wrote: »

How small do you need to get them?
I'd probably use a circular saw, but you might need a chop saw for the thicker parts afterwards.

Though maybe it's just technique...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbLpwGhCOJU

Small enough to fit in a fire.

I was thinking about a circular saw, considerinh it will only be used for this type of thing and not much else, what one should I be looking at.

cletus · 11-02-2018 09:54AM

Just to throw my tuppance ha'penny worth, I've used a recip saw for this very job

st1979 · 11-02-2018 10:13AM

What about a sawzall type. Have a Milwaukee battery one here.you can get blade for timber with nails. Suits me for rough work be ideal on pallets. I also have an evolution mitre saw which I use for cutting my firewood as it cuts nails and all.

wexfordman2 · 11-02-2018 10:56AM

Pallet breaker and a chop saw would be my suggestion.

The chop saw would need to be an extendable/sliding one to make sure it's able to cut the centre beams of the pallet which are quite thick.

the_pen_turner · 11-02-2018 12:14PM

my father cut up loads of pallets. I bring all kinds of stuff home from sites and he burns it .

it depends on the pallet. the euro type and easy. its the urea pallets that area pain. the boards are staggered and you cant really cut between them.

he uses a chainsaw to cut out the boards between the runners. then uses a reciprocating saw to cut the rest. get recip blades that will cut through nails. they are cheap . chainsaw and chopsaw blades are expensive.

last year someone dropped him a full articulated lorry trailer of pallets. he had them cut up in a few days

my3cents · 11-02-2018 04:27PM

After reading this thread I remember I had a few pallets to cut up and used a reciprocating saber saw.

One point to the exercise was to see what made the process most efficient.

The winner seems to have been my new jaw horse similar this one. Being able to clamp a pallet in the side of the jaw allowed me to do 90% of the cutting without having to touch the timber once it was clamped. With another pallet flat underneath the clamped one I could cut all baring the bottom of the upright section in held in the jaws.

Also helped to use a short wood blade that didn't hit the timber on the base of the pallet when cutting the top.

If the OP is using a long blade in his B&D scorpion then that might be slowing him down a bit.

5T3PH3N · 11-02-2018 04:32PM

I have most types of saws there are and the quickest and safest for pallets is a circular saw.
Chainsaw is a little bit quicker but I don't like using it on them.

my3cents · 11-02-2018 04:36PM

5T3PH3N wrote: »

I have most types of saws there are and the quickest and safest for pallets is a circular saw.
Chainsaw is a little bit quicker but I don't like using it on them.

Strange the very last saw I'd get out on safety grounds would be a circular saw.

I don't like using a chainsaw as apart from making to much mess (and wasting timber) as its about the most dangerous saw you can use but I'd still use it over a circular saw on pallets.

A reciprocating saw and a well clamped pallet seems about the safest to me.

5T3PH3N · 11-02-2018 04:48PM

my3cents wrote: »

Strange the very last saw I'd get out on safety grounds would be a circular saw.

I don't like using a chainsaw as apart from making to much mess (and wasting timber) as its about the most dangerous saw you can use but I'd still use it over a circular saw on pallets.

A reciprocating saw and a well clamped pallet seems about the safest to me.

Maybe for some,I've been using circular saws for a long time though and I've tried the rest and nothing compares to a circular saw for me. I can get a stack of pallets cut in no time, never had a problem with one.

Edit: I disagree with the safety aspect, it's laying flat on the ground or bench and it only gets flipped once. We usually cut up the pallets if they're not sent back on a delivery and anyone that has seen me do it has started doing it the same way, it's super quick and safe too, never had the blade pinch or kick back.

the_pen_turner · 11-02-2018 05:16PM

every time we have used a circular saw we have had it bind up and kick back.
we found it a terrible way to cut up pallets.
the wood twists as it dries out. the nails hold it there. as you cut that stress is released and binds on the blade

Lumen · 12-02-2018 09:12PM

hairyslug wrote: »

]I was thinking about a circular saw, considerinh it will only be used for this type of thing and not much else, what one should I be looking at.

After much research I got this super cheap one from Woodies yesterday for a fencing project and it worked fantastically well. I was only cutting an inch deep but it went through wood and nails like butter.

Evolution Fury 1b Circular Saw 1200w
https://www.woodies.ie/diy/powertools-and-accessories/powertools/evolution-fury-1b-circular-saw-1200w-1078977

GreeBo · 12-02-2018 11:02PM

Based on the video I posted earlier, putting the pallet vertically and only cutting the nails is by far the fastest way.

my3cents · 12-02-2018 11:45PM

GreeBo wrote: »

Based on the video I posted earlier, putting the pallet vertically and only cutting the nails is by far the fastest way.

Very easy if you can get that sort of pallet but most of the ones you can get are nothing like as easy to cut up. Most have 9 small blocks of wood/chipboard as spacers with no decent timber for spacers.

colm_c · 15-02-2018 01:31PM

I wouldn't have thought that using pallets for firewood would be such a good idea, given the toxic treatments they are given to preserve them?

crossmolinalad · 15-02-2018 02:01PM

Euro pallets as firewood???
how mad could you be
Got plenty of them while I was working on construction sites
the Euro ones I sold them online for about 50 to 75 euro`s each
cheap ones (non euro) used as firewood

CJhaughey · 15-02-2018 02:05PM

colm_c wrote: »

I wouldn't have thought that using pallets for firewood would be such a good idea, given the toxic treatments they are given to preserve them?

Pallets aren't treated they are generally just sawn pine.
Chep are painted but they aren't really lying about to be burnt.

dathi · 18-02-2018 11:48AM

CJhaughey wrote: »

Pallets aren't treated they are generally just sawn pine.

they are heat treated to prevent insect larvae

Best saw for cutting pallets

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