Would like some advice on purchasing a used shear.

[BT Fabrication]

Id just sub things like that out to a local shop until you need it that bad. or you can burn $ for friends projects, we all know they just want it as cheap as possible because you are there friend.

 

[Ries]

One of my customers has a durma shear from some island in the Pacific. It is 13 feet long and brand new it was about 48k. I paid almost that for my 10' 40 yr old wysong mechanical. That durma shear has a 10 second quick adjusting blade gap, but it sacrifices structural stability for that, as the top assembly sits on a rack system. Some machines like Pacific shears have a strong blade adjusting feature, but requires certain shims and such to be installed. Kind of the best of both worlds.

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Durma is Turkish, and its the largest maker of shears, brakes, rolls, and fab equipment in the world. The Turks have their problems, but they pay their employees better than the Chinese, and still manage to outsell them.

I have a 4'x8' plasma table, and I love it- but it doesnt replace a shear. I would love to have a 48" shear that goes up to 1/4".
Yes, you CAN do most of what it does with a plasma table, but its harder, more work to clean up, and heat distortion and movement is always lurking.

They are two different tools, and we all know a good shop needs as many tools as you can possibly fit in.

 

[Fish On]

I think you need to ask yourself how much 3/16 and 1/4" you need to cut. If it's not that often, it may behoove you to get a 10 gauge shear, and sub out anything above that. I'm of the opinion that stepping up from a stomp shear to a 10 gauge shear is probably a good plan regardless, but you need to really weigh out stepping up to a bigger one still.

With the electrical requirements, you're probably going to need to go with mechanical, no matter the size. Hydraulic shears are pretty well going to have higher hp requirements, and frankly, the old mechanicals are largely better anyway.

The good news is, even if you decided you wanted to go to 1/4", a Cincinnati 1/4" x 6' mechanical only uses a 5 hp motor, and weighs about 12k, so still workable on your floor and electrical system. Also, the larger 4 and 6' shears are often a little cheaper, as few commercial shops want a higher capacity shear that can't rip an 8' sheet. The downside is, your blade gap is not going to be great for 18 gauge, and they aren't adjustable on the fly like a hydraulic shear.

But, if you're not needing 1/4" capacity very often (and you said primary use is 16-20 gauge), a 10 gauge shear is probably the best fit. My 10 gauge x 6' Niagara also uses a 5 hp motor, and claims to weigh 5500 pounds, though I think it's probably not that heavy. Factory recommended blade gap on the Niagara (.002 - .003") is designed to cut 20 gauge - 10 gauge without changing. In other words, you get a shear that set up optimally for you everyday use, but also has the capacity to go just over 1/8", which to me seems like a lot of extra usability, with no sacrifice.

If you're looking at mechanical shears, the big 3 to look for are going to be Cincinnati, Wysong and Niagara.

A plasma table, while a good tool, is no replacement for a shear. Likewise, the inverse is true as well.

 

[dkmc]

This is very confusing. If you don't need to cut 1/4" very often, buy a shear that'll almost but never be able to cut it............??

But, if you're not needing 1/4" capacity very often (and you said primary use is 16-20 gauge), a 10 gauge shear is probably the best fit.

 

[Fish On]

This is very confusing. If you don't need to cut 1/4" very often, buy a shear that'll almost but never be able to cut it............??

When read with the very first 2 sentences of my post, it's not confusing at all.

I think you need to ask yourself how much 3/16 and 1/4" you need to cut. If it's not that often, it may behoove you to get a 10 gauge shear, and sub out anything above that

Buy what you need 95% of the time. Pay 20 bucks to the steelyard to cut your stuff the 4 times a year that you need heavy stuff cut.

Or, spend twice or thrice as much to buy a machine that'll do 1/4, and gap the blades such that they won't cut thin stuff (the primary purpose of the machine) worth a hoot.

 

[dkmc]

That's not how my business works. 20 bucks at the steel yard...not in 2021, much more. Then they cut it wrong the first time.

Buy what you need 95% of the time. Pay 20 bucks to the steelyard to cut your stuff the 4 times a year that you need heavy stuff cut.

Or, spend twice or thrice as much to buy a machine that'll do 1/4, and gap the blades such that they won't cut thin stuff (the primary purpose of the machine) worth a hoot.

 

[jamscal]

Based on the op, he needs to find a 16ga 48" jump shear and go from there. They're easy enough to buy and sell.

I have a nice Famco that's pretty heavy. Beware of the imports.

Maybe augment that with one of the following:

-Bench mount 12" plate shear. Pretty cheap, and can cut up to 3/16 plate.

-Plate nibbler. Maybe $3500 new but will get you 3/8 capacity. Probably not worth it to the OP but they're out there.

-Metal Cutting circular saw. Milwaukee 8"

-The aforementioned Plasma cutter, cnc table or just a nice Hypertherm PMX45.

______

There are some good points in this thread. Shears seem to be falling out of favor as a consequence of cnc laser and plasma, but they still have their uses.

In my experience with a Niagara 12'x5/16" shear it worked fine thick or thin. I would expect as you go up past 3/8 things change.

I had a huge footprint 6'x11ga mechanical pexto but sold it.

If I find the right one I will buy a larger one, but it will have a power backgauge for sure.

 

[jeff76]

Based on the op, he needs to find a 16ga 48" jump shear and go from there. They're easy enough to buy and sell.

I have a nice Famco that's pretty heavy. Beware of the imports.

Maybe augment that with one of the following:

-Bench mount 12" plate shear. Pretty cheap, and can cut up to 3/16 plate.

-Plate nibbler. Maybe $3500 new but will get you 3/8 capacity. Probably not worth it to the OP but they're out there.

-Metal Cutting circular saw. Milwaukee 8"

-The aforementioned Plasma cutter, cnc table or just a nice Hypertherm PMX45.

______

There are some good points in this thread. Shears seem to be falling out of favor as a consequence of cnc laser and plasma, but they still have their uses.

In my experience with a Niagara 12'x5/16" shear it worked fine thick or thin. I would expect as you go up past 3/8 things change.

I had a huge footprint 6'x11ga mechanical pexto but sold it.

If I find the right one I will buy a larger one, but it will have a power backgauge for sure.

I have the bench plate shear and metal cutting circular saw already. I cut most of my plate with the circular saw now or a torch if its too thick unless it be cut in my bandsaw or power hack. I don't really do any one thing all the time so any size shear could be useful at times. Most of the 16-20 gauge stuff would just be to break full size sheets down to whatever size needed to be recut in my circle shear for the spinning hobby. This could be done with a stomp shear. Just trying to decide if I want to get something a little bigger while I'm at it as there are many times where I could use that as well. There has been a ton of very good advice from everyone here. I love this site.

 

[kustomizer]

Mine is a Wysong, something like this, I changed the motor to a single phase one, this one is a good deal I think


52” Metal Shear, 11 Gauge / 1/8” - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

48" Niagara Power Shear - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

 

[Garwood]

Going into the sheetmetal biz for profit I would say your beyond stupid if you don't have a nice 10 ft 10 gauge shear.

For yourself, as a hobby, plasma table would be the appropriate investment IMO.

Shears makes a lot of the same simple, accurate parts very fast. Plasma makes anything, just takes much longer.

 

[Big B]

The machine that cuts 1/4" will simply fold the 20ga in most situations, I would think 1/8 and down could be one machine and another for 1/8 and above. I think your floor is OK
My 4' shear is good from 1/8 down and is 1.5hp

I'm not an expert tinsmith but our tin shop had a few shears that were capable of shearing up to 1/4" steel and they cut anything and everything in them. I think it's partly a matter of maintenance and quality of the machines in the first place. I think the big one was a 10 foot Cincinnati.

 

[kustomizer]

I was kind of talking along the line of something the OP could put in minimum space with minimum concrete and power available so he can work on hobby projects and favors for froends. As mentioned there are machines that can cut from nothing to 1/2 or more, that 10 foot Cincinnati is a lot ofr his situation IMHO though I see one on craigslist in or around Cincinnati for $7500, looks like a good deal for someone that needs one.

Cincinnati Shear Model 1008 - tools - by owner - sale

 

[Garwood]

I'm not an expert tinsmith but our tin shop had a few shears that were capable of shearing up to 1/4" steel and they cut anything and everything in them. I think it's partly a matter of maintenance and quality of the machines in the first place. I think the big one was a 10 foot Cincinnati.

I am not a shear expert, I get the basics of how the blades work though.

I do know a bit about tool design though and your clearance has to be appropriate for the material otherwise you break tools, make a mess or all of the above. Is that not the case with setting up shear blades?

 

[kustomizer]

I am not a shear expert, I get the basics of how the blades work though.

I do know a bit about tool design though and your clearance has to be appropriate for the material otherwise you break tools, make a mess or all of the above. Is that not the case with setting up shear blades?

Typically your clearance is much closer for 20ga than for 3/8. they cut like a giant pair of scissors and thicker material will pull the blades together and make them rub if they are clearanced for the thin. That being said the number of times they rub in a year would be decided by the amount of work you put through it, how much thin/thic you cut. My last shear was a 8' gap Niagra built around 1920, it was clearanced for thin stuff though it would cut 1/4" as long as you wanted, you just cut, slide it over and cut again. It would cut 28ga galvanized sheet 4-6 feet from the left side but on the right side it would bend it over and tear it off. I cut the thin stuff on the left and thicker on the right and it worked out fine for the amount I used it, perhaps a few times a week. I would loved to have kept it but our new digs is way too small for that beast and for the amount of thick stuff I want to cut these days I can just use a straight edge and the plasma. I bought the small Wysong and it is doing a fine job 1/8 and under, the price was right and it doesn't take up too much room.

 

[jeff76]

My initial thoughts were of getting something smaller and putting in my main shop which is heated. I am actually finding more shears to choose from in the 8 to 10 foot range. Definitely no room in main shop for that but I could make room in an unheated pole barn that I have. What is everyones thoughts on putting a shear in there? Any issues with the cold in the winter? What about rusting issues? My usage would be sporadic. There would definitely be more room to manuever in that location and I can access with my forklift no problem.

 

[dkmc]

Might require thinner Hyd oil in really cold conditions? Keeping it sprayed down with thinned ATF would help prevent rust issues and it's low cost as well. Both of mine are in unheated space, but they are mechanical. The ATF trick works well. Just my .02

What is everyones thoughts on putting a shear in there? Any issues with the cold in the winter? What about rusting issues?

 

[kustomizer]

I used my old one outside for 10 years before it ever had a roof then another 5 before it got a building and it was 90 when I bought it but it was a mechanical one not hydraulic.

 

[jeff76]

I ended up buying a 52" Pexto stomp shear to get me by for now. I might keep an eye out for a larger mechanical shear or maybe a plasma and table in the future though if I can find room.

Jeff

 

[kustomizer]

Those are good machines, likely as not you can sell it down the road for more than you paid for it.

I like it when someone lets us know what they ended up doing, so many just vanish.