I just discovered a cool, new tool that I wish I had two weeks ago when I was cutting off the tops of my fence posts, the Prazi Beam Cutter
This Beam Cutter made by an innovative little company called Prazi, is a chain saw attachment that bolts on to just about any circular saw, both standard and wormdrive. This cool tool turns your everyday circular saw into a specialty framing saw that can be used to perform one-pass cuts on rafters, studs, posts, SIP panels, beams, gang cutting stair stringers and more. It is versatile, efficient, accurate and cost effective.
Box Cutter
Easier than changing out a blade or trying to leap a tall building in a single bound, the Prazi Beam Cutter takes less than a minute to attach as it easily connects, using 3 bolts, onto your circular saw. There is no need to remove any saw parts or to permanently convert your circular saw. With the saw set square to the shoe, the Beam Cutter will cut to a depth of 12 inches. At a 45 degree angle, this blade will cut to 8 inches deep. It can perform one pass cuts for beams, posts and logs, enabling you to create perfect match ups. With edge guides and no kickback cutting, it is more accurate and easier to use than a chain saw for this kind of work. The Beam Cutter also cuts multiple stair jacks in one operation, no standard circular saw can make your life that easy!
One concern you may have is using this length of a cutter on a 13-amp circular saw motor. Take into consideration your specific job and how much you are going to use the saw. If it is a big job and you are cutting 12-inch beams all day long, then you may want to consider using the Beam Cutter with a wormdrive circular saw. But like Joe from American Builders in Buffalo, NY says, "You want the highest quality tool that is the most accurate, reliable and the lightest to work with."
After all is said and done, this cost effective little attachment retails for about 150 bucks. That is much cheaper than hiring Joe to do the job for you, or purchasing, or even renting an expensive specialty tool.
In 1996, the Prazi Beam Cutter was named the most innovative tool by the editors of the trade magazine, Tools of the Trade. In December 1997, Building Systems Magazine described the company Prazi best: "A small manufacturer when compared to some of today's giants of the tool industry, Prazi USA nonetheless continues to come up with innovative aftermarket tool accessories."
I say three cheers for them and the Prazi Beam Cutter!