Are they much of a muchness, or is it worth spending a bit more than the super cheap ones?

Will mainly be used for steerer’s but also other odd jobs.

As with many tools they vary. A good hacksaw is stiffer and cuts straighter. I just have a cheap one mind you and use a pipe cutter for steeres at you can get a straighter cut easily.

Bahco are the nice ones BTW.

“a pipe cutter for steeres at you can get a straighter cut easily.”

as an aside – pipe and tube are different wall thickness classifications and the pipe cutter is not designed to cut steerer tubes. – hence the internal and external burring and deformation you get after you use a pipe cutter on the steerer

the only reason you dont get a straight cut with a hacksaw is – user inexperiance – if struggling you can get guides – then it should jsut need a light scrub to put a neat bevel on the edge and you have a properly cut steerer.

and yes bahco ones are nice – as are irwin , FWIW the blade makes more of a difference than the saw ime – use the right TPI for the right job and its a pleasure.

As your spacers should come above the steerer you don’t ‘need’ a perfectly straight cut any way*, as long as the star nut is in properly it’ll all go together properly.

*Obviously straighter is more betterer though!! Use an old stem as a guide if you’re a bit cack handed.

The best I’ve used has been a Bahco, I prefered the cheaper orange one over the more expensive metal one. For straight steerer cutting run a line round the steerer with the pipecutter, you hacksaw (unless you are entirely hamfisted) will follow the line. Cutting steerers fully with a pipecutter can round the top making SFN and tensioners harder to fit than is necessary. You can also use an old stem as a guide too.

The blade is the most important part as that does the cutting. I was amazed at the difference a bimetalic blade made when cutting through some stainless steel.
I have orange blades in mine now.

The old HSS All Hard blades were the most accurate but broke with alarming regularity and very suddenly.

Cheers chaps, I’ve ordered a Bahco.

Tried the pipe cutter before, obviously doing something wrong but I couldn’t get the thing to not spiral down the steerer.

Good choice, I have one of those, nice piece of kit.

Make sure the blade teeth are pointing forward
😀

“a pipe cutter for steeres at you can get a straighter cut easily.”

as an aside – pipe and tube are different wall thickness classifications and the pipe cutter is not designed to cut steerer tubes. – hence the internal and external burring and deformation you get after you use a pipe cutter on the steerer

I’m aware of tubing vs pipe but for a fork steer it doesn’t matter and can easily be deburred and I don’t get any ovalisation.

the only reason you dont get a straight cut with a hacksaw is – user inexperiance – if struggling you can get guides – then it should jsut need a light scrub to put a neat bevel on the edge and you have a properly cut steerer.

I can get a straight cut with a hacksaw but I can get a perfect perpendicular straight cut with a pipe cutter. If you can cut a perfect machine like right angle consistently I’m very impressed, but I doubt it.

“I can get a perfect perpendicular straight cut “

does the perfect cut make the trails come alive 29er style ? 😀 😀

i can make straight cuts paralel to the vice – so if ive cut it squint then ive set the cut up squint in the vice – many years of practice that.

if i really wanted to get a straight reliable perpendicular cut quickly for multiple steerers – say on an assembly line i would fire up the chop saw – but thats over kill , its really not that important if the stem is fitted correctly – its more important that all sharp edges are eliminated IMO.

just pointing out that a pipe cutter is not the right tool by design to cut tube and will leave an undesirable finish which requires further finishing to prevent damage to your stem / bung seals or fingers !

have seen some royally chewed up steerers over hte years though worrying really.

also to the lad whos pipecutters just spiralling – turn it the other way.

When I was an engineering apprentice many many years ago spent a week learning how to cut a straight cut we were shown the technique then spent the rest of the week trying to replicate this mainly ended with the instructors throwing your piece of metal in the scrap bin handing you another bit to start again 😳

P.s the technique is right blade for right job not to much pressure or speed let the saw blade do the work for you and use the full length of the blade in steady strokes (NO sniggering at the back)

Cheap tools aren’t worth the money imo. I still have a yellow Stanley hacksaw from when I was an apprentice over 10 years ago. Still solid and cuts just fine. Got a Bahco as well, slightly lighter and smaller but very good too.