How do you cut clay pipe????

[Cybermonkey]

I have a 6 inch clay pipe I need to cut to put a Fernco fitting on. What would you guys suggest I use to make a clean cut????

Thanks in advance

[sjsmithjr]

I would use a carbide blade in a sawzall. Make sure the pipe is well supported. You could also use an angle grinder or even a snap cutter.

So whichever of these tools you're most comfortable with using and already have in your toolbox is the one I'd use.

-Sam

[srdenny]

Snap cutter. Cut off saw. Call a pro.

[Redwood]

I would use a snapper. I have also used a K-12 saw with a diamond blade...

I would only use a sawzall with a carbide or diamond blade if I was working on a T&M basis and the customer was not going to complain about the price LOL

That-L-Be the day!

[Cybermonkey]

What is a T&M basis????


Sounds romantic.

[Redwood]

T&M is Time and Material
And If I was using a sawzall with a carbide grit blade to cut 6" clay pipe...
Well It wouldn't really be very romantic...
The customer would surely feel like they were quickly romanced in a rather rough way if you catch my drift!
And they would find all their money missing afterwards!

[sjsmithjr]

I wouldn't pay Redwood to do it with a sawzall either There's something about snap cutters, clay pipe, and the uninitiated that says "bad idea" to me. If Redwood thinks it's a good idea for a DIY'er to use a snap cutter on clay pipe, then it probably is.

-Sam

[Redwood]

The snap cutter is a fine idea...
Thinking back of all the cuts I have done with a snap cutter on clay pipe...
I can't think of one that didn't cut beautifully...
I'd say the odds of a good cut in clay with a snap cutter is higher than getting a good cut on an old cast iron pipe.

[Cybermonkey]

Thanks guys for the info. It sounds like it would be cheaper for me to hire a pro than buy a snapper for 1 cut.
Thanks again

[jadnashua]

Most rental places rent snap or soil pipe cutters - I used one from HD.

[novicepiper]

I used a sawzall carbide blade on clay pipe it took about an hour...the good thing is - I lost 3lbs in sweat

[Redwood]

The last one I cut with the snapper took about that long but it included my lunch break! 7 minutes each way to the diner... 45 minutes to order and eat... 1 minute to snap the pipe!

[SuperDaddy]

I just rented a snap cutter for $20/24hrs from my local tool rental house. It was the ratcheting type. Worked like a charm.

[dlangh]

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to add my own experience to this in the hope it helps someone else out as well. I had a 5" clay drain pipe that I cracked into (2 pipes actually) as I was digging a trench for buried electric wire. I googled and read many posts on how to do it. It pretty much came down to either a sawzall or a snap cutter (also known as a chain cutter). I can tell you after having tried both methods the snap cutter or chain cutter is the way to go HANDS DOWN. They are pretty expensive to purchase, but I was able to rent one from my local Home Depot. They didn't think they had anything like that at first and the guy finally said "well I have something that cuts iron pipe" which was in fact the correct tool. The photo presented earlier in this post is the right tool to use. I also decided to buy a diamond tip sawzall blade (works like a carbide blade only lasts longer) just in case. Let me tell you the snap cutter once I got it in place and figured out how it worked took me less than 30 seconds to cut the pipe. I did end up having to use the sawzall because the first end that I cut had a crack underneath that I could not see and I ended up with an uneven cut (not terrible, but you want as clean a cut as you can so your PVC pipe can fit right up to it) I used the sawzall with the diamond tipped blade and while that worked as well it still took me about a minute to cut through 2 inches of the pipe. If I had used the sawzall on the entire pipe I think I would have been a few minutes at it at least.

I think you could use a sawzall but even those blades aren't going to last forever and my one diamond-tipped blade cost me $15 which was interestingly enough also the rental cost for the snap tool.

So, the snap/chain cutter in my opinion is the way to go if you can get your hands on one to rent. It definately is a a case-in-point for the old addage "the right tool for the job makes all the difference"

[Will Rogers Plumbing]

I use a grinder. Works great for me.