PVC Pipe Cutters

In repairing a leaky section of my PVC main line, I wanted to be sure do a supremo job. So I left the hacksaw in the drawer and shelled out for a real pipe cutter. An LDR Industries model # 511 5151. (We're talking 1" PVC, for which the tool is rated.)

Well, it slices beautifully and easily, except it rarely cuts square! It leaves a slight angle most of the time.

I decided to go ahead and use it anyway, thinking if Orchard Supply and LDR bothers to build and sell the tool and it's recommended everywhere, the off-cuts are probably okay.

Did I screw up? Will I be repairing this section again real soon?

I think you worry too much. When I do repair work on my PVC irrigation lines, I usually use a jigsaw. This gives a reasonably square cut and the resulting burrs are easily removed by a quick scraping with a knife. A hacksaw works quite well also. You do not have to have a perfectly square cut, close is good enough. Look how much of the pipe is buried inside the fitting. I am not suggesting you just hack the pipe without a reasonable eyeball effort to make a straight, square cut, but don't get paranoid about it. As far a the cutter is concerned, you have it so use it, but my experience with them is they are not worth the expense.

Heck, I've used my 12 inch compund miter saw to cut PVC and as Gary said just a quick scrape with a knife to remove any burrs. However, I am not a professional and don't know if there are any reasons to not do this....

You called it, Gary! I'm a card-carrying obsessive-compulsive - in psychology lingo, it's OCD.

Thanks much for the reassurance.

BTW, my late mother was born (1910) and raised in Yakima - a Spencer. She spoke dearly of it the rest of her life. I plan to visit someday.