Steel Dragon Tools 32820 Model 2A Heavy-Duty Pipe Cutter with Alloy Cutting Wheel compatible with RIDGID 33100

I just received this item today via UPS. I have not cut any pipe yet, however, I am writing this review to notify potential buyers about the option to replace the 2 roller wheels with cutting wheels for a total of 3. The manufacturer "Steel Dragon Tools" states that all parts are interchangeable with Ridgid parts. The manufacturer also states that the roller wheels can be replaced with cutting wheels for a total of 3 to cut faster. The Ridgid single cutting wheel version is 32820 Ridgid 32820 1/8-Inch to 2-Inch Heavy Duty Pipe Cutter, and the 3 cutting wheel version is 32825 Ridgid 32825 1/8-Inch to 2-Inch 3-Wheel Heavy Duty Pipe Cutter.The cutting wheel and roller wheels are held in place with steel pins. Use a punch (I used a 6mm hex wrench) and a dead blow hammer to knock the pins out. The rollers are about 1" in diameter but the cutting wheels are about 1.25" in diameter. The cutting wheels did not fit because they hit the bottom of the roller housing.I subsequently did some research on line and discovered that to use 3 cutting wheels with the SDT 2A one must purchase a different housing for the cutting wheels. From Ridgid's part catalog, page 30, the roller housing that comes with a single cutting wheel is part number 33765, and the wheel housing to use with 3 cutting wheels is part number 34885.You can google "Ridgid 34885"; "Ridgid 1 & 2 Roll HSG Spec"; or "Ridgid UPC 095691348852" to find distributors that sell the part. The part is approximately $72.00 online.I bought two extra cutting wheels thinking they were a direct replacement for the rollers, which they are not. The SDT 2A is still a great budget tool, I am not a plumber I am cutting pipe for a structural pipe fitting project. If you buy the cutting wheel housing separately the price will go up significantly but may still be cheaper than buying the Ridgid 32825 which is the 3 cutting wheel version.From the manufacturer's product catalog page 45 the cutting wheel that is stock with the product is part # 33100 and there are 3 alternate cutting wheels that fit the tool. The blade exposure is listed as 0.312 for three of the cutting wheels and 0.132 for the fourth. The 4th, that is supposed to cut grey cast iron, may work without purchasing a separate wheel housing.I plan on keeping the tool as a single cutting wheel heavy duty pipe cutter. I gave the product 4 stars since the manufacturer's description was not clear that a different housing would have to be purchased for the 3 cutting wheel conversion or smaller diameter cutting wheels would have to be used. Other than that, "Steel Dragon Tools" SDT 2A offers a great alternative to the $130 plus heavy duty pipe cutters out in the market.Update: August 1st 2011. I completed cutting schedule 40 1" nominal, 1.315" OD galvanized steel pipe for my project. I upgraded my 4 stars to 5 stars since the SDT 2A performed very well. I just clamped the pipe in a small clamp, I used plenty of cutting oil, and the tool cut a clean straight cut, much better than I could have done with a hack saw.

I needed to cut a 2" diameter steel pipe and could not find a business that would do a small cutting job. I chose this product for its size and relatively good reviews. I did not want to spend $$ for the best pipe cutter because I only had the one job to do. The cutter had no problem cutting the pipe and unlike reviews for other inexpensive pipe cutters it tracked very well with no wandering. Gave a perfectly straight cut. I would have given it 5 stars but it arrived with the cutting head off the track and sort of locked up so the head could not be opened and closed and it took me a while to find the problem and get the cutting head back on the travel rail. It was an easy fix but a bit annoying and made me leery of the quality but it performed as expected.

I made about 30 cuts in 1" and 1/2" black pipe. The cutter worked flawlessly and showed no wear at all. The cutting wheel seems as sharp as new.

Used once. Cutting wheel crumbled. Was not cutting straight. Cutting in a spiral fashion. Bought the recommended replacement wheel and tried it on brand new pipe. Found one of the guide wheels was locked up. Took a file and cleaned up the wheel guide so it would turn. Still cuts in in a spiral and does not meet where you start the cut. Extremely poorly made. Will not send it back because it would probably be repackage in China and sold to another poor sap. Don't waste your money!

Cuts steel pipe. As some other reviewers noted, I found that the cutting wheel and rollers were kind of sloppy. I had to take care in guiding the cutting wheel around the pipe on the first round. I often had to use one hand to force the cutting wheel to align with the score mark. Otherwise, the cutter often wanted to spiral down the pipe. Once I got a good start however, the cutter worked very well. When considering that similar cutters are 2 to 3 times the price, albeit likely better quality, I would call this a good buy for a small project.

Excellent quality tool at an excellent price. Easy to use

cutting pipe like butter

Not bad! Considering how much cheaper this cutter is that the ones at the big box stores (and even here on Amazon), this is a great value. Made cuts just like it should. Only reason for not getting five stars is that it's aesthetically rough... there's clearly no finish work done to this item once that stamp it out and assemble it at the plant... other than a quick, shabby paint job (which, for the record is orange, not yellow as in the picture)... but again, these are all issues with the way it looks, which I could care less about... It does the job, and it's way cheaper than it's closest competitor.