Thanks I looked at the Makita with the abrasive and have cut with them a few times just not sure i want to spend over 400 on a saw and then have to buy the carbide if it's even worth it. What model Makita do you have Sourdough?

Thanks
Chris

I agree with Sourdough...cold cut saws are the way to go...blades are expensive, but if you don't tear them up, you can have them re-sharpened......but man they cut nice on something thin like the schedule 80 you are describing.

Carbide is the way to go and actually more cost effective when abrasives are factored in.  A 14", 72 tooth blade re-sharpening cost $22 after tax.  Each blade should make 200- 250 cuts on 1.5" sched. 40.  The same number of cuts would take 5-6 14" abrasives at $6.50 after tax.  The initial layout is more but the cut quality and reliability is worth it IMO.  Besides that, if you have a lot of cutting to do, cutting chips with a carbide compared to the dust of abrasives at the end of the day will take less toll on you physically.

I've been using a DeWalt for the last 7 years.  Haven't even changed the brushes, although it's on the list of things to get to one of these days.  I initially paid around $500 for it and had a shop helper ruin the $180 blade first time I left him alone with it.  Used it with abraives for a long time untill going back to carbides.  So a few lessons learned:  the saw will work best and the blade last longest if the saw is clamped, wedged or bolted stationary to remove chatter.  Do not allow untrained people to use the saw.  Support your drop piece and swap the blade out when it get dull instead of wearing it out to the last.

The Supermax seems to be the saw most LWS companies are pushing.  Couple of things:  it does have a very heavy cast base which I assume is incorporated for tool stability, which is sensible however it is a heavy mother to pack around.  My DeWalt and the Makita are much more user freindly and with proper clamping will save a lot of physical effort.

A far as blades go it a toss up.  The original DeWalt blade is still going strong after re-sharpening and seems to have the most longevity of cuts but at $180 a little expensive.  Tenryu is considered top of the line at $150 but the one I bought developed a crack and was retired.  I've been using Diablos [Freud] the red ones, for $125 after tax and they are doing well so I'm staying with them.  The shop that does my sharpening tells me they see more cracks on Supermax than anything else so I steer away from them.

4" sched 80 is going to challenge any chop saw.  Most chopsaw manufactures limit section size for their tools.  Check the tool specs to see if you're exceeding it or be prepared to wreck the tool.  I don't see the vice on any of the available chopsaws really large enough to adequately hold 4".  Depending on your cut list, if you have a large umber of those to do I would be using a horizontal bandaw if there were a lot of them or just a portaband for a few.  That size/weight section cut is going to wear out a chopswa blade quickly, carbide or abrasive.