Off the Grid: The best way to cut through steel shipping containers

Throughout our journey of building a shipping container home on Pacific Pines Ranch, we've gone through a lot of trial and error with tools to figure out what works best for each application.

For cutting out sections of the containers, I've found that these three tools work the best: angle grinder, reciprocating saw, and plasma cutter. Each tool comes with several different pros and cons which can influence the preference of tool for each application.

The most common choice of cutting tool is the angle grinder. This tool can be found at almost any hardware store, which is something to consider if the building site is located a long distance from the nearest town or city. Along with it being readily available, it's also easy to learn how to use. The cuts of the angle grinder are very precise and straight, and it can cut through almost any kind of steel. The only downsides to this tool are that it creates a lot of debris, and it is very loud.

Another tool that is easily found at any hardware store is a reciprocating saw. This user-friendly tool also makes very precise cuts and can be used to cut through almost any kind of steel. Its ability to access smaller, tricky-to-reach places gives the saw an advantage over the angle grinder, which is limited by its round shape.

Another advantage over the angle grinder is that the reciprocating saw makes minimal debris when cutting. The biggest negative aspect of this tool is that it vibrates a lot and can cause discomfort due to the intense vibrations while being used.

The tool that requires the least amount of physical effort to use is the plasma cutter. This tool can be hard to find in more remote locations and is much more expensive than the angle grinder and reciprocating saw. It also requires access to strong electricity, as the machine requires around 45 amps on average.

Learning to use the plasma cutter can take some time, but this tool also offers a lot of benefits. The plasma cutter can cut any shape, such as circles, curves, and letters. It also can cut through almost any kind of steel and creates little to no debris when used.

Since we are in a remote location and have limited electricity, we use a combination of all three of these tools depending on what we are working on. We use the angle grinder for cutting out panels and cutting reinforcements to size, the reciprocating saw for hard-to-reach places and corner cuts, and the plasma cutter for cutting out specific shapes.

As you can see in the video, each offers its own unique set of pros and cons, and all three are great additions to have in any arsenal of tools.

Editor's note: Also check out how Pacific Pines Ranch removed rust of their shipping containers.

The folks at Pacific Pines Ranch walk through the pros and cons of angle grinders, reciprocating saws, and plasma cutters in an effort to find which tools work best to cut through steel and create openings in their shipping container house. Images: Pacific Pines Ranch

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