I think I'm still on the first HF wheel and it lasted 2 exhausts and 2 downpipes and about half of that was stainless!

 

Heh, sounds like they're working for you. I must have got a bad batch. I threw them all away after seeing how good this dewalt one works.

To the OP, if you want stainless just because you have the skill and ability to make it from stainless, then go for it. All I was saying is that for the average DIY'er that wants a good exhaust that's cheap/easy, aluminized steel will work just fine. And it's a very common misconception that a mild steel exhaust will rust out in a year or two. Down here in the south where they don't salt roads, a mild steel exhaust will work fine for many years.

 

We typically just cut SS with a chop saw, but we do use a band saw some too. It's really not that hard to work with, and you can weld it with a mig, I forget what wire we run in the mig, but we run tri-mix gas. Obviously we tig as well.

 

I used 308 or 309 I think in the mig. straight argon for stainless and mix for mild.