MagswitchMagSquare 400

I work as a welder in a small fab shop, and I have found the magswitch products indispensable for my work. I purchased both the 165 and the 400, and use them routinely for set up work. The 400 is too strong and creates too much of a field to weld near, so it is used primarily to stablize pieces a couple of feet from where I'm running a bead.The 165 can be used in fairly close proximity to the weld area, as the field is not as strong. These models are not designed for high heat applications so I have to be careful how close they are to the bead, and how much heat I'm running. I usually work with thin wall square tubing so it's not that much of an issue as the heat isn't cranked up that high. I do a lot of metal cutting and grinding as well, and they help hold pieces when clamps are not possible or effective.The ability to turn of the magnetic field makes them easy to clean. They aren't cheap, but if you work with metal on a daily basis, they are worth the money. Great product!

Not much to dislike. It does what it says in the product literature. Switch works smoothly every time. Keep in mind the "sheer strength" is less that the hold strength and the surfaces that it is holding greatly affect the holding strength. Don't expect miracles.

You know, I debated between 4 and 5 stars for this review. I like Magswitch devices a lot and have several, but the 400 - at least the one I have - just doesn’t quite feel like it has the holding strength I expected. Oh, it’s strong, no doubt about that, but I can break it free manually without releasing the handle. So I’ll probably acquire another at a higher strength for truly heavy-duty needs. Unfortunately, MagSquare prices tend to jump substantially above 400 pounds.What I LOVE about MagSquares is their versatility. Unlike the more specialized Magswitch devices, the squares are general purpose magnets and jigs. Ours are used for everything from utility use, to temporary jigs, woodworking, metalwork, and even sewing! (If the last seems odd, magnetic guides are common sewing machine accessories, but the ones typically used are basically junk.)Watch your fingers! At this strength you can really hurt yourself!

I have had this for over 4 yrs now and use it at least twice a week. It's is solid and has great holding power in any set-ups on my jointer, table saw, shaper and drill press. The "T" handle doesn't get in the way and is easy to turn it on or off. I actually now have a couple other Magswitch products that work just as well. Don't stew over the cost, it's worth it.

I use this for very specific woodworking tasks, and for those, it works exceptionally well.I used the threaded M5 holes to mount a piece of wood on that can wrap around each side of my bandsaw blade. I use it in this configuration primarily to cut the cheeks on my tenons, but I also use it to clear out the majority of the waste on my dovetails. The reason why I have to use this rather than the integrate stop on the fence (My saw is a Laguna 18 BX, and I primarily use a 1.25" carbide tipped resaw king blade on it) is that this gives me the depth limit right at the blade, and there are times that the tenons are too narrow and I can't use the built in stop of the saw due to the guide post. This is also what allows me to use it to clear out most of the waste efficiently on my dovetails as well as finger joints without cutting further than needed.I also use this when refurbishing old planes. I have a granite flat reference that I put sandpaper on. I then use the magsquare to hold the plane blade (often in very poor condition) to hold it firmly and with even pressure to lap it to flatness and remove any corrosion.I don't use it very often, but for those times that I do, I am very happy I have it!

Magnet is very strong. It works really well but it affects the welding arc some being so strong. I would have bought a less powerful magnet if I had to buy another.

I did a weight test with a 1 inch plate of steel and progressively added weight to it untill it failed to hold at 234 lbs. Its a good magnet and is very strong but they just straight up lie to you. If you need a 234 lb magnet with an on off switch then this is for you.

Awsome magnet. I wouldn’t recommend doing much welding around it. Arc blow is crazy when it's on.