Cheap machetes. Which should i get?

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Ruukuu

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May 21, 2020
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I have bought and used a couple of Tramontina 14" machetes and i love them. Will do everything i need it to do. But i now need a new one. The 14" inch costs about $15 here in the UK, so something up to about $25 is maximum i want to spend.
What would you advise? stick with Tramontima, try a Marbles, or maybe something else? Anyone have first hand knowledge of other cheap machetes?

Hope this is an ok place to ask this question, wasn't sure....thank you.
 
I always liked old Cold Steel machetes
A lot of types, lengths and weights
But in UK and now ?
 
I'd stick with what you know. My 14" is a Condor Puerto Rican which was discontinued and re-introduced as a 16" Swamp Master. I have the Swamp Master too. Both of these cost more than your budget but I really like the parang shape for a shorter machete as they are used more for chopping branches and so forth. The shape lens itself to pulling or pushing stuff toward or away from you.
 
I'm a fan of some of the Cold Steel machetes. My favorites are the polymer handled Imacas. I keep a 12in and an 18in around the house/camp.
 
I don't think I would pick up another 1055 Cold Steel machete,I have many as I have come to the conclusion that they are fairly soft steel.

I could be wrong but how does a CS compare to a Tramotina
 
Budget machete means Tramontina to me.

If you are feeling adventurous and want to try something different, nothing wrong with Cold Steel too. I'm admittedly not a fan of most of CS machete blade shapes. I prefer the traditional shape of a Tramontina myself.

I'd avoid Gerber. My neighbors son had one. I think it was 3Crxxx steel. POS.
 
Even Cold Steel machetes cost more than $25, so not sure how much choice you’ll have. The Tramontinas and Marbles are well regarded as functional, utilitarian tools. They won’t have the finish or overall quality of a Condor or something in the $50 range, but they’ll cut stuff and take a beating.
 
I only put a price limit on as i know how hard i am on machetes, and i dont want to spend a lot on something i know i will scrape and bash against brick and stone....albeit by accident, and maybe ruin them.
So so far, stay with what i know.....marbles are fine, and cold steel are fine if i like the looks.

Cool, i will have a look on the website i buy from :)

Edit. just looked. The marbles are painted orange, which will certainly help when i leave it lying around in skip size area full of tree branches etc. Tramontina i know and love. The cold steel look fine, but have polymer handles,a and i dont know if they suit themselves to handle reshapes. I find i do that to the Tramontina to make them fit me better.
 
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I feel the same way about the poly handles, but you can re-shape them and sand with a very fine grit to get it near factory looking. I am pretty well fixed on wood handles as they are easy to sand down slowly to get them where you are really comfortable. The last poly handles I purchased on a machete were the 12" Ontario's which I thought at the time would work really well for my pickup carry which is the dominant time I used a machete other than at the house or an occasional trail cleanup if I am wandering around in the woods and feel like carrying a machete. I absolutely hated the Ontario handles and have not considered a Ontario machete since. I mostly have been buying Condors which cost a bit more and have been pleased.
 
I would stick with Tramontina. They make a good machete and theyre cheap. Plus you can sand the wood handles to your liking.
 
I have used the Ontario Machete, and it is pretty functional. Would that be an option for where you are?
 
Agreed, if Tramontina is working for you, you might as well stick with it. If you want to try something a little different, the 18” Tramontina is a bit thicker in the blade than some other models, and so will chop some slightly heavier brush. The 14” will be more nimble.

There is not much to choose among the different brands. Performance and feel will vary depending on weight, blade thickness and weight distribution

Marbles has a 16” panga it calls the Swamp Master that is under $20. Marbles machetes are made by Imacasa, who also makes Condor. I haven’t seen a Condor Swamp Master, but I am going to guess it is a more substantial piece of kit than the Marbles version. If you do get the Marbles, get the one without the wire wrap on the handle. Mine was comfortable at first, but is not wrapped tightly enough, and shifts in my grip.

I don’t think Ontario and Cold Steel make their own machetes, but get them from companies like Imacasa, and charge quite a bit more for them. Avoid Gerber at all costs. Absolutely useless crap, they have put me off Gerber knives altogether.
 
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Ruukuu said:
I have bought and used a couple of Tramontina 14" machetes and i love them. Will do everything i need it to do. But i now need a new one. The 14" inch costs about $15 here in the UK, so something up to about $25 is maximum i want to spend.
What would you advise? stick with Tramontima, try a Marbles, or maybe something else? Anyone have first hand knowledge of other cheap machetes?

Hope this is an ok place to ask this question, wasn't sure....thank you.
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The marbles machetes made by imicasa are great
Standard imacasa machetes are leas expensive though.
And Colombian incolma machetes are also great and even less expensive.
 
Hickory n steel said:
The marbles machetes made by imicasa are great
Standard imacasa machetes are leas expensive though.
And Colombian incolma machetes are also great and even less expensive.
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The Imacasa sound familiar. I'm sure i saw a UK dealer that had them. Not to sound at all racist, but if a machete comes from that area of the world i tend to think they should be decent users.

EDIT....yep the Imacasa is $6 cheaper than the exact same Marbles Bolo except for the orange paint job.
 
Henry Beige said:
Agreed, if Tramontina is working for you, you might as well stick with it. If you want to try something a little different, the 18” Tramontina is a bit thicker in the blade than some other models, and so will chop some slightly heavier brush. The 14” will be more nimble.

There is not much to choose among the different brands. Performance and feel will vary depending on weight, blade thickness and weight distribution

Marbles has a 16” panga it calls the Swamp Master that is under $20. Marbles machetes are made by Imacasa, who also makes Condor. I haven’t seen a Condor Swamp Master, but I am going to guess it is a more substantial piece of kit than the Marbles version. If you do get the Marbles, get the one without the wire wrap on the handle. Mine was comfortable at first, but is not wrapped tightly enough, and shifts in my grip.

I don’t think Ontario and Cold Steel make their own machetes, but get them from companies like Imacasa, and charge quite a bit more for them. Avoid Gerber at all costs. Absolutely useless crap, they have put me off Gerber knives altogether.
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Thx Henry. Lot of usefull info :-)

Same from others...i appreciate the help, even though its for something as simple as a cheap machete. No knife forums over here any good to ask things like this....not that i know of anyway.
 
I use machete on occasion to clean up stuff around my job sites, or to clean up roof lines when I am roofing a house.

Great luck with Ontario products, and I keep an occasional Tramontina around since bang for the buck they are tough to beat.

I got a long FISKARS machete that was the best edge holder of the group, but needed some recontouring of the handle to make it comfortable.

Agree as stated above STAY AWAY from Gerber. Uncomfortable to hold, worse to use, with poor designs and steels. Bought one because it was handy at the local sporting goods store, returned it for a different model, then returned that one too. Just junk.

Robert
 
Your choice of machete depens a lot on the vegetation you are cutting. Lighter machetes work well on grasses and lighter brush. They will have blades ranging in thickness from 3mm down to less than two, and in lengtn from 14” up tp 24” or more. The longer blades give more reach in grassy areas that are free of obstructions. These machetes are quite cheap, ranging in price from 5 or 6 bucks up to $18-20.

For woody brush, limbs and smsll trees, a chopper works better, blades like the Condor Golok, the various Duku Parangs. Blades rage from 3-6mm thick and from 11-16” in length. You will see a big jump in price from light machetes to choppers, which typically run from $50 to $100.
 
Henry Beige said:
Your choice of machete depens a lot on the vegetation you are cutting. Lighter machetes work well on grasses and lighter brush. They will have blades ranging in thickness from 3mm down to less than two, and in lengtn from 14” up tp 24” or more. The longer blades give more reach in grassy areas that are free of obstructions. These machetes are quite cheap, ranging in price from 5 or 6 bucks up to $18-20.

For woody brush, limbs and smsll trees, a chopper works better, blades like the Condor Golok, the various Duku Parangs. Blades rage from 3-6mm thick and from 11-16” in length. You will see a big jump in price from light machetes to choppers, which typically run from $50 to $100.
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Mainly trimming bushes and tree branches. Cutting ivy etc. But also i used the Tramontina to take down a 7" dia Holly tree and a 4" dia Eucalyptus....then cutting it all up so i could burn it...…..So a mix of quite light and occasionally heavy work. I could do with doing some batoning but even though i know the blade will take it, it wont do so well as its so thin.
 
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