Best hand tool to use to cut sheet metal (aluminum diamond plate)?

[Dick Linn]

There are hand-held circular saws designed for metal cutting. They operate at lower speed than wood saws. They are used with metal cutting blades, which are different for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

You might get away with a conventional circular saw equipped with a metal cutting blade. I would strongly recommend that you DO NOT use a carbide-tipped blade designed for wood. The carbide is brittle and the relief angles used for wood cutting result in a weaker tooth tip.

It is imperative to guide your cuts and not wiggle of jam the blade. I have a pair of goggles around here where a carbide tooth let loose and poked a hole in them. That was on a miter saw with a metal cutting blade. Do be careful.