What disc cutters are we all using then?

Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
Petrol one, I don't have one but got a few bits and pieces coming up and hiring is tedious where I live. Any recommendations?
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
got a Sthil and a Husqy ... no idea what models .... hardly ever use them and can't recall the last time I did ... they'll be the usual Ba***rd to start when I do, I dare say :( ... so can't make any other comments really :rolleyes:
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
got a Sthil and a Husqy ... no idea what models .... hardly ever use them and can't recall the last time I did ... they'll be the usual Ba***rd to start when I do, I dare say :( ... so can't make any other comments really :rolleyes:
Haha thanks! I nearly got tempted my a Makita cordless one they do- but then gave myself a talking to when I realise they'll cut 4 slabs on a set of batteries.🤣
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
Stihl ts410/420 same power but the 420 cuts deeper. Being a top handle rather than a rear handle makes them far better balanced. This is the only thing that makes them stand out. Engine wise much of a muchness but the Stihl is far and away more ergonomic when cutting bricks. Locks and slabs. For cutting in the floor it doesn't matter so much.
 
Shovelhands

Shovelhands

Well-known member
Have Sthil TS410’s, TS420’s and Makita battery saws. They are all good in the right application, the battery saw is just amazing and I’d the go to saw now for some jobs. But…..if I could only have one, it would be the TS420, great saw, good cut depth, great value for money.
 
Storrsy

Storrsy

Well-known member
Have Sthil TS410’s, TS420’s and Makita battery saws. They are all good in the right application, the battery saw is just amazing and I’d the go to saw now for some jobs. But…..if I could only have one, it would be the TS420, great saw, good cut depth, great value for money.

Is this the one you have? How long a length of tarmac would it cut on a set of batteries would you say? I love the idea of cordless as everyelse I have that's cordless has been a roaring success, chainsaw, impact wrench, grinder etc, but definitely more of a convenience thing, any serious work and it's back to Petrol power.
 
Shovelhands

Shovelhands

Well-known member

Is this the one you have? How long a length of tarmac would it cut on a set of batteries would you say? I love the idea of cordless as everyelse I have that's cordless has been a roaring success, chainsaw, impact wrench, grinder etc, but definitely more of a convenience thing, any serious work and it's back to Petrol power.

It’s so difficult to say, because there are so many variables. With the battery saw, more than ever, it’s important to use the right blade for the job and a quality one too. A ten quid special from screwfix literally isn’t gonna cut it!
I have found the battery saw brilliant for cutting bricks, blocks, paving blocks, roof tiles etc. the convenience of just pulling the trigger to do a simple single cut, rather than pulling a heavy petrol saw, it’s just brilliant! There’s much less vibration too.
But would I use it to do long cuts in concrete? Probably not, but if it was necessary then I’d not hesitate with the correct blade and a few batteries on standby.

Thinking back to a job last year, one of my guys was cutting some slabs, he used the battery saw, was the best choice for the location etc. Afterwards he moaned that it was eating batteries and taking forever! He’d have much rather used a petrol saw…..
It was the blade! They were granite slabs and he wasn’t using the right blade for that job. I know if he’d have had the right blade in the saw it would have pissed it!
It wasn’t the saws fault, but that’s how easily a bad opinion can be formed.

Going off tangent a bit, but I had similar situation with a battery powered masonry circular saw. My guys were chasing walls with it, brilliant tool. But they got into some very hard LBC bricks, it was virtually melting it’s way through them! Trouble was the operator just thought he could force it through. It was eating batteries faster than they could charge them (and we’ve got lots) and the poor thing was red hot! They never said anything until he’d cooked a battery and done half the job!
Once I saw what was going on I got him some different blades, the general purpose ones I’d bought clearly weren’t up to the job on this hard stuff. The cutting was like night and day! Not the saws fault.

You get the same problem with petrol saws, the wrong blade makes hard work of it! But it’s too easy to just top it up and carry on.

I love my petrol Sthil saws, and as I said, if I had to only have one, then I guess it would have to be a TS420. But I don’t have to only have one! And the battery saws are so handy, they are the go-to saw now.
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
It’s so difficult to say, because there are so many variables. With the battery saw, more than ever, it’s important to use the right blade for the job and a quality one too. A ten quid special from screwfix literally isn’t gonna cut it!
I have found the battery saw brilliant for cutting bricks, blocks, paving blocks, roof tiles etc. the convenience of just pulling the trigger to do a simple single cut, rather than pulling a heavy petrol saw, it’s just brilliant! There’s much less vibration too.
But would I use it to do long cuts in concrete? Probably not, but if it was necessary then I’d not hesitate with the correct blade and a few batteries on standby.

Thinking back to a job last year, one of my guys was cutting some slabs, he used the battery saw, was the best choice for the location etc. Afterwards he moaned that it was eating batteries and taking forever! He’d have much rather used a petrol saw…..
It was the blade! They were granite slabs and he wasn’t using the right blade for that job. I know if he’d have had the right blade in the saw it would have pissed it!
It wasn’t the saws fault, but that’s how easily a bad opinion can be formed.

Going off tangent a bit, but I had similar situation with a battery powered masonry circular saw. My guys were chasing walls with it, brilliant tool. But they got into some very hard LBC bricks, it was virtually melting it’s way through them! Trouble was the operator just thought he could force it through. It was eating batteries faster than they could charge them (and we’ve got lots) and the poor thing was red hot! They never said anything until he’d cooked a battery and done half the job!
Once I saw what was going on I got him some different blades, the general purpose ones I’d bought clearly weren’t up to the job on this hard stuff. The cutting was like night and day! Not the saws fault.

You get the same problem with petrol saws, the wrong blade makes hard work of it! But it’s too easy to just top it up and carry on.

I love my petrol Sthil saws, and as I said, if I had to only have one, then I guess it would have to be a TS420. But I don’t have to only have one! And the battery saws are so handy, they are the go-to saw now.

The cut length per charge on the big 36v Milwaukee is still listed as something pretty poor. Couple of meters or so. Even with the right blade tarmac is hard on saws. Especially if you get the old stuff with coal tar and sea ballast in. Modern bitumen coated granite is far easier to cut.
Also it makes a big difference as to how much water you can get onto the job. Cutting with a hosepipe is best than with a bottle
 
C

Cal919

Well-known member
I thought great untill I saw the price!! Crike could buy a 2 new Stihl 410s for that and have change.
Yeh thats the biggest problem with battery tools is price. The units are normally reasonable but once you chuck enough batteries to make it worthwhile on gets expensive. Have to look at it as long term saving as no fuel and servicing.
 
R

Russell

Well-known member
I've got 2 husky k750's both bought used . One was bought whole and the other was broken /incomplete and bought for spares.
I found another one in a rubbish pile along with a 100l, 14 cfm compressor.
Now the parts saw is complete and runs better than the other one.
For the price, second hand tools make a lot of sense.
 
Simon edwards

Simon edwards

Well-known member
Makita’s ,we have two old ones can’t remember the model but they are brilliant things,both well over ten years old and now just used occasionally .Also got a couple of new Makitas,again can’t remember the model, but they are the smaller engined ‘cheapest’ ones.They are nice and light but as you get what you pay for on this world,they are pretty much made of cheese I think,half the price of a stihl but probably false economy as they seem to be slowly self destructing.
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
I've got 2 husky k750's both bought used . One was bought whole and the other was broken /incomplete and bought for spares.
I found another one in a rubbish pile along with a 100l, 14 cfm compressor.
Now the parts saw is complete and runs better than the other one.
For the price, second hand tools make a lot of sense.

Second hand petrol saws are usually either knackered or nicked though.
 
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