Ensuring a clean and ravel-free relief cut when cutting early-entry concrete takes patience and skill. The timing of the cut and the blade spec play a large part in the quality of your joints. The timing of your cut should be in the green zone. Learn more about the Soff-Cut® Early-Entry Process. If you have a good working knowledge of early-entry concrete cutting and still find yourself cutting ravelled or…
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Blog
Running Concrete Chain Saws
Regardless of the Brand (ICS, Husqvarna, Stihl), concrete chain saws can be an effective tool for deep cutting through masonry and concrete walls for the installation of various openings such as egress windows and doorways. A few points to consider when running concrete chain saws. • Chain tension is critically important to the longevity of your saw’s powerhead, as well as the life of your chain. Proper chain tension…
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Prolong the Life of Your Electric Handheld Tool.
Handheld Grinder Overloading As with all handheld tools and diamond blades, pushing and overloading the tool is bound to cause issues. Gas powered saws have more power and are more forgiving by nature. However, with electric tools, care needs to be given and the proper blade(s) needs to be selected that has a diamond bond that is soft enough for the cutting situation. The following are some steps to remember…
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Diamond Blade Safety Warning
A recent bulletin from Stihl outlines a few blades that are unsafe to use on your Cut-Off Saws. Please keep these guidelines in mind while cutting. Wheels that are not approved for your cut-off machine may be more likely to shatter, break or cause other problems, such as wheel wobble and/or increased reactive forces. Use only wheels with approved RPM ratings for your cut-off machine. Consult the instruction manual for…
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Filter Life and Maintenance for Esch Vac 576 & Pulse-Bac 576
Filter life and Maintenance for the Esch Vac 576. The Esch Vac 576 is a self-cleaning vacuum designed to give you max productivity and decreased labor hours due to its pulsing filter system. As you are grinding or cutting, the vacuum cycles with a pulse of air every 30 seconds “blowing out the filters” reducing suction for a fraction of a second, then cycling back to full suctions. It does…
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Spring Equipment Tune-ups (Concrete Saws)
The time has come to start bringing your saws out of storage. Tuning up your saws before putting them to work is as important as properly winterizing them. Review these maintenance tips for spring to ensure your equipment is in ideal condition before the season starts. Check your spark plugs and replace them if necessary. Check for dirty and damaged air filters. Replace if necessary. Check all parts for cracks…
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Electric tools and Cord Length
Before using an electric tool, consider the extension cord running from your power source to your tool. Do you know the amperage that the tool draws? How far is the cord running? When using extension cords it is important to note that as you increase the length of cord the voltage drops. Voltage drop can prevent power tools from running at full speed. Using the improper extension cord can…
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Warm up before W.O.T.
To prolong the life of your handheld and walk behind saws, it is recommended that you give your saws time to warm up before running wide open and cutting. Starting your saw and running wide open right out of the gate can reduce the life of your saw causing scoring at the cylinder and piston, among other issues. The cause is due to not allowing the gas and oil…
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Inspecting your saw: Belts
Belt tension is an important factor pertaining to saw performance. A worn or slipping belt robs power from the saw and decreases productivity while cutting. Before cutting follow these steps to ensure proper saw performance: - Inspect belt for cracks - Inspect for missing “ribs” - Check belt pulley both at blade spindle and clutch for any burrs or burning spots. Burrs on pulleys will slowly wear through and…
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Starting your Stihl TS 500i
Fuel injection on the new Stihl TS 500i is a great innovation, however, some are still having issues getting their saw to start properly. The issue we are witnessing both in the field and on the repair bench is knowing how to properly start the TS 500i, and the solution is simple: priming! On a cold start, the TS 500i must be primed 10-15 times. The same is true for…
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