We will continue to search out concrete tools and accessories to help our audience meet the upcoming OSHA Silica Dust standards, June 23, 2017. Cutting concrete outdoors with a gas cut-off saw and water hookup probably won’t change much however for indoor concrete cutting or dry cutting we will definitely see some new challenges. These new Core Cut C14 ($599) and C16 ($999) Concrete Saws are electric but offer serious power much closer to gas than we have seen in the past and can be used wet or dry. Many 14”+ electric saws currently don’t have water hookups or dust collectors and aftermarket attachments can be questionable. The new OSHA spec for dust collection require near HEPA filtration, automatic filter cleaning and 25 CFM per 1” of blade diameter in cutting. For a 14”saw that’s 350 CFM, you’re not going to find that at your local hardware store.
With the Cut Core C14 the motor is 2800W with an overload protection light that indicated when you need to let off (similar to meter box on a core drill). The 14” blade allows a full 5” cut capacity with light weight magnesium guard. Rollers allow the saw to make strait accurate cuts and easier on the users. The ability to go wet or dry makes this saw very versatile working indoors or outdoors. Wet cutting is always going to be the recommended option because it keeps the blade cool and greatly extends the cut capacity.
For Dry cutting the C14 also has a Dust Skid Attachment 6078496 ($149) which when partnered with the right vac seems to nearly completely eliminate silica dust. Below they show it compared to the Husqvarna K3000 ($900, Amazon) electric saw with their similar dust skid.
With the Cut Core C16 the motor jumps to 3200W with same overload protection warning light system. The 16” blade capacity allows for a full 6” cut depth however it is not compatible with the Dust Skid. The C16 does offer a very nice Flush Cut feature, where as you can remove half the guard and flush cut wet, provided you have the correct blades and arbor. The detachable roller guides are similar on the C16 to C14 and help ensure a nice straight strait cut as well as less user fatigue.
To learn a little more about the OSHA June 23, 2017 Silica Dust Changes check out this post and video. We will continue to update on more in-depth looks at various new products and solutions to help get everyone ready. It seems like there are some big concerns out there on readiness which we do not think have been answered in terms of products in market for every task.
