Maggie’s Cement / concrete saw question

[hermosabeach]

So looking into upgrading a 4 gang meter so we will need to run new conduit to replace the one from 1964.

I'm looking at options and am debating either renting a walk behind machine or buying a smaller 14" saw.

Has anyone used the HF pull saw?

What should I be considering?

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-amp-14-in-portable-concrete-pull-saw-58215.html?_br_psugg_q=cement+saw

The similar makita is dry cut only

 

[Heavyopp]

How far do you have to cut?
Depth of cut?
What material are you cutting?

 

[RPN]

Number of bow kills?
How much can you bench press?

Mandatory questions for anything to do with concrete

 

[GreenGO Juan]

pictures or diagram of work area/plan

 

[hermosabeach]

It's a 24' run of 4" or so of concrete

Then a few small cuts.

 

[Mongo68]

That seems like a lot. I called the pros when I had to replace the drains. Dude was in and out. I did have to rent a chipper cause it was 6”…

 

[Jscb1b]

My back hurts just looking at it. Rent the walk behind. Cutting green concrete is slow going, cutting 62 year old concrete is going to be real slow.

 

[powdahound76]

Walk behind for much of it (I would say anything over 10 ft).

Not a pro, but have cut a bunch of concrete both to tear it out and also cutting channels to run different utilities.
Some will break up easy with a sledge hammer. Some needs a jackhammer.

My preference is to bust into about 40-60 lb pieces to move. Better than lots of small stuff IMO.

 

[Duc]

 

[LuckyLuke80]

That handheld Bauer might get the job done just fine, but you will be on your hands and knees, and the slurry will make a royal mess of your clothes. Unless you plan to do a lot of this in the future (in which case I’d buy a walk behind) then I would rent one and an electric jackhammer. Also, if you have a worm drive skillsaw then you can buy a diamond blade for it and use it and a grinder to finish cuts up to walls if needed. Another thing to keep in mind about concrete saws is that I’ve seen the small ones not cut deep enough. A walk behind with a 16” blade is the way

 

[LuckyLuke80]

So looking into upgrading a 4 gang meter so we will need to run new conduit to replace the one from 1964.

I'm looking at options and am debating either renting a walk behind machine or buying a smaller 14" saw.

Has anyone used the HF pull saw?

What should I be considering?

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-amp-14-in-portable-concrete-pull-saw-58215.html?_br_psugg_q=cement+saw

The similar makita is dry cut only

Dry cut only is blade specific. The saw doesn’t have a hose connection then you have to use a dry cut blade and then prepare for it to be the worst dust storm you can imagine. Wet cut is a mess too, but at least it’s not dust for weeks

 

[Ronws]

That's what great about this forum. You actually can find advice and expertise here in concrete. In fact, it is in inside joke to ask if a guy does concrete.

I have not done much concrete. Back in 1995, working on a new school, our floor boxes were supposed to stub up in a wall and we followed the plumber's measurements. Which turned out be wrong. So, I spent a week with a 75 lb jack hammer slotting to the actual wall locations and stretching the pipe to the wall. Then, mixing concrete and backfilling the holes and slots I made.

I paid the price of that. I strained myself and did not realize it. At the end of that week, we went to see Dan Fogelberg and the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth. The most uncomfortable seats, ever.

The next Monday at work, I simply reached around to get an EMT connector and felt my back go "pop."

Next morning, I got to work and had to fall out of my car and then eventually get standing and almost passing out from the pain.

I went to my doctor and he was busy, so his associated folded me in the pretzel, then a bagel. Then a pretzel bagel and gave me two scrips. painkiller and muscle relaxant. I stayed home for two days with the muscle relaxant.

Anyway, I am an amateur with concrete.

 

[Soulezoo]

How many bow kills? How much do you bench press?

These answers you get will very much depend on the answers you give to those two questions.

Do you even Quigley Ford?

 

[chevy_man]

Rent a walk-behind.

How big is the conduit? You sure you can't get new wires into it?

 

[Jerry V]

I have the HF saw you mentioned. It will get job done but slowly. You have 24ft run so if cutting slot for conduit thats 48 or so feet. How tight is the area you are working. Walk behinds are great but sometimes too big for the jobsite area. If you buy the HF saw go buy a Mikita blade for it and cut dry. The HF blades suck badly. Used one for about 10ft and was super slow. Swapped to my Makita blade and it was like hot knife thru butter. I do not have to cut often and usually only a slot for wiring not in conduit for DC wiring. maybe 20-40ft run. Glad I have it. Have used a Stihl gas hand held rig a lot but hate having gas rig and it sucks to fire up but cuts great.

 

[Huskydriver]

Number of bow kills?
How much can you bench press?

Mandatory questions for anything to do with concrete

 

[GreenGO Juan]

rent a walk behind, or a gas Stihl like a TS420.

Those electrics can't make 4" in one pass, so you'd have to do it in two cuts. I'd stay away from the battery powered ones as well, they run though batteries and take a very long time.

View attachment 8757753

A 450' concrete retaining wall I built by my self.

 

[hermosabeach]

Rent a walk-behind.

How big is the conduit? You sure you can't get new wires into it?

It's a 200 amp run now. We will probably need to go to a 4" conduit.

Just want to have flexibility for adding HVAC / central air and electric car charging.


It sounds like I'll be renting a walk behind.
Or hiring it out.

 

[powdahound76]

Electric car charging?

Dont go the gay way bro!

 

[jrassy]

Hire it out. Drink coffee while they are busting their ass.

 

[Ronws]

It's a 200 amp run now. We will probably need to go to a 4" conduit.

Just want to have flexibility for adding HVAC / central air and electric car charging.


It sounds like I'll be renting a walk behind.
Or hiring it out.

You mentioned a 4 gang meter base. Is that 200 amp to each meter socket?

 

[Long Range 338]

Rent the walk behind and cut it wet, it’s a mess but dry is actually much worse. Also don’t cut wide enough for the conduit, cut wide enough for the bucket of the machine you are using to dig with…

 

[hollowoutadime]

If you're going to do it, cut it wet. A Husqrvarna K760 (gas) would do that in about an hour. The electric variants need about 20-30 amps , mine require a generator connection as most panels don't want to do that load. A rental walk behind is a good idea, as handheld saws will do it, but if you're not in good shape or young, they will beat you up. You don't even need to through cut it as a 16# sledge will crack it up.

 

[chevy_man]

It's a 200 amp run now. We will probably need to go to a 4" conduit.

Just want to have flexibility for adding HVAC / central air and electric car charging.


It sounds like I'll be renting a walk behind.
Or hiring it out.

We do a lot of 400s, and they have plenty of power even for 12,000 sq ft. But they get 2-3" conduits to the xfmr.

Unless you're doing a real quick charger the normal residential ones are only 50A. Central Air is only going to be 30-50A.

Turn on everything in your house and see what it's drawing with a clamp on meter. I'd bet you'd be surprised to see how low it is.

If it's not small change out all your lamps to quality LED and then be impressed . Don't use the cheap ones, they shit out their drivers long before the LED is actually worn down.

 

[Mongo68]

Rent the walk behind and cut it wet, it’s a mess but dry is actually much worse. Also don’t cut wide enough for the conduit, cut wide enough for the bucket of the machine you are using to dig with…

Great point! I forgot about that. But the pro I hired didn’t. Well worth the money. And I’m a diy guy.

 

[Joe Z]

24' of 4" depth is nothing for a 14" blade hand held saw. Mine is a 16" and I'll go up to 5" with no problem. If it needs to be straight just run a 2x4 as a rip fence. An electric saw is a bit of a pooch so you'll go slower but if the cut is indoors you''ll get no fumes. The cut slurry is unavoidable, even if you hire the work out.

 

[Joe Z]

Yes I do concrete. No, I have no bow kills.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Yes I do concrete. No, I have no bow kills.

Then your opinion is zero

 

[Joe Z]

Agreed

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Agreed

I’m kidding.