Masonry Magazine April 2003 Page. 40
TABLE
SAWS
These **machines** are meant to **stay out** and get **beat up**, that's what **they do**.
expensive fuel. And yes, you can get a diesel engine on a table saw at least in the rest of the world.
But, as Coleman points out, the problem with diesel is always price. "People sometimes just don't want to deal with the cost of a diesel. My engine suppliers will almost give away a petrol engine because there is so much competition that getting a 5-,9- or 13-HP engine is relatively affordable. Trying to get an equivalent in a diesel is impossible because of sheer volume. Everyone is jumping around to get the standard issue Honda or Briggs and Stratton engine."
Sounding a lot like the Ford ad extolling the "New & Improved!" parking light change in 1948, some vendors find there are almost no differences in table saws for the two markets. "The biggest difference that I see between the U.S. and EU," says Chuck Hommey, marketing director for Equipment Development Co. (EDCO), Frederick, Md., "is the fact that European table saws are all equipped with large Emergency Stop buttons, and I believe this trend will carry over to the North American market. Other than that, most table saws are fairly similar. We try to differentiate our product line by telling customers that the biggest benefit that an EDCO masonry saw provides is the ability to cut dry and dust-free. EDCO has addressed the issue of harmful dust and silicosis flying through the air with its masonry saw dust-shroud systems. All of EDCO's masonry saws can be equipped with a dust shroud which can be hooked up to a vacuum system to extract airborne dust."
Some of the other functions demanded in Europe might find their way here if masons found a need. "The Europeans are very keen on angle cuts," notes Coleman. "That's where those cutting heads on rails can be rotated to make a nice clean cut on a 45-degree angle. Ours are either going to cut straight down perpendicular to the brick or block, or we've got cutting jigs that enable you to cut on a 45, but you have to apply the jig to the table, then place the product against it. Some guys are very clever and they'll angle the bricks so they can have a beveled edge to it. I've also seen customers use handheld cutoff saws that make incredible patterns, but they have to muscle it around and you would never be able to do that with a straight-cutting table saw."
Since ease of maintenance is a customer requirement, most saw manufacturers see to it that their products are readily accessible for repair and periodic maintenance. As Coleman reports, "We use a powder coating to keep as much corrosion away from the units as possible but even so, you're going to have surface corrosion on certain spindle assemblies. That's not going to affect the usage of the unit. The greatest problem is with the power plant-most of the electric motors that we have are totally enclosed fan motors that have a degree of water resistance-but I'm not saying they're waterproof. These machines are meant to stay out and get beat up, that's what they do."
For gasoline engines, you have to be aware of the care needed, not for the engine itself-most are dependable regardless of the weather or the exposure they receive but for the fuel. "I don't like leaving a gas engine out in the elements but people do it all year long," complains Coleman. "The thing about gasoline engines in America is not so much the engine, it's the gasoline. Gas has never been worse than it is today. You get bad gas and let it sit in the tank for months on end, and that will really screw up an engine. You get a varnish build-up that will choke the fuel delivery system to death."
In summary, Coleman says, "How much is someone willing to spend to cut a brick in half, and do it time and time again with a certain level of professionalism and longevity. We found out there's very little I can do to that design that's not going to cost an arm and a leg. Customers don't care, they don't want bells or whistles; they just want the obvious. They want the machine to stay out there for years with no hassle and cut all day long. They also want a simple design and to be able to transport it. That's about it."