PowerGrit Tool Offers a More Efficient, Safer Way to Cut Pipe

PowerGrit utility saw chain from ICS, Blount International

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The PowerGrit utility saw chain from ICS, Blount International, cuts ductile and cast-iron, PVC and HDPE pipe as well as pipe lining from one position.

The chain has a brazed layer diamond coating that lets an operator in a trench cut up to 12-inch pipe from the top, eliminating the need to excavate around the pipe and work from underneath to complete the cut. Pipes can be cut even in tight locations where another utility has been laid close by.

“The most common sizes of pipe can be cut from one side,” says Joe Taccogna, marketing services manager. “That reduces the amount of excavation. A lot of pipe is laid on bedrock, making it extremely difficult to excavate under it. Cutting from above makes a difficult situation a lot easier.”

The saw chain can make more than 30 cuts through 10-inch ductile iron pipe, depending on pipe wall thickness, hardness, position in the trench, and operator experience. An alternative to gasoline-powered cut-off saws with circular abrasive or diamond blades, the chain also makes cutting safer. “Often, operators using a circular saw will rotate the blade guard completely out of the way to get the blade under the pipe, and that’s fairly dangerous,” says Taccogna.

The saw chain is designed for use with the ICS 695F4 gasoline-powered chainsaw with 16-inch bar or the ICS 880F4 hydraulic chainsaw with 15- or 20-inch bar. The chain needs about 1 gpm of water at 20 psi, supplied by a common building faucet, water truck, or mobile tank.

Much like a concrete saw, the chain grinds rather than chips through pipe, eliminating the rotational kick-back of woodcutting chainsaws. While either ICS saw can be used freehand, an accessory clamp for 4- to 12-inch pipe is available with the hydraulic model.

A small, weight-supporting axle attaches to the saw, providing a stable and accurate cut and improving ease of use. “Some might say it’s also safer because it limits the movement of the saw, making it easier to control,” Taccogna says. 800/321-1240; www.powergrit.com.



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