The Diamond Wire Guillotine pipe saw from E.H. Wachs is designed to safely cold cut steel, ductile and cast iron pipe and bar from 4 to 16 inches in diameter, as well as PVC, clay and other materials. A single nylon strap secures the tool to the pipe, restricting tool motion and eliminating operator fatigue.

The saw features a quick-change, continuous loop diamond wire cutting element that is shielded for safety. "Operator safety is first and foremost," says Jeff Swiatowy, general vice president for E.H. Wachs.

Designed, manufactured and assembled in the United States for one-person operation, the saw is controlled by a simple manual feed control knob. A feed pressure indicator shows wire stress and tolerance during operation for both safety and longer wire life. "An experienced operator will be able to cut based on the audio tone the wire makes, but for the beginner operator, the gauge assists in determining the correct amount of pressure to apply during cutting," Swiatowy says.

Similar to a band saw, the pipe-cutting tool uses a pre-tensioned, twisted, diamond-bead media that is fed across pulleys. "As the wire runs through the machine, it corkscrews. This allows complete utilization of the diamond beads cutting 360 degrees," Swiatowy says. "One hundred percent of input power makes it to the cutting media because the wire is supported on bearing-mounted wheels, compared to chain saws that scrub power between the chain and the backer bar. This is why we can get more cuts per wire (typically 30 or more) and cut faster using just a Class II hydraulic circuit, such as a skid-steer or other equipment capable of producing 8 gpm at 2,000 psi," Swiatowy says.

A washdown system and spray coolant are included with the saw. "All diamond cutting media require water to cool the base metal securing the diamonds to the backer," Swiatowy says. "When we ship the machine, we include a washdown wand, because the metal chips you're cutting are very fine, like dust. You want to rinse those out of your machine."

The saw weighs less than 75 pounds and is 34 1/2 inches long, 11 1/4 inches wide and 37 1/4 inches tall. 866/392-1060; www.turnvalves.com