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The Real Cost of Corner Cutting with a Diamond Chainsaw

Diamond chainsaws are very versatile tools. They are becoming standard equipment on a lot of trucks because of their ability to quickly create mechanical openings and make the deep cuts. They are also the best tool for making square corners without over-cuts. Chainsaws are frequently used to "clean the corners" after doing most of the cutting with a wall saw (Figure 1)

However, the actual cost of "cleaning the corners" with a diamond chain saw is often over-estimated. It is common for many sawing and drilling contractors to believe the cost is $50 or more per corner, which would make diamond chainsaws too expensive to use on a regular basis. Because of this, chainsaws are sometimes known as the "tool of last resort". Contractors have been making openings with traditional methods for many years, and have a good idea of what those true costs actually are. Conversely, diamond chainsaws are relatively new to the industry and many contractors may have had a bad experience with diamond chain technology in the past. Understandably, contractors overestimate corner cost as a standard practice. There is a simple way to determine the actual cost of chain sawing a corner.

Three factors are involved:
1) The Material Remaining in the Corner.
2) The Cost of Diamond Chain
3) The Life of the Diamond Chain.

The material remaining in the corner can be determined by Table 1 and is based on wall thickness and blade diameter. The cost of diamond chain is the purchase price of a loop. The life of the diamond chain is the most variable because of what material is being cut, how much rebar there is, and even operator technique. However, a very normal conservative estimate when cutting concrete with medium rebar will be 600 in-ft but can range to as high as 2500 inch-ft.

If the concrete is extremely hard or there is a lot of steel, chain life could be cut in half, therefore the cost of cutting that corner would be twice as much. Or, if the material is soft, chain life might be doubled, therefore the cost of that corner would be half as much. Also important is the fact that diamond chain prices can vary depending on type. A good general rough estimate for finishing a corner with a diamond chainsaw is somewhere between $1.00 on the easy jobs and up to $15.00 on the thickest, hardest job.

The key point here is that there isn't very much material being removed. And potentially more important than diamond chan cost is time and labor. It certainly takes less time and leaves a cleaner corner than setting up a core drill or using a chipping hammer.

Most current commercial diamond chains are .225" in width. Some specialty chains are .205" in width. In all cases, it is important to remember NOT to insert a diamond chain into a slot that is narrower than the chain width as binding or rapid pushback may occur. Please observe all manufacturers' safety and operating guidelines.

Use these guidelines to estimate a job you have recently completed and compare results. You will be surprised at how inexpensive corner cutting really is with a diamond chainsaw. You may also find that with the new faster saws and higher quality diamond chains it makes sense to cut more than just the corners. Use this to your advantage when considering your next job and improve your profits.