Paver Saws

[gryan]

I am fairly new to pavers and walls and was wondering if anyone has advice on brick saws. I have rented a few gas powered with the sliding table. I am looking to buy one for next year. I have used Target and American Brick Saw. What do you recomend?

[PaverSlayer]

The only saw we use is the Stihl ts400. Lightweight, plenty of power, wet/dry. and runs like a scared dog. Consider the 14" for larger paver work, or the 12" for your typical 6cm pavers.

[hlntoiz]

where are you located? I am actually selling mine. It is a 14" Milwaukee 110v or 220v I will even though in the diamond blade that is on it.

[ProspectsStoneWorks]

Tables saws (with the sliding platform) are great for precise delicate cuts, but take for freakin EVER to get anything done. Get yourself a nice new Stihl Cut Off saw to chew through through your work at a profitable pace and save the table saw for doing pretty murals in your pavers. I started with just a table saw and wanted to shoot myself for not buying a demo saw earlier.

[gryan]

UPDATE- I ended up buying an American Bricksaw 14" Table saw and Stihl cutoff saw. The table saw worked awesome but was heavy as hell and top heavy when on cart. Did a great job tearing through pavers as fast as we could push. It was the 9hp though. The cutoff saw worked great for walls and bigger paver cuts. I am not doing installs anymore but only cleaning, sealing and repairs. The Stihl actually got stolen from my locked trailer and I sold the table saw. I think for guys newer to pavers it is nice to have the table saw to make clean cuts. Getting the feel for cutting small pieces off of pavers with a cutoff saw takes practice.

Out of curiosity, has anyone used the electric table type saws like MK makes?

[ProspectsStoneWorks]

UPDATE- I ended up buying an American Bricksaw 14" Table saw and Stihl cutoff saw. The table saw worked awesome but was heavy as hell and top heavy when on cart. Did a great job tearing through pavers as fast as we could push. It was the 9hp though. The cutoff saw worked great for walls and bigger paver cuts. I am not doing installs anymore but only cleaning, sealing and repairs. The Stihl actually got stolen from my locked trailer and I sold the table saw. I think for guys newer to pavers it is nice to have the table saw to make clean cuts. Getting the feel for cutting small pieces off of pavers with a cutoff saw takes practice.

Out of curiosity, has anyone used the electric table type saws like MK makes?


Yea I have. I bought it really out of desperation to finish a job and spent $600 on a 10inch 2hp one bought from the tile department at Home Depot. Need I even mention how slow it cuts or how little effort it takes to jam it up. I'm saving for one of those 20" beast next. Mmmmmmm

[Land Works Landscaping]

http://www.mytoolstore.com/partner/k750.html
Don't get a stihl they suck for dry cutting filter.
18

[Stoneman705]

That is a beast and will cut very fast! Almost wish I had went that big. My 14" has a 3Hp motor and cuts full depth pretty good and zings thru pavers.

Not sure what is the best blade price/performance. $50 is too cheap, binds too easily. But, and this is a big but, it cuts curves better since this blade bends which a higher quality blade won't.

[Derek]

Although every properly equipped paver crew should have a cutoff saw, I would only recommend a table saw for any paver installation. If you want to give your customers a proper, quality install it is the only way to cut. Cutoff saws make imprecise cuts that are not plumb. It is also very hard to cut precision pieces (slivers, radius corners) properly...not to mention much MUCH more dangerous. An experienced crewmember cutting with a table saw will produce a cleaner end product and be more than efficient. If it comes down to competing price wise, there is a difference between price and value. If you explain to your customers the steps you take to ensure a proper installation, they will often choose you, the knowledgable professional, over the cheaper guy that cuts corners to keep price down.

[andrevernon]

I have only been in business installing pavers for a short time. I must get much more proficient to become profitable. I believe that laying and cutting pavers is the part of the job that we are most inefficient. By the way, we are laying clay pavers. I have a Norton BBM-307 masonry saw with a water pump. The saw is a good quality unit. However, a friend recommended that I use a cut-off saw like a Stihl with a 14 inch blade to cut pavers in place much faster. I can easily imagine that it would be faster, but I do doubt that it will be possible to do it that way accurately, especially when cutting clay pavers, which I am laying with joints of about 1/16 of an inch. Another friend said that the pavers will shift when cutting that way. I read Derek's comments about this and all that he said seems very logical. I just need to become much more proficient in marking and cutting pavers.

Will blade type make a significant difference in speed? If paying a couple hundred bucks or more for a blade will save a lot of labor expense, I will gladly get one.

I greatly appreciate any suggestions and feedback.