Sankyo – Designer Diamond Cutting Independent Review by Peter Brett


I have learnt the hard way that not all diamond disc cutters are equal. Sometimes you think you are buying a bargain, only to find that the diamond disc wears out quicker than the material you are cutting. Sometimes wear has to be traded for quickness of cut. Also, while many claims are made for using natural (mined) diamonds as compared to synthetic, my experience has shown that it is the way in which the diamonds are used rather than the number or type of them that is the critical feature in the performance of a diamond disc cutter.


As a result, I tend to lean towards buying discs from trusted name brands that have a reputation to protect and a wide range of options on offer so that I can choose the disc that will most closely answer my cutting problem. Sankyo is a Japanese company that


has been manufacturing diamond discs since 1965, and has also had a European presence since 1994, so it should be better known to users than it is. It’s catalogue shows a huge range of cutting discs, including unusually, discs for cutting curves. So I am surprised that users haven’t cottoned on a bit more. I suspect Sankyo is one of those companies that has a core of really loyal customers who maybe don’t spread the word about its products. I can think of a couple of Japanese power tool makers who also fall into this category. The tool trade has its quirks! I was sent three products to test. The first disc is from one of the most popular ranges, the RS Super Premium Range. This comes in three different diameters of 115mm, 125mm and 230mm and is designed as a 1mm thin, quick-cutting blade (most competitors cutting blades are at least 1.2mm thick) for use on ceramic tiles, granite and other hard materials. It is used dry so that wet spoil will not clog the teeth. It is advertised as the world’s thinnest diamond blade for this application. Thinness usually means quick cutting, but thin blades wear more quickly than thicker ones, so the manufacturer’s task is to ensure that they have a reasonable working life.


Looking at the design it seems to follow a fairly conventional and, I have to say, much-copied layout, with many diamond –coated segments in a radial pattern around the edge. Looked at from the edge the segments form an alternate toothed pattern that acts like saw teeth and also help clear waste from the cut. With a retail price of around £25 to £30 for the 115mm diameter disc, it clearly is more expensive than a Far Eastern “lookalike” disc – but you get what you pay for, and it is one of Sankyo’s most repeat-purchased cutting discs. That tells it’s own story. The second product is Sankyo’s answer to the ever-growing concern about dust in the workplace. Called the AP125DC it is a dust collection device that can be fitted to angle grinders up to 125mm in diameter. Made largely from thick clear plastic with a bright metal base, the device sits snugly on the cut line, and used properly should collect most of the fine dust produced while cutting. It comes with three different collar designs to fit popular makes of angle grinders and has an clever system for allowing quick blade changes where the plastic collector can be swung away from the arbor to expose the fixing nut. You can also set the depth of cut required, and this is really helpful when cutting tiles. At the top of the plastic casing is a 25mm or so diameter pipe that is connected to the vacuum machine via a flexible bit of rubber tube.


Clearly it made sense to test the disc and the dust collector as one because that is the most likely combination that many trades would use when cutting tiles and


granite. I was actually pretty impressed with the combination of disc and dust collector. I can see why the RS disc is one of the most popular purchases – it fair whipped through hard ceramic tiles and quarry tiles I tested it on. With a small disc it is quite hard to follow a straight line unless you have a steady hand, but used with the dust collector base resting on the tile it is much easier as you have a base datum point. The dust collection system is about as good as it could be – I expected to have a fine dust coating after my test, when in fact I ended up with a few bits on the bottom of my jeans. Combining the disc and the dust collector is clearly a good idea and I wonder if Sankyo have bigger versions for the bigger discs and disc cutters in the range so that “bigger” users can get the benefits too? When I examined the blade after my test it seemed fairly unscathed and unworn, but I think it would take quite a few hours of cutting before I could wear it out completely. Finally, I was sent another 115mm disc still proudly displaying its Japanese packaging. Although not currently available in the UK, it is hoped that this disc will be available in retailers from the end of 2011. It is quite similar to the RS blade but is only 0.9 mm thick and is designed for ultra fast cutting with a very thin kerf. Since the blade is so thin it needs careful handling when cutting as it can bend easily. But its performance is amazing. I used it on a concrete paving slab and some very hard grey baked ceramic tile. The concrete just seemed to melt away in the face of the cutting edge and I used the full depth of the blade to cut nearly all the way through the paving slab. On the tile, I was able to achieve a fine smooth cut with crisp edges, but I need to develop my skills in making absolutely straight cuts if I am ever going to make it as a tiler. Hopefully, readers will now be more aware that there is another quality player in the disc cutting market and maybe will keep an eye out for a Sankyo cutter that will suit their needs. In my eyes, quality cutting needs quality disc cutters – there is no “short cut” when it comes to diamond discs. For more information on the Sankyo range you can visit www.sankyo-uk.com


Reply No. 209 8 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE www.toolbusiness.co.uk


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