Husqvarna K3000EL – Electrical Power and Brilliant Dust Control
I was walking down the Thames Path towards the Tate Modern a few weeks ago when I had to take sharp avoiding action from a group of workmen who were replacing the well-used paving along there. I, and a few other passersby, were treated to the
raucous noise of a two-stroke disc cutter and the associated dust (admittedly they did try to control it a bit but largely failed) as they cut through a lump of concrete kerb stone. Since there is no real alternative path, the public
had no option but to endure the inconvenience, but at the time I wondered if there was an alternative tooling solution. Having tested the Husqvarna K3000EL, I think that we may well be looking at it. I wonder if contractors will take any notice? Maybe they will if we complain a bit more. Some people may be skeptical that an electric-
powered machine would be powerful enough. But to lift the K3000EL is to be reassured that it is. It is reassuringly heavy at over 8 Kgs. Everywhere you look on the machine you can see impressive signs of quality manufacture. The bright orange ABS body has very tight seams and is well screwed together. At the business end there is a cast alloy gear casing that is coated against corrosion, with a push button spindle lock that is easy to use and makes blade changing a lot easier than many. Attached in two places by solid bolts is a curved steel tubular front handle. This is covered in ribbed plastic that is easy to hold with gloved hands, and will absorb some vibration (although as an electric machine, there is a lot less vibration than on a petrol powered disc cutter) The cutting disc is shrouded by a
cast alloy cutter guard that effectively covers half of the disc. It
can be adjusted for maximum safety from dust escape. This guard is a very important part of the whole machine as it enables two different and very effective dust control systems to be used with the K3000EL. I must admit to being very surprised to see a small diameter water pipe
directed from the cable at the rear of the machine all the way across the back of the disc guard to the front where the water is injected via two small nozzles onto each side of the cutting disc. After all, this is an electrically powered machine, and water and electricity don’t mix – or do they? But because Husqvarna has developed a sealed electronic control system for the electric motor, it is, in fact, perfectly safe to use water to control the dust produced when cutting concrete, stone etc. The user should also be reassured by the presence of an RCD switch on the
plug near the cable. This has to be activated to make the machine work, but will immediately cut off the current should anything untoward happen like a water leak into the machine, a short circuit or power overload.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
There are some applications like cutting metal and plastic, where using water
to control the waste is inappropriate. The K3000EL has a different, but equally effective solution for this. First of all you need to fit the vac attachment. This is another bright orange,
largely cast alloy assembly, that is fitted to the back of the blade guard. There is a clever catch system that simply allows the attachment to slide on and then be locked in place with a spring-loaded catch. Right at the back of the attachment is a 36mm diameter outlet that fits a standard vac extraction pipe. With all of the above in place, it is actually a very efficient way of controlling
the dust and waste produced when cutting wood, metal and plastics, for example. At a push, you could probably use it for collecting the dust when cutting the odd brick or two, but since you have the option of wet or dry dust control, and it is easy to switch between the two, users are much more likely to be able to use the correct kit for each application. Diamond blades are expensive, especially the 300mm or 350mm diameter
blades used in the likes of the K3000EL, and Husqvarna sent me a different type of blade to try in the review. This is the FR-3 blade and it has a single layer of vacuum brazed diamonds on the toothed edges. It is clear that the diamond coating is generous, and the blade configuration is quite simple with regular slots on the circumference to allow for the rapid clearance of waste. The advantage of this blade is its versatility – it will cut just about anything you want – wood, plastic, rubber, ferrous metals, concrete, alloys and plexiglass. In fact all the things that services like police, military and fire services might come across. I can vouch for its effectiveness- it really did cut all of these things
fast and with relatively little effort from me. In use, the K3000EL is a great machine to use. The ‘soft-start’
means that the user is not subject to a sudden torque reaction from the large blade as it gets up to speed. Once running at full speed, the disc cutter is easily controllable and a lot less noisy than a petrol-powered machine. Used in conjunction with the DC1400 vac you get a very civilised combination of real power and very controlled waste levels. I recognize that petrol powered machines are powerful and run
independently of other power sources, but I do wonder whether their days are numbered now that a much more versatile and practical electrical alternative is available. My guess is that me, and the other passersby on the Thames path, would prefer to see K3000ELs operating there, if given the choice.
20 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE
www.toolbusiness.co.uk
Reply No. 210
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