Wall chaser for concrete: an indispensable tool for electrical work

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If the design style of the house is not loft, then the cables and pipes will probably be hidden in the wall, that is, walled up. Doing this is simple and difficult at the same time. It's difficult if you have no idea how to do it. It’s simple if you have an appropriate and high-quality tool – a wall chaser for concrete. With its help, you can make grooves, so-called grooves, of the required depth and width in a material of any density. And the beauty of the interior is guaranteed.

Using a wall chaser you can make grooves of the required depth and width in material of any density

What is a wall chaser and how does it work?

A wall chaser is an electric hand-held tool designed for cutting grooves (grooves) in building structures made of brick and concrete, for subsequent installation of electrical wiring and pipes of various diameters in them. The main design elements of such a tool are:

• electric motor – ensuring the functioning of the tool;
• mechanical gearbox with saw blade fastening elements – ensures the required operations.

Wall chaser device - main and additional structural elements

The main elements are placed in a common body, on which additional structures and devices are located:

• protective casing – protects the worker from concrete particles flying out during work;
• connector – used to connect an external vacuum cleaner, which removes generated dust and small solid particles;
• handles – provides ease of use while working;
• rollers – allows you to move the tool on the surface being processed;
• sighting mark - allows you to maintain the correct direction while sawing;
• other elements – makes the tool easier to use.

Wall chaser for concrete “Makita SG 1250” is the most popular model in this segment of hand tools

To perform the work, saw blades are used, made of metal and abrasive materials with the application of special coatings (diamond, carbide, etc.), which are installed on the gearbox spindle and differ in purpose, design and types of use. A distinctive feature of the wall chaser from other sawing tools is that the fastening elements of the gearbox (spindle) provide for the installation of two disks at once, placed at some distance from each other, which ensures the specified width of the furrow created.

The distance between the saw blades determines the width of the resulting furrow

Advantages

The wall chaser gives the master several advantages at once:

1. Minimal dust in the working area. Unlike an angle grinder, any furrow cutter is equipped with a pipe that catches particles of concrete and plaster. This is especially important if the renovation is carried out in a room where people live.
2. High performance. Thanks to two disks, the wall chaser performs work at least 2 times faster than any angle grinder.
3. High furrow quality. This is ensured by rollers, target marks, good visibility and a disk rotation control system.

Principle of operation

The principle of operation of a furrow cutter is similar to the operation of any electric tool and is carried out as follows:

• when the “Start” button is turned on, the electric motor begins to rotate;
• the rotational motion of the motor shaft is transmitted to the gearbox shaft on which the saw blades are mounted;
• the discs are brought into contact with the surface being processed and sawing is performed.

To protect the worker, a protective casing is provided on the body, and for dust removal there is a connector for connecting an external vacuum cleaner. The device body is equipped with a support platform that moves along the surface being treated. It has a certain degree of mobility, thanks to which the cutting depth is adjusted. For overload protection and ease of use, models can be equipped with additional functions.

When using a wall chaser, the furrows are smooth, which is convenient when performing subsequent construction and installation work

Safety precautions

When working with a wall chaser, you should follow the following rules:

1. Protect your hearing with headphones. When starting at idle, the machine may seem to be running quietly. In field conditions, the sound of the engine will be supplemented by the grinding of disks and the noise of a construction vacuum cleaner, multiplied by the acoustic effect of an empty room.
2. Manipulate with safety glasses. Dust particles that get into the eyes can cause inflammation of the conjunctiva.
3. When working on plaster, wear a respirator. Fine particles can settle in the respiratory system.
4. Calculate your strength. A wall chaser is a heavy and powerful tool. To cope with it, appropriate physical preparation is necessary. If the device slips out of your hands, it can cause injury or damage. It is especially important to take this factor into account when chipping the ceiling when your hands are in a vertical position.

Types of wall chasers

Wall chasers, according to their design and types of use, are divided into several types:

• Electric models - used on surfaces made of hard materials.
• Manual models - used on building structures made of aerated or foam concrete, which are soft materials.
• Attachments for an angle grinder (“grinder”) are not an independent type of tool, but can only be used in conjunction with an angle grinder.

Manual wall chaser is characterized by its simplicity of design and method of use

Main technical characteristics

The technical characteristics of any tool determine the possibilities of its use, and for electric models of wall chasers these are:

• electrical power - determines performance and can be 1–1.5 kW for models used for personal purposes, and up to 3 kW for professional use;
• weight – directly depends on the electrical power, respectively, the higher it is, the greater the weight of the tool;
• spindle rotation speed – the quality of sawing the surface being processed depends on this indicator; the higher the speed, the better the quality of the cut edges;
• the dimensions of the cut being performed are depth and width, they determine the efficiency and scope of use of the model, measured in mm;
• diameter of saw blades - this indicator is different for different models, which is due to the design of the body and protective casing; its dimensions are standard - 115–230 mm.

The attachment to the “grinder” of the “wall cutter” type expands the functionality of angle grinders, but cannot compare with the performance and cutting quality of a special tool

The weight of wall chasers can range from 3 to 9 kilograms, which depends not only on the power of the electric motor, but also on the design of the device and the materials used in its manufacture. The rotation speed of different models varies, so when choosing a specific device, you need to imagine which materials you will be working with with greater probability and intensity. This is due to the fact that for processing brick, 6–9 thousand revolutions per minute is quite enough, and for concrete this value should be 11–12 thousand revolutions per minute.

Professional models have significant power and large weight

Assistance systems and equipment options

The auxiliary systems that can be equipped with a wall chaser include:

• overload protection;
• protection against accidental activation;
• protection against jamming of disks;
• protection against dust getting into the interior of the case;
• spindle speed control;
• smooth start;
• vibration damping;
• automatic maintenance of cutting depth;
• control over the direction of movement and change in direction of movement.

Saw blades are used as consumables, which are classified according to their outer and seat diameters, as well as the material from which they are made.

Wall chaser brand "HITACHI" model "CM7MRU"

How to choose - recommendations from experts

Due to the variety of offerings on the power tool market, it is often difficult to choose a specific model for a particular use. In this case, sales consultants, Internet search engines, as well as advice from specialists who have experience working with the tool of interest to the user, come to the rescue.

Electric wall chaser brand "ZUBR" model "ZSh-1500"

Our editorial specialists have worked on this issue, and this is what they advise you to pay attention to when choosing a specific model of wall chaser:

• For home use, a model equipped with an electric motor of 1–1.2 kW is sufficient; moreover, it will weigh relatively little, which will simplify its use.
• If the work has to be done at once, then you should consider renting a wall chaser, which is much cheaper than purchasing a new tool. In addition, you can also borrow a vacuum cleaner from the landlord, which will reduce the amount of dust and dirt generated during work.

Semi-professional models have sufficient functionality and relatively light weight

• Models with a power of 1.5–2 kW are more productive and are semi-professional. They combine sufficient functionality and the ability to work for 60–90 minutes without stopping. The more powerful ones belong to the category of professional tools that can work for a long time at high intensity.
• When choosing a wall chaser, you need to understand what communications it will be used for, because... The technical characteristics of the tool also depend on the width and depth of the groove required for production. For installation of electrical wiring, you can use less powerful models, because The width and depth of the furrow are not significant, and for laying water pipes, heating and sewerage systems, the grooves must be larger, and, accordingly, the tool must be more powerful.

Single-disc models are capable of sawing deeper grooves, but for this it is necessary to perform two passes along each of the faces of the groove being created

• To make grooves of significant depth, single-disc models or angle grinders (angle grinders) should be used.

The best manufacturers

Hitachi, Makita and Bosch are popular among foreign companies; you can find out the exact price directly when visiting a specialized store.

Domestic brands that are often bought are Zubr, Interskol and Fiolent; such copies cost much less, but it is better to purchase them for home use or on a limited budget; overheating may occur during constant use; there is not always enough power when cutting some materials.

Thanks to periodic cleaning and checking of components, you can extend the service life of any device; after performing the manipulations, dust, blockages, and dirt are completely eliminated.

What you need to know about construction vacuum cleaners for wall chasers

The presence of a pipe for connecting a vacuum cleaner and the vacuum cleaner itself ensures safe work for both the specialist working with the tool and the surrounding area. The most optimal option for such a tandem, a wall chaser-vacuum cleaner, is to use a construction vacuum cleaner with sufficient power and a wall chaser equipped with a connector for connecting it. This is due to the fact that the vacuum cleaner can be used when performing other types of construction and installation work. In turn, a wall chaser without a vacuum cleaner can be used in hard-to-reach places where the presence of hoses and other accessories interferes with the work.

A wall chaser with a construction vacuum cleaner will ensure safe work

Question answer

How good are the complete diamond blades?

If we are talking about Makita or Bosch, then they are of good quality. For Russian-Chinese wall chasers they have the character of “demo equipment”.

Is it possible to replace a wall chaser with an angle grinder?

Only if we are talking about single-disk devices and only with a small amount of work. In other cases, such a replacement is impractical.

Is it possible to do without a vacuum cleaner?

The amount of dust when cutting concrete “dry” is very large, so if it is not sucked out of the casing with a powerful vacuum cleaner, it can even be hazardous to health, especially during regular work.

The specificity of the wall chaser and its rather high price are compensated by its convenience when working with concrete for specific tasks. It is worth weighing all the considerations in order to purchase a tool and not be disappointed in it.

At what price can you buy a wall chaser for concrete - review of prices for popular models

A wall chaser for concrete can be bought in stores and retail chains that sell hand-held power tools and building materials, as well as on online resources, where you can also choose the right model at an affordable price. The following table shows the average cost of the popular models discussed in this article, when sold through Internet companies, as of the second quarter of 2022.

In different trading organizations, the price of a tool may vary slightly, which is associated with overhead costs and the distance of retail outlets from storage and delivery points. A large assortment of different models allows each master to choose the best repair tool; it is important to simply determine for yourself the set of necessary functions and the price category. And to complete the picture, we suggest watching a video of how a wall chaser works.

Expert advice

When you get acquainted with the model you like, it is better to immediately look at the equipment of the unit, check the length of the connection cord; it should be enough for a convenient process.

• If a vacuum cleaner can be connected to the tool, then the hose from it should not interfere with the free holding of the device while cutting the surface of the walls; this nuance can be checked in the store.
• The package often includes all the necessary keys, handles and a case; such models are very popular among consumers.
• It would not be superfluous to check the functionality of the purchased item, and also pay attention to the presence of play in the spindle.