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by Peter Brett - January 2006
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– I Experienced The Difference Again…!
Airstream Communications
Their newest cutting disc being released onto the market as I am writing this is the familiar mix of technology, product development and wizardry that Marcrist specialize in. The Mi850 is billed as the world’s fastest Universal Laser Blade. Before I get any further into the marketing I need to tell a bit more about the product.
Unless you have a complete anorak understanding of diamond disc cutting blades you would probably not notice some of the differences between this and other diamond blades on the market, apart from the distinctive Marcrist livery. But there are differences and they are significant ones. The most noticeable, and perhaps the most critical one is the formation of the cutting segments around the rim of the disc. The segment is just under 3mm high and 10mm wide. It is fairly liberally sprinkled with real diamonds (of which more later) and has engineered teeth every 20mm or so round the rim. The combination of the spaced teeth, the relieved core and the carefully placed holes in the core means that this blade is able to cut quickly initially and then disperse the waste quickly too, so that it does not stay around clogging the path of the cut. Cleverly, the first “teeth” are about 5mm deep, and then a second set of “teeth” are revealed on the segment as the first 5mm of the segment are worn away. This gives the blade, in effect, a second lease of life, just when a different design of blade may be reaching the point at which it is becoming difficult to use. When Marcrist decided to concentrate on speed of cut, that is clearly what you get, as well as long blade life.
I had the occasion to try out this new blade a while ago. Marcrist did not pull any punches. I was given a load of the heaviest and densest engineering bricks, some granite worktop, some marble, some square steel tube and the piece de resistance, a concrete paving slab with flints set into it. This type of slab is much favoured on the Continent and is a disc cutter killer. I didn’t expect to notice any particular difference in the performance, because you would expect me to be critical and just a little bit jaded when it comes to judging the relative performance of something like a cutting disc. But I have to say it, this disc cuts fast, very fast. Not only fast, but quietly and smoothly too. I have not experienced such a good level of control in the cut using other cutters. I was not using a petrol powered machine either, it was a simple but good quality mains powered machine that did not struggle to maintain revs and had no difficulty coping with the rigours of a fast cut.
I reckoned that the granite and the paving slab would be the most troublesome to cut, but smooth accurate cuts were easily possible in both of these. Gently stroking the whirling disc through the cut was enough to get what you wanted. The holes cut through the core of the disc meant that the user can get a good view of the cut from both sides, and heat build-up is quickly dispersed.
On the steel tube the story is similar. The cut was not quite so quick and the sparks were many, but the finished cut was accurate and relatively smooth.
The trouble with reviewing a product is that, by definition, you have to make an assessment, write up your findings and meet the print deadline. If you are lucky, you might be able to use the product a bit longer and come to a longer term view. Almost by accident, due to a combination of circumstances, I have been able to continue to use the Marcrist Mi850 for about a month or so. During this time I have not changed my mind about it. Yes, it is showing signs of wear, but is as efficient now as it was when new. My garden (now my ex-garden since I have moved) was nearly permanently covered in a light coating of concrete dust, but I managed to complete the paving job as I would have liked.
Now back to the marketing. Marcrist have given this disc a very confident backing. Not only will the users be given a free standard laser welded diamond blade to compare the Mi850 to, but they will also be given a free stopwatch with which to time their work should they so desire. Marcrist has calculated that a user making 10 cuts a day for 250 days a year at £25 per hour could save £4000 in terms of time. I simply can’t comment on that, but even a saving of a quarter of that would be significant. More than ever, time is money. Unconvinced users can also return their Mi850 within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. Confidence or what?
For some users there might be a downside, namely the initial cost of the blade. But this is a quality product, using real diamonds, coated in titanium. Double laser welding of rims and segments ensure that the disc is guaranteed against segment loss. The Mi850, and all other Marcrist Diamond products comply with every known safety standard in the world. Frankly, that seems to be a convincing case. Short of giving the Mi850 out free to all comers, I don’t know if Marcrist could do more.
Independent Review by Peter Brett