The expansion of the nation's electrical grid has increased the demand for the installation of underground high-voltage transmission cable. To cleanly cut this cable during a large-scale high-voltage project, New River Electrical Corp. (Cloverdale, Virginia), a diversified electrical contractor, searched for the right tools to get the job done.

While New River Electrical has been using band saws for years, our field crews needed a rugged electric saw with a large enough throat to cleanly cut large cable for high-voltage projects. The 54-year-old contractor faced the task of cutting 345-kV cable, which measures 5.76 inches in diameter and is fabricated from lead, polyurethane and copper. The saws our linemen used on-site worked well for cutting smaller cable, but in order to cut specific lengths for splicing, they needed a different type of saw to produce clean cuts, which ensure the cable splices are correctly and effectively joined.

Arnold Dorsey, a general foreman and installation supervisor for New River Electrical, had seen electric saws used on a job in Las Vegas, and he knew that vendors made a saw with a large enough throat to cut high-voltage cable. He researched rugged saws on the Internet and found CS Unitec (Norwalk, Connecticut), a manufacturer of industrial power tools including heavy-duty portable electric band saws.

The manufacturer's Deep Throat Portable Electric Band Saw can cut up to a 7-inch diameter pipe and conduit. Because the band saw had the right sized throat, New River Electrical decided to purchase it for jobs in Connecticut and Florida.

When making a decision on which saw to buy, the company considered several factors, including ease of use, durability and safety. New River Electrical needed a band saw that was easy to keep vertical and straight, was not too heavy for the linemen to handle on the job site and could hold up out in the field.

The safety of the saw also was another important consideration. New River Electrical is committed to safety, and a crucial part of our safety program is to supply our crews with the proper tools, test equipment and personal protective equipment to perform their jobs in a safe and efficient manner. That is why Dorsey likes the fact that CS Unitec's saw has a cover that protects both the user and the saw blade, and that the vertical orientation of the motor provides a clear view of the cut. The field crews also like the cover for safety reasons because they can't get their fingers into the blade.

New River Electrical invested in M42 blades, which are 8% cobalt and heat resistant. With a variable tooth pitch, they are said to cut faster and last longer than conventional blades. In fact, our crews have found that the blades are holding up well, and we seem to get quite a few cuts per blade.

Initially, New River Electrical purchased one saw from CS Unitec, but, our company was so pleased with its performance that we soon bought two more. The band saws have more than met our expectations, and their 7-inch cutting depth and consistent, clean cuts make our job much easier. All three saws continue to perform well at our underground transmission job sites from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to California's Silicon Valley.

Tom Wade is an on-site project manager for New River Electrical Corp. in Fairfield, Conn.