The US Saws Core EZ Concrete Core Drill Bit System provides the easiest method of core drilling in a wall or floor we’ve ever seen—up to 10 inches. Every now and then we find a unicorn at a trade show. It may not be new—just new to us. Such was the case at this year’s World of Concrete.
10-Second Article Summary
- U.S. Saws Core EZ System allows drilling by anchoring a center guide post to the wall and driving the core bit down the post as you turn a 3/4-inch wrench.
- The core stays in the bit thanks to the anchor bolt
- Can use a corded or cordless grinder
- Lightweight (<50 lbs) system
- Pricing is $2,875 plus core bit
Typically, using a core drill to drill concrete involves an offset motor, side-mounted handle, and lots of prep. You need to anchor the core drill to the ground. Even then, you’re dealing with a system that essentially works against itself. The core drill is pushing down, but the stand is behind the drill—causing it to tilt slightly in one direction.
What if you could actually drill straight into the wall or floor? What if all of the applied force were in line with the work being done? That’s what the U.S. Saws Core Mate Core EZ System does.
How the Core EZ Concrete Core Bit System Works
Only a few steps are needed to get the Core EZ Concrete Core Bit System up and running. This caught our eye immediately and had us looking for “the rest of the core drill”. Let’s look at the components first:
Core Mate – Core EZ System Components
It takes very little for the Core EZ to operate, but the components are exactly what makes the system so amazingly ergonomic and sensible.
- Grinder (you provide)
- Grinder coupling
- Gearbox
- Hex core bit adapter
- Guide post
- Water feed tube
The system includes a carry case, but you also need a few other items to truly get up and running:
- Water supply (can be a hose or a pressurized pump system)
- Core bit (system supports U.S. Saws 3″ through 10″ core bits)
- 3/8″ masonry bit
- Rotary hammer or hammer drill
Setting Up the Core EZ System and Concrete Core Bit
You begin by prepping or assembling your grinder:
- Mount the hex core bit adapter to the required size core bit
- Install the grinder (grinder coupling already installed) onto the gearbox and lock it in place using the pin
Next, you set up the core drill bit at your desired location
- Mark and drill a 3/8″ hole 5-inches deep for the anchor pin
- Set the anchor pin and remove the nut
- Thread the guide post onto the anchor bolt and secure
- Slide the core bit assembly into place on the guide post
At this point, you attach the grinder to your core drill bit assembly:
- Slide the gearbox and grinder over the guide post and engage the locking pin on the hex drive
- Slide the water feed tube over the guide post
- Turn on the water supply (< 1 gpm flow)
Drilling with the U.S. Saws Core EZ Concrete Core Drill Bit System
At this point, the system starts to really take shape. You can see that the grinder—while offset—supplies direct gearing to the core drill bit. The downward force being applied to the bit comes from directly above. Also, the drill bit is being driven directly downward due to the anchored guide post which is centered on the bit.
Compare this to a traditional core drill bit system which mounts to the side of the core bit:
To drill, you simply hold down the grinder trigger and turn the advancing nut with a 3/4-inch wrench. This drives the core drill bit into the concrete.
I got to use this system at World of Concrete and found it to be extremely stable, lightweight, and efficient. I cored a 5-inch hole in approximately 10 minutes, but I likely wasn’t pushing the system as hard as I could.
Here’s the Kicker
Because of the center anchor bolt, the Core EZ actually holds the core once drilling is complete. That means you can drill in places where you’d normally have to worry about “catching” the core after you completed the hole.
The U.S. Saws Core EZ kit is compact. You can use it to drill in smaller, harder-to-reach locations. Also, the entire advanced core drilling system comes in a wheeled case and weighs less than 50 pounds! Of course, you can use it with corded grinders, but there’s no reason it won’t also work with 36V cordless grinders from Metabo and possibly others.
Pricing
You can order the U. S. Saws Core EZ system online here. Retail pricing on just the Core EZ system is $2,875 without any core bits. Retail pricing from U.S. Saws on the core bits varies:
- 3″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0300M $133
- 4″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0400M $162
- 5″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0500M $192
- 6″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0600M $239
- 7″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0700M $360
- 8″ x .165 Core Bit CBB0800M $411
- 10″ x .165 Core Bit CBB1000M $640
