Electric cutoff saws; hydraulic ring saws

[Kaaron <beetle@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello friends,

I am ready for a larger diamond saw, but I work indoors and can't use a
gas-powered saw. Partner makes a 14" electric cutoff saw (about $600)
with a 5" cut depth. Does anyone have experience with that or similar
make? Is the power adequate? How is the vibration level--the same as a
9" grinder (pretty bad) or even worse? Does the saw have good balance,
i.e., does it tilt forward naturally? At 23 pounds, how practical is it
for slabbing off stone for the roughout, if restricted to vertical cuts?
I am not a big, strong guy, which is why I normally use a 7" pneumatic
angle grinder instead of 9" electric grinders.

Partner offers the saw in either 110 volt or 220 volt versions. Aside
 from the economics of electricity, is there an advantage to having 220
that outweighs the convenience of a 110 v plug-in?

Is it safe to adapt such a saw to a waterfeed? Is there such a thing as
a GCFI protector for a 220 v circuit?

A possible alternative, one that I can't afford now, is a hydraulic ring
saw. These can cut up to 10" deep! Does anyone have experience with
these (concerns as above)? I have tried 12" hydraulic angle grinders and
found them terribly heavy and hot, and with the stiff double power
hoses, very difficult to handle, but perhaps with the saw used only as a
cutoff saw for vertical cuts, and with a weight similar to the electric
mentioned above, it might be manageable. Opinions?

On hydraulic power supplies, I would be restricted to an electric
machine. All of these I have read about run on 3-phase power, and I have
only 1-phase. Is it feasible and practicable to run a 3-phase machine on
1-phase with a phase converter?

Thanks for your help with this issue.

RandyJ
beetle@xxxxxxxxx