Diamond blades can be used to cut a wide variety of materials.
The question most users need to ask themselves is: Do I need a diamond blade for one specific application or will I need to cut different kinds of materials with the same saw blade? To select the correct type of blade it helps to think of the materials being cut as parts of a spectrum or a scale running from hard materials to soft.
Materials at the hard end of the spectrum, like granite, will not be abrasive.
Materials at the soft end of the spectrum, like asphalt, will be very abrasive.
Materials in the middle of the scale will be moderately hard and moderately abrasive.
This inverted relationship; the harder the material the less abrasive it is and the softer a material the more abrasive, is true for almost all building materials.
A diamond blade can be designed for hard, non-abrasive materials like stone and paving brick, for soft, abrasive materials like asphalt and green concrete or for something in between.
A user who knows he will be cutting one and only one type of material should purchase a blade specifically designed and marketed for that material.
If the retailer or the retail packaging on the blade does not specify material type, do not buy the tool.
Single application blades are usually more expensive than general use blades.
But, do not focus too much on the up front cost.
Why? Application specific blades will have a longer life and will cut faster and more efficiently for the specific material than general use blades.
That means the user gets to spread the cost of the diamond saw blade over more cuts and with a shorter amount of cutting time.
So, a single purpose blade is usually cheaper in the long run.
If the user will be cutting a wide variety of materials or materials only in the middle of the hardness/abrasive scale, a general use diamond blade is the best choice.
It is true that the life for these blades may be a bit shorter, but the lower cost makes up for that here.
Plus, the user will save time by not having to switch from blade to blade for different jobs.
To help in identifying material types, I have included a brief list of some common materials and their hardness.
Hard Materials: Granite, Field Stone, Paving Brick, Refractory Brick, Concrete with Aggregate like Chert, Flint and Quartz.
Medium Materials: Concrete with Aggregate like Limestone, Dolomite, Marble or Sandstone.
Soft Materials: Asphalt, Green Concrete and Block
The question most users need to ask themselves is: Do I need a diamond blade for one specific application or will I need to cut different kinds of materials with the same saw blade? To select the correct type of blade it helps to think of the materials being cut as parts of a spectrum or a scale running from hard materials to soft.
Materials at the hard end of the spectrum, like granite, will not be abrasive.
Materials at the soft end of the spectrum, like asphalt, will be very abrasive.
Materials in the middle of the scale will be moderately hard and moderately abrasive.
This inverted relationship; the harder the material the less abrasive it is and the softer a material the more abrasive, is true for almost all building materials.
A diamond blade can be designed for hard, non-abrasive materials like stone and paving brick, for soft, abrasive materials like asphalt and green concrete or for something in between.
A user who knows he will be cutting one and only one type of material should purchase a blade specifically designed and marketed for that material.
If the retailer or the retail packaging on the blade does not specify material type, do not buy the tool.
Single application blades are usually more expensive than general use blades.
But, do not focus too much on the up front cost.
Why? Application specific blades will have a longer life and will cut faster and more efficiently for the specific material than general use blades.
That means the user gets to spread the cost of the diamond saw blade over more cuts and with a shorter amount of cutting time.
So, a single purpose blade is usually cheaper in the long run.
If the user will be cutting a wide variety of materials or materials only in the middle of the hardness/abrasive scale, a general use diamond blade is the best choice.
It is true that the life for these blades may be a bit shorter, but the lower cost makes up for that here.
Plus, the user will save time by not having to switch from blade to blade for different jobs.
To help in identifying material types, I have included a brief list of some common materials and their hardness.
Hard Materials: Granite, Field Stone, Paving Brick, Refractory Brick, Concrete with Aggregate like Chert, Flint and Quartz.
Medium Materials: Concrete with Aggregate like Limestone, Dolomite, Marble or Sandstone.
Soft Materials: Asphalt, Green Concrete and Block
SHARE
