Equipment for Grinding & Cutting Concrete

Angle Grinder

• Despite its name, the angle grinder both grinds and cuts masonry materials. Essentially a modified circular saw, angle grinders are lightweight, portable and accept disc-shaped grinding and cutting attachments that resemble circular saw blades. However, whereas a standard circular saw's blade protrudes perpendicularly from the underside of a flat base plate, the angle grinders attachment sits at the end of a roughly oblong, narrow body. Thus, grinder operators swipe and push a grinder's attachment across a work surface. Suitable for both masonry and metal, angle grinders are relatively inexpensive and available at standard hardware stores.

Portable Circular Saw

• The standard portable circular saw is capable of creating notches and shallow cuts through concrete surfaces. Outfitted with a masonry blade, preferably diamond edged, the portable circular saw can make shallow passes through flat concrete materials. Because standard portable circular saws are designed primarily to cut soft materials, such as wood, builders must reach an overall depth of cut through several shallow passes or risk damaging the saw's motor.

Masonry Cut Off Saw

• Masonry cut off saws combine portability with heavy-duty strength. Typically powered by gas-fueled motor, masonry cut off saws accept diamond edged concrete cutting blades often a foot or more in diameter. Like a gas-powered chain saw, the masonry cut off saw's motor usually starts with the pull of a cord. Although relatively heavy, cut off saws are suitable for working on vertical surfaces.

Walk Behind Saw

• Attached to wheels and a T-shaped set of handlebars, the walk-behind concrete saw's concrete blade mounts to a large engine housing. Walk-behind saws are generally the most powerful type of concrete cutting tool available for rental. Walk-behind saws are available as either wet units or dry units. Wet concrete saws flush saw blades and work surfaces with water to lubricate and cool both blade and surface.

Specialty Grinding Equipment

• Task-specific grinding equipment includes handheld units that resemble angle grinders and wheel-mounted units that resemble walk-behind concrete saws. In both cases the tools accept special attachments, called grinding discs. Unlike saw blades, which cut with edges, the active portion of a grinding disc is the disc's face. Covered with abrasive grit or sharpened grinding points, the disc's face spins across a flat concrete surface to grind, smooth and polish.