# DOT DIAMOND TOOLS: Diamond Tools Built for America’s Infrastructure Projects > DOT Diamond Tools supplies professional diamond blades, core bits, cup wheels and saws for cutting concrete, asphalt, masonry and stone. We serve highway, bridge, utility, municipal, commercial and industrial contractors across the United States, with product selection guided by material, saw type and blade diameter — backed by 35+ years in the trade. This is the full-content companion to https://dotdiamondtools.com/llms.txt. It contains the complete text of this site’s technical guides, category buying guides and product descriptions. Last generated: 2026-08-13. Source: https://dotdiamondtools.com/ ## Technical guides ### Silica Dust Control & OSHA Table 1 URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/ #### Controlling Silica Dust When Cutting Concrete (OSHA Table 1) **To control silica dust when cutting concrete, cut wet or use a saw with vacuum dust collection — both are recognized OSHA Table 1 controls.** Cutting concrete dry without controls releases respirable crystalline silica that can exceed OSHA limits within minutes. #### Why silica dust is a serious hazard Cutting, grinding, or drilling concrete, masonry, and stone releases respirable crystalline silica — particles small enough to lodge deep in the lungs. Long-term exposure causes silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD. It’s one of the most regulated jobsite hazards. #### What is OSHA Table 1? OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153) includes “Table 1” — a list of common tasks with specified dust controls. Follow the control for your task (e.g., wet cutting or integrated dust collection) and you’re deemed compliant without separate air monitoring. #### The two compliant approaches **Wet cutting:** a continuous water feed at the blade suppresses dust at the source — simple and effective. **Vacuum dust collection:** a saw or grinder with a shroud connected to a HEPA dust extractor captures dust for dry cutting where water isn’t practical. #### Compliant equipment Power cutters with integrated water (e.g., Husqvarna K770/K1 PACE, Makita XEC01) and dust-control saws (iQ Power Tools) are built for Table 1 compliance. See our [saws & equipment](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/) or call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### What does Table 1 require for each task? Table 1 is organized by task rather than by tool, and the control it demands changes sharply between them. These are the entries that matter to concrete cutting and drilling. **Stationary masonry saws** require an integrated water delivery system that continuously feeds the blade, with no respirator needed at any duration. **Handheld power saws** of any blade diameter also require integrated water; outdoors no respirator is needed for four hours or less, indoors one is required regardless. **Walk-behind saws** require integrated water and no respirator outdoors. **Rig-mounted core saws and drills** require a water delivery system supplying the cutting surface, and again no respirator. Wet cutting is doing double duty on all four: it is the compliance control, and it is what buys you blade life. **Handheld and stand-mounted drills** take a different route entirely. There is no water option; they require a shroud or cowling with dust collection at 99% or better filtration **and a filter-cleaning mechanism**, plus a HEPA vacuum for clearing the hole. **Dowel drilling rigs** are the outlier worth memorising: outdoors only, shroud and collection at 99% with filter cleaning, HEPA vacuum for the holes, **and a respirator at any duration**. It is the only entry in the whole table demanding respiratory protection no matter how briefly the task runs. #### What specification does the dust collector have to meet? The filtration percentage is not the hard part. Most shop vacuums claim 99%. The requirement that catches people out is the **filter-cleaning mechanism**, which Table 1 demands on every drilling and grinding entry relying on dust collection rather than water. The reason is straightforward. Concrete dust blinds a filter within minutes, airflow collapses, and a collector that met specification at the start of the shift is moving almost nothing by mid-morning. A filter-cleaning mechanism, whether automatic pulse or manual, restores that airflow. A vacuum without one is compliant on paper for about ten minutes of real work. ##### Two figures worth getting right For **handheld grinders**, Table 1 specifies a collector rated at **25 cfm or greater per inch of wheel diameter**, 99% filtration, and either a cyclonic pre-separator or a filter-cleaning mechanism. Mortar removal with a grinder also carries the only APF 25 respirator requirement in the table beyond four hours. There is a widely repeated claim in this trade that Table 1 sets a cfm figure per inch of *blade* diameter for saws. **It does not.** The only airflow number in the table applies to grinder wheels. Saw and drill entries say only that airflow should meet the tool manufacturer’s recommendation or better. Quoting the wrong figure to a safety officer costs credibility you will not easily recover. ##### Housekeeping is part of the rule The standard also restricts how you clean up. Dry sweeping and dry brushing are not permitted where wet sweeping or HEPA vacuuming is feasible, and compressed air may not be used to clear dust unless paired with capture ventilation or where no alternative exists. That cuts directly against the traditional compressed-air blowout step in joint and crack sealing work. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### How do I control silica dust when cutting concrete? Use wet cutting to suppress dust at the blade, or a saw fitted with a dust-collection shroud and a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Both are recognized control methods under OSHA’s silica standard. ##### What is OSHA Table 1? Table 1 in OSHA standard 1926.1153 lists specific equipment-and-control combinations for common silica-generating tasks. Follow the matching entry and you don’t need to perform separate air monitoring. ##### Is dry cutting concrete legal? Yes, as long as you use a dust-collection system with a HEPA-filtered vacuum that meets Table 1 requirements. Uncontrolled dry cutting that lets visible dust escape is not compliant. ##### What equipment meets OSHA Table 1 for concrete cutting? A saw with integrated water delivery for wet cutting, or a dust-collection shroud paired with a HEPA vacuum sized to the blade. Operators should also wear appropriate respiratory protection. ##### Does Table 1 require a specific airflow for saw dust collection? No. The only airflow figure in Table 1 is 25 cfm per inch of wheel diameter, and it applies to handheld grinders. Entries for saws and drills require only the airflow recommended by the tool manufacturer or greater. The claim that a cfm-per-inch-of-blade-diameter rule exists for saws is incorrect. ##### Why does a dust vacuum need a filter-cleaning mechanism? Because concrete dust blinds a filter within minutes and airflow collapses. Table 1 requires a filter-cleaning mechanism on drilling and grinding tasks that rely on dust collection. A vacuum meeting 99% filtration with no way to clear its filter stops performing early in the shift and does not satisfy the standard. ##### Which task requires a respirator no matter how briefly it runs? Dowel drilling rigs for concrete. It is the only Table 1 entry requiring respiratory protection at any duration, alongside outdoor-only use, a shroud with 99% collection and filter cleaning, and a HEPA vacuum for clearing holes. ##### Can I use compressed air to blow dust out of a joint? Only where it is used together with capture ventilation, or where no feasible alternative exists. The housekeeping provisions restrict compressed air and prohibit dry sweeping where wet sweeping or HEPA vacuuming would work. This affects the traditional blowout step in joint and crack sealing. #### Related products and guides Equipment that puts a task inside Table 1, rather than PPE that supplements it. - [Pressurised water bottle — integrated water feed for handheld saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pressurized-water-bottle-dust-suppression/) - [iQ dust control masonry saw — integrated extraction](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/iq-power-tools-iqms362i-16-5-dust-control-masonry-saw/) - [Contractor safety kit — supplements the controls](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/contractor-safety-kit-gloves-glasses-mask/) - [Wet vs dry cutting](https://dotdiamondtools.com/wet-vs-dry-cutting/) - [All saws and equipment](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Best Diamond Blade for Concrete URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/best-diamond-blade-for-concrete/ #### Best Diamond Blade for Cutting Concrete: A Contractor’s Guide The best diamond blade for cutting concrete is a **soft-bond segmented blade for hard or cured concrete, and a hard-bond blade for green concrete**, sized and arbored to your saw and run wet whenever possible. Below is how to pick the right one in under two minutes — from a team with 35+ years in diamond tooling. #### What bond do I need for concrete? Match the bond to concrete hardness, and remember the rule runs backwards from what most people expect. **Hard, cured concrete needs a soft bond** so it keeps exposing fresh diamonds; **green or abrasive concrete needs a hard bond** so it does not wear out before the diamonds do their job. If a blade stops cutting on hard concrete, it is glazed — go softer. #### Segmented, turbo, or continuous rim for concrete? Use a segmented blade for almost all concrete cutting. **Segmented** rims clear debris and cut fast; **turbo** rims cut nearly as fast with a smoother edge; **continuous rim** blades are for chip-free finish work and run wet. #### Should I cut concrete wet or dry? Cut wet whenever you can. Wet cutting delivers 2–3× longer blade life, a cleaner cut, and controls respirable silica dust for **OSHA Table 1 compliance**. Reserve dry blades for short cuts, paired with vacuum dust collection. #### What size and arbor should I choose? Pick the diameter for your cut depth (max depth is roughly one-third of blade diameter) and match the arbor to your saw — typically 7/8″–5/8″ on handheld saws and 1″/20mm on high-speed and walk-behind saws. #### Can the same blade cut rebar-reinforced concrete? Yes, with the right setup. Cut wet and use a blade rated for reinforced concrete. For drilling reinforced slabs, use a diamond core bit rated for rebar — see our [core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/). #### The short answer For most contractors cutting cured concrete: a **soft-bond segmented blade**, sized to your saw, cut wet. Shop matched options on our [concrete diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/) page, or call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### How long should a concrete blade last? There is no honest figure in linear feet, because the same blade in the same saw will give wildly different life depending on the aggregate. Hard river gravel wears a blade several times faster than soft limestone, and heavily reinforced slab faster again. What you can control is whether the blade reaches its potential or fails early. Four things shorten blade life more than anything else: the wrong bond for the material, cutting dry when water was available, forcing the feed rate, and burying the blade past a third of its diameter. Each is an operator or specification decision rather than a property of the blade, which is why two crews running identical blades often report very different results. Wet cutting alone typically returns two to three times the life of the same blade run dry, so if you are comparing cost per foot between suppliers, make sure you are comparing the same cutting method. #### What does a worn or damaged blade tell you? A retired blade is a diagnostic record. Learning to read one stops you repeating the mistake on the next. ##### Glazing The rim looks polished and cutting has slowed to a crawl. The diamonds have worn flat instead of fracturing, which means the bond is too hard for the material. Leaning on the saw makes it worse. Move to a softer bond. ##### Fast wear with segments still sharp The opposite problem. The matrix is eroding faster than the diamond is wearing, so you are throwing away good diamond. The bond is too soft for the material, which usually means the material is more abrasive than you assumed. ##### Undercutting Damage on the steel core beneath the segments rather than on the segments themselves. Abrasive slurry has scoured the shoulder until it thinned. Common in asphalt and green concrete, and the reason blades for those materials carry sacrificial wear protection. ##### A cupped or wandering blade The core has warped from heat, usually an interrupted water feed or a dry pass on a wet-only blade. It cuts wide, wanders off the line and cannot be trued. Prevention is the only remedy. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### What diamond blade is best for cutting concrete? For cured concrete, a segmented blade with a medium-to-hard bond works well. For fresh or green concrete, choose a harder bond with undercut protection to resist premature wear. ##### What’s the difference between cured and green concrete blades? Green-concrete blades use a harder bond and undercut protection because fresh concrete is abrasive. Cured-concrete blades use a softer bond so they keep cutting hard, set material. ##### What size diamond blade do I need for concrete? Match the blade to your saw. 12″ to 14″ blades are common on walk-behind and cut-off saws, while smaller blades suit angle grinders. ##### Should I cut concrete wet or dry? Both work. Wet cutting reduces dust and extends blade life; dry cutting is more convenient for short cuts. Always use a blade rated for the method. ##### How many feet should I get from a concrete blade? There is no reliable universal figure, because aggregate hardness changes blade life by a factor of several. Hard river gravel wears a blade far faster than soft limestone. Compare cost per foot only between crews cutting similar material by the same method. ##### Why has my new blade stopped cutting already? Almost always glazing. The rim looks polished and the diamonds have worn flat rather than fracturing, because the bond is too hard for the material you are cutting. Pressing harder accelerates the problem. Switch to a softer bond. ##### Does wet cutting really extend blade life? Yes, typically by two to three times against the same blade run dry. It also controls silica dust and produces a cleaner cut. Where a saw has a water feed, there is rarely a good reason not to use it. #### Related products and guides Blades for cured, green and mixed concrete, plus the two guides that decide which one you need. - [Pro Cured Concrete Blade — soft bond for hard cured slab](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/) - [XT Green Concrete Blade — hard bond for fresh pours](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-xt-green-concrete-blade/) - [All concrete blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/) - [Diamond blade bond explained](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/) - [Wet vs dry cutting](https://dotdiamondtools.com/wet-vs-dry-cutting/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Core Bit Sizes & Thread Guide URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/ #### Core Bit Sizes & Thread Guide (1-1/4-7 vs 5/8-11) Wet diamond core bits use a 1-1/4″-7 thread (rig/wet-drill mounted); dry core bits use a 5/8″-11 thread (handheld drills). Choose the diameter to match your conduit, pipe, or anchor — common sizes run 1″ to 14″. #### The Two Thread Standards **1-1/4″-7** is the standard for wet core bits on drill **rigs** and wet core drills — used for hard, cured, and reinforced concrete. **5/8″-11** is the standard for dry core bits on handheld drills — used for block, brick, and masonry. Adapters let you run one thread type on the other machine. #### Choosing Diameter by Application Match the bit to what is passing through the hole: small bits **(1″–2″)** for electrical conduit and anchors; mid sizes **(3″–6″)** for plumbing and HVAC; large bits **(8″–14″)** for sewer, vents, and core sampling. Remember the hole should clear the fitting, not just the pipe nominal size. #### Wet vs Dry Wet bits last longer, cut faster, and control dust — the choice for hard or reinforced concrete on a rig. Dry bits are convenient for handheld work in softer masonry where water is not practical. See [wet and dry core bits](/product-category/core-bits/). #### Accessories That Matter Stock the right [adapters, extensions, and pilot guides](/product-category/core-bit-accessories/) so your bits fit your drill and reach depth. Questions? Call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### Core Bit Size Chart (Common Sizes 1″–14″) #### Should I size the bit to the pipe or the sleeve? To the sleeve, always, plus whatever annulus the detail calls for. Sizing to the outside diameter of the pipe is the commonest ordering mistake on penetrations and the most expensive one to discover on site, because the bit is not wrong by much and it is completely unusable. Work through it in order: what is being installed, what sleeve or conduit does it sit in, what packing or firestopping goes around that, and what does the drawing specify for the finished opening. The bit size falls out of that sequence, and a bit that is one nominal size too small is a wasted mobilisation rather than a wasted bit. As a rough orientation only: 1 to 2 inches covers conduit and anchors, 3 to 4 inches suits plumbing waste and floor drains, 5 to 6 inches takes larger sleeves and HVAC, and anything above that moves into structural and drainage work. Confirm against the drawing rather than the guide. #### When do you have to move from handheld to a rig? Sooner than most people expect, and the deciding factor is torque rather than diameter alone. Handheld drilling is reasonable for small diameters in block, brick and masonry, where the reaction torque stays manageable and a slightly imperfect line is acceptable. A pilot bit keeps the barrel from skating off the mark while the crown establishes its own kerf. Above roughly 3 inches, or in anything reinforced, use a stand. Larger barrels generate torque that will twist a machine out of an operator’s hands the moment the crown catches, and reinforced concrete catches without warning. The stand also holds the barrel perpendicular through the penetration, which is what produces a hole that actually lines up with a baseplate or a sleeve. ##### Anchoring the stand The anchor is the weak point in most setups. Set it in sound material rather than in a patch, and check the column for movement before starting rather than discovering it at half depth. Where anchoring is not possible, a vacuum base is the alternative, never a stand simply resting on its feet. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### What’s the difference between 1-1/4″-7 and 5/8″-11 core bit threads? 1-1/4″-7 is the standard thread for larger wet core bits used on rig- and stand-mounted drills, while 5/8″-11 is common on smaller bits and handheld drills and grinders. Use a thread adapter to run one on the other machine. ##### How do I choose the right core bit diameter? Match the bit diameter to the hole you need for the pipe, conduit, anchor or duct, adding a little clearance. Common diameters range from 1″ to 6″, with larger bits for plumbing and HVAC penetrations. ##### Can I use a wet core bit for dry drilling? No. Wet bits rely on water to cool the segments and flush out slurry, so dry use will overheat and ruin them. Use a dry core bit paired with a dust-extracting vacuum for dry work. ##### Do I need an adapter for my core drill? Only if the bit’s thread doesn’t match your machine’s spindle. For example, fitting a 5/8″-11 bit to a 1-1/4″-7 drill (or vice versa) requires a thread adapter or arbor. ##### Do I size a core bit to the pipe or to the sleeve? To the sleeve, plus the annulus the detail requires. Sizing to the pipe outside diameter is the most common ordering error on penetrations, and a bit one nominal size too small cannot be used at all. ##### At what diameter should I stop drilling handheld? Around 3 inches, and immediately for anything reinforced. Larger barrels generate reaction torque that can twist the machine out of your hands when the crown catches, and reinforcement catches without warning. Use an anchored stand above that. ##### How should a drill stand be anchored? Into sound material rather than a patch, and checked for column movement before drilling rather than at half depth. Where anchoring is impossible use a vacuum base. A stand resting on its feet is never adequate for coring. #### Related products and guides Barrels across the full diameter range, and the hardware that makes them fit and reach. - [Wet Core Bit — 1 to 14 inch](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-wet-core-bit/) - [Dry Core Bit — 1 to 6 inch, block and masonry](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-dry-core-bit/) - [Thread adapter, 5/8-11 to 1-1/4-7](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-bit-adapter-5-8-11-to-1-1-4-7/) - [12 inch extension for deep penetrations](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-bit-extension-12/) - [Pilot bit and centering guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pilot-bit-centering-guide/) - [All core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Our team can help you find the right core bit size and thread for your application. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Diamond Blade Bond: Soft vs Hard URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/ #### Diamond Blade Bond Hardness Explained (Soft vs Hard) **The rule runs backwards from intuition: hard, dense material needs a soft bond, and soft, abrasive material needs a hard bond.** Match the bond to the material and the blade cuts fast and lasts; get it wrong and it either glazes or wears out early. #### What is the bond? The “bond” is the metal matrix that holds the diamonds in the blade’s segments. As you cut, the bond slowly wears away to expose fresh, sharp diamonds. The bond’s hardness controls how fast that happens. #### The backwards rule **Hard material (cured concrete, granite) → soft bond.** Hard material wears diamonds quickly, so you need a soft bond that erodes at a matching rate to keep exposing fresh ones. **Soft/abrasive material (asphalt, green concrete, block) → hard bond.** Abrasive material strips the bond fast, so a hard bond is needed to hold the diamonds long enough to do their work. #### How to spot a mismatch If the blade **glazes** (stops cutting, shiny segments) on hard material, the bond is too hard — go softer. If the blade **wears out fast** on abrasive material, the bond is too soft — go harder. A correctly matched blade keeps a consistent cutting rate and even wear. #### Quick match guide - Cured/hard concrete → soft bond - Green concrete → hard bond - Asphalt → hard bond (with undercut protection) - Granite/stone → soft-to-medium bond, wet - Block/brick → medium bond Shop bond-matched [diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) or call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### What is the diamond actually doing in the cut? A diamond blade does not slice. It grinds, using thousands of exposed industrial diamond crystals held in a metal matrix, and understanding that changes how the bond rule reads. Each crystal protrudes slightly from the segment surface and scratches material away. As it works it fractures and dulls, and at that point it needs to be released so a fresh crystal beneath can take over. The matrix wearing away is what releases it. **The bond is not holding the blade together; it is metering how fast diamonds are given up.** That is the whole mechanism, and every symptom follows from it. Too hard a bond and dull diamonds are held past their useful life, so the blade polishes and stops cutting. Too soft and the matrix erodes before the diamonds are worn, so you throw away good diamond and the blade disappears quickly. Neither is a defect. Both are a mismatch between bond and material. #### How do machine power and feed rate affect bond choice? Bond is not chosen against the material alone. The machine matters, and this is where two crews cutting the same slab reach different conclusions about the same blade. A high-horsepower saw driving a blade hard into the cut generates more matrix wear, so it can carry a slightly harder bond than a light handheld machine on identical material. A low-powered saw with a light feed does not erode the matrix enough to keep diamonds exposed, and the same blade that performs on a road saw will glaze on a small cut-off saw. The practical rule: if a blade is glazing and the material is definitely right, look at feed pressure before you blame the bond. Consistent, firm feed keeps the matrix opening. Timid feed is one of the most common causes of a blade that will not cut, and one of the easiest to fix at no cost. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### What is the bond on a diamond blade? The bond is the metal matrix that holds the diamonds in place. It gradually wears away as you cut, exposing fresh diamonds so the blade keeps cutting. ##### What’s the difference between a hard and soft bond? A hard bond wears slowly and suits soft, abrasive materials like green concrete and asphalt. A soft bond wears faster to expose new diamonds and suits hard, dense materials like cured concrete and stone. ##### How do I know if my blade has the wrong bond? If the blade glazes over and stops cutting, the bond is too hard for the material. If it wears out unusually fast, the bond is too soft. ##### Does the bond matter more than diamond quality? Both matter, but matching the bond to the material is what keeps a blade cutting efficiently. The right bond on a mid-grade blade often outperforms a premium blade with the wrong bond. ##### What is a diamond blade bond? The metal matrix that holds the industrial diamonds in the segment. Its job is to wear away at a controlled rate so that dull diamonds are released and fresh ones are exposed. Bond hardness describes how fast that matrix erodes, not how hard the blade is. ##### Why does hard material need a soft bond? Because hard material dulls diamonds quickly, and they must be released quickly for fresh ones to take over. A soft matrix erodes at the rate hard material demands. A hard matrix holds dull diamonds in place, the rim polishes over, and the blade stops cutting. ##### Can feed rate cause glazing even with the right bond? Yes. Too light a feed does not erode the matrix enough to keep exposing fresh diamond, so the blade polishes over. If a correctly specified blade is glazing, check feed pressure and machine power before changing the bond. #### Related products and guides The two ends of the bond range, and the guides that apply the rule to real jobs. - [Pro Cured Concrete Blade — a soft bond for hard material](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/) - [Asphalt Pro Blade — a hard bond for abrasive material](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/) - [Choosing a blade for concrete](https://dotdiamondtools.com/best-diamond-blade-for-concrete/) - [Segmented, turbo and continuous rims](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/) - [All diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Wet vs Dry Concrete Cutting URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/wet-vs-dry-cutting/ #### Wet vs Dry Concrete Cutting: Which Is Better? **Cut wet whenever possible.** Wet cutting gives 2–3× longer blade life, a cleaner cut, and controls respirable silica dust for OSHA Table 1 compliance. Dry cutting is for short cuts or where water isn’t practical — and should be paired with dust collection. #### Why cut wet? Water cools the blade, so the diamonds and bond last far longer — typically 2–3× the life of a dry cut. It also flushes slurry from the cut for a cleaner result and, critically, suppresses the fine crystalline-silica dust that concrete cutting throws off. #### When is dry cutting OK? Dry cutting is fine for short, intermittent cuts, indoor work where water creates a mess, or quick field cuts with a handheld saw. Use a blade rated for dry cutting, let it cool between cuts, and add a dust-collection shroud. Never dry-cut tile or stone — they chip and overheat. #### What about silica dust and OSHA? Cutting concrete dry without controls can exceed OSHA’s respirable-silica limit within minutes. Wet cutting (or a vacuum dust-collection saw) is the simplest path to **OSHA Table 1** compliance and protects your crew’s lungs. #### Does wet always win? For blade life, cut quality, and dust control, yes. The trade-offs are slurry cleanup and the need for a water source. For most production cutting, those are worth it. Shop [diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) rated for wet or dry, or call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### What does wet cutting actually cost you? Wet cutting is presented as the obvious choice, and on blade life and dust it is. But it is not free, and pretending otherwise leads crews to arrive unprepared. Water that has passed through a saw kerf is not water any more. It is alkaline slurry carrying fine cement particles, and on most sites it cannot simply run to a drain. On a bridge deck there is usually a watercourse below. Indoors it will find its way into finishes and lift sections. On a highway job it becomes a traffic hazard as it spreads. So the real cost of wet cutting is containment and disposal: bunding, vacuum recovery, and an agreed route for the slurry. On a regulated project that plan may be a permit condition. It is still usually the right choice, but budget the containment alongside the water, not as an afterthought. #### What do you do when neither wet nor dry is straightforward? Plenty of real jobs sit in the gap: indoors where slurry is unacceptable, but cutting concrete where dust is equally unacceptable. ##### Occupied and finished interiors On-tool dust extraction rather than water. A shroud with a compliant collector, and a HEPA vacuum for clearing debris. Slower than wet cutting, but nothing to clean up and nothing to damage. ##### No water supply on site A pressurised water bottle gives a handheld saw the continuous integrated feed the regulations expect, without a standpipe. It is a small piece of kit that converts a non-compliant dry cut into a compliant wet one. ##### Cold weather Below freezing, water in the tank, the feed lines and the kerf becomes a genuine problem, and slurry on a trafficked surface becomes a hazard. This is the one case where dry cutting with extraction is often the more sensible answer outright. The decision is rarely about which method is better in principle. It is about which constraint on this particular job is hardest to work around. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### Is wet or dry cutting better? Wet cutting reduces dust and heat and extends blade life, making it ideal for long or deep cuts. Dry cutting is faster to set up and better suited to short cuts or where water isn’t practical. ##### Can I dry cut with any diamond blade? No. Only use blades rated for dry cutting. Wet-only blades depend on water for cooling and can overheat, warp or lose segments if run dry. ##### Does wet cutting need special equipment? You need a water supply or feed to the blade and a way to manage the resulting slurry. Many walk-behind and handheld saws have integrated water delivery. ##### Is dry cutting more hazardous? Dry cutting generates more airborne silica dust, so it requires a dust-collection system or HEPA vacuum to stay compliant and protect the operator. ##### What are the hidden costs of wet cutting? Slurry containment and disposal. Water that has passed through the kerf is alkaline and carries cement fines, so on most sites it cannot go to a drain. Budget for bunding, vacuum recovery and an agreed disposal route, which on regulated work may be a permit condition. ##### How do I cut concrete indoors without slurry? Use on-tool dust extraction rather than water: a shroud with a compliant dust collector, plus a HEPA vacuum for clearing debris. It cuts more slowly than wet, but leaves nothing to clean up and cannot damage finishes. ##### Is dry cutting ever the better choice? Yes. In freezing conditions water in the tank, lines and kerf becomes unworkable and slurry on a trafficked surface is a hazard. Indoors on finished floors, dust extraction is often preferable to slurry. The decision is about which constraint is hardest to work around on that job. #### Related products and guides What you need to cut wet where there is no water supply, and the compliance picture behind the choice. - [Pressurised water bottle — continuous feed without a standpipe](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pressurized-water-bottle-dust-suppression/) - [Walk-behind saws with onboard water](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/) - [Silica dust control and OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/) - [All diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Cutting Rebar-Reinforced Concrete URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/cutting-rebar-reinforced-concrete/ #### How to Cut and Core-Drill Rebar-Reinforced Concrete **To cut or drill rebar-reinforced concrete, use a diamond blade or core bit rated for reinforced concrete, work wet, scan the slab first, and use slow, steady feed when you hit steel.** The water cools the rebar instantly and keeps the diamonds from glazing. #### Can a diamond blade cut through rebar? Yes. A quality diamond blade rated for reinforced concrete cuts straight through embedded rebar. The key is heat management: steel generates heat fast, so cut wet and don’t force the blade. #### Core-drilling through rebar Diamond core bits drill through rebar routinely. Mount the bit on a rig, keep water flowing, and slow your feed rate when you reach steel. Use a [wet core bit](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/) rated for reinforced concrete for the best life. #### Feed and pressure — the glazing trap Use even, steady pressure. Too little and the diamonds glaze over (polish smooth and stop cutting); too much and you overload the motor or deflect the bit. If the bit stops cutting, it’s glazed — dress it on an abrasive block and ease your pressure. #### Scan and plan first Use a rebar scanner or metal detector before you cut or drill so you can plan the path. Cutting structural rebar can compromise a slab or beam — when in doubt, consult a structural engineer before cutting reinforcement. Questions on a reinforced job? Call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### What actually happens when the blade meets steel? Concrete and steel wear a diamond blade by completely different mechanisms, and a blade cutting reinforced concrete is doing both jobs at once. Concrete is abrasive and erodes the metal matrix, exposing fresh diamond as it goes. Steel does not. It is ductile, it smears rather than abrades, and it work-hardens the diamond face instead of opening it. That is why a blade can be cutting beautifully in slab and then feel like it has hit a wall at the first bar: the rim has effectively been polished by the steel and stopped presenting sharp diamond. The recovery is counterintuitive but reliable. Keep cutting into the concrete beyond the bar rather than backing off, and the abrasive material will re-open the matrix within a few inches. Blades specified for reinforced work carry a bond formulated to survive that cycle repeatedly, which is what separates them from a plain concrete blade. #### Partial-depth or full-depth on a reinforced slab? The decision changes the tooling as well as the method, and getting it wrong is expensive on a structure. ##### Partial depth Saw the perimeter of the unsound area to a controlled depth, then break out to the top mat without damaging the steel you intend to keep. Depth control matters more than speed. The one-third-of-diameter rule still governs, so a 14 inch blade takes roughly 4-1/2 inches per pass, and on a repair perimeter you often want considerably less than that. ##### Full depth Usually a walk-behind saw following a marked boundary, cutting right through the slab. Here the sawn face becomes a construction joint that the new pour has to bond to, so a clean square cut is structural rather than cosmetic. Size the blade so it clears the slab in one pass, because a stepped or overlapping cut leaves a ragged face. Either way, ease the feed the moment the blade meets steel, and never force the saw to make up time. Forcing is what loads a segment shoulder until it fails. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### Can a diamond blade cut through rebar? Yes. A diamond blade rated for reinforced concrete will cut the steel reinforcement, though hitting rebar increases wear, so choose a blade built for the job. ##### Which diamond blade is best for reinforced concrete? A segmented blade with a hard bond and a reinforced, undercut-protected core. The hard bond holds up to the steel while the tough core resists cracking. ##### Does cutting rebar wear out the blade faster? It does. Steel is abrasive on diamond segments, so expect shorter blade life than cutting plain concrete. A blade matched to rebar-laden concrete minimizes the loss. ##### Should I cut reinforced concrete wet or dry? Wet cutting keeps the blade cooler and extends its life when cutting through steel, and it also controls silica dust. Use a blade rated for the method you choose. ##### Why does my blade slow down at the rebar and not recover? Steel smears rather than abrades, so it polishes the diamond face instead of opening the matrix. Keep cutting into the concrete past the bar rather than backing off. The abrasive concrete will re-expose fresh diamond within a few inches. ##### Should I use a different blade for reinforced concrete? Yes, where you cut it regularly. Blades specified for rebar-reinforced work use a bond formulated to survive repeated cycles of steel polishing the rim and concrete re-opening it. A plain concrete blade will cut steel but degrades faster doing it. ##### How deep should I cut around a partial-depth repair? Deep enough to reach sound concrete and define a clean perimeter, without cutting the reinforcement you intend to keep. Depth control matters more than speed here, and it is usually well under the one-third-of-diameter maximum the blade allows. #### Related products and guides Tooling formulated for reinforcement, and the background on why bond choice matters here. - [Pro Cured Concrete Blade — rated for rebar-reinforced concrete](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/) - [Wet Core Bit — segmented crown for reinforced slab](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-wet-core-bit/) - [All concrete blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/) - [Diamond blade bond explained](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/) - [Tooling for bridge contractors](https://dotdiamondtools.com/industries/bridge-contractors/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ### Segmented vs Turbo vs Continuous Blades URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/ #### Segmented vs Turbo vs Continuous-Rim Diamond Blades **Use a segmented blade for fast, aggressive general cutting; a turbo blade when you want speed plus a smoother edge; and a continuous-rim blade for chip-free finish cuts in tile and stone (run wet).** The rim design controls how fast you cut and how clean the edge is. #### Segmented blades Segmented rims have gaps (gullets) between segments for airflow, cooling, and debris clearance. They’re the fastest, most aggressive choice and the jobsite standard for concrete, asphalt, and masonry. The trade-off is a rougher edge — fine for structural cuts, demolition, and trenching. #### Turbo blades Turbo rims have a continuous edge with a serrated or vented design. They cut nearly as fast as segmented but leave a smoother edge with less chipping — a good all-rounder for masonry, block, and general concrete where finish matters a bit more. #### Continuous-rim blades Continuous rims have a smooth, gap-free edge and are run wet. They cut slower but deliver chip-free, finished edges — the right choice for tile, porcelain, granite, and marble where the cut is visible. #### How to choose Speed and structural cuts → segmented. Balance of speed and finish → turbo. Clean, finished, visible cuts → continuous rim. Shop by [material and rim type](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) or call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). #### Why do blades have gullets at all? The gaps between segments are not there to save material. They are doing three jobs, and every rim design is a trade-off between them. **Clearing debris.** Material removed from the kerf has to go somewhere. In concrete and block that means a substantial volume of spoil, and without gullets it packs into the cut and the blade stops working. **Cooling.** Gullets let air move across the segment faces. On a dry-cut blade this is most of the cooling it gets, which is precisely why a continuous rim cannot be run dry. **Allowing expansion.** A steel core heats and grows. Gullets give it somewhere to go rather than distorting the disc. Against those benefits, every gullet is an interruption in the cutting edge. Each time a segment leaves the cut and the next enters, the material at the exit face is momentarily unsupported. That is the entire reason chipping happens, and the entire reason continuous rims exist. #### How do you trade finish quality against cutting speed? Rim choice is really a single question: does the cut face end up visible? If it does not, take the fastest rim the material allows. A structural slab cut, a trench boundary, a demolition opening, a footing — nobody inspects the arris, so a segmented rim clearing debris efficiently is the right answer and anything else is slower for no gain. If it does, work back from the finish. Porcelain and polished stone need a continuous rim run wet, and you accept a slower cut as the price. Pavers, face brick and exposed block sit in between, which is exactly the gap a turbo rim fills — serrated enough to clear debris and cut dry, unbroken enough to avoid top-face chipping. ##### A practical ranking Fastest to cleanest: segmented, then turbo, then continuous. Roughest to smoothest edge runs in the same order reversed. There is no rim that is fast and clean, and a supplier telling you otherwise is selling rather than advising. #### Frequently Asked Questions ##### What’s the difference between segmented, turbo and continuous-rim blades? Segmented blades cut fastest with a rougher edge and are used dry on concrete and masonry. Turbo blades cut fast with a smoother edge and better cooling. Continuous-rim blades cut slowest but cleanest and are used wet on tile and stone. ##### Which blade gives the cleanest cut? A continuous-rim blade used wet gives the cleanest, chip-free edge, which is why it’s preferred for tile, porcelain and natural stone. ##### Can I use a segmented blade on tile? It’s not recommended. The gaps between segments chip tile edges. Use a continuous-rim or turbo blade for tile and porcelain instead. ##### Which blade is the fastest? A segmented blade removes material the fastest, making it the best choice for concrete and masonry where cutting speed matters more than edge finish. ##### Why do diamond blades have gaps between the segments? The gullets clear spoil from the kerf, let air cool the segments, and give the steel core room to expand as it heats. The cost is that every gullet interrupts the cutting edge, which is what causes chipping on the exit face. ##### Which rim cuts fastest? Segmented, followed by turbo, then continuous. Edge quality runs in exactly the opposite order. No rim design is both fastest and cleanest, so choose based on whether the cut face will be visible in the finished work. ##### When should I pick a turbo rim? When you need a reasonably clean edge but still want to cut dry and cut quickly. Pavers, face brick and exposed block are the classic cases. The serrated profile clears enough debris to run dry while the unbroken edge avoids the top-face chipping a segmented rim leaves. #### Related products and guides One blade of each rim type, so you can see the trade-off in the specifications. - [Masonry and Block Blade — segmented rim](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-masonry-block-blade/) - [Paver and Brick Blade — turbo rim](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-paver-brick-blade/) - [Porcelain and Tile Blade — continuous rim](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-porcelain-tile-blade/) - [Diamond blade bond explained](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/) - [All diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) ##### On This Page ##### Need Help Choosing? Tell us what you are cutting and the saw you are running, and we will point you to the right tool. #### Have Questions or Need a Recommendation? Call our team for expert advice and the right tools for your job. ## Product categories ### Accessories & Parts URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/ Products in this category: 5 #### Diamond Tool Accessories and Parts The small items are what stop a crew mid-job. A blade that will not fit the spindle, a saw with no water supply, a case that let two blades knock together in the truck — none of these are expensive problems, but all of them cost a morning. This range covers the arbor bushings, water bottles, storage cases, safety kits and machine service parts that keep cutting equipment working and operators protected. ##### Arbor Bushings and Adapters Blades and machines do not share one standard, so **reducer bushings** are what let a single blade run on more than one saw. Handheld cutters and grinders commonly use 7/8″ or 5/8″ arbors, high-speed and walk-behind saws take 1″ or 20mm, and stone bridge saws are often 1″ or 50mm. A bushing set covers the usual combinations for a few dollars and saves buying duplicate blades. One rule that is not negotiable: a bushing changes the bore, never the speed rating. The maximum RPM stamped on the blade must still be at or above the saw's rated speed. ##### Water Supply and Dust Control Wet cutting doubles or triples blade life and is the main engineering control for respirable silica, but only if water actually reaches the cut. A **pressurised water bottle** gives a handheld saw a proper feed where no site supply exists, which is often the difference between a compliant cut and a dry one. Keep the flow steady rather than intermittent — a blade that is alternately cooled and overheated suffers more than one run consistently dry. For work where water is not an option, dust extraction is the alternative route into [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### Storage and Transport Diamond blades are precision steel discs and they behave like it. A warped core pulls a cut off line no matter how good the segments are, and warping usually comes from blades leaning under their own weight or rattling loose in a truck bed. A **blade storage case** keeps them flat, dry and separated, protects segments from knocking against each other, and keeps the specification readable so operators grab the right blade rather than the nearest one. ##### Personal Protective Equipment Concrete cutting produces noise, flying debris and silica dust simultaneously. A **contractor safety kit** covering gloves, eye protection and respiratory protection is the baseline, and respiratory protection remains necessary even with engineering controls on many tasks. Cut-resistant gloves matter more than most operators expect: injuries on cutting sites come more often from handling blades and slurry-covered material than from the saw itself. ##### Machine Service Parts Saws are consumable in their own way. Belts, filters, spindle washers and starter components wear on a predictable schedule, and a service kit held on the shelf turns a two-day breakdown into a twenty-minute repair. This is worth doing for any machine that a crew depends on daily, and it is far cheaper than hiring a replacement at short notice. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is an arbor reducer bushing for?** It adapts a blade with a larger bore to a saw with a smaller spindle, so one blade fits several machines. It changes the bore only — the blade's maximum RPM rating must still meet or exceed the saw's rated speed. **Do I need a water bottle for a handheld saw?** If you are cutting wet and there is no site water supply, yes. A pressurised bottle delivers a steady feed to the blade, which extends its life substantially and keeps silica dust down. **How should diamond blades be stored?** Flat or hung, dry, and separated from each other. Blades left leaning under their own weight can distort, and a warped core will never cut straight. A storage case handles all three requirements. **What PPE is needed for concrete cutting?** Eye protection, cut-resistant gloves and respiratory protection as a minimum, with hearing protection for powered saws. Respiratory protection is still required for many tasks even where water or dust extraction is in use. **Can I use one blade across different saws?** Often yes, using a reducer bushing to match the arbor — provided the blade's speed rating is at or above the fastest machine you intend to run it on. **Should I keep machine service parts on the shelf?** For any machine a crew relies on daily, yes. Belts and filters wear predictably, and holding a service kit turns days of downtime into a short repair. **Not sure which bushing, case or kit you need?** Tell us the saws you run — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Asphalt URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/asphalt/ Products in this category: 1 #### Asphalt Diamond Blades for Roadwork and Paving Asphalt is sand and stone held together with bitumen, and it does not behave like concrete in any respect that matters to a diamond blade. It is soft, it is highly abrasive, and it moves under heat. A blade specified for cured concrete put into asphalt will be finished in days, and the operator will usually blame the blade rather than the specification. DOT Diamond Tools supplies hard-bond asphalt blades to paving crews, utility contractors and highway maintenance departments across the country. ##### Why asphalt destroys the wrong blade The counterintuitive rule governs everything here. **Soft, abrasive material takes a hard bond.** Loose grit in the cut scours the metal matrix away far faster than the diamonds wear, so a soft bond releases perfectly good diamond long before it has done any work. A hard matrix resists that erosion and holds each crystal until it is genuinely spent. Put the same hard-bond blade into dense cured concrete and it will glaze instead, which is why one blade cannot sensibly serve both. The full explanation is in our [guide to diamond blade bond](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/). ##### Undercutting is what ends most asphalt blades Inspect a retired asphalt blade and the damage is rarely on the segments. It is on the steel core directly beneath them. Slurry carrying suspended sand scours the shoulder of the core until it thins, and eventually a segment departs with a section of steel still attached. That is undercutting. Blades built for asphalt carry sacrificial wear protection below each cutting segment for exactly this reason, and it is the single specification that separates a genuine asphalt blade from a general-purpose one sold as such. ##### Sizing the blade to pavement depth Depth is arithmetic, not preference. A diamond blade should not be buried much past a third of its own diameter, which sets a hard relationship between blade size and what you can achieve in one pass. A 14 inch blade reaches roughly 4-1/2 inches, an 18 inch blade about 6 inches, a 30 inch blade around 10 inches and a 36 inch blade close to 12 inches. Work back from the pavement thickness on the drawing and buy the blade that clears it in a single pass. Ordering the smaller blade to save money turns one pass into three, and inside a timed lane closure that arithmetic never works. ##### Wet or dry on the road Asphalt cuts cooler and clears faster wet, and a walk-behind saw already carries a tank or a hose connection, so on machine work there is no reason not to. Handheld tie-in cuts, curb work and awkward corners are often unavoidably dry. When cutting dry, keep the blade moving and never dwell in one spot; heat softens the bitumen, the gullets pack solid with warm material and the blade stops clearing. Water also converts airborne silica into slurry, which matters on a live carriageway with traffic passing. See [wet versus dry cutting](https://dotdiamondtools.com/wet-vs-dry-cutting/) and [silica control under OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### Green concrete behaves like asphalt A fresh concrete pour has not developed its strength, so its sand and fines act as loose abrasive in exactly the way asphalt does. That is why a hard-bond asphalt blade is usually the right tool for green concrete too, and why our [Asphalt Pro Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/) carries both materials on its specification. Once the same slab has cured hard it wants the opposite bond entirely, and you should move to the [concrete blade range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/). ##### What roadway crews actually cut Utility trench boundaries across a live road, full-depth pavement repair, milling boundary cuts, municipal patching programs and joint work ahead of an overlay. What these share is abrasive material, long linear footage and a clock. Blade stock matters as much as blade choice; a change takes minutes, a return visit takes a shift and another closure. There is more on how this sector buys in our guide for [highway contractors](https://dotdiamondtools.com/industries/highway-contractors/). #### Frequently Asked Questions **What bond should I use on asphalt?** A hard bond. Asphalt is soft and highly abrasive, and abrasive material strips a soft matrix away within days. A hard matrix holds each diamond in place until it has genuinely worn out. This is the opposite of what most people expect, and it is the most expensive mistake in the trade. **Can I use a concrete blade on asphalt?** You can, but it will not last. A blade formulated for cured concrete runs a soft bond, and asphalt will erode that matrix and release the diamonds long before they are worn. It is usually cheaper to buy the correct blade than to replace two wrong ones. **Why do segments come off my asphalt blade?** Almost always undercutting rather than wear. Abrasive slurry erodes the steel core beneath each segment until the shoulder fails and the segment separates. Blades built for asphalt carry sacrificial wear protection below the segments to prevent it. **What size blade do I need for full-depth pavement repair?** Work back from the depth. A blade cuts about a third of its diameter in one pass, so ten inches of pavement wants a 30 inch blade and twelve inches wants a 36 inch. Buying smaller means multiple passes inside a timed closure. **Should asphalt be cut wet or dry?** Wet wherever the machine allows. It extends blade life two to three times, keeps the cut cooler and turns airborne silica into manageable slurry. Handheld work is often unavoidably dry, in which case keep the blade moving and never let it dwell. **Can the same blade cut asphalt and green concrete?** Yes. Green concrete has not developed strength, so its fines behave as loose abrasive in the same way asphalt does, and a hard-bond blade suits both. Cured concrete is a different problem and needs a soft bond. **How do I stop the gullets packing with asphalt?** Keep the blade moving through the cut and avoid dwelling in one place. Packing is caused by heat softening the bitumen, so anything that reduces heat helps: water where possible, a steady feed rate, and letting the blade run free between cuts. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will match a blade to your pavement, your saw and the depth you need. ### Blade & Saw Packages URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/blade-saw-packages/ Products in this category: 4 #### Diamond Blade and Saw Packages Buying the saw and its blades together is how you avoid the most expensive mistake in concrete cutting: a good machine paired with whatever blade happened to be cheapest that week. Every DOT package pairs a proven saw or drill with blades matched to its arbor, its rated speed and the material you actually cut, plus the accessories needed to run it properly from day one. It is one order, one specification and one supplier to come back to when the consumables run down. ##### What a Package Includes Each package is built around a job type rather than a price point. A **starter kit** gets a new crew cutting concrete with the blade, the safety gear and the consumables in one order. A **saw and blade package** pairs a handheld cut-off saw with blades sized and bonded for its power. A **core drilling package** brings together bits, a thread adapter and a centering guide so nothing is missing on the first hole. A **walk-behind package** covers slab and roadway work with large-diameter blades the machine can genuinely drive. Full contents are listed on each product page. ##### Matching Blade to Machine Two numbers govern whether a blade and a saw belong together, and both are checked before a package ships. The **arbor** has to fit: handheld cutters and grinders typically run 7/8″ or 5/8″, high-speed and walk-behind saws take 1″ or 20mm. The **maximum RPM** stamped on the blade must be at or above the saw's rated speed, without exception. Beyond fit there is capability — a 20″ blade on a saw without the power to drive it will bog, overheat and glaze, wasting a blade that still had most of its diamond left. Packaging the two together removes that guesswork entirely. ##### Why Packages Cut Costs Mismatched tooling is a silent expense. An oversized blade on an underpowered saw glazes and gets binned early. The wrong bond wears two to three times faster than it should. A missing thread adapter stops a crew for half a day. Buying a matched set removes all three failure modes at once, and because the specification is already established, reordering consumables later takes one phone conversation rather than a fresh round of measuring and guessing. ##### Who These Suit Packages make most sense for crews setting up for a new type of work, for firms replacing an aging machine, and for anyone who has been buying blades reactively and wants a predictable cost per cut. If you already run a machine and only need consumables, our individual [diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) and [core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/) ranges will serve you better. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is included in a diamond blade and saw package?** A matched saw or drill, blades sized and bonded for that machine and your material, and the accessories needed to run it — thread adapters, centering guides or safety gear depending on the package. Exact contents are listed on each product page. **Are packages cheaper than buying separately?** They are priced below the sum of the parts, but the bigger saving is avoiding mismatched tooling. A blade that glazes because it was wrong for the saw costs more than any bundle discount, and so does a crew standing idle waiting on a missing adapter. **Which package should I choose?** Pick by job type. Starter kits suit crews new to concrete cutting, saw and blade packages suit handheld work such as patches and pipe, core drilling packages suit penetrations, and walk-behind packages suit long straight cuts in slabs and roadways. **Can a package be customised?** Yes. Tell us the material, the depth of cut and the environment the crew works in, and we will substitute blades or sizes so the set matches the work rather than a generic specification. **Do packages include replacement blades?** Packages include the initial blade set. Replacements are ordered individually, and because the arbor, bond and diameter are already established, reordering is quick and there is no risk of the wrong specification arriving. **What if the saw I want is not in a listed package?** Tell us the machine and we will build the blade set around it. The listings are proven combinations rather than a closed catalogue, and substituting a different saw or blade size is routine. **Do you supply packages for municipal or heavy-civil crews?** Yes. Fleet buyers usually need one consistent specification across several crews and predictable reordering, so we build the package around a standard the whole operation can run and keep that specification on file for repeat orders. **Setting up a crew or replacing a machine?** Tell us the work you are taking on — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526) and we will spec the package around it. ### Brick & Paver URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/brick-paver/ Products in this category: 1 #### Paver and Brick Diamond Blades for Hardscape A hardscape crew cuts several hundred pavers in a day and every one of those cuts ends up visible in the finished patio, driveway or walkway. A ragged edge is not a structural problem; it is a callback. That makes edge quality the specification here, ahead of raw cutting speed. DOT Diamond Tools supplies turbo-rim paver blades to landscapers, hardscape contractors, municipal crews and driveway installers. ##### Why turbo is the right rim for pavers A **turbo rim** is a continuous edge with a serrated, wavy profile, sitting deliberately between a segmented blade and a plain continuous one. The serrations move enough air and spoil to allow dry cutting, while the unbroken edge prevents the top-face chipping a segmented blade leaves on a concrete paver or a face brick. It cuts noticeably faster than a continuous rim and finishes far cleaner than a segmented one. Rim types are compared in [segmented versus turbo versus continuous](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/). ##### Hard bond for abrasive material Pavers and brick are abrasive, and abrasive material scours a soft matrix away in days rather than months. Our [Paver and Brick Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-paver-brick-blade/) runs a **hard bond** for that reason, which is the same logic that governs block and asphalt and the opposite of what cured concrete needs. If your blade is wearing visibly fast on pavers, the bond is the first thing to check. Our [bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/) explains why the rule runs counter to intuition. ##### Sizes and the saws crews own Twelve and fourteen inches covers hardscape work, matched to the masonry table saws and handheld cut-off saws crews actually own. A 14 inch blade gives roughly 4-1/2 inches of depth, which clears any standard paver in a single pass and handles most curb and edging units. A table saw gives the straighter, more repeatable cut for borders and closers; a handheld is what comes out for radii and site adjustments. ##### Cutting dry, and the silica problem Most paver cutting is dry, because the work is outdoors and away from a water supply. It is also one of the highest silica-exposure tasks on any site, and a dry-cut paver produces a visible dust plume in a residential setting where neighbors notice. A table saw with a water tray or a saw with on-tool extraction solves both problems at once. See [silica dust control and OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### Getting a clean edge every time Support the paver fully so the offcut cannot drop and break the arris as the blade exits. Cut from the face that will be visible where you have the choice. Do not force the feed; a turbo rim cuts fast enough without help, and pushing generates heat that glazes the rim. On a long border run, mark and cut in batches rather than one at a time, because a consistent setup gives a consistent edge. ##### Related hardscape cutting Crews doing hardscape often also cut block for retaining structures and occasionally concrete for footings and edge restraints. Block and CMU want a segmented rim rather than turbo, and belong under [masonry and block](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/masonry-block/). Where the work is genuinely mixed and you carry one saw, a combination rim may save more in blade changes than it costs in finish quality. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What blade gives the cleanest cut on pavers?** A turbo rim. The unbroken edge prevents the top-face chipping a segmented blade leaves, while the serrated profile still clears enough debris to cut dry and cut fast. **What bond should a paver blade have?** A hard bond. Pavers and brick are abrasive and will scour a soft matrix away within days. A hard matrix holds each diamond until it has genuinely worn out. **What size blade do I need for pavers?** Twelve or fourteen inches. A 14 inch blade cuts roughly 4-1/2 inches deep, which clears any standard paver in one pass and handles most curb and edging units. **Can I cut pavers wet?** Yes, and on a masonry table saw with a tray it is worth doing. The edge comes out cleaner and the dust problem disappears. Most site cutting is dry simply because there is no water to hand. **Why is my paver chipping on the top face?** Usually a segmented rim, an unsupported offcut, or too much feed pressure. Switch to a turbo rim, support the paver fully so the offcut cannot drop, and let the blade cut at its own rate. **Is dry-cutting pavers a silica risk?** Yes, a significant one. Cutting concrete pavers dry is among the higher-exposure tasks in construction and produces a visible plume in residential settings. A water tray or on-tool extraction is the practical answer. **Can I use a paver blade on block?** It will cut, but block produces coarse dust that packs a turbo rim. For sustained block work a segmented masonry blade clears debris better and lasts longer. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will match a blade to the units you are laying and the saw you run. ### Concrete URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/ Products in this category: 6 #### Diamond Blades for Cutting Concrete Cutting concrete cleanly and economically comes down to one thing: matching the right diamond blade to the concrete you're actually cutting. DOT Diamond Tools supplies professional concrete blades for cured, hard, and green concrete across handheld, walk-behind, and flat-saw applications. With 35+ years in diamond tooling behind every recommendation, we help contractors, municipalities, and heavy-civil crews stop wasting money on the wrong blade. ##### How to Choose a Concrete Diamond Blade Three factors decide whether a blade cuts fast and lasts, or burns up on the first job: the **bond** (matched to concrete hardness), the **segment design**, and whether you cut **wet or dry**. Get those right and almost any quality blade performs; get them wrong and even a premium blade fails early. Match the bond to your concrete — the rule most people get backwards This is counterintuitive, so it's worth stating plainly. **Hard, cured concrete needs a soft bond.** A soft bond wears away at the right rate to keep exposing fresh, sharp diamonds — if you run a hard bond on hard concrete, the diamonds glaze over and the blade stops cutting. **Soft or green concrete needs a hard bond** so the bond doesn't wear away faster than the diamonds can work. When in doubt on cured concrete, go softer; on fresh/green pours or abrasive mixes, go harder. Segmented, turbo, or continuous rim? **Segmented** blades have gaps between segments for airflow and debris clearance — the fast, aggressive choice for general concrete cutting and the most common on jobsites. **Turbo** rims cut fast while leaving a smoother edge, good when finish matters. **Continuous rim** blades are for chip-free finish work (tile, pavers, decorative) and are run wet. For most concrete cutting, a quality segmented blade is the workhorse. ##### Wet or dry — and the silica dust rule Cut **wet whenever possible**. Water cools the blade for 2–3× longer life, produces a cleaner cut, and — critically — controls respirable crystalline silica dust. Dry cutting concrete without dust controls can exceed OSHA limits in minutes; wet cutting (or a dust-collection saw) is the simplest path to **OSHA Table 1 compliance**. Use dry blades only for short cuts or where water isn't practical, and pair them with vacuum dust collection. ##### Diameter and arbor Blade diameter sets your maximum cut depth — roughly one-third of the diameter. Common concrete sizes run 12″–24″ for handheld and walk-behind saws, up to 36″ for flat saws. Always match the **arbor** to your saw: handheld saws are typically 7/8″–5/8″, while high-speed and walk-behind saws use a 1″/20mm arbor. Our blades ship with reducer bushings for common arbors. ##### Concrete Cutting Applications DOT concrete blades handle the real-world jobs crews face every day: slab and sidewalk cutting, expansion and control joints, demolition and removal, trenching for utilities, curb and gutter work, and roadway repair. For rebar-reinforced slabs, step up to a blade rated for reinforced concrete or a wet-cut setup — the steel generates heat that a wet cut dissipates instantly. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What's the best diamond blade for cutting concrete?** It depends on whether the concrete is cured or green and what saw you're running. For hard, cured concrete use a **soft-bond segmented blade**; for fresh/green concrete use a **hard-bond blade**. Match the arbor to your saw and cut wet for best life. **Should I cut concrete wet or dry?** Wet whenever you can. Wet cutting gives 2–3× longer blade life, a cleaner cut, and controls silica dust for OSHA Table 1 compliance. Dry-cut only for short cuts or where water isn't practical, ideally with vacuum dust collection. **What's the difference between segmented, turbo, and continuous-rim blades?** Segmented = fast, aggressive, general concrete work. Turbo = fast cutting with a smoother edge. Continuous rim = chip-free finish cuts (run wet). For most concrete cutting, segmented is the workhorse. **Can I use a concrete blade to cut asphalt?** No. Asphalt is soft and abrasive, so it needs a hard-bond asphalt blade. A concrete (soft-bond) blade will wear out 2–3× faster on asphalt. Use the right blade for the material. **What arbor size do I need?** Match your saw. Handheld saws are usually 7/8″–5/8″; high-speed and walk-behind saws use 1″/20mm. Check the spindle before ordering — our blades include reducer bushings for common sizes. **How long does a diamond blade last?** It varies with concrete hardness, bond match, wet vs dry, and operator technique. A correctly matched, wet-cut blade lasts dramatically longer than a mismatched or dry-cut one — matching bond to material is the single biggest factor. **Not sure which blade fits your job?** Tell us what you're cutting and what saw you're running — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526) for a straight recommendation, no upsell. ### Contractor Specials URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/contractor-specials/ Products in this category: 2 #### Contractor Specials and Bulk Blade Deals Contractors who cut every day do not buy blades one at a time. This is where we put volume pricing on the consumables that move fastest — bulk packs, buy-two-get-one deals and clearance on proven blades. Same tooling as the main ranges, priced for crews going through blades by the box rather than by the blade. ##### Buying Blades in Volume Diamond blades are a consumable, and consumables are cheapest bought ahead of need. Buying a five-pack of the blade your crew already runs removes the mid-job scramble, locks in a lower unit cost, and means a worn blade gets swapped the moment it stops cutting cleanly rather than being nursed along. That last point matters more than the discount: a blade run past its useful life cuts slowly, loads the saw, puts heat into the machine and burns operator hours. Running on tired blades to defer a purchase almost always costs more than the blades would have. ##### What Turns Up Here Stock rotates. Typically you will find multi-packs of the highest-volume concrete and asphalt blades in the common 12″ and 14″ sizes, buy-two-get-one offers on single-material blades, and occasional clearance where a specification has been superseded. Everything here is current production tooling — this is not a bin of seconds, damaged stock or discontinued oddments. If a deal is on a blade you already run, it is the same blade at a better price. ##### Storing Blades Bought Ahead Diamond blades do not deteriorate on a shelf, which is what makes buying ahead sensible. Keep them dry to protect the steel core from surface rust, and store them flat or hung on a peg rather than leaning against a wall under their own weight, which can distort a large-diameter core over time. A warped core will pull a cut off line no matter how good the segments are. Keep the original sleeves on where you can, since they stop segments knocking against each other in transit and make the specification easy to read at a glance on site. ##### Standing Orders for Regular Crews If your consumption is predictable, a standing order is usually better value again. We can hold an agreed specification and quantity and ship on a schedule, which smooths cash flow and guarantees the blade your operators are used to. This works particularly well for municipal and heavy-civil crews running the same cut, in the same material, week after week. #### Frequently Asked Questions **How much do I save buying blades in bulk?** It varies by product, and the per-blade price is shown on each listing. The larger saving is usually operational — crews with spare blades on the truck replace worn ones promptly instead of forcing a tired blade through the cut. **Are bulk-pack blades the same as the individual ones?** Yes. Identical current-production tooling with the same bond, segments and specification. The only difference is the quantity and the unit price. **How long do diamond blades keep in storage?** Indefinitely if kept dry and flat. Diamond blades do not degrade on the shelf, so buying ahead carries no penalty beyond the cash tied up. Store them flat or hung, never leaning under their own weight, which can distort a large core. **Can I mix sizes in a bulk order?** Bulk packs are single specification, but we will put together a mixed order across sizes and materials at volume pricing. Tell us the quantities and we will price it. **Do you offer standing orders or scheduled delivery?** Yes, for crews with predictable consumption. We hold your agreed specification and ship to a schedule so operators always have the blade they are used to, which removes both the reordering admin and the risk of a substitute turning up mid-job. **Is clearance stock discontinued or damaged?** Neither. Clearance here is current production tooling where a specification has been superseded or stock was over-ordered. Second-quality and damaged blades are never sold, at any price. **Can I return unused blades from a bulk pack?** Unused blades in original condition can be returned under our standard terms. Because diamond blades do not deteriorate in storage, most crews simply hold the surplus for the next job rather than sending it back. **Cutting every day?** Tell us your volumes and the blades you run — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526) for contractor pricing. ### Core Bit Accessories URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/ Products in this category: 3 #### Core Bit Adapters, Extensions and Guides Core drilling fails on small parts more often than on the bit itself. The wrong thread, no way to reach the far side of a thick wall, or a bit that wandered at start-up will each stop a job that the bit was perfectly capable of finishing. This range covers the thread adapters, extensions and centering guides that make a [core bit](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/) and a drill work together properly. ##### Thread Adapters Two thread standards dominate core drilling and they do not mate directly. **1-1/4″-7** is the fitting on core rigs and wet drills; **5/8″-11** is the fitting on handheld dry drills. A thread adapter crosses between them, which means one machine can run both families of bit and you are not forced to duplicate your inventory when a job changes. Fit adapters clean and tight — grit on the threads is the usual reason an adapter seizes onto a bit and has to be cut off. ##### Core Bit Extensions A standard barrel has a finite working length, and thick slabs, deep footings and double-wythe walls exceed it. An **extension** adds reach between the drill and the bit so you can complete the penetration in one setup instead of drilling from both faces and hoping the holes meet. Keep in mind that extensions amplify any misalignment: the further the bit is from the drive, the more a small angular error becomes a large positional one at the far face. Extensions belong on a rig, not on a handheld drill. ##### Pilot Bits and Centering Guides A core bit has no point, so at start-up the rim skates until it has cut a groove. On a handheld drill that means a wandering hole and a bit that can kick. A **pilot bit or centering guide** locates the bit exactly where the mark is and holds it while the rim bites, which is the difference between a hole where it was specified and a hole roughly nearby. Once the groove is established the guide is retracted and the bit follows its own kerf. ##### Getting the Slug Out The core, or slug, has to come out of the barrel before the next hole. On shallow work it usually drops free; on deep holes it can seize, especially if the bit wandered. Break the core periodically on deep penetrations rather than drilling the full depth in one pass, and drive the slug out from the open end rather than levering against the segments. Segments knocked off while clearing a slug are one of the more avoidable ways to ruin a serviceable bit. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What does a core bit adapter do?** It converts between the two thread standards — 1-1/4″-7 for wet bits and rigs, 5/8″-11 for dry bits and handheld drills — so a single machine can run both types of bit. **When do I need a core bit extension?** When the slab, footing or wall is deeper than the working length of the barrel. An extension lets you finish the penetration in one setup rather than drilling from both sides. **Can I use an extension on a handheld drill?** It is not advisable. Extensions magnify any misalignment and add leverage, so they belong on an anchored rig where the feed stays square to the surface. **What is a pilot bit for?** It stops the core bit wandering at start-up by locating and holding it until the rim cuts a groove. Once the groove is established it is retracted and the bit follows its own kerf. **How do I remove a stuck core from the barrel?** Drive it out from the open end rather than levering against the segments. On deep holes, break the core periodically instead of drilling the full depth in one pass, which stops it seizing in the first place. **Why has my adapter seized onto the bit?** Grit on the threads, usually. Clean both threads before fitting and avoid over-tightening. A seized adapter often has to be cut off, which costs the bit as well. **Do adapters reduce drilling performance?** Marginally, because every joint adds a little runout and takes some rigidity out of the setup. For most work the difference is not noticeable, but on large-diameter holes in hard concrete a bit with the native thread will run truer than an adapted one. **Not sure what you need to complete a setup?** Tell us the drill, the bit and the depth — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Core Bits URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/ Products in this category: 6 #### Diamond Core Bits for Concrete Drilling Core bits cut clean, precise holes through concrete, block and stone for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, anchoring and utility work. DOT core bits are laser-welded, which keeps the segments attached under the heat and torque of deep drilling, and we stock them from 1″ pilot holes up to 14″ service penetrations. Get the thread, the bond and the water supply right and a core bit will drill hundreds of holes; get them wrong and you can lose a barrel in an afternoon. ##### Wet or Dry Core Bits **Wet core bits** use a 1-1/4″-7 thread, mount on a rig or wet core drill, and are the right answer for hard, cured and rebar-reinforced concrete. The water does three jobs at once: it cools the segments, flushes the slurry up and out of the hole, and keeps airborne silica down. **Dry core bits** use a 5/8″-11 thread and run on a handheld drill, which makes them far more practical for block, brick and soft masonry, and for work where water cannot be used. Dry bits need to be backed out periodically to clear dust and let the barrel cool. As a rule: if it is structural concrete, drill it wet. ##### Threads and Adapters Two threads cover almost everything in this trade. **1-1/4″-7** is the standard for wet bits and core rigs; **5/8″-11** is the standard for dry bits and handheld drills. They are not interchangeable on their own, but a [thread adapter](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) lets you cross between them, so a single drill can run both families. If you are buying a first set, decide which drill you own before you buy bits — the thread follows the machine, not the hole. ##### Drilling Through Rebar Diamond core bits will cut straight through rebar, but steel behaves nothing like aggregate and it needs a different touch. When you feel the bit load up and the sound change, ease off the feed rather than leaning into it, and make sure water is still flowing. Steel work-hardens and heats fast; without cooling you will polish the diamonds flat and glaze the barrel. Use slow, steady pressure through the bar and return to normal feed once you are past it. If you core reinforced slabs regularly, use a bit specifically rated for reinforced concrete — the bond is formulated to keep releasing diamond when it meets steel. ##### Choosing the Right Diameter Size the bit to what is going through the hole, not to the pipe's nominal size. Conduit, sleeves and anchors all need clearance, and a hole drilled exactly to nominal will not accept the fitting. Typical ranges: 1″ to 2″ for anchors and small conduit, 2″ to 4″ for electrical and plumbing runs, 4″ to 6″ for waste lines and dryer vents, and 8″ and up for HVAC and service penetrations. Larger diameters need more torque and a rig — a handheld drill will stall or twist out of your hands above about 4″ in concrete. ##### Rig, Stand or Handheld Anything over roughly 4″ in structural concrete belongs on a stand. A **core drill stand** anchors to the slab and feeds the bit straight, which keeps the barrel from binding and gives you a clean, plumb hole. Handheld coring is fine for small dry work in block and brick, but the moment the bit catches in a handheld setup the machine turns in your hands. Stands also let you apply steady, even feed pressure, which is the single biggest factor in bit life after water supply. ##### Water Supply and Slurry Control Wet coring needs a steady, adequate flow, not a trickle. If the slurry coming out of the hole runs thin and gray you have enough water; if it is pasty or steaming, you do not. Too little water is the fastest way to glaze a bit and cook the segments off the barrel. On finished floors and interior work a slurry ring and vacuum keep the mess contained, and that is usually a condition of working in an occupied building. Where water is genuinely impossible, switch to a dry bit and a dust extractor rather than running a wet bit dry, which will ruin it in minutes. ##### Bit Life and Common Failures **Glazing** is the most common complaint — the bit spins without progressing because the diamonds are polished flat. Drill into an abrasive dressing block to expose fresh diamond. **Barrel binding** happens when the hole goes off-axis or the slug shifts; back out, clear the hole and re-enter straight. **Segment loss** comes from overheating, insufficient water, or forcing the feed through rebar. **Slug removal** is easier if you wedge the core before it seizes in the barrel. Accessories matter here: a [pilot bit and centering guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) stops the bit walking at start-up, and an extension gets you through thick slabs without over-reaching. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is the difference between wet and dry core bits?** Wet bits use a 1-1/4″-7 thread and run on a rig with water, suiting hard, cured and reinforced concrete. Dry bits use a 5/8″-11 thread and run on handheld drills for block, brick and soft masonry. Water cools the segments, clears slurry and controls silica dust. **Can a diamond core bit drill through rebar?** Yes. Ease off the feed when you reach steel, keep water flowing to cool it, and hold steady pressure rather than forcing it. For regular work in reinforced slabs, use a bit rated for reinforced concrete. **What core bit thread do I need?** It follows your drill. Wet core bits and rigs use 1-1/4″-7; dry core bits and handheld drills use 5/8″-11. A thread adapter lets one machine run both families. **What size core bit should I use?** Size it to the fitting going through the hole plus clearance, not the nominal pipe size. Anchors and small conduit take 1″ to 2″, electrical and plumbing runs 2″ to 4″, waste lines 4″ to 6″, and HVAC penetrations 8″ and up. **Do I need a core drill stand?** Above roughly 4″ in structural concrete, yes. A stand anchors to the slab, feeds the bit straight and stops the barrel binding. Handheld coring is reasonable for small dry holes in block and brick. **Why has my core bit stopped cutting?** It has almost certainly glazed — the diamonds are polished flat and cannot bite. Drill into an abrasive dressing block to expose fresh diamond. Glazing usually means too little water, too much speed, or a bond too hard for the material. **How long does a diamond core bit last?** A laser-welded wet bit used with proper water and steady feed can drill hundreds of holes in ordinary concrete. Heavy rebar, dry running and forced feed shorten that dramatically. **Why is the core stuck in the barrel?** The slug has seized, usually after drilling deep or letting the bit wander off-axis. Wedge it out from the open end, and on deep holes break the core periodically rather than drilling the full depth in one pass. **Coring concrete?** Tell us the diameter, the slab and the drill you are running — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526) for the right bit and thread. ### Core Drills URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/core-drills/ Products in this category: 2 #### Core Drills and Drill Stands for Concrete A core drill removes a clean cylinder of concrete rather than cutting a line through it, which is what makes it the right tool for penetrations that have to be round, accurate and finished. Plumbers, electricians, mechanical contractors and utility crews use them daily for sleeves, conduit runs, drainage tie-ins and anchor holes. The machine is only half the job — the bit does the cutting, and the drill has to supply the torque, the speed and the rigidity that the bit needs. ##### Handheld or rig-mounted Handheld core drills suit holes up to roughly 6 inches through walls, floors and block. They are quick to set up and easy to move between locations, which matters on fit-out work where a crew might drill twenty small penetrations in a day. Above 6 inches the reaction torque becomes more than an operator can safely hold, and hole quality suffers as the bit wanders. Rig-mounted drilling uses a stand anchored to the slab or wall, with the motor carried on a carriage. The stand absorbs the torque, holds the bit square and lets the operator feed at a steady rate. Anything above 6 inches, anything through reinforced structural concrete, and anything that has to be genuinely plumb belongs on a stand. ##### Matching the motor to the bit Bit diameter drives everything. A larger bit needs more torque and lower spindle speed; a small bit needs speed rather than force. Most core drill motors offer two or three gears for exactly this reason, and running the wrong gear is the most common cause of a slow cut and a glazed bit. As a rough guide, bits up to 4 inches run in the fastest gear, 4 to 10 inches in the middle gear, and anything larger in the slowest. Power supply matters too. A 15-amp single-phase motor covers most fit-out and light structural work. Deep coring in heavily reinforced concrete, or continuous production drilling, calls for a higher-output machine and a supply that will carry it without voltage drop across a long lead. ##### Wet drilling and water supply Almost all concrete coring is done wet. Water cools the segments, flushes slurry out of the kerf and keeps silica dust out of the air. Without it a diamond bit will glaze within a few holes, and the operator is exposed to respirable crystalline silica. That means a water feed through the motor spindle, a supply that can hold pressure, and a plan for collecting the slurry. A ring and vacuum on the slab, or a collection tray on a wall core, keeps water off the finished floor and out of the drains. ##### Anchoring the stand A stand is only as rigid as its fixing. Anchor bolting into the slab is the strongest method and the one to use for large-diameter or overhead work. Vacuum bases are faster and leave no fixing hole, but they need a smooth, sound surface and a pump that stays running — they are not appropriate on rough, spalled or hollow-core substrates. Jack-screw bracing between floor and ceiling is a third option for wall coring where the floor cannot be drilled. ##### Silica dust and site rules Wet coring is one of the tasks addressed in OSHA Table 1, and following it correctly removes the need for exposure monitoring. The requirement is a continuous water feed to the bit, used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Read the full detail in our silica dust and OSHA Table 1 guide before drilling indoors or in any enclosed area. #### Frequently asked questions about core drills **Can I use a core drill without water?** Only with a bit specifically rated for dry drilling, and only where dust extraction is in place. Standard wet bits will overheat, the segments will glaze, and the bond will not release fresh diamond. Dry drilling is a compromise reserved for situations where water cannot be used at all. **What size hole can a handheld core drill manage?** Roughly 6 inches is the practical limit. Beyond that the reaction torque is more than an operator can control safely, and the bit will wander enough to spoil the hole. **Do I need a stand for reinforced concrete?** Yes, in almost every case. Steel slows the feed and makes the load uneven, and a stand keeps the bit square while it works through the bar. Freehand drilling into heavy reinforcement is where bits get pinched and jammed. **Why has my bit stopped cutting?** Usually glazing — the diamonds have polished flat instead of fracturing to expose fresh edges. It comes from too little feed pressure, too high a gear, or drilling material softer than the bond was designed for. Dressing the bit in an abrasive block will re-open it. **How do I stop the core dropping out of a floor slab?** Wedge the core before you break through, or drill from the underside where access allows. On a suspended slab a falling core is a serious hazard, and the area beneath has to be secured before the cut is completed. **What thread do these machines take?** Most core drill motors use a 1-1/4 inch–7 spindle for larger bits, with adapters down to 5/8 inch–11 for small diameters. Our core bit sizes and thread guide covers the combinations in detail. Not sure which machine suits your holes? Call an expert on (701) 922-1526 or get a quote and we will match the motor, stand and bits to the work. ### Cup Wheels URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/cup-wheels/ Products in this category: 2 #### Diamond Cup Wheels for Concrete Grinding A diamond cup wheel mounts on an angle grinder and removes material across a flat face rather than through a kerf. It is the tool for levelling high spots, taking down trowel marks and form lines, stripping paint, epoxy and mastic, and preparing a slab before a coating goes down. DOT stocks **double-row** wheels for aggressive removal and **turbo** wheels for smoother finishing, in 4″ through 7″. ##### Double Row or Turbo The segment layout on the face decides how the wheel behaves, and picking the wrong one wastes a lot of time. **Double-row** cup wheels carry two concentric rings of segments and remove material fast — this is what you want for levelling, heavy coating removal and anything where speed matters more than the surface left behind. **Turbo** cup wheels use a continuous, waved rim; they take less per pass but leave a far smoother surface, which suits final grinding, feathering into an existing floor and preparing a slab for a thin coating. Crews doing full surface prep usually run both: double-row first, turbo second. ##### Sizing the Wheel to the Grinder Cup wheels are sized to the machine, not the job. A **4″ or 4.5″** wheel suits a standard angle grinder running around 11,000 RPM and reaches into corners and along walls. A **5″** wheel is the general-purpose choice for most crews. A **7″** wheel covers open floor quickly but needs a large grinder with the torque to drive it and a guard sized to match — fitted to an underpowered machine it will bog and glaze. Most cup wheels use a 5/8″-11 thread that screws directly onto the spindle. Always check the maximum RPM stamped on the wheel against the grinder's rated speed before mounting; overspeeding a cup wheel is genuinely dangerous. ##### Bond, Glazing and Technique The same counterintuitive rule that governs blades applies here: hard, dense concrete wants a softer bond so the matrix keeps releasing fresh diamond, while soft, green concrete and abrasive block want a harder bond that resists being scoured away. When a wheel stops cutting and starts sliding across the surface, it has glazed — dress it on an abrasive block to re-expose diamond and check the bond suits the material. Technique matters as much as product: let the weight of the machine do the work, keep the wheel moving in overlapping passes rather than dwelling in one spot, and never lean on it. Pressure makes heat, and heat is what strips segments. ##### Dust Control Dry grinding concrete generates respirable crystalline silica in large quantities — more than most cutting operations, because you are abrading a broad surface rather than opening a narrow kerf. A dust shroud connected to a HEPA vacuum is the standard engineering control and is what brings handheld grinding inside [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Match the shroud to the wheel diameter, keep the brush skirt intact, and empty the vacuum before suction drops off. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is a diamond cup wheel used for?** Grinding and levelling concrete and masonry, removing coatings such as paint, epoxy and mastic, taking down trowel marks and form lines, and preparing slabs before a coating is applied. **Double row or turbo cup wheel, which should I buy?** Double row for fast, aggressive removal and coating stripping. Turbo for a smoother finish and final passes. Crews doing full surface prep typically use double row first, then turbo. **What size cup wheel fits my angle grinder?** 4″ to 4.5″ for a standard angle grinder, 5″ for general-purpose work, 7″ only on a large grinder with the torque and guard for it. Check the wheel's maximum RPM against the grinder's rated speed. **Why has my cup wheel stopped cutting?** It has glazed — the diamonds are polished flat and the bond is too hard for the material, so nothing fresh is being exposed. Dress it on an abrasive block, ease off the pressure and confirm the bond suits the surface. **Do I need a dust shroud for grinding concrete?** For any dry grinding, yes. Concrete grinding produces high levels of respirable silica, and a shroud paired with a HEPA vacuum is the recognized control under OSHA Table 1. **Can a cup wheel be used wet?** Many can, which reduces heat and dust, but check the wheel is rated for it and never use water with an electric grinder that is not. Wet working is standard for stone and polishing. **What thread do cup wheels use?** Most use 5/8″-11 and thread directly onto the grinder spindle. Some use a plain bore with an arbor nut, so check what your machine takes before ordering. **Grinding or prepping a slab?** Tell us the surface and the grinder you run — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Cut-Off Saws URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/cut-off-saws/ Products in this category: 3 #### Handheld Cut-Off Saws and Power Cutters The cut-off saw is the machine most concrete crews reach for first. Patches, pipe, wall openings, curb, rebar, demolition prep — anything a walk-behind cannot reach falls to a handheld power cutter. DOT carries gas and battery machines from **Husqvarna** and **Makita**, sized around 12″ and 14″ blades and matched with the right [diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) for the material. ##### Gas or Battery Gas machines like the Husqvarna K770 still lead on sustained power and untethered runtime, and they remain the default for open-site production work where a crew is cutting all day and refuelling is trivial. Battery cutters have closed the performance gap much further than most people expect — the Husqvarna K1 PACE and Makita XEC01 deliver close to gas-equivalent cutting with no exhaust at all. That last point decides it in a lot of cases: indoors, in basements, in tunnels, in occupied buildings and anywhere emissions are restricted, a battery machine is not merely preferable but the only lawful option. Many crews now run both and choose by site. ##### Depth of Cut and Blade Size A handheld cutter gives you roughly one third of the blade diameter in depth once the arbor and guard are accounted for. A 14″ blade therefore reaches about 4-1/2″ to 5″, and a 12″ blade about 4″. That is the hard limit of the format. Cutting from both faces of a wall doubles the effective reach if the alignment is good, but for anything deeper or longer than a few meters, a [walk-behind saw](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/) will be faster, straighter and far less punishing on the operator. Never fit a blade larger than the guard is designed for in an attempt to gain depth. ##### Water, Dust and Compliance Handheld cutting dry produces respirable silica at high concentrations right at the operator's face. Integrated water delivery is the standard control and doubles or triples blade life at the same time, so it is worth doing even where compliance is not the driver. Where there is no site supply, a [pressurised water bottle](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/) feeds the blade adequately for most handheld work. Where water is impossible, a cutter with dust extraction is the alternative path into [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### Operating Safely Kickback is the main hazard with a handheld cutter, and it comes from the upper quadrant of the blade catching in the cut. Cut with the lower quadrant, keep both hands on the machine, stand to the side of the blade line rather than behind it, and never plunge with the top of the wheel. Let the saw reach full speed before entering the cut, keep the blade straight in the kerf, and stop if the cut starts to close and pinch. Pinching a spinning blade is how most incidents begin. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is the best handheld concrete saw?** The gas Husqvarna K770 is the proven all-rounder for open-site production. For cordless or indoor work, the Husqvarna K1 PACE and Makita XEC01 offer close to gas-equivalent performance with no exhaust. **Are battery power cutters powerful enough for concrete?** For the great majority of handheld work, yes. Modern battery cutters approach gas performance and are the better choice indoors or wherever exhaust is restricted. Gas still has the edge for all-day sustained production. **How deep will a handheld cut-off saw cut?** Around one third of the blade diameter — roughly 4-1/2″ to 5″ with a 14″ blade. For deeper work, cut from both faces or move to a walk-behind saw. **Should I cut wet or dry with a handheld saw?** Wet whenever possible. It controls silica dust at source and extends blade life two to three times. Where no supply exists, a pressurised water bottle is usually adequate for handheld work. **What causes kickback on a cut-off saw?** Catching the upper quadrant of the blade in the material, or pinching the blade as the cut closes. Cut with the lower quadrant, stand to the side of the blade line, and stop if the kerf starts to close. **Can a cut-off saw cut rebar?** Yes, with a blade rated for reinforced concrete. Ease the feed when you reach steel and keep water flowing to cool it rather than forcing the cut. **What blade size do these saws take?** Commonly 12″ and 14″. Check the arbor and the maximum RPM stamped on the blade against the machine's rated speed before fitting. **Choosing a handheld cutter?** Tell us the material, the depth and whether the work is indoors — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Diamond Blades URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/ Products in this category: 13 #### Diamond Saw Blades for Every Material The right diamond blade is matched to the material you're cutting — and getting that match right is the difference between a blade that lasts a season and one that burns up before lunch. DOT Diamond Tools supplies professional saw blades for concrete, asphalt, masonry, tile, and stone, sized from 4″ angle-grinder wheels to 36″ walk-behind blades, all from a team with 35+ years in diamond tooling. ##### Choose Your Blade by Material Shop by what you're cutting: [Concrete blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/) — cured, hard, and green concrete. [Asphalt blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/asphalt/) — hard-bond, undercut-protected for abrasive asphalt. [Masonry and block blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/masonry-block/) — brick, block, and CMU. [Tile and porcelain blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/tile-porcelain/) — chip-free continuous rim. [Stone, marble and granite blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/stone-marble-granite/) — wet-cut bridge and slab work. [Paver and brick blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/brick-paver/) — hardscape and retaining wall. [General purpose](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/general-purpose/) — one blade for mixed work. ##### How a Diamond Blade Actually Cuts A diamond blade does not slice — it grinds. Industrial diamonds are suspended in a metal bond matrix, and as the blade spins those exposed diamonds abrade the material away. Each diamond eventually dulls and fractures, the bond around it wears back and releases it, and a fresh diamond underneath takes over. That self-sharpening cycle is the whole game. When the bond wears at the same rate the diamonds dull, the blade cuts fast and lasts a long time. When the balance is wrong in either direction, you get a blade that glazes over or one that wears away long before its diamonds are used up. ##### Matching Bond Hardness to Material Here is the rule that catches most people out, because it sounds backwards: **hard material needs a soft bond; soft, abrasive material needs a hard bond.** Cured concrete, granite and engineered stone are hard and dull diamonds quickly, so the bond has to wear away fast enough to keep exposing new ones — that is a soft bond. Asphalt, green concrete, block and fresh masonry are abrasive and sandy; they scour the bond away on their own, so you need a hard bond to hold the diamonds in place long enough to do their work. Put a soft-bond concrete blade into asphalt and you will watch it disappear two to three times faster than it should. Put a hard-bond asphalt blade into cured concrete and it will glaze over, stop cutting, and start smoking. ##### Segmented, Turbo or Continuous Rim The rim style sets your trade-off between speed and finish. **Segmented** blades have gullets between the segments that clear slurry and cool the steel; they cut fastest and most aggressively, and they are the standard for concrete, asphalt and masonry where a slightly rough edge does not matter. **Turbo** rims use a serrated, continuous edge that cuts nearly as fast but leaves a cleaner line, and they handle dry work better than most segmented blades. **Continuous rim** blades have no gullets at all — they cut slowest but give a chip-free finish, which is why they are the only sensible choice for porcelain, tile, marble and finished stone edges. **Combo** rims split the difference for crews doing mixed work. ##### Wet Cutting, Dry Cutting and Silica Dust Cut wet whenever the job allows it. Water cools the core, flushes slurry out of the kerf and typically doubles or triples blade life, and it produces a cleaner, straighter cut. It also matters for compliance: respirable crystalline silica from dry concrete cutting is regulated under OSHA's silica standard, and integrated water delivery or a dust-collection system is what puts you inside [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Dry cutting has its place — short cuts, indoor work where slurry is unacceptable, or sites with no water supply — but it demands a blade rated for dry use, a slower feed, and frequent cooling passes where you let the blade spin free in air to shed heat. ##### Blade Diameter, Arbor and Depth of Cut Blade diameter sets your maximum depth of cut, and the working rule is roughly one third of the diameter once you account for the arbor and blade guard — a 14″ blade gives you about 4-1/2″ to 5″ of depth, and a 20″ blade about 6-1/2″. Cutting deeper than a blade is designed for overloads the core and risks segment loss. Arbor sizes follow the saw: angle grinders and small handhelds are typically 7/8″ or 5/8″, high-speed cut-off saws and walk-behind saws run 1″ or 20mm, and bridge saws for stone often use 1″ or 50mm. Reducer bushings let one blade fit several machines — but always check the maximum operating speed stamped on the blade against your saw's RPM before you mount it. ##### Getting the Most Life From a Blade Most blades die early for reasons that are entirely avoidable. **Glazing** — a shiny, polished rim that stops cutting — means the bond is too hard for the material; you can restore the edge by making a few cuts into an abrasive block or dressing stone to expose fresh diamond. **Undercutting**, where the steel core behind the segments erodes away, comes from slurry blasting an unprotected core, and it is why asphalt blades carry protective wear segments. **Segment loss** usually traces back to overheating, forcing the feed, or cutting out of line and twisting the blade in the kerf. Let the blade cut at its own pace, keep it straight in the cut, and never force it — pressure does not speed up a diamond blade, it just destroys it. #### Frequently Asked Questions **How do I pick the right diamond blade?** Start with the material — concrete, asphalt, masonry, tile or stone — then match the bond to its hardness, choose the rim type for the finish you need, size the blade to your saw and arbor, and cut wet whenever the job allows it. **Why does hard material need a soft bond?** Hard material dulls diamonds quickly, so the bond has to erode fast enough to keep releasing fresh ones. A hard bond holds spent diamonds in place, the blade glazes over and stops cutting. Soft, abrasive material does the opposite — it strips bond away on its own, so it needs a hard bond to hold the diamonds in. **Can I use a concrete blade on asphalt?** You can, but it is an expensive mistake. Asphalt is soft and abrasive and will wear a soft-bond concrete blade two to three times faster than normal. Use a hard-bond asphalt blade with undercut protection instead. **What is the difference between segmented, turbo and continuous rim blades?** Segmented blades cut fastest and clear slurry through their gullets, suiting concrete, asphalt and masonry. Turbo rims cut nearly as fast with a cleaner edge and handle dry work well. Continuous rim blades cut slowest but leave a chip-free finish for tile, porcelain and polished stone. **How deep can a diamond blade cut?** Roughly one third of the blade diameter once the arbor and guard are accounted for. A 14″ blade gives about 4-1/2″ to 5″ of depth and a 20″ blade about 6-1/2″. For deeper cuts, step up in diameter or move to a walk-behind saw. **What arbor size do diamond blades use?** Angle grinders and small handheld saws are usually 7/8″ or 5/8″; high-speed cut-off saws and walk-behind saws use 1″ or 20mm; bridge saws for stone often use 1″ or 50mm. Reducer bushings adapt one blade to several machines. **How long should a diamond blade last?** It depends on the material, how well the bond is matched, whether you run wet or dry, and operator technique. A well-matched wet-cut blade can outlast a mismatched dry-cut one several times over. Glazing, undercutting and segment loss are nearly always signs of a mismatch or a forced feed rather than a faulty blade. **Can a diamond blade cut through rebar?** Yes, if it is rated for reinforced concrete. Slow the feed when you reach steel and keep water flowing to cool it. A blade with a soft bond and a reinforced core handles rebar without shedding segments. **Tell us what you're cutting** and we'll match the blade to the material and your saw — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Dry Core Bits URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/dry-core-bits/ Products in this category: 1 #### Dry Diamond Core Bits for Block and Masonry Dry core bits run on a handheld drill with no water supply, which makes them the practical choice for block, brick and soft masonry — and for any job where slurry would cause more problems than dust. They use a **5/8″-11** thread, come with turbo segments for fast cutting without coolant, and cover the sizes most commonly needed for conduit, vents and small penetrations. ##### Where Dry Bits Are the Right Tool Dry bits earn their place in soft, abrasive material: concrete block, CMU, brick, and lightweight masonry. These materials are much less punishing on diamonds than cured structural concrete, so the bit survives without coolant. They are also the answer in occupied buildings, on upper floors, and in finished interiors where running water and slurry down a wall is unacceptable — a dry bit paired with a dust extractor keeps the work clean. What they are not is a substitute for a wet bit in reinforced structural concrete, where they will overheat quickly. ##### Clearing Dust and Managing Heat Without water, dust is the enemy. Packed dust inside the barrel insulates the segments, drives temperature up and glazes the diamonds fast. Back the bit out every few inches to clear the annulus and let air move through it, and do not run continuously for long stretches — brief pauses with the bit spinning free shed a surprising amount of heat. Connect a dust extractor where the machine allows it. This both protects the bit and handles the silica exposure, since dry masonry drilling generates a substantial dust load and needs a control under [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### The 5/8″-11 Thread Dry core bits use a **5/8″-11** thread, matching handheld drills and angle-grinder-style machines. Wet bits and rigs use 1-1/4″-7. The two are not directly interchangeable, but a [thread adapter](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) crosses between them so one machine can run both families. Decide which drill you own before buying bits — the thread follows the machine. ##### Starting the Hole Cleanly A dry bit on a handheld drill will wander at start-up unless it is controlled, and a hole that starts off-center rarely recovers. A [pilot bit or centering guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) locates the bit precisely and holds it while the rim bites. The alternative is to start at a shallow angle to score a ring, then bring the drill upright once the bit has a groove to follow. Either way, get the first quarter-inch right and the rest of the hole follows. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What are dry core bits used for?** Drilling block, brick and soft masonry with a handheld drill and no water. They suit occupied buildings, upper floors and finished interiors where slurry is unacceptable, and they pair well with a dust extractor. **Can I use a dry core bit in structural concrete?** It is not recommended. Cured and reinforced concrete generates far more heat than a dry bit can shed, so it will glaze and wear quickly. Use a wet bit on a rig for structural work. **What thread do dry core bits use?** 5/8″-11, matching handheld drills. Wet bits and rigs use 1-1/4″-7, and an adapter lets one machine run both types. **Why does my dry bit overheat?** Usually packed dust in the barrel, or drilling continuously without a break. Back the bit out every few inches to clear the annulus, pause to let it cool, and connect an extractor where possible. **How do I stop the bit wandering when starting?** Use a pilot bit or centering guide, which locates the bit and holds it until the rim bites. Failing that, start at a shallow angle to score a ring, then bring the drill upright. **Do I need dust extraction for dry core drilling?** For masonry and concrete, yes. Dry drilling produces significant respirable silica, and a shroud or extractor connected to a HEPA vacuum is the recognized control under OSHA Table 1. **What sizes do dry core bits come in?** Commonly 1″ through 6″, which covers conduit, vents and small penetrations. Larger diameters in hard material need a wet bit on a rig for the torque and cooling. **Drilling block or brick?** Tell us the diameter and the drill you are running — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### General Purpose URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/general-purpose/ Products in this category: 1 #### General Purpose Diamond Blades Not every cut justifies a matched blade. Trimming a few blocks to fit, dressing a slab edge, opening a hole for a junction box, cutting a stub of rebar chair flush, squaring up a patch before a repair. This is the blade that lives in the truck box and gets picked up without much thought, and there is a real argument for owning one alongside your specialist range rather than instead of it. ##### What a general purpose blade actually is A **medium bond** and a **turbo rim**, which is a genuine middle setting rather than a compromise nobody wanted. The medium matrix survives abrasive block without shedding diamond and still cuts cured concrete acceptably, while the turbo rim clears enough debris to run dry across all of it. What you give up is optimisation: it will not out-cut a soft-bond blade in hard concrete, and it will not out-last a hard-bond blade in block. What you gain is not stopping to change blades. ##### Being honest about grade Our [All-Cut General Purpose Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-all-cut-general-purpose-blade/) is an **economy grade** blade and it is priced that way. Diamond concentration is lower than the professional range, so on sustained production cutting it wears faster and works out dearer per linear foot than a properly matched blade. For occasional, mixed, small-scale cutting it is the sensible purchase, and spending two hundred dollars on a blade for that work is not. ##### Where it earns its place Punch-list and snagging work where you cannot predict the material. Second-fix cutting during fit-out. Maintenance crews covering a building or a site where the next job is unknown. Small repairs and remedial work. Anyone who cuts occasionally rather than daily. The common thread is unpredictability, which is precisely the condition a matched blade cannot serve. ##### Where it is the wrong buy Cured slab sawing, control joints, production block work, roadway cutting and anything where you know the material in advance and will be cutting it all week. In those cases the blade cost is a small fraction of the job cost, and a matched bond will cut faster, last longer and cost less per foot. Buy from the [matched blade ranges](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) instead. ##### Sizes and fit Four and a half to fourteen inches, which is the widest span in our blade range and reflects what the blade is for. The small sizes mount on a standard angle grinder, which is the tool most likely to be in the back of a van. The larger sizes suit handheld cut-off saws. Expect about a third of the diameter in depth per pass, so 4-1/2 inches gives roughly an inch and a half and a 14 inch blade around 4-1/2 inches. ##### Dry cutting and dust General purpose blades are dry-rated because they exist for work where rigging water is disproportionate to the job. That convenience is also the risk: dry cutting concrete and masonry generates respirable silica regardless of how small the job is, and a two-minute cut still requires control. On-tool extraction or a water bottle on the saw covers it. See [silica dust control and OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). #### Frequently Asked Questions **What can a general purpose blade cut?** Block, brick, concrete and general masonry, dry, without a blade change. It is formulated as a genuine middle setting rather than being optimized for any one of them. **Is a general purpose blade good enough for concrete?** For occasional cuts, yes. For sustained cutting in cured concrete a soft-bond matched blade will cut faster, last considerably longer and cost less per linear foot. The general purpose blade is about convenience, not economy at volume. **Why is my general purpose blade wearing out so fast?** Most likely you are using it for production work in a single material. Economy grade blades have lower diamond concentration and are designed for intermittent use. Switch to a matched blade for the material you cut most. **What size general purpose blade should I buy?** If it is going in a van with an angle grinder, 4-1/2 or 5 inch. If you carry a handheld cut-off saw, 12 or 14 inch gives useful depth. A 14 inch blade cuts roughly 4-1/2 inches in a pass. **Can I run a general purpose blade wet?** It is dry-rated, and where your saw has a water feed using it will extend blade life and control dust. The blade does not require water the way a continuous rim does. **Should I buy one blade or several?** Both, for different reasons. Keep a general purpose blade for unpredictable work, and matched blades for whatever material you cut regularly. The general purpose blade is a supplement to a specialist range, not a replacement for it. **Do I still need dust control for small cuts?** Yes. Respirable silica is generated by the cut, not by the duration, and a short job in an enclosed space can be worse than a long one outdoors. Use extraction or water even on quick cuts. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will tell you honestly whether a matched blade would serve you better. ### Grinding & Cup Wheels URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/ Products in this category: 5 #### Grinding, Cup Wheels and Surface Prep Cutting is only half the work. Once a slab is poured, patched or exposed, somebody has to grind it flat, strip the old coating, chase out the cracks, rake the joints and bring the surface up to a finish. DOT stocks the diamond tooling for all of it — **cup wheels** for grinding concrete and masonry, **tuck-point and crack-chaser blades** for joint and crack work, and **polishing pads** for stone and concrete finishing — with 35+ years of advice behind the selection. ##### Cup Wheels for Grinding and Coating Removal A [diamond cup wheel](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/cup-wheels/) mounts on an angle grinder and removes material fast across a flat face. The segment layout decides how it behaves. **Double-row** cup wheels put two concentric rings of segments on the face for aggressive stock removal — levelling high spots, taking down trowel marks, stripping thick coatings and mastic. **Turbo** cup wheels use a continuous, waved rim that removes less per pass but leaves a far smoother surface, which is what you want for finishing work and for feathering into an existing floor. A common mistake is trying to do both jobs with one wheel: double-row first for speed, turbo second for finish. ##### Matching Wheel Size to Grinder Cup wheels are sized to the machine, not the job. A 4″ or 4.5″ wheel suits a standard 11,000 RPM angle grinder and gets into corners and along walls. A 5″ wheel is the general-purpose choice. A 7″ wheel covers ground quickly on open floors but needs a large grinder with the torque to drive it and the guard to match. Always check the maximum RPM stamped on the wheel against your grinder's rated speed before mounting — overspeeding a cup wheel is genuinely dangerous. Most cup wheels use a 5/8″-11 thread that screws directly onto the grinder spindle. ##### Tuck Point and Crack Chaser Blades These two look similar and do very different jobs. [Tuck-point blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/tuck-point-crack-chaser/) carry a thick rim, usually around 1/4″, designed to rake old mortar out of masonry joints ahead of repointing. The thickness matters: it grinds the joint to a consistent width without chewing into the brick or block either side. **Crack-chaser** blades use a V-shaped segment profile to rout out a crack in concrete or asphalt into a clean, tapered channel. That channel is the entire point — filler bonds to sound material and to two angled faces, so a chased crack stays repaired while a filled hairline crack simply opens again. ##### Polishing Pads and Progressive Grits [Wet polishing pads](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/polishing-pads/) take stone and concrete from a ground surface to a mirror finish by working through progressive grits, typically 50 through 3000. The principle is simple and unforgiving: each grit exists only to remove the scratch pattern left by the one before it. Skip a step and you will still see the coarse scratches under the gloss at the end, and the only fix is to go back. Work wet to control heat and dust and to keep the pad clear. This is the standard method for countertop edges, vanity cut-outs and polished-concrete floors. ##### Getting Longer Life From Grinding Tools The bond rule that governs saw blades governs cup wheels too: hard, dense concrete wants a softer bond so the matrix keeps releasing fresh diamond, while soft, green concrete and abrasive block want a harder bond that resists being scoured away. If a wheel stops cutting and starts sliding across the surface, it has glazed — the bond is too hard for what you are grinding, and dressing it on an abrasive block will re-expose the diamond. Let the weight of the machine do the work instead of leaning on it, because pressure generates heat and heat is what strips segments off a wheel. Keep the tool moving in overlapping passes rather than dwelling in one spot, which avoids both gouging and localised overheating. Finally, replace a worn shroud skirt promptly; once the brush is gone the extraction rate drops sharply and you are back to breathing what you grind. ##### Dust, Silica and Guarding Dry grinding concrete produces respirable crystalline silica in serious quantities — considerably more than most cutting operations, because you are abrading a wide surface rather than opening a narrow kerf. A dust shroud connected to a HEPA vacuum is the standard control and is what brings handheld grinding inside [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Use the shroud that fits your wheel diameter, keep the brush skirt in good condition, and empty the vacuum before it loses suction. Wet polishing controls dust by its nature, which is one more reason it is the preferred method on finish work. #### Frequently Asked Questions **Which cup wheel is best for removing coatings?** A double-row diamond cup wheel. The two rings of segments strip paint, epoxy, mastic and thick coatings quickly. Follow it with a turbo cup wheel if you need a smooth surface afterwards, and run a dust shroud and vacuum throughout. **What is the difference between a turbo and a double-row cup wheel?** Double-row wheels remove material aggressively and leave a coarser surface, suiting levelling and coating removal. Turbo wheels have a continuous waved rim that removes less per pass but leaves a much smoother finish, suiting final grinding and blending. **What is a tuck-point blade used for?** Raking old mortar out of masonry joints before repointing. Its thick rim grinds the joint to an even width without damaging the brick or block on either side. **What does a crack chaser blade do?** It routs a crack in concrete or asphalt into a clean V-shaped channel so filler has sound material and angled faces to bond to. Filling an unchased crack rarely holds. **How do polishing pad grits work?** You step up through the grits in order, from coarse around 50 to fine around 3000. Each grit removes the scratch pattern left by the previous one. Skipping grits leaves visible scratches under the final polish. **What size cup wheel fits my angle grinder?** Match it to the machine: 4″ to 4.5″ for a standard angle grinder, 5″ for general-purpose work, 7″ only on a large grinder with the torque and guard for it. Always check the wheel's maximum RPM against your grinder's speed. **Do I need a dust shroud for grinding concrete?** For any dry grinding, yes. Concrete grinding generates high levels of respirable silica, and a shroud paired with a HEPA vacuum is the recognized control measure under OSHA Table 1. **Why has my cup wheel stopped cutting?** It has glazed. The diamonds are polished flat and the bond is too hard for the material, so nothing fresh is being exposed. Dress it on an abrasive block, ease off the pressure, and check you are using the right bond for the surface. **Doing surface prep, joint work or polishing?** Tell us the surface and the machine you are running — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Masonry & Block URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/masonry-block/ Products in this category: 1 #### Masonry and Block Diamond Blades Block is soft, brick is fired hard, and both are abrasive enough to destroy a blade formulated for concrete. Masonry work also happens differently from slab sawing: shorter cuts, more of them, often overhead or at awkward angles, and frequently inside a building where dust matters more than speed. DOT Diamond Tools supplies hard-bond masonry blades to bricklayers, block crews, demolition contractors and commercial fit-out teams. ##### Hard bond for soft material The rule reads backwards until you understand what wears out. **Abrasive material takes a hard bond.** CMU and brick throw off coarse grit that scours the metal matrix, and a soft bond gives up long before the diamonds do. A hard matrix resists that erosion and keeps each crystal anchored for its full life. Put a concrete blade into block work and it will wear from the matrix outward, finishing in a fortnight of what should be months. More detail in our [bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/). ##### Why segmented beats turbo on block Block and brick produce a coarse, fluffy dust rather than the fine slurry concrete gives. Wide gullets between segments clear that debris; a tight turbo rim packs solid with it and stops cutting. That is why our [Masonry and Block Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-masonry-block-blade/) runs a segmented rim. Where the finished edge is on show, as on face brick and pavers, the trade-off reverses and a turbo rim gives the cleaner arris. Rim types are compared in [segmented versus turbo versus continuous](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/). ##### Sizes and the machines they fit Masonry blades run small by slab-sawing standards. Seven to fourteen inches covers nearly all of it: the smaller sizes for a bench-mounted masonry saw where the material comes to the blade, the larger two for a handheld gas or electric cut-off saw where the blade goes to the wall. As always, expect about a third of the diameter in depth per pass, so a 14 inch blade gives roughly 4-1/2 inches. A single-skin block wall is one pass; a cavity wall is two, from both faces. ##### Cutting dry, and the dust problem Masonry blades are usually run dry because the work is often indoors, at height, or on a finished floor where slurry costs more to clean up than the cut costs to make. Dry cutting block is also one of the highest silica-exposure tasks on any site. A saw with on-tool extraction or a water feed is the practical route to compliance, and it is not optional on a regulated project. See [silica dust control and OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ##### Typical masonry jobs Cutting CMU to course on a rising wall, chasing conduit and services into blockwork, opening a doorway through a partition, trimming brick around an arch or a chase, and cutting closers on a bond pattern. Demolition crews use the same blades to open access through masonry walls. What unites them is short cuts in abrasive material, which is a consumable pattern rather than a single-blade purchase. Commercial teams will find more in our guide for [commercial construction](https://dotdiamondtools.com/industries/commercial-construction/). ##### Mixed-material work Fit-out and refurbishment rarely stay on one material. If you are meeting concrete lintels and reinforced elements between runs of block, a combination rim will save more in blade changes than it costs in cutting speed. The [All-Purpose Combo Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-all-purpose-combo-blade/) is built for that pattern. For sustained production in block alone, the matched masonry blade cuts faster and costs less per linear foot. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What bond should I use for cutting block?** A hard bond. Block and brick are soft and abrasive, and abrasive material scours a soft matrix away quickly. A hard matrix holds each diamond until it is genuinely worn. This is the reverse of what cured concrete needs. **Can I use a concrete blade on block and brick?** It will cut, but it will not last. A concrete blade runs a soft bond that abrasive block erodes rapidly, so you lose usable diamond. For anything beyond a handful of cuts the correct blade is cheaper. **Should masonry blades be segmented or turbo?** Segmented for block and general masonry, because wide gullets clear the coarse dust that would pack a turbo rim. Turbo where the cut edge will be visible, such as face brick and pavers, since the unbroken rim leaves a cleaner arris. **Can I cut block wet?** Yes. On a masonry table saw with a water tray the blade will run wet quite happily and the cut edge comes out cleaner, with far less dust. Most handheld masonry work is dry simply because the location makes water impractical. **What size blade do I need for a block wall?** A 14 inch blade cuts roughly 4-1/2 inches deep, which handles a standard single-skin block in one pass. A cavity wall needs cutting from both faces. Smaller sizes suit bench saws where the block comes to the blade. **How dangerous is dry-cutting masonry?** Dry cutting block and brick is among the highest silica-exposure tasks in construction. Water at the blade or on-tool dust extraction is required on regulated work, and a dust mask alone does not meet the standard. **Why has my masonry blade stopped cutting?** Usually loading rather than wear. Coarse masonry dust has packed the gullets so the diamonds can no longer reach the material. Running the blade through an abrasive block or a few cuts in harder material will expose fresh diamond. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will match a blade to the material, the saw and how much of it you are cutting. ### Polishing Pads URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/polishing-pads/ Products in this category: 1 #### Diamond Polishing Pads for Stone and Concrete Polishing pads take a ground surface through to a finish, working up through progressive grits until the scratch pattern is fine enough to read as gloss. They are the standard method for countertop edges and cut-outs, vanity work, and polished-concrete floors. DOT stocks **wet polishing pad sets** covering the full grit range from coarse cutting through to final polish. ##### How Progressive Grits Work The principle is simple and completely unforgiving. Each grit exists only to remove the scratch pattern left by the grit before it. A 50-grit pad leaves deep scratches; 100 removes those and leaves shallower ones; and so on up through 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 3000 until the remaining scratches are too fine for the eye to resolve and the surface reads as polished. Skip a step and the coarse scratches from two grits back are still there under the gloss at the end — they will show clearly in raking light, and the only remedy is to go back down and start again. Work each grit until the previous pattern is genuinely gone before moving up. ##### Wet Working Wet polishing is the norm for good reasons. Water keeps the pad and the workpiece cool, which protects the resin bond in the pad and prevents burnishing or discolouring the stone. It flushes away the spent slurry so the pad cuts fresh material rather than grinding its own debris. And it controls dust entirely, which matters on stone containing silica such as granite and engineered quartz. Keep a steady feed of water on the surface and the pads clear; a pad clogged with dried slurry stops cutting and starts polishing prematurely, which gives a false sense of progress. ##### Stone Versus Concrete Both take the same progressive-grit approach, but they behave differently. **Granite, marble and engineered stone** are dense and consistent, so the grit sequence proceeds predictably and a high gloss is achievable. **Concrete** is variable — it contains aggregate, sand and paste of different hardnesses in the same surface, so early grits may cut unevenly and you may expose aggregate as you go. Densifier is normally applied partway through a concrete polish to harden the paste and let the finer grits build gloss. Do not expect a concrete floor to behave like a slab of granite. ##### Pad Care and Storage Rinse pads before the slurry dries on them and let them dry before stacking. Dried slurry hardens into the resin and blinds the diamond, which is the most common reason a pad set underperforms on its second job. Keep the set together and in grit order so nobody grabs the wrong one mid-sequence — a single out-of-order pad undoes the step before it. #### Frequently Asked Questions **How do polishing pad grits work?** You step up through the grits in order, from coarse around 50 to fine around 3000. Each grit removes the scratch pattern left by the previous one, and the surface reads as polished once the remaining scratches are too fine to see. **Can I skip grits to save time?** No. Skipping leaves the coarser scratches in place under the gloss, and they show up clearly in raking light. The only fix is to go back down the sequence and work up again, which costs far more time than the step you skipped. **Should I polish wet or dry?** Wet, in nearly all cases. Water cools the pad and the surface, clears spent slurry so the pad keeps cutting, and controls silica dust from granite, quartz and concrete. **What grit should I start at?** It depends on the surface condition. A ground or previously polished surface may start around 200 or 400. A rough or freshly cut surface needs to start at 50 to 100 to establish flatness first. **Are the same pads used on stone and concrete?** The same progressive-grit method applies to both, though concrete is less consistent because of the aggregate and usually needs a densifier partway through to build gloss in the paste. **Why has my pad stopped cutting?** Usually clogging. Dried slurry blinds the diamond and the pad burnishes instead of cutting. Rinse pads before the slurry dries and keep a steady flow of water while working. **How long does a set of polishing pads last?** It depends on the material and how much stock each grit is removing, but the coarse pads always wear fastest because they do the heaviest work. Pads that are rinsed and dried properly last considerably longer than ones stacked wet. **Polishing stone or concrete?** Tell us the material and the finish you are after — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Saws & Equipment URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/ Products in this category: 9 #### Concrete Saws, Power Cutters and Equipment The right saw makes the blade. A perfectly matched diamond blade on an underpowered or wrong-format machine will cut slowly, wander off line and wear unevenly. DOT carries professional cutting equipment from the brands contractors actually run — **Husqvarna, Makita and iQ Power Tools** — covering handheld power cutters, walk-behind flat saws, dust-control masonry and tile saws, and core drilling rigs, with the blades and accessories to match. ##### Handheld Power Cutters [Cut-off saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/cut-off-saws/) are the workhorse of concrete cutting: patches, pipe, wall openings, rebar, curb and anything a walk-behind cannot reach. Gas machines like the Husqvarna K770 still lead on raw power and untethered runtime, and remain the default for open-site production work. Battery cutters have closed the gap considerably — the Husqvarna K1 PACE and Makita XEC01 deliver near gas-equivalent cutting with no exhaust, which makes them the only sensible option indoors, in basements, in tunnels and anywhere emissions are restricted. Handheld cutters typically take 12″ or 14″ blades and give you around 4″ to 5″ of depth in a single pass. ##### Walk-Behind and Flat Saws [Walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/) such as the Husqvarna FS305 and FS400 exist for one reason: long, deep, dead-straight cuts that no handheld can produce. The machine carries the weight, the blade runs on a fixed arbor at a controlled depth, and the operator simply steers. Use them for slab removal, expansion and control joints, roadway cutting and trenching. Depth is set by blade diameter, and these machines take much larger blades than a handheld — commonly 18″ to 36″, giving 6″ to 12″ of depth. If you are cutting more than a few meters of straight line, a walk-behind will be faster, straighter and far less punishing than a handheld. ##### Dust-Control, Tile and Masonry Saws [Tile and masonry saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/) cover the precision end of the work. The iQ Power Tools line is built around integrated dust collection, which lets crews cut brick, block, paver and tile indoors and in occupied buildings without setting up water or tenting the area. Wet tile saws remain the standard for porcelain and finished stone where a chip-free edge is essential — paired with a continuous-rim blade, they produce a cut that needs no dressing afterwards. ##### Core Drilling Rigs and Stands Drilling is its own discipline. Handheld core drills such as the Husqvarna DM230 handle small dry holes in block and brick, but anything over roughly 4″ in structural concrete needs a rig. A stand like the Husqvarna DS150 anchors to the slab, feeds the bit straight and applies even pressure, which is what keeps a barrel from binding and produces a plumb hole. See the [core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/) range for the bits, threads and adapters that go with them. ##### Silica Dust and OSHA Compliance Equipment choice is where silica compliance is won or lost. Saws with integrated water delivery, and dust-collection systems like the iQ line, are the engineering controls that place a task inside [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/) — follow the specified control fully and you avoid the exposure assessment and monitoring burden. In practice that means a functioning water feed at the recommended flow, or a shroud and HEPA extractor sized to the tool. Buying the machine is the easy part; keeping the water tank filled, the filters clean and the shrouds intact is what keeps a crew compliant day to day. ##### Matching Blades and Saws Two numbers decide whether a blade and saw belong together: **arbor** and **maximum RPM**. Handheld cutters and grinders usually run 7/8″ or 5/8″ arbors, high-speed and walk-behind saws take 1″ or 20mm, and stone bridge saws are often 1″ or 50mm. Reducer bushings adapt between them, but the RPM rating is not negotiable — the maximum speed stamped on the blade must be at or above your saw's rated speed. Beyond fit, match the bond to the material and the machine's power: a large-diameter blade on an underpowered saw will bog, overheat and glaze. ##### Buying a Saw and Blade Package Specifying the machine and its consumables together avoids the most common and most expensive mistake in this trade — a good saw paired with whatever blade happened to be cheapest that week. A package built around the material you cut most gets you the correct arbor, a bond suited to that material, a blade diameter the machine can actually drive, and the guarding and water or extraction kit needed to run it compliantly. It also means one conversation instead of three, and one supplier to come back to when the blades need replacing. Our [blade and saw packages](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/blade-saw-packages/) bundle combinations that already work together, and where none of them fits your work exactly we will put one together around the material, the depth of cut and the environment the crew is working in. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is the best handheld concrete saw?** The gas Husqvarna K770 remains the proven all-rounder for open-site work. If you need cordless or are working indoors, the Husqvarna K1 PACE and Makita XEC01 give close to gas-equivalent performance with no exhaust. **Do I need a walk-behind saw or a handheld cutter?** Handhelds suit patches, pipe, wall openings and anything awkward to reach. Walk-behind flat saws suit long, deep, straight cuts in slabs and roadways. Crews doing both kinds of work usually run one of each. **How deep will a concrete saw cut?** Roughly one third of the blade diameter. A 14″ blade on a handheld gives about 4″ to 5″; a walk-behind running an 18″ to 36″ blade gives 6″ to 12″. For a full-depth slab cut, step up the machine rather than forcing a handheld. **What equipment helps with OSHA silica compliance?** Saws with integrated water delivery for wet cutting, or dust-collection systems such as the iQ Power Tools line. Both are recognized engineering controls under OSHA Table 1 when operated as specified. **Are battery power cutters good enough for concrete?** For most handheld work, yes. Modern battery cutters approach gas performance and are the better choice indoors or wherever exhaust is a problem. Gas still wins for sustained all-day production on open sites. **When do I need a core drill stand instead of a handheld drill?** Above about 4″ in structural concrete. A stand anchors down, feeds straight and stops the bit binding. Handheld drilling is fine for small dry holes in block and brick. **Will any diamond blade fit my saw?** Only if the arbor matches and the blade's maximum RPM is at or above your saw's rated speed. Reducer bushings adapt arbor sizes, but never fit a blade rated below your machine's speed. **Why is my saw cutting slowly or wandering off line?** Usually a blade problem rather than a machine problem — a glazed blade, a bond too hard for the material, or a blade too large for the saw's power. A bent arbor flange or a warped blade will also pull a cut off line. **Building out your fleet?** Tell us the work you are taking on and we will spec the machine and blades together — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Stone, Marble & Granite URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/stone-marble-granite/ Products in this category: 2 #### Stone, Marble and Granite Diamond Blades Natural stone punishes a badly chosen blade in a way concrete never does, because the cut face is the finished product. A chipped arris on a sill or a worktop is not a defect you grind out; it is a piece you cut again. DOT Diamond Tools supplies stone blades to fabrication shops, monumental masons, worktop installers and site trades working in granite, marble, travertine and limestone. ##### Hard material takes a soft bond Granite is about the hardest material a diamond blade meets in the building trades, and marble is dense even though it is softer. Both take a **soft bond**. The matrix must break down quickly enough that blunted diamonds release and sharp ones take over, because a hard bond on stone simply polishes over and the operator ends up forcing the head. It is the same rule that governs cured concrete and porcelain, and the exact opposite of what block and asphalt need. See our [bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/). ##### Where segmented and continuous rims divide The split is by material rather than by machine. Granite goes on a **segmented** premium blade, where the gullets clear the heavy slurry that hard stone generates and the higher diamond concentration earns its cost in square footage. Marble, travertine and limestone go on a **continuous rim**, because they flake at the arris and an unbroken edge supports the stone through the pass. Our [Granite Bridge Saw Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-granite-bridge-saw-blade/) and [Stone and Marble Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-stone-marble-blade/) cover the two cases. ##### Wet only, without exception Stone generates serious heat and holds it. Every blade in this range is wet-only, and a saw running short on flow will overheat the core and cup the blade permanently. Keep water on both faces of the blade and check the flow before every slab rather than every shift. A cupped blade cuts wide, wanders off the line and cannot be trued again, so this is the cheapest failure to prevent and one of the most expensive to ignore. ##### Bridge saws and site work A bridge saw runs a fixed head along a rail over a stationary slab, so the blade works at a constant feed all day and shops judge it on square footage before the segments are spent. Site work is the opposite: short cuts, awkward positions, and edge quality that has to match what the fabricator produced. Fourteen to twenty inch blades suit bridge saws; seven to fourteen inch suits site and bench work. ##### Premium grade and why it pays here Grade matters more on stone than on almost anything else. Higher diamond concentration and better crystal quality cost more per blade and less per square foot, which is the calculation a fabrication shop actually runs. On a bridge saw cutting granite all week, segment life is the number that decides cost, not the purchase price. On occasional site work the economics reverse and a professional-grade blade is the sensible buy. ##### Reading a blade that is not performing Slow cutting with a shiny rim is glazing, which means the bond is too hard for the stone or the feed too light. Fast wear with visible segment loss means the opposite. A wandering cut usually means a cupped core from heat rather than anything to do with diamond. Chipping on marble is nearly always feed rate or an unsupported edge rather than the blade itself. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What bond does granite need?** A soft bond. Granite is extremely hard, so the matrix has to erode fast enough to keep releasing blunted diamonds and exposing sharp ones. A hard bond glazes over and the saw starts pushing rather than cutting. **Should I use a segmented or continuous rim on stone?** Segmented for granite, where gullets clear heavy slurry and the higher diamond concentration pays. Continuous for marble, travertine and limestone, which flake at the edge and need the unbroken rim to support the stone through the cut. **Can stone be cut dry?** No. Stone generates and holds serious heat, and every blade in this range is wet-only. A dry pass will overheat the steel core and cup the blade permanently, which cannot be repaired. **Why is my granite blade cutting slowly?** It has almost certainly glazed. The diamonds have polished flat rather than fracturing, usually because the bond is too hard for the stone or the feed pressure too light. Leaning harder makes it worse. **What size blade does a bridge saw take?** Fourteen to twenty inches covers most bridge saws. Check the machine's maximum blade diameter and the arbor before ordering, and size to the thickest slab you cut rather than the average. **Is a premium grade blade worth the money?** On production work, yes. Higher diamond concentration costs more per blade and less per square foot, which is the figure that matters when you are cutting all week. For occasional site work a professional grade blade is the better buy. **Why is my marble chipping at the edge?** Usually feed rate or support rather than the blade. Slow down through the last part of the cut and make sure the stone is fully supported on the bed. A segmented rim on marble will also chip and should be swapped for a continuous one. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will match a rim, bond and grade to the stone you are cutting. ### Tile & Porcelain URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/tile-porcelain/ Products in this category: 1 #### Porcelain and Tile Diamond Blades Porcelain is the hardest material most contractors cut, and tile is the least forgiving. Everything about the cut ends up visible in the finished room, so edge quality decides the blade rather than speed. DOT Diamond Tools supplies continuous rim blades to tilers, stone fixers, bathroom and kitchen installers and commercial fit-out teams working in porcelain, ceramic and large-format panels. ##### Why the rim must be continuous Porcelain chips on the exit face, not the entry face. Every gullet in a segmented or turbo rim is an interruption in the cutting edge, and each interruption is another opportunity to spall the glaze on the underside of the cut. An unbroken **continuous rim** keeps the edge in contact and the tile supported right through the pass. It cuts more slowly than a turbo rim and that is the point. Rim types are compared in [segmented versus turbo versus continuous](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/). ##### Soft bond on hard material Through-body porcelain is dense and extremely hard, which means it takes a **soft bond**. The matrix has to erode fast enough that blunted diamonds release and sharp ones take their place; a hard bond simply polishes over and the operator ends up pushing rather than cutting. It is the same rule that governs granite, and the opposite of what block and asphalt need. See our [bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/). ##### Wet cutting is not optional A continuous rim has no gullets to carry heat away, so water is doing structural work rather than just controlling dust. Run one dry and it will overheat within a few feet, warp the core out of true and burn a brown line along the cut. Every blade in the [Porcelain and Tile range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-porcelain-tile-blade/) is wet-only, and a tile saw with a tray or pump feed is the right machine. Dust control is a secondary benefit rather than the reason. ##### Technique matters more than the blade Feed slowly and let the blade set its own rate. Most chipping happens in the last quarter inch, where the unsupported edge breaks away as the blade exits, so ease off at the end of the pass or score and finish rather than pushing through. Support the tile fully on the bed. On large-format porcelain the length of the bed and the trueness of the rail matter more than horsepower, and a fresh rim matters more than either. ##### Sizes and machines Seven to fourteen inches covers tile work. Smaller blades suit compact site saws and cutting in situ; larger blades give the depth and the straighter line needed for large-format panels and worktops. Match the blade to the saw arbor and check the maximum blade diameter the machine accepts before ordering. Machines are in [tile saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/), including dust-controlled options for occupied buildings. ##### Where stone differs from porcelain Marble, travertine and limestone are softer and more layered than porcelain, and they flake at the arris rather than chipping at the glaze. They still want a continuous rim and a soft bond, but they are more tolerant of feed rate. Granite is harder again and moves to a segmented premium blade on a bridge saw. The full range is under [stone, marble and granite](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/stone-marble-granite/). #### Frequently Asked Questions **What blade cuts porcelain without chipping?** A continuous rim blade run wet. Segmented and turbo rims have gullets that interrupt the cutting edge, and each interruption risks spalling the glaze on the exit face. The unbroken rim supports the tile through the whole pass. **Why does porcelain chip at the end of the cut?** Because the material is unsupported as the blade exits. Slow the feed rate in the last quarter inch, or score and finish rather than pushing straight through. Full support under the tile on the saw bed also helps. **Can I cut porcelain dry?** No. A continuous rim has no gullets to shed heat, so a dry pass will overheat the blade within a few feet, warp the steel core and burn the glaze along the cut. Water is cooling the blade, not just suppressing dust. **What bond does porcelain need?** A soft bond. Porcelain is extremely hard, and hard material needs a matrix that erodes quickly enough to keep exposing sharp diamond. A hard bond glazes over and stops cutting. **What size tile blade should I buy?** Match it to your saw. Seven to ten inch blades suit compact site saws and in-situ work; twelve and fourteen inch blades give the depth and straighter line needed for large-format porcelain and worktops. Check the machine's maximum blade diameter first. **Can the same blade cut porcelain and natural stone?** Largely yes. Both want a continuous rim and a soft bond, and marble and travertine are more forgiving on feed rate than porcelain. Granite is the exception and performs better on a segmented premium blade. **Why has my tile blade stopped cutting cleanly?** Usually a glazed rim from running too fast or with insufficient water, or a rim worn out of round. Check the water first, then feed rate. A blade that has overheated and cupped cannot be recovered. Call our team on (701) 922-1526 and we will match a rim and bond to the material you are cutting. ### Tile Saws URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/ Products in this category: 2 #### Tile, Masonry and Dust-Control Saws This is the precision end of concrete cutting: table-mounted saws that produce clean, square, chip-free cuts in tile, porcelain, brick, block and paver. DOT stocks the **iQ Power Tools** dust-control range alongside conventional wet tile saws, so you can pick between capturing the dust and flushing it away depending on where the work is happening. ##### Wet Saws or Dust-Control Saws Both solve the same problem in opposite ways. A **wet tile saw** runs the blade through a water bath, which cools the rim, lifts the dust away as slurry and gives the best possible edge on porcelain and finished stone. The trade-off is water and slurry on site. A **dust-control saw** such as the iQ line captures the dust at the blade through an integrated vacuum system, which lets crews cut brick, block and paver inside occupied buildings and on finished floors with no water at all. For tile and stone finish work, wet still gives the better edge. For masonry indoors, dust control is usually the only practical option. ##### Getting Chip-Free Cuts A clean edge in porcelain comes down to three things. Use a [continuous-rim blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/tile-porcelain/) rather than a segmented one — the gullets in a segmented blade are exactly what chip a glazed edge. Feed slowly and let the blade do the work, particularly on the last inch where the material is unsupported and most likely to break out. And keep the tile flat and fully supported on the table throughout the cut. Rushing the exit is the single most common cause of a chipped corner on an otherwise good cut. ##### Cutting Brick, Block and Paver Masonry is more forgiving than tile and the priorities change. Here you want speed and the ability to handle a heavy, irregular unit rather than a flawless edge. A segmented or turbo rim cuts faster through block and paver, and the table needs to be large and stable enough to carry the unit squarely. Hardscape work in particular benefits from a dust-control machine, because paver cutting is usually done on site and often close to finished surfaces where slurry would be a real problem. ##### Silica and Indoor Work Cutting tile, brick and block dry generates respirable crystalline silica in significant quantities, and tile saws are frequently used indoors where there is nowhere for that dust to go. Both routes are recognized engineering controls under [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/): integrated water on a wet saw, or an integrated dust-collection system on a machine designed for it. What is not acceptable is running a dry cut on a saw with neither. Check the filters and empty the collection bin regularly, since a saturated filter drops extraction efficiency quickly. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is the difference between a wet tile saw and a dust-control saw?** A wet saw cools the blade and removes dust with water, giving the best edge on porcelain and stone. A dust-control saw captures dust at the blade with a vacuum system, allowing dry cutting indoors and on finished floors. **Which blade gives a chip-free cut in porcelain?** A continuous-rim blade. The gullets in a segmented blade are what chip a glazed edge. Pair it with a slow feed and full support under the tile. **Can I cut brick and block on a tile saw?** Yes, provided the table is large and stable enough for the unit. Masonry cuts faster with a segmented or turbo rim, where a slightly rougher edge is not a problem. **Are dust-control saws suitable for indoor work?** That is what they are designed for. Integrated dust collection lets crews cut masonry in occupied buildings and on finished floors without water, and it satisfies OSHA Table 1 when operated as specified. **Why is my tile chipping at the end of the cut?** Almost always feeding too fast through the last inch, where the material is unsupported and breaks out. Slow right down as you finish and keep the tile fully supported on the table. **Do I still need dust control if I cut wet?** No. Water at the blade is itself the recognized control for silica, provided the flow is adequate and maintained throughout the cut. **How do I maintain a dust-control saw?** Empty the collection bin and check the filters regularly. A saturated filter loses extraction efficiency quickly, which puts dust back into the air and reduces the machine's cutting performance. **Cutting tile, brick or paver?** Tell us the material and whether the work is indoors — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Tuck Point & Crack Chaser URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/tuck-point-crack-chaser/ Products in this category: 2 #### Tuck Point and Crack Chaser Blades These two blades look similar on the shelf and do completely different jobs. A **tuck point blade** rakes old mortar out of masonry joints ahead of repointing. A **crack chaser** routs a crack in concrete or asphalt into a clean channel so filler has something to bond to. Both run on an angle grinder, both use a thick rim, and both are the difference between a repair that lasts and one that fails within a season. ##### Tuck Point Blades Repointing starts with getting the old mortar out cleanly, and a tuck point blade is built for exactly that. The rim is deliberately thick — usually around 1/4″ — because the blade has to grind the joint to a consistent width without biting into the brick or block either side. A standard thin blade wanders, chatters and damages the masonry arris. Work to a consistent depth, typically around twice the joint width, so the new mortar has enough purchase to hold. On soft historic brick, take more passes at lower pressure rather than forcing a single deep cut. ##### Crack Chaser Blades A crack chaser uses a **V-shaped segment profile** to open a crack out into a tapered channel, and that geometry is the entire point. Sealant or filler needs sound material and two angled faces to key into. Poured straight into an unprepared hairline crack it bonds to dust and debris, sits proud of the surface, and lifts out under the first freeze or the first heavy load. Chasing the crack first removes the loose edges, exposes clean concrete and gives the filler a reservoir of consistent depth. It is an extra step that roughly determines whether the repair lasts one winter or ten. ##### Technique and Depth Both blades cut dry on a standard angle grinder and both generate serious dust. Keep the grinder square to the work — tilting either blade loads one side of the rim and wears it unevenly. Move at a steady walking pace rather than pushing; a thick-rim blade removes material through repeated passes, not through pressure. On long runs, watch for the rim heating up and give it a few seconds spinning free in air to shed heat. ##### Dust and Silica Raking mortar and chasing cracks are both high dust-generating tasks, and mortar dust carries respirable silica just as concrete does. Use a shroud matched to the blade diameter with a HEPA vacuum attached — this is the recognized engineering control under [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/), and it also keeps the joint visible while you work, which improves the quality of the cut. #### Frequently Asked Questions **What is a tuck point blade used for?** Raking old mortar out of masonry joints before repointing. Its thick rim grinds the joint to an even width without damaging the brick or block on either side. **What does a crack chaser blade do?** It routs a crack in concrete or asphalt into a clean V-shaped channel, giving sealant sound material and two angled faces to bond to. Filling an unchased crack rarely holds. **Can I use a tuck point blade as a crack chaser?** Not effectively. A tuck point blade cuts a square-sided slot; a crack chaser cuts a tapered V. The V profile is what makes filler key in and stay put, so use the right one for the job. **How deep should I rake a mortar joint?** A common guide is around twice the joint width, which gives the new mortar enough depth to hold. Take several passes rather than one deep cut, especially on soft historic brick. **Why is my blade wearing unevenly?** Almost always because the grinder is being tilted rather than held square. That loads one side of the rim and wears it out of true. Keep the machine perpendicular and let the blade track its own line. **Do I need dust extraction for tuck pointing?** Yes. Mortar and concrete dust both carry respirable silica, and a shroud with a HEPA vacuum is the recognized control under OSHA Table 1. It also keeps the joint visible while you cut. **What size blades are these?** Typically 4″ to 5″ to suit a standard angle grinder, which gives good control in joint work and fits into tight corners along walls. **Repointing or repairing cracks?** Tell us the joint width and the surface — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Walk-Behind Saws URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/ Products in this category: 2 #### Walk-Behind and Flat Saws for Slabs and Roadways Walk-behind saws exist for one job that no handheld can do: long, deep, dead-straight cuts. The machine carries its own weight, the blade runs on a fixed arbor at a set depth, and the operator steers rather than supports. DOT supplies **Husqvarna FS-series** flat saws for slab removal, expansion and control joints, roadway cutting and trenching, with large-diameter blades to match. ##### Why the Format Matters Three things change when the saw sits on wheels. **Depth** increases dramatically, because the machine can carry an 18″ to 36″ blade and reach 6″ to 12″ where a handheld tops out around 5″. **Accuracy** improves, because the blade is fixed in a frame and tracks a line rather than following an operator's arms. And **fatigue** disappears as a limiting factor — a crew cutting fifty meters of joint by hand will slow down and wander long before a walk-behind will. If you are cutting more than a few meters in a straight line, the format pays for itself in a single job. ##### Typical Applications **Control and expansion joints** in fresh slabs, cut early to relieve shrinkage before random cracking sets in. **Slab removal**, where a full-depth perimeter cut lets sections be lifted out cleanly instead of broken up. **Roadway and pavement cutting** for utility trenches and patch repairs, where a clean vertical edge means a better reinstatement. **Trenching layout**, cutting both sides of a run before breaking out the middle. ##### Blade Selection and Depth Depth is set by blade diameter, following the same rough one-third rule as any diamond blade. An 18″ blade gives around 6″, a 24″ around 8″, and a 36″ around 12″. Match the bond to the material — soft bond for hard cured concrete, hard bond for green concrete and asphalt — and confirm the arbor and maximum RPM suit the machine. Fitting an oversized blade to gain depth on a saw without the power to drive it simply glazes the blade and overloads the engine. Green-concrete joint cutting is its own case: cut too early and the slab ravels at the edges, too late and it has already cracked, so timing matters as much as the blade. ##### Water and Silica Flat saws are almost always run wet, with water fed to both sides of the blade from an on-board tank or a site supply. That is partly blade life and partly compliance — wet cutting is the recognized engineering control for respirable silica under [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/), and on a machine cutting continuously for hours the dust load from dry cutting would be substantial. Keep the tank filled and check both nozzles are actually flowing before starting a long run. #### Frequently Asked Questions **When do I need a walk-behind saw instead of a handheld?** For long, deep or straight cuts — slab removal, control and expansion joints, roadway and trench work. Handhelds suit patches, pipe and awkward access. Beyond a few meters of straight line, a walk-behind is faster and more accurate. **How deep will a walk-behind saw cut?** Roughly one third of the blade diameter. An 18″ blade reaches about 6″, a 24″ about 8″, and a 36″ about 12″. Depth is limited by what blade the machine is rated to carry. **What blade should I use in a flat saw?** Match the bond to the material: soft bond for hard cured concrete, hard bond for green concrete and asphalt. Confirm the arbor fits and the blade's maximum RPM meets or exceeds the machine's rated speed. **When should control joints be cut in fresh concrete?** Timing is critical and depends on mix, temperature and conditions. Too early and the edges ravel; too late and the slab has already cracked. Green-concrete blades with a hard bond are made for this window. **Do walk-behind saws run wet or dry?** Almost always wet. Water extends blade life substantially and is the standard silica control for a machine cutting continuously. Check both nozzles are flowing before a long run. **Can a walk-behind saw cut asphalt?** Yes, with a hard-bond asphalt blade that has undercut protection. Asphalt is soft and abrasive, and a soft-bond concrete blade will wear out two to three times faster in it. **What size machine do I need?** It follows the depth you need to reach and how much cutting you do. Smaller machines like the FS305 suit joints and light slab work; larger machines such as the FS400 carry bigger blades for deeper roadway and heavy-civil cutting. **Cutting slabs, joints or roadway?** Tell us the depth and the material — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ### Wet Core Bits URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/ Products in this category: 2 #### Wet Diamond Core Bits for Concrete Wet core bits are the tool for structural concrete. Running on a rig with water fed through the barrel, they drill clean, accurate holes through cured slabs, walls and rebar-reinforced concrete at sizes from 1″ up to 14″. If the material is hard, dense or reinforced, this is the family you want — dry bits belong in block and masonry. ##### Why Wet Drilling Wins in Concrete Water does three jobs simultaneously, and all three are why wet bits outlast dry ones by a wide margin in hard material. It **cools the segments**, which stops the diamonds polishing flat and the bond overheating. It **flushes slurry** up and out of the annulus, so the bit is cutting fresh material rather than grinding its own debris. And it **suppresses silica dust** at source, which is the recognized engineering control for coring under [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Take the water away and a wet bit will glaze within minutes. ##### The 1-1/4″-7 Thread Wet core bits use a **1-1/4″-7** thread as standard, which is the fitting on core rigs and wet core drills. Dry bits use 5/8″-11 and are not directly interchangeable, though a [thread adapter](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) lets one machine run both. Check what your drill takes before ordering, because the thread follows the machine rather than the hole. ##### Rig Setup and Feed Pressure Anything above roughly 4″ in structural concrete belongs on an anchored stand. The stand keeps the barrel square to the surface and lets you apply steady, even feed — and steady feed is the single biggest factor in bit life after water supply. Too little pressure polishes the diamonds without cutting; too much overheats the bond and risks segment loss. The bit should be producing a continuous ribbon of thin gray slurry. If the slurry turns pasty or you see steam, increase the water before you do anything else. ##### Drilling Reinforced Slabs Rebar is the moment most bits are damaged. When the sound changes and the bit loads up, ease the feed rather than leaning in, and confirm water is still flowing — steel work-hardens and heats far faster than aggregate. Move through the bar slowly and return to normal feed once clear. For slabs with heavy reinforcement, use a bit specifically rated for reinforced concrete, where the bond is formulated to keep releasing diamond when it meets steel rather than glazing against it. ##### Bit Life and What Shortens It A laser-welded wet bit run with proper water and steady feed will drill hundreds of holes in ordinary concrete. Three things cut that short. **Insufficient water** glazes the segments and is by far the most common cause. **Forced feed** through rebar strips segments off the barrel. **Off-axis drilling** binds the barrel in the hole and can distort it permanently. All three are technique rather than product faults, which is why two crews using identical bits often report very different life. #### Frequently Asked Questions **When should I use a wet core bit instead of a dry one?** Whenever you are drilling hard, cured or rebar-reinforced concrete. Wet bits last far longer in structural material and control silica dust at source. Dry bits are for block, brick and soft masonry, or where water genuinely cannot be used. **What thread do wet core bits use?** 1-1/4″-7, the standard fitting on core rigs and wet core drills. An adapter lets a 5/8″-11 machine run them, but check your drill before ordering. **Can I run a wet core bit without water?** No. It will glaze and overheat within minutes and the segments can come off the barrel. If water is not available, use a dry bit with dust extraction instead. **How much water does a wet bit need?** Enough that the slurry runs out thin and gray rather than thick or steaming. A steady flow matters more than sheer volume — intermittent water is harder on a bit than a consistent moderate feed. **What size wet core bits are available?** From 1″ up to 14″. Size the bit to the fitting passing through the hole plus clearance, not to the nominal pipe size, or the fitting will not go through. **Do I need a rig or can I drill handheld?** Above about 4″ in structural concrete you need an anchored stand. A stand feeds the bit straight and stops the barrel binding, which is both a quality and a safety issue. **Why has my wet core bit stopped cutting?** Almost always glazing from too little water or too much speed. Drill into an abrasive dressing block to expose fresh diamond, then correct the water flow and ease the feed before continuing. **Coring a reinforced slab?** Tell us the diameter, the thickness and the drill you are running — call our team at [(701) 922-1526](tel:+17019221526). ## Products ### Bulk 5-Pack: DOT Pro Concrete Blade 14" URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/bulk-5-pack-dot-pro-concrete-blade-14/ SKU: DOT-S23 Price: $499.00 Category: Contractor Specials Blade consumption on a production concrete crew is predictable in a way most costs are not. If you are cutting cured slab five days a week on 14" saws, you know roughly how many blades the month takes — and buying them one at a time as they wear out is the most expensive way to do it. ##### Five 14" Pro Cured Concrete Blades This is a straight volume buy of the [DOT Pro Cured Concrete Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/) in 14", the size that covers most handheld cut-off saw work. Soft bond, segmented, formulated for hard cured concrete and for cutting through rebar. Volume pricing brings the unit cost down about **17% against single-blade pricing**. ##### Who this is for - Concrete cutting subcontractors buying by the month rather than by the job. - General contractors self-performing slab work across several sites at once. - Municipal and utility crews who need blades on the shelf, not on order. Store them flat and separated — a stack of blades under weight in a truck bed warps, and a warped core is scrap. A [blade storage case](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-diamond-blade-storage-case/) pays for itself over a five-pack. If your concrete is green rather than cured, this is the wrong bond; see [contractor specials](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/contractor-specials/) for other volume offers. ### Buy 2 Get 1 Free: DOT Asphalt Pro 14" URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/buy-2-get-1-free-dot-asphalt-pro-14/ SKU: DOT-S24 Price: $259.00 Category: Contractor Specials Asphalt eats blades. That is not a criticism of the blade — it is the nature of a material that is essentially sand and stone held together with binder, and it is why an asphalt crew budgets for blade replacement in a way a concrete crew does not. Buying three for the price of two is a straightforward way to take a bite out of that line item. ##### Three 14" Asphalt Pro Blades, pay for two Standard [DOT Asphalt Pro](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/) blades in 14" — hard bond, segmented, with undercut protection below the segments to guard the core against the abrasive slurry asphalt produces. Nothing about the blade is different in this promotion; only the price is. ##### When to stock up Paving and utility contractors ahead of a season, municipal highway departments running patch crews through summer, and anyone with a scheduled full-depth repair program where blade demand is known in advance rather than guessed at. This is a **limited-time promotion** and stock is finite. If your cutting is mostly concrete rather than pavement you want a different bond — start with the [concrete blade range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/). Other current offers are under [contractor specials](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/contractor-specials/). ### Contractor Safety Kit (Gloves/Glasses/Mask) URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/contractor-safety-kit-gloves-glasses-mask/ SKU: DOT-S17 Price: $34.00 Category: Accessories & Parts Cutting and grinding concrete puts three hazards in front of an operator at once, and they arrive together: respirable silica dust, high-velocity fragments, and hands close to a spinning rim. This kit covers the basic personal protection for that work in one part number, so a new hand can be equipped on day one instead of next week. ##### What is in it - **Cut-resistant gloves** — for handling blades, cores and freshly cut edges as much as for operating the saw. - **Safety glasses** — impact-rated eye protection against spoil and segment fragments. - **Dust mask** — respiratory protection for cutting and grinding tasks. ##### Where this fits in a silica plan Be clear about what PPE does and does not do. Under OSHA's silica standard, respiratory protection is the last line, not the first. The controls that matter are engineering controls — water at the blade or on-tool dust extraction — and the mask supplements them. A mask alone on a dry-cut task does not put you inside [Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Respirators also need to fit. Facial hair at the seal line defeats a tight-fitting mask entirely, whatever its rating. Pair this kit with a [pressurised water bottle](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pressurized-water-bottle-dust-suppression/) and you have both halves of the job covered. ### DOT All-Cut General Purpose Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-all-cut-general-purpose-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-10 Price: $15.00 – $55.00Price range: $15.00 through $55.00 Category: General Purpose Not every cut justifies a premium blade. Trimming a few blocks to fit, dressing a slab edge, opening a hole for a junction box, cutting a stub of rebar chair flush — this is the blade that lives in the truck box and gets picked up without much thought. ##### Honest about what this is The All-Cut is an **economy grade** blade and it is priced that way. Diamond concentration is lower than the DOT professional range, so on sustained production cutting it wears faster and works out dearer per linear foot than a properly matched blade. For occasional, mixed, small-scale cutting it is the sensible purchase — and spending two hundred dollars on a blade for that work is not. ##### Diameters and fit Five sizes spanning **4.5" to 14"**. The small ones mount on a standard **angle grinder**; the larger ones suit a handheld cut-off saw. A **turbo rim** and a **medium bond** give a genuine middle setting, cutting block, brick, concrete and general masonry dry without a blade change. - **Right for:** punch-list work, small repairs, second-fix cutting, anything unpredictable. - **Wrong for:** cured slab sawing, control joints, and any day-in day-out production cutting. If you cut one material all week, buy the blade matched to it — the [full diamond blade range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/) is here. ### DOT All-Purpose Combo Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-all-purpose-combo-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-03 Price: $40.00 – $85.00Price range: $40.00 through $85.00 Category: Concrete Remodel and small-commercial work rarely stays on one material. You open a block wall, meet a concrete lintel, then trim brick on the same afternoon. Changing blades three times costs more in downtime than the blades themselves cost. ##### What a combo rim actually is The combo segment is a deliberate compromise. It keeps the slotted rim and debris clearance a segmented blade needs in concrete, but pairs it with a tighter gullet and a **medium bond** that survives soft, abrasive block without shedding diamond. It will not out-cut a dedicated concrete blade in concrete, and it will not out-last a dedicated masonry blade in CMU. It will do both acceptably without a blade change, which on mixed work is the more valuable property. ##### When to reach for it, and when not to - **Use it** for mixed-material demolition, punch-list cutting, and any job where you carry a single saw to the deck. - **Skip it** for production cutting in one material — a matched blade cuts faster and costs less per linear foot. Four diameters, **7" to 14"**, for handheld cut-off saws and masonry table saws. Dry rated. Step-cut in shallow passes and let the rim run free between cuts rather than burying it; heat is what glazes a combo rim. Compare rim types in [segmented vs turbo vs continuous](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/), or see the [general purpose range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/general-purpose/). ### DOT Arbor Reducer Bushing Set URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-arbor-reducer-bushing-set/ SKU: DOT-S14 Price: $14.00 Category: Accessories & Parts The blade fits the job and the arbor does not. It is a small problem with a big cost, because a blade that will not mount is a wasted trip whatever it cost. Bushings are the cheapest insurance in the truck box. ##### Why arbor sizes vary at all Blades are manufactured for a range of machines and a range of markets, so the same 14" diameter can arrive with different center bores. Larger blades commonly carry a 1" bore because that is what walk-behind and flat saws use; smaller handheld blades typically come with a smaller bore to suit cut-off saws and grinders. A reducer bushing sits inside the larger bore and steps it down to match the smaller spindle on your saw. ##### Fitting them properly - **Seat it fully.** A bushing that is proud on one face will not let the flanges clamp square, and a blade running out of true is dangerous, not just inaccurate. - **One bushing at a time.** Never stack two to make up a size. - **Check the direction arrow** after fitting — it is easy to reverse a blade while wrestling with a bushing. - **Confirm the blade is rated** for your saw's spindle speed before adapting anything to fit it. Keep the set with the saw rather than in the blade case, so it is present when the blade is not. Browse [accessories and parts](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/). ### DOT Asphalt Pro Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-04 Price: $160.00 – $475.00Price range: $160.00 through $475.00 Category: Asphalt Look at the core of a blade that has been run hard in asphalt and the damage is below the segments, not on them. Asphalt slurry carries sand in suspension and scours the steel immediately beneath each segment until the shoulder thins and the segment eventually parts company with the core. That is undercutting, and it retires more asphalt blades than honest wear ever does. ##### Built for abrasive material The Asphalt Pro carries **undercut protection** — sacrificial wear segments set below the cutting segments — together with a **hard bond** matched to the abrasiveness of asphalt and green concrete. Soft, gritty material pulls diamond straight out of a soft matrix; a hard matrix holds it until it is genuinely worn out. ##### Sizes and typical work Eight diameters, **14" to 36"**, spanning handheld saws through large walk-behind road saws. The work it is bought for: utility trench cuts across a live road, full-depth pavement repair, milling boundary cuts, and municipal patching where a 30" or 36" blade takes the full depth in a single pass. Run wet or dry. Asphalt cuts cooler and clears faster wet, but dry cutting is unavoidable on much handheld work — keep the blade moving and never dwell in one place, which softens the binder and packs the gullets solid. Browse [asphalt blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/asphalt/), or read [silica dust control and OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). ### DOT Concrete Cutting Starter Kit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-concrete-cutting-starter-kit/ SKU: DOT-S20 Price: $1,699.00 Category: Blade & Saw Packages Cordless changes what is practical indoors. No exhaust means a cutter can be used in an occupied building, a basement or a plant room without extraction or a fuel permit, and there is no cold-start ritual before a thirty-second cut. For fit-out, service and repair work that is the whole argument. ##### What is in the kit - **Makita XEC01PT1** 36V cordless power cutter, 9" — battery-powered handheld cutting. - **Two DOT diamond blades** sized for the machine. - **DOT pressurised water bottle** for continuous water feed at the blade. ##### Why the water bottle matters here It is not an afterthought. OSHA Table 1 requires a handheld saw cutting concrete to have a continuous integrated water supply if you want to work without exposure monitoring, and a cordless saw is precisely the tool people take to sites where there is no standpipe. The bottle is what makes the package usable indoors as well as convenient. See [the Table 1 requirements](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). A 9" machine is a shallow-cutting tool. By the one-third-of-diameter rule that governs any blade, expect roughly 3" of depth in a pass. For full-depth slab sawing you want a 14" cutter or a walk-behind saw. Compare in [cut-off saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/cut-off-saws/). *Battery, charger and kit contents are listed on Makita’s own documentation for the XEC01PT1.* ### DOT Contractor Saw + Blade Package URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-contractor-saw-blade-package/ SKU: DOT-S19 Price: $1,599.00 Category: Blade & Saw Packages The most common way a new crew loses its first week is arriving with a saw and no blades that suit the work. This package pairs a 14" gas power cutter with three of the concrete blades most contractors get through fastest, so the outfit is complete from the first day. ##### What is in the package - **Husqvarna K770** 14" gas power cutter — the handheld standard on general concrete and masonry work. - **Three DOT Pro Cured Concrete Blades, 14"** — soft bond, segmented, formulated for hard cured and rebar-reinforced concrete. ##### Who it suits Concrete cutting subcontractors setting up a second crew, general contractors bringing sawing in-house rather than hiring it out, and municipal or utility departments equipping a truck. Three blades is roughly a season of moderate use, or a few weeks of steady work — the point is that nobody is waiting on a delivery mid-job. Buying the saw and blades together costs less than buying them separately. If your work is mainly green concrete or asphalt rather than cured slab, order the saw and choose different blades — the [Asphalt Pro](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/) and [XT Green Concrete](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-xt-green-concrete-blade/) are hard-bond blades built for abrasive material. See all [blade and saw packages](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/blade-saw-packages/). *Husqvarna publishes the K770 data sheet in full — check it against your application before ordering.* ### DOT Core Bit Adapter 5/8"-11 to 1-1/4"-7 URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-bit-adapter-5-8-11-to-1-1-4-7/ SKU: DOT-S11 Price: $24.00 Category: Core Bit Accessories The problem shows up on the jobsite, not in the yard: a rig with a **5/8"-11** spindle and a box of bits cut for **1-1/4"-7**. Two different thread standards exist in North American core drilling and neither is going away, so at some point every crew needs the adapter. ##### Which thread is which As a rough guide, **5/8"-11** is the handheld standard — small dry bits, angle-grinder-style tooling, light handheld drills. **1-1/4"-7** is the rig standard, used on stand-mounted and larger motors where torque and barrel diameter both go up. Bits from either family will not thread onto the other machine, and forcing a mismatched thread will strip one or the other. ##### What this adapter does It converts a **5/8"-11** male spindle to accept a **1-1/4"-7** female bit, which is the direction crews normally need: putting a larger rig bit onto a smaller handheld machine for a one-off hole. Machined from solid steel with the hex flats needed to break the joint after drilling. Two practical notes. Fit a copper washer or a smear of grease on the shoulder or the bit will seize onto the adapter after a long wet cut. And check the motor is rated for the bit diameter before you fit one — an adapter lets you mount a bit your machine may not have the torque to turn. Both standards are set out side by side in our [thread and sizing guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/). More hardware under [core bit accessories](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/). ### DOT Core Bit Extension 12" URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-bit-extension-12/ SKU: DOT-S12 Price: $59.00 Category: Core Bit Accessories Standard core barrels are made to drill through a normal slab or wall. The moment the penetration is deeper than the barrel is long — a thick footing, a stacked wall, a deep pier cap — the drill motor fouls the surface before the crown reaches daylight and the hole stops there. ##### A straightforward 12" of reach This extension fits between the motor and the barrel and buys **12 inches** of additional depth. It is a plain, heavy steel component with matching male and female threads, which is exactly what it should be — there is nothing in a coring extension that benefits from being clever. ##### Using it without breaking anything - **Expect some deflection.** Every inch of extension amplifies wander at the crown. Start the hole on the bare barrel, get the kerf established true, then stop and add the extension. - **Water still has to reach the crown.** On a wet setup, confirm flow is coming through the extension before you commit to the cut. - **Do not stack two.** Beyond about a foot of added reach the assembly loses too much rigidity to drill straight. - **Grease the joint** so the barrel comes off again after a long wet drill. A stand-mounted rig is far better than a handheld machine for extended drilling, because the stand holds the alignment the extension will otherwise lose. See [core bit accessories](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) and the [wet core bit range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/). ### DOT Core Drilling Package URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-drilling-package/ SKU: DOT-S21 Price: $2,199.00 Category: Blade & Saw Packages Core drilling is the one trade where hiring the kit in and buying it outright are genuinely close on cost, and the calculation turns on how many holes a year you drill. Past roughly a dozen jobs, owning wins — and owning means the motor, the stand and the barrels together, because any one of them missing stops the work. ##### What is in the package - **Husqvarna DM230** core drill motor — usable handheld or mounted on a rig. - **Husqvarna DS150** drill stand — anchors the motor and holds the alignment. - **Three DOT Wet Core Bits** — segmented crowns for cured and rebar-reinforced concrete. ##### Why the stand is the part that matters Anything much above 3" in diameter, or anything through a structural slab, wants to be drilled from a stand. The stand holds the barrel perpendicular and takes the reaction torque that would otherwise be fighting the operator's wrists, which is what produces a straight hole and what prevents the barrel from binding and stalling. Handheld work is for small penetrations in masonry. Drill wet, anchor the stand properly, and ease off the feed the moment the crown meets steel. Diameter and thread compatibility are covered in our [sizing and thread reference](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/); more barrels under [wet core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/). *Motor output, stand capacity and maximum bit diameter are stated on the manufacturer’s data sheets.* ### DOT Crack Chaser Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-crack-chaser-blade/ SKU: DOT-GRD-04 Price: $45.00 – $55.00Price range: $45.00 through $55.00 Category: Tuck Point & Crack Chaser A sealant applied straight into a hairline crack fails, and it usually fails within a season. There is no width for the sealant to bond across and no clean substrate for it to bond to — just dust and loose edges. Routing the crack out first is what turns a repair into a repair that lasts. ##### The V-profile does the shaping A crack chaser carries a **V-shaped rim** rather than a flat one, so a single pass follows the crack and leaves a tapered channel behind it. That taper is what the sealant needs: a wider mouth to bond into, clean sound concrete on both faces, and a reservoir deep enough that the sealant can flex as the slab moves through its thermal cycle instead of tearing away from the edge. ##### Sizes and where it gets used Three sizes, **4", 4.5" and 5"**, mounting on a standard **angle grinder**. Dry rated, medium bond, formulated for both concrete and asphalt — parking structure decks, warehouse floors before a coating goes down, slab-on-grade repairs, and pavement crack sealing ahead of an overlay. Follow the crack rather than trying to straighten it, take one steady pass, then blow or vacuum the channel out completely before the sealant goes in. Any dust left in the groove becomes the bond line and the repair fails there. Related: the [Tuck Point Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-tuck-point-blade/) for mortar joints. ### DOT Diamond Blade Storage Case URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-diamond-blade-storage-case/ SKU: DOT-S16 Price: $39.00 Category: Accessories & Parts Diamond blades are damaged in transit far more often than they are damaged cutting. A 14" blade thrown loose in a truck bed spends the drive knocking against a generator frame, and segment shoulders are exactly what chips when that happens. ##### Warping is the quieter problem A blade does not have to lose a segment to be finished. Steel cores warp under weight — a stack of blades sitting under a compressor for a fortnight of jobs comes out with a wobble you can hear before you can see it. A warped core cuts wide, wanders off the line, loads the arbor and cannot be straightened. Flat, separated storage is the only prevention. ##### What the case does Slotted dividers hold each blade flat and apart so cores cannot rest on one another and segments never touch. Closed, it also keeps the blades dry between jobs — surface rust on a steel core does not stop it cutting, but it makes reading the direction arrow and the diameter marking harder than it needs to be. A practical habit: store blades clean and dry, and when one comes off the saw glazed or damaged, put it back in the case turned over so the crew does not fit it again by mistake. See [accessories and parts](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/), or browse the [diamond blade range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/). ### DOT Double Row Cup Wheel URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-double-row-cup-wheel/ SKU: DOT-GRD-02 Price: $45.00 – $79.00Price range: $45.00 through $79.00 Category: Cup Wheels Thick mastic, old thinset, tar residue, elastomeric coating — the sort of material that gums a turbo wheel up in thirty seconds and then rides on top of it. Removing that is a different job from grinding concrete, and it needs a wheel with a genuinely aggressive bite. ##### Two rows of segments, and a much bigger gap The double-row layout puts two concentric rings of diamond segments on the face with wide open channels between and around them. That open area is the point: it gives soft, stringy material somewhere to eject rather than smearing across the face. The trade-off is honest — a double row leaves a coarser scratch pattern than a turbo wheel, so it is a first-pass tool. Where a floor has to end up smooth, follow it with a turbo wheel or a polishing pad. ##### Sizes and use Three sizes: **4", 5" and 7"**, threaded for an **angle grinder**, medium bond, dry rated. Let the wheel's own weight do the work. Pressing a double row into a coating generates heat that softens the material further and makes loading worse rather than better. For final surface prep and lighter grinding use the [Turbo Cup Wheel](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-turbo-cup-wheel/); for polishing, see [polishing pads](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/polishing-pads/). ### DOT Dry Core Bit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-dry-core-bit/ SKU: DOT-BIT-02 Price: $60.00 – $185.00Price range: $60.00 through $185.00 Category: Dry Core Bits There are places you simply cannot use water. An occupied office, a finished floor, a second-story block wall with a tenant beneath it — anywhere the slurry costs more to clean up than the hole costs to drill. That is the whole case for a dry bit. ##### What dry drilling gives up, and what it does not Dry bits run a **turbo crown**, whose continuous serrated profile lets air do the job water normally does: carrying heat away and clearing dust. The trade is depth and material. This bit is for **block, brick and masonry** — not for hard cured concrete and not for reinforcement. Take it into a rebar-laden structural slab and you will lose the crown. Withdraw the bit every few inches to clear the dust and let it cool, and it will last; bury it and lean on it, and it will not. ##### Nine sizes, 1" to 6" Available **1", 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3", 3.5", 4", 5" and 6"** — the normal spread for electrical boxes, dryer and bathroom vents, small pipe penetrations and cavity ties through masonry. Use a vacuum attachment. Dry drilling masonry is a high silica-exposure task. For cured concrete or anything reinforced, drill wet with the [Wet Core Bit](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-wet-core-bit/); adapter and thread detail is covered in our [guide to core bit sizes and threads](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/), and the full range is under [dry core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/dry-core-bits/). ### DOT Early-Entry Green Concrete Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-early-entry-green-concrete-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-13 Price: $70.00 – $160.00Price range: $70.00 through $160.00 Category: Concrete Concrete cracks where it wants to unless you give it somewhere better to go, and the window for doing that is measured in hours. Cut too early and the edge ravels; leave it overnight and the slab has already chosen its own joint. Early-entry cutting exists to move that window forward, so the joint is in before the stresses arrive. ##### Why it is a different blade Green concrete has not developed its strength, so the sand and fines behave like loose grit and tear diamond out of a soft matrix in minutes. This blade runs a **hard bond** for that reason. It is also designed to run in an early-entry system with a skid plate that supports the concrete either side of the cut — that support, not the blade alone, is what stops the edge breaking away. ##### Shallow, early, and dry Early-entry joints are cut shallow, because the point is to relieve stress before it builds rather than to section the slab. Follow the mix designer or the specification for depth and timing; conditions on the day move the window more than any rule of thumb does. Four diameters, **6″ to 12″**, to suit the common early-entry saws. If the slab has already cured hard you want a soft bond instead — see the [Pro Cured Concrete Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/). Bond selection is explained in the [bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/), and the full range sits under [concrete blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/). ### DOT Granite Bridge Saw Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-granite-bridge-saw-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-07 Price: $210.00 – $315.00Price range: $210.00 through $315.00 Category: Stone, Marble & Granite A bridge saw runs a fixed head along a rail over a stationary slab, which means the blade works at a constant feed all day. Fabrication shops do not judge a granite blade on how quickly it gets through one slab — they judge it on square footage before the segments are spent, and on whether the sawn edge needs work afterwards. ##### Premium diamond on a soft bond Granite is about the hardest material a diamond blade meets in the trade, and hardness calls for a **soft bond**. The matrix has to break down quickly enough that blunted diamonds release and sharp ones take their place. A hard bond on granite glazes over, and the operator ends up pushing the head rather than letting it cut. This is a **premium grade** blade — higher diamond concentration and better crystal quality than a general stone blade — because on a bridge saw segment life is what sets your cost per square foot. ##### Diameters and running conditions Supplied in **14", 16", 18" and 20"**. **Wet only.** Granite throws off serious heat, and a saw running short on flow will overheat the core and cup the blade permanently. Keep water on both faces and check the flow before every slab, not every shift. For softer stone and marble a continuous rim leaves a better edge — see the [Stone & Marble Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-stone-marble-blade/). Everything else is in [stone, marble and granite](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/stone-marble-granite/). ### DOT Large-Diameter Wet Core Bit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-large-diameter-wet-core-bit/ SKU: DOT-BIT-03 Price: $525.00 – $765.00Price range: $525.00 through $765.00 Category: Wet Core Bits Conduit and waste pipe are a four-inch problem. Storm drainage, culvert connections, sleeve penetrations through a headwall and vent stacks through a deck are not — they start where the standard barrel range ends, and a bit that is one size too small is a wasted mobilisation rather than a wasted bit. ##### Order to the sleeve, not the pipe Four diameters, **16″, 18″, 20″ and 24″**. Size to the sleeve you will actually install plus the annulus the detail calls for, not to the outside diameter of the pipe. It is the commonest ordering mistake on large penetrations and the most expensive one to discover on site. ##### Rig-mounted and wet, without exception Nothing at this diameter is a handheld proposition. The reaction torque alone makes it a stand job, properly anchored into sound material rather than into a patch, and the stand is also what holds the barrel perpendicular through a long penetration. **Wet drilling only** — water carries the cuttings up the barrel, cools the crown and stops the tube binding in the hole. Confirm your motor is rated for the diameter before ordering; an adapter will let you mount a barrel your machine has no business turning. Thread standards are set out in the [core bit size and thread guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/), and smaller barrels are under [wet core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/). ### DOT Masonry & Block Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-masonry-block-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-05 Price: $35.00 – $75.00Price range: $35.00 through $75.00 Category: Masonry & Block Block is soft, brick is fired hard, and both are abrasive enough to destroy a blade formulated for concrete. Put a concrete blade into CMU and it wears from the matrix outward — the bond gives up long before the diamonds do, and an expensive blade is finished inside two weeks of block work. ##### Hard bond for soft material This blade uses a **hard bond**, which is the correct choice for soft and abrasive material even though it reads backwards the first time you hear it. Abrasive block strips the matrix away quickly; a harder matrix resists that erosion and keeps each diamond anchored for its full working life. The segmented rim runs wide gullets to clear the coarse, fluffy dust that block and brick throw off and that would pack a turbo rim solid. ##### Sizes and use Stocked in **7", 10", 12" and 14"** — the small sizes for a bench-mounted masonry saw, the larger two for a gas or electric cut-off saw. Typical jobs: cutting CMU to course on a block wall, chasing a conduit run, or opening a doorway through a partition. Dry rated. On a table saw with a water tray it will run wet quite happily and the cut edge comes out cleaner. If your work is mostly pavers and face brick rather than block, the turbo-rim [Paver & Brick Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-paver-brick-blade/) leaves a smoother edge. See all [masonry and block blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/masonry-block/). ### DOT Paver & Brick Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-paver-brick-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-09 Price: $90.00 – $110.00Price range: $90.00 through $110.00 Category: Brick & Paver A hardscape crew will cut several hundred pavers in a day — borders, radii, closers around a catch basin — and every one of those cuts is on show in the finished patio or driveway. A ragged edge on a paver is not a structural problem. It is a callback. ##### Why a turbo rim suits pavers The **turbo rim** is a continuous edge with a serrated, wavy profile, sitting deliberately between a segmented blade and a plain continuous one. The serrations move enough air and spoil to permit **dry cutting**, while the unbroken edge prevents the top-face chipping a segmented blade leaves on concrete pavers and face brick. It cuts noticeably faster than a continuous rim and finishes far cleaner than a segmented one. ##### Diameters and bond choice Two sizes, **12" and 14"**, matched to the masonry table saws and handheld cut-off saws hardscape crews actually own. The **hard bond** is a deliberate choice: pavers and brick are abrasive, and abrasive material scours a soft matrix away in days rather than months. Be aware that dry-cutting pavers produces respirable crystalline silica in quantity; a wet table saw or on-tool extraction is the practical route to compliance — see [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Browse the [paver and brick range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/brick-paver/). ### DOT Pilot Bit / Centering Guide URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pilot-bit-centering-guide/ SKU: DOT-S13 Price: $29.00 Category: Core Bit Accessories Handheld core drilling starts badly more often than it ends badly. Before the crown has cut a kerf deep enough to hold itself, the barrel skates across the surface, and by the time it bites you are half an inch off the mark with a scarred slab to explain. ##### What the pilot bit does The centering guide mounts through the middle of the barrel and puts a small drill point exactly on your mark. That point takes the load for the first few seconds and holds the barrel concentric while the crown establishes its own kerf. Once the kerf is deep enough to guide the barrel on its own — usually a quarter inch or so — the pilot comes out and the hole carries on as normal. ##### When you need one and when you do not You need it for **handheld drilling**, on any vertical surface, and on anything where the finished face will be visible. You do not need it on a **stand-mounted rig**: the stand and its anchor already fix the position, and a pilot adds nothing. Remove the pilot as soon as the kerf is established. Leaving it in the hole is how they get bent, and a bent pilot pushes the barrel off center — the precise fault it was bought to prevent. Related: [core bit accessories](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/core-bit-accessories/) and the [core bit size and thread guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/). ### DOT Porcelain & Tile Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-porcelain-tile-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-06 Price: $45.00 – $95.00Price range: $45.00 through $95.00 Category: Tile & Porcelain Porcelain chips on the exit face, not the entry face. That single fact rules out a segmented or turbo rim for finished tile however fast it cuts: every gullet is an interruption in the cutting edge, and every interruption is another chance to spall the glaze on the underside of the cut. ##### Continuous rim, and wet is not optional This blade runs an unbroken **continuous rim**, so the edge stays in contact and the tile is supported right through the pass. It is **wet only**. With no gullets to carry heat away, a continuous rim run dry will overheat within a few feet, warp the core out of true and burn a brown line along the cut. Water is doing real work here, not just controlling dust. ##### Sizes and saws Five diameters, **7" to 14"**, sized for **tile saws** with a tray or pump feed. The **soft bond** is matched to the extreme hardness of through-body porcelain: hard material takes a soft bond, so the matrix erodes fast enough to keep fresh diamond at the surface. Feed slowly and let the blade set its own rate. On large-format porcelain, score the last quarter inch rather than pushing through the end of the cut — that is where almost all chipping happens. See the [tile and porcelain range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/tile-porcelain/) and matching [tile saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/). ### DOT Pressurized Water Bottle (Dust Suppression) URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pressurized-water-bottle-dust-suppression/ SKU: DOT-S15 Price: $69.00 Category: Accessories & Parts OSHA Table 1 lets you use a handheld saw on concrete without exposure monitoring — but only if the saw has an integrated water delivery system that continuously feeds water to the blade. On a jobsite with no standpipe and no tank, that requirement is what stops the work. ##### A pressurised tank solves a compliance problem This bottle is a hand-pumped pressure vessel with a hose and a control valve, feeding water to a cut-off saw or a masonry saw wherever there is no supply. Pump it up, open the valve, and you have continuous flow at the blade for the length of a typical cut sequence. ##### What it buys you beyond dust - **Silica control** — respirable crystalline silica is suppressed at the source rather than filtered afterwards. - **Blade life** — running wet typically returns two to three times the life of the same blade run dry. - **A cleaner cut** — less heat means less chipping and no burn line on finished material. ##### Using it well Clean water only; grit in the tank blocks the valve. Set the flow so the slurry runs off milky rather than sprayed everywhere — you need enough water to cool the rim, not a flood. Refill before the pressure drops, because an interrupted feed on a continuous-rim blade does damage quickly. The compliance detail sits in our [OSHA Table 1 explainer](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). See also [accessories and parts](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/). ### DOT Pro Cured Concrete Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-01 Price: $100.00 – $225.00Price range: $100.00 through $225.00 Category: Concrete A slab that cured through the winter is a different material from one poured last month, and that difference ends more blades than any other single factor. Dense, fully cured concrete polishes the exposed diamonds flat instead of fracturing them. The blade glazes, the saw bogs down, the operator leans harder, and the cut gets slower still. ##### Why a soft bond belongs on hard concrete The DOT Pro Cured Concrete Blade runs a **soft bond** for exactly that reason. A soft matrix wears away at the rate hard aggregate demands, shedding spent diamonds and continually presenting fresh cutting edges. This is the rule most crews have backwards: hard, dense material takes a soft bond; soft, abrasive material takes a hard bond. The full explanation is in our [diamond blade bond guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/diamond-blade-bond-explained/). ##### Sizes, depth of cut and rebar Six diameters, **12" through 24"**, covering handheld cut-off saws up to flat saws. Keep any single pass to roughly a third of the blade diameter — about 4-1/2" of slab on a 14" blade — and step down for anything deeper. The segments are formulated to keep cutting through **rebar-reinforced** concrete, though steel always slows the feed rate; there is more on that in [cutting rebar-reinforced concrete](https://dotdiamondtools.com/cutting-rebar-reinforced-concrete/). Rated for dry cutting on saws with no water feed. Where your saw takes water, use it: wet cutting extends life two to three times and keeps silica exposure inside OSHA Table 1. See the full [concrete blade range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/). ### DOT Road Saw Blade (High-HP Flat Saw) URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-road-saw-blade-high-hp-flat-saw/ SKU: DOT-BLD-12 Price: $675.00 – $875.00Price range: $675.00 through $875.00 Category: Concrete A 36-inch blade reaches about twelve inches of pavement. Past that you are either making a second pass from the other side or you are not doing the job. Full-depth removal, deep trench boundaries and bridge-deck cut-out all live above that line, which is where a road saw blade starts. ##### Sized by the depth you actually need No diamond blade should be buried much past a third of its own diameter. That makes the choice arithmetic rather than preference: a **42″** blade reaches roughly 14″, a **48″** about 16″ and a **54″** around 18″. Work back from the slab or pavement thickness on the drawing, then order the blade that clears it in one pass. ##### Built for the machine, not the operator Blades this size belong on high-horsepower flat and road saws, where the machine carries the blade into the cut under its own weight and the load never lets up. Run wet without exception — at this diameter a dry pass or an interrupted water feed will cup the core, and a cupped blade of this size is scrap, not a repair. Check flow at both guards before every run and let the machine set the feed rate. For pavement up to twelve inches the [Walk-Behind Pro](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-pro-blade/) covers it on a standard floor saw; this line begins where that one stops. Machines are in [walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/). ### DOT Stone & Marble Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-stone-marble-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-08 Price: $40.00 – $90.00Price range: $40.00 through $90.00 Category: Stone, Marble & Granite Cutting a marble sill to length on site, trimming travertine around a floor drain, sizing a limestone cap to a course — this is the blade for finish work that happens after the fabricator has left. The sawn face ends up visible in the completed job, so edge quality decides everything and speed decides very little. ##### A continuous rim leaves an edge you can use An unbroken **continuous rim** puts no segment marks and no chipping along the arris, which is what soft, layered stone needs. Marble and travertine flake at the edge under a segmented blade, and once a piece has flaked the only remedy is to cut another one. The **soft bond** is matched to the dense crystal structure of natural stone, wearing back at the rate the material demands so the rim never polishes over. ##### Diameters, and water is mandatory Four sizes — **7", 10", 12" and 14"** — for tile saws, stone table saws and handheld work with a water feed. **Wet cutting only.** With no gullets in the rim, the blade relies entirely on water to carry heat away and to flush the fine, sticky stone flour that otherwise packs the kerf and stalls the cut. Granite is harder again and belongs on a segmented premium blade: the [Granite Bridge Saw Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-granite-bridge-saw-blade/). Rim types are compared in [segmented vs turbo vs continuous](https://dotdiamondtools.com/segmented-vs-turbo-vs-continuous/). ### DOT Tuck Point Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-tuck-point-blade/ SKU: DOT-GRD-03 Price: $45.00 – $55.00Price range: $45.00 through $55.00 Category: Tuck Point & Crack Chaser Repointing starts with getting the old mortar out, and getting it out without damaging the brick either side. Grind too wide and the new joint looks wrong; grind too shallow and the fresh mortar has nothing to key into. The rule of thumb is a depth of two to two and a half times the joint width, cut square, with the brick untouched. ##### Why the rim is thick A tuck point blade runs a deliberately **thick rim** — several times the thickness of a cutting blade — so that one pass opens a joint to something close to its finished width. A standard blade would need two or three passes side by side, which is slower and far more likely to nick an arris. The thickness also gives the blade the lateral stiffness to hold a straight line along a long horizontal bed joint. ##### Sizes and material Three sizes — **4", 4.5" and 5"** — for an **angle grinder**, dry rated, with a **medium bond** suited to the lime and cement mortars found in block, brick and general masonry. Work along the bed joints first, then the perpends, and run a vacuum shroud: mortar removal is enclosed, repetitive, and dusty. For sealing cracks rather than joints, use the [Crack Chaser Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-crack-chaser-blade/). See all [tuck point and crack chaser blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/tuck-point-crack-chaser/). ### DOT Turbo Cup Wheel URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-turbo-cup-wheel/ SKU: DOT-GRD-01 Price: $45.00 – $79.00Price range: $45.00 through $79.00 Category: Cup Wheels Surface prep is measured in square feet per hour, and the thing that kills that number is not the grinder — it is stopping every few minutes because the wheel has loaded up. A turbo cup wheel is designed around keeping the swarf moving. ##### Turbo segments and why they clear The continuous turbo profile carries angled channels between the diamond ridges. Ground concrete produces a fine, dense dust that will pack a flat-faced wheel solid within a minute; those channels give it somewhere to go, so the cutting face stays exposed and the wheel keeps taking material at the same rate through the whole job. ##### Sizes, fit and typical jobs Four sizes — **4", 4.5", 5" and 7"** — threaded for a standard **angle grinder**. Use a 4.5" or 5" for edge work, corners and stair treads where you need to see what you are doing, and a 7" for open floor area. Common work: knocking down form lines and high spots on a slab, feathering a patch flush, keying a surface before an epoxy or overlay goes down, and cleaning up a concrete step. A **medium bond** covers both concrete and general masonry. Grinding concrete dry is one of the highest silica-exposure tasks on any site: use a shroud and a vacuum, and check [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). For heavy coating removal, step up to the [Double Row Cup Wheel](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-double-row-cup-wheel/), or see all [cup wheels](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/cup-wheels/). ### DOT Walk-Behind Cutting Package URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-cutting-package/ SKU: DOT-S22 Price: $4,499.00 Category: Blade & Saw Packages Once the job is roadway, slab or car park work, handheld sawing stops making sense. A walk-behind saw carries its own weight into the cut, holds a straight line over a long run without an operator fighting it, and takes depth in one pass that a handheld machine would need three passes to reach. ##### What is in the package - **Husqvarna FS305** walk-behind floor saw. - **Two DOT Walk-Behind Pro Blades** — medium bond, segmented, wet, suited to both cured concrete and asphalt. ##### The work it is bought for Control joints in a new slab, trench cuts for utilities across a car park, full-depth pavement repair boundaries, expansion joints in a warehouse floor, demolition boundary cuts before a breaker goes in. Two blades gives you a working blade and a spare on the trailer, which on a road closure is the difference between finishing the shift and coming back. Run wet — the machine is designed for it, and it buys blade life as well as dust control. Set your blade diameter by the depth you need, allowing about a third of the diameter per pass. Other machines are in [walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/); blade options in [the Walk-Behind Pro range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-pro-blade/). *For engine size, maximum blade diameter and cutting depth, refer to the current FS305 data sheet.* ### DOT Walk-Behind Pro Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-pro-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-11 Price: $255.00 – $565.00Price range: $255.00 through $565.00 Category: Concrete Choosing a blade for a walk-behind saw is a depth decision before it is anything else. A blade safely cuts about a third of its own diameter in a single pass, so an 18" blade gives you roughly 6" of slab and a 36" blade reaches around 12". Order on price instead of required depth and the crew ends up making three passes where one would have done. ##### Built for the machine, not the hand Six sizes, **18" through 36"**, all intended for **walk-behind and flat saws** where the blade carries constant load with the mass of the machine behind it. The **medium bond** is chosen for precisely that mixed duty — it holds up across cured concrete and across asphalt on the same machine, which is the reality of most municipal and roadway contracts. ##### Wet only, and that is no hardship **Run this blade wet.** A walk-behind already carries a tank or a hose connection, so there is nothing to arrange, and water buys two to three times the blade life while turning airborne silica into slurry you can control. Check flow at both blade guards before each run — a feed blocked on one side will cup a large blade fast, and a cupped blade never comes back true. Machines are in [walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/). For deep, sustained asphalt work the hard-bond [Asphalt Pro](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-asphalt-pro-blade/) lasts longer. ### DOT Wet Core Bit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-wet-core-bit/ SKU: DOT-BIT-01 Price: $75.00 – $465.00Price range: $75.00 through $465.00 Category: Wet Core Bits Every wet core bit job is really two decisions: what diameter the penetration actually needs, and whether the barrel will survive what is inside the slab. Get the first wrong and you are patching around a sleeve. Get the second wrong and you lose a segment on the first piece of rebar. ##### Twelve diameters, 1" to 14" The range covers the whole normal spread of work — **1", 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3", 4", 5", 6", 8", 10", 12" and 14"**. In practice: 1" to 2" for conduit and anchors, 3" to 4" for plumbing waste and floor drains, 5" to 6" for HVAC and larger sleeves, and 8" upward for structural penetrations and utility work. Order to the sleeve you will install, not to the pipe. ##### Wet only, and built for reinforcement These barrels are **wet drilling only**. Water flushes the cuttings up the barrel and out of the kerf, cools the crown, and stops the slurry from binding the tube in the hole. Run one dry and it will seize, then burn. The segmented crown is formulated for cured concrete and for **rebar-reinforced** concrete. When you hit steel, ease the feed pressure and let the crown work through it rather than forcing the rig — forcing is what strips segments off. Thread sizes and drilling technique are covered in the [core bit size and thread guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/). See all [wet core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/). ### DOT Wet Polishing Pad Set (7-pc) URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-wet-polishing-pad-set-7-pc/ SKU: DOT-S01 Price: $109.00 Category: Polishing Pads Polishing stone is a sequence, not a task. Each pad removes the scratch pattern left by the one before it, and the shine at the end is simply the point at which the scratches are too fine for the eye to resolve. Skip a step and you will still be looking at the previous grit's marks under the gloss — no amount of work at the fine end will hide them. ##### Seven steps, in order, no shortcuts The set runs seven grits from a coarse cutting pad through to a fine finishing pad. Work each one over the whole surface until the previous scratch pattern has gone, then move up. Change your direction of travel by ninety degrees at each step — the moment you can no longer see marks running the other way, that step is finished. It is the only reliable way to check your own work. ##### Wet use, on stone and concrete These are **wet pads**. Water lubricates the resin, carries the slurry off the surface and keeps the pad from burning — a dry wet-pad glazes and stops cutting almost immediately. Suited to **concrete, granite, marble and stone**: countertop edges and seams, window sills, honed concrete, and repairs where a patched area has to be brought back to match. Keep the machine flat and moving; dwelling in one spot dishes the surface. See [polishing pads](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/polishing-pads/) and [grinding and cup wheels](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/grinding-cup-wheels/). ### DOT XT Green Concrete Blade URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-xt-green-concrete-blade/ SKU: DOT-BLD-02 Price: $150.00 – $445.00Price range: $150.00 through $445.00 Category: Concrete Green concrete goes down at first light and the saw crew is on it the same afternoon. Cut too early and the joint ravels; cut too late and the slab has already cracked where it wanted to rather than where you sawed. That window — commonly four to twelve hours after placement, depending on mix and weather — is the job this blade exists for. ##### Hard bond, because green concrete is abrasive Fresh concrete has not developed its strength, so the sand and fines behave like loose grit and tear diamonds out of a soft matrix within minutes. The XT runs a **hard bond** that grips each diamond far longer against that scouring. Undercut protection below the segments shields the core shoulders, which is where green-concrete slurry does its worst damage on a walk-behind. ##### Sizes and saws Seven diameters, **14" to 36"**, sized for walk-behind and flat saws on control-joint sawing, roadway pours and slab-on-grade work. Run it **wet or dry** — wet on a walk-behind for maximum life and dust suppression, dry on a handheld where no water feed exists. If the slab has already reached full strength, this is the wrong blade and it will wear slowly and cut poorly. Switch to the soft-bond [Pro Cured Concrete Blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pro-cured-concrete-blade/). Also worth reading: [wet vs dry cutting](https://dotdiamondtools.com/wet-vs-dry-cutting/), or browse all [concrete blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/concrete/). ### Husqvarna DM230 Handheld/Rig Core Drill URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-dm230-handheld-rig-core-drill/ SKU: HUSQ-S09 Price: $1,649.00 Category: Core Drills The useful thing about the DM230 is that it does not force the choice between handheld and rig up front. Run it in the hands for small penetrations in masonry, mount it on a stand for anything larger or anything reinforced, and one motor covers both patterns of work — which for a contractor whose coring is occasional rather than constant is the whole argument. ##### When to go handheld, and when not to Handheld is for small diameters in block, brick and masonry, where the reaction torque stays manageable and a slightly imperfect line is acceptable. Everything else belongs on a stand. Larger barrels generate torque that will twist a machine out of an operator's hands the moment the crown catches, and reinforced concrete catches without warning. ##### Setting up - **Drill wet** for cured concrete and anything with steel in it. - **Start the hole true** — use a [pilot bit](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pilot-bit-centering-guide/) handheld, or anchor a [DS150 stand](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-ds150-core-drill-stand/) for rig work. - **Check the thread** matches your barrels before ordering bits — see the [thread guide](https://dotdiamondtools.com/core-bit-size-thread-guide/). - **Ease off on steel.** Forcing the feed is what strips segments. Barrels are in [wet core bits](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/core-bits/wet-core-bits/). *Motor power, maximum bit diameter handheld and rig-mounted, spindle thread and weight are published by Husqvarna and available from us on request.* ### Husqvarna DS150 Core Drill Stand URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-ds150-core-drill-stand/ SKU: HUSQ-S10 Price: $899.00 Category: Core Drills A drill stand is not an accessory to a core drill. It is what determines whether the hole comes out where it was marked, perpendicular to the face, and without the barrel binding halfway through. Most coring problems that get blamed on the bit or the motor are actually alignment problems, and alignment is the stand's job. ##### What the stand actually does Three things, all of which an operator cannot do reliably by hand. It fixes the drilling axis so the barrel stays perpendicular through the whole penetration. It takes the reaction torque, which is what makes larger diameters safe to drill at all. And it delivers steady, controlled feed pressure — the thing that most affects both drilling speed and how long the crown lasts. ##### Anchoring it properly The anchor is the weak point in most setups. Use the correct anchor for the substrate, set it in sound material and not in a patch, and check the column for movement before you start rather than discovering it at half depth. On a floor where you cannot anchor, a vacuum base or a jack column is the alternative — but never a stand that is merely resting on its feet. Pairs with the [DM230 core drill](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-dm230-handheld-rig-core-drill/); both are available together in the [core drilling package](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-core-drilling-package/). *Column height, maximum bit diameter, drilling angle range and compatible motor mountings are stated by Husqvarna. Ask and we will send the sheet.* ### Husqvarna FS305 Walk-Behind Floor Saw URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-fs305-walk-behind-floor-saw/ SKU: HUSQ-S05 Price: $3,899.00 Category: Walk-Behind Saws The point at which handheld sawing stops paying is easier to spot than most crews admit. Once you are cutting more than a few dozen feet in a straight line, or once the cut needs to be genuinely square through a slab, a walk-behind saw finishes faster, straighter and with far less operator fatigue — and it does it in one pass instead of three. ##### Where a mid-size floor saw fits The FS305 sits in the range most general and municipal contractors actually need: substantial enough for control joints, trench cuts and slab openings, small enough to get through a gate, into a car park deck, or onto a trailer without specialist transport. It is the size that gets bought when a contractor is bringing sawing in-house for the first time. ##### Setting up the cut Blade diameter is a depth decision — a third of diameter per pass is the working limit — so choose the blade to the depth the job needs rather than to the machine's maximum. Fit water before the first cut; a floor saw run dry ruins blades fast and puts silica in the air for nothing. Blades in [the Walk-Behind Pro range](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-pro-blade/); the saw is also sold as a [cutting package with blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-walk-behind-cutting-package/). *Blade capacity, depth of cut, water tank volume and machine weight all come from Husqvarna’s FS305 documentation — ask and we will forward it.* ### Husqvarna FS400 LV Walk-Behind Floor Saw URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-fs400-lv-walk-behind-floor-saw/ SKU: HUSQ-S06 Price: $8,499.00 Category: Walk-Behind Saws Low-vibration is not a comfort feature on a floor saw — it is what determines how long an operator can legally and safely stay behind the machine. On a long shift of continuous sawing, hand-arm vibration exposure limits are a real constraint on the program, and a low-vibration machine is often the difference between one operator and two. ##### Stepping up from a mid-size saw The FS400 LV is the machine you move to when the FS305-class saw is working at its limit: longer runs, deeper cuts, more hours per week, and a blade diameter that takes full-depth pavement in a single pass rather than two. Typical work is highway and roadway sawing, full-depth pavement repair boundaries, large industrial slabs and airport or port pavements. ##### What to think about before ordering - **Depth required** — set your blade diameter from it, at roughly a third of diameter per pass, then check the saw accepts that blade. - **Water supply** — sustained cutting needs a bowser or a mains feed, not a tank refill every few minutes. - **Transport and lifting** — a larger saw needs planning to get on and off site. Compare with the [FS305](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-fs305-walk-behind-floor-saw/), or see all [walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/). *Manufacturer figures for FS400 LV engine output, blade capacity, depth and vibration levels are available from us on request.* ### Husqvarna K1 PACE Battery Power Cutter (14") URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k1-pace-battery-power-cutter-14/ SKU: HUSQ-S03 Price: $1,899.00 Category: Cut-Off Saws There are sites a gas cutter simply cannot go: an occupied hospital corridor, a food plant, a basement plant room, an underground car park with no forced ventilation. Exhaust fumes are the constraint, and no amount of extraction makes a two-stroke acceptable in an enclosed occupied space. That is the gap a battery cutter fills. ##### Where a battery cutter earns its cost Beyond the emissions question, three things change on site. Noise drops far enough that permits and neighbor complaints become manageable on night work. Vibration and fatigue drop over a shift of intermittent cutting. And a machine with no idle, no choke and no pull start is instantly ready — for the many jobs that consist of twenty short cuts spread over a day, that alone changes the working pattern. ##### What to plan for Battery machines are managed differently from gas ones. Work out your duty cycle honestly: batteries and a charging strategy are part of the purchase, not an accessory to it. For continuous heavy cutting all day, gas or a walk-behind remains the more practical answer. Still a 14" machine, so the same depth rules apply — roughly 4-1/2" in one pass. Compare with the [K770 gas cutter](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k770-power-cutter-14-gas/) or browse [cut-off saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/cut-off-saws/). *Run time depends entirely on which batteries you pair with the machine. We can send the manufacturer’s current K1 PACE figures on request.* ### Husqvarna K770 Power Cutter (14" Gas) URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k770-power-cutter-14-gas/ SKU: HUSQ-S02 Price: $1,299.00 Category: Cut-Off Saws The 14" gas power cutter is the default handheld machine on American concrete work, and the K770 is the one most crews reach for. Gas means no cord, no battery management and no drop in power as the shift goes on — which is why it still dominates outdoor site work despite everything cordless has achieved indoors. ##### What it is for Trench and utility cuts in roadway, slab openings for penetrations, demolition boundary cuts, curb and curb work, pipe cutting, and general concrete and masonry sawing where the work moves and a walk-behind cannot follow. A 14" blade cuts to roughly a third of its diameter in a pass — about 4-1/2" — so anything deeper is a two-side or multi-pass job, or a job for a floor saw. ##### Choosing between this and the alternatives - **Choose gas** for outdoor work, long cutting runs, and remote sites with no power. - **Choose battery** — the [K1 PACE](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k1-pace-battery-power-cutter-14/) — for indoor, occupied or emission-sensitive work. - **Choose a walk-behind** for long straight runs and full-depth slab sawing. Pair it with a hard-bond blade for asphalt and green concrete, or a soft-bond blade for cured slab — see [diamond blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/). Wear parts are in the [K770 service kit](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k770-service-parts-kit/). *Ask us for the current K770 data sheet — engine displacement, power output, weight and maximum cutting depth all come straight from Husqvarna.* ### Husqvarna K770 Service/Parts Kit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k770-service-parts-kit/ SKU: HUSQ-S18 Price: $49.00 Category: Accessories & Parts A power cutter stops earning the moment it stops running, and on a gas cutter the parts that stop it are nearly always the consumables — not the engine. Filters, belt, plugs and starter cord fail on schedule, and they fail on site, hours from a dealer. ##### Why keep a service kit on the truck The Husqvarna K770 is one of the most widely used 14" gas cutters in the trade, which means downtime on one is expensive and predictable in equal measure. Holding the wear parts in the van turns a lost half-day into a fifteen-minute repair in the back of the truck. ##### Service habits that extend the interval - **Clean the air filter daily** on concrete work. Masonry dust is the single biggest cause of premature wear on a two-stroke cutter. - **Check belt tension** whenever you change a blade — a slipping belt glazes the blade and cooks the clutch. - **Use fresh fuel** at the correct mix ratio. Stale premix is behind a large share of no-start calls. - **Flush the water system** after wet cutting so grit does not dry inside the valve. Kit contents vary by revision, so check the pack listing against your machine's part numbers before ordering. See the [K770 power cutter](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/husqvarna-k770-power-cutter-14-gas/) and other [parts and accessories](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/accessories-parts/). ### iQ Power Tools iQMS362i 16.5" Dust Control Masonry Saw URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/iq-power-tools-iqms362i-16-5-dust-control-masonry-saw/ SKU: IQ-S07 Price: $3,140.00 Category: Tile Saws Most dust control is bolted on afterwards: a shroud, a hose, a vacuum, and someone to manage all three. iQ Power Tools took the other route and built the extraction into the saw itself, so the dust never leaves the machine and there is nothing extra to set up, trip over or forget. ##### Why an integrated system changes the job A 16.5" masonry saw with onboard dust collection can work in places a wet saw and a conventional dry saw both struggle. No slurry means no bunding, no wash-down and no contaminated runoff — which matters on finished floors, in occupied buildings, on rooftops, and anywhere a wastewater discharge is a permit problem. No visible dust plume also removes the argument with a neighboring trade or a site manager. ##### Who buys one - **Masonry and hardscape crews** cutting block and paver on site in volume. - **Interior contractors** working in occupied or finished spaces. - **Anyone managing a silica compliance program** who wants the control built in rather than depending on operator discipline — see [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/). Filters are a consumable and a maintained filter is what keeps the collection working; budget for them from the start. Blades in [masonry and block](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/masonry-block/), and other machines under [tile and masonry saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/). *Cutting capacity, filtration stages, motor rating and machine weight are specified by iQ Power Tools. We will supply the current sheet with a quote.* ### iQ Power Tools iQTS244 Tile Saw URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/iq-power-tools-iqts244-tile-saw/ SKU: IQ-S08 Price: $1,299.00 Category: Tile Saws A tile saw with dust extraction instead of a water tray solves a problem every tiler recognizes: the mess. No slurry tray to empty, no water to carry up three flights, nothing to spill on a finished floor, and no wet-saw station to build and then break down at the end of the day. ##### Dry cutting tile without the dust The iQTS244 draws dust away at the blade and traps it inside the machine, which means it can be set up inside the room being tiled rather than out on a balcony or in a car park. For a tiler that is a genuine change in working pattern — the saw sits where the work is, cuts are quicker to make and check, and the offcut goes straight in the bucket. ##### Where a wet saw still wins Be realistic about the trade-off. On large-format porcelain and on natural stone, wet cutting still gives the cleanest arris and the least risk of chipping, and a wet [continuous rim blade](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-porcelain-tile-blade/) is the right tool for a visible edge. A dust-extraction saw earns its place on volume and on cleanliness, not on ultimate edge quality. Filter condition is what determines how well the extraction works — check it as routinely as you would check a blade. See [tile saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/tile-saws/) and [tile and porcelain blades](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/diamond-blades/tile-porcelain/). *Blade size, rip and diagonal capacity, motor rating and filter specification come from iQ Power Tools documentation, available on request.* ### Makita XEC01PT1 36V Cordless Power Cutter (9") Kit URL: https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/makita-xec01pt1-36v-cordless-power-cutter-9-kit/ SKU: MAK-S04 Price: $1,079.00 Category: Cut-Off Saws A 9" cordless cutter is a different tool from a 14" machine, and buying one expecting the other is the usual mistake. This is a precision and access tool: lighter, easier to control one-handed at height or in a confined space, and quick enough to pick up for a single cut without a second thought. ##### The work it does best - Cutting rebar, threaded rod, angle and pipe on site. - Opening block and brick for services during fit-out. - Trimming pavers, tile and cement board on finishing work. - Shallow concrete cuts for chases and box openings. ##### Depth is the limiting factor No diamond blade should be buried much past a third of its own diameter, which puts a 9" wheel at around three inches. Enough for a block wall, a screed or a services chase; nowhere near enough for a structural slab. Full-depth concrete belongs on a larger machine — see [walk-behind saws](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product-category/saws-equipment/walk-behind-saws/). Being cordless and 36V, it goes where fumes and cords are unwelcome. For dry cutting concrete or masonry indoors you still need dust control — see [OSHA Table 1](https://dotdiamondtools.com/silica-dust-osha-table-1/) — and a [pressurised water bottle](https://dotdiamondtools.com/product/dot-pressurized-water-bottle-dust-suppression/) is the simplest way to get it. *Kit contents, battery capacity and maximum depth for the XEC01PT1 are stated by Makita; we will include the sheet with your quote.*