Cutting construction materials with floor saws.

For cutting expansion joints, laying utilities, or demolishing various types of road and other surfaces, two types of professional equipment are used — wall saws and floor saws (joint cutters).

The latter are more affordable, compact, and mobile compared to wall saws, which makes them very popular. This article will focus on floor saws.

Types of Floor Saws

There are several key criteria for comparing floor saws (joint cutters):

Engine Type:
✅ Petrol – Ideal for large-scale outdoor work. Compact and mobile, allowing operation in hard-to-reach areas. Power ranges from 3 to 19 kW. Maximum cutting depth is just over 30 cm.
✅ Diesel – High power reserve, the most productive type. Mainly used for industrial sites and deep cutting (up to 90 cm). Main drawback: large size and weight.
✅ Electric – Compact and mobile but less common due to the need for a 380V three-phase power supply. Cutting depth up to 50 cm. Advantages: eco-friendly, no exhaust gases, safe for indoor use, and quieter operation.

Blade Size:

• Small – Blade diameter 300–500 mm

• Medium – Up to 800 mm

• Large – Up to 1200 mm

Drive Type:

• Manual – For small jobs and shallow cuts. Requires physical effort from the operator.

• Self-propelled – Larger, more powerful, used for deep cuts. Automated, requiring only depth and direction adjustment from the operator.

Water is used for cooling during cutting; machines are equipped with water tanks.

Applications:
Floor saws work with concrete, asphalt, natural stone, and other building materials. Depending on power and depth, they are used for tasks like:

• Demolishing foundations and slabs

• Cutting for utilities

• Floor renovation

• Edge trimming (bricks, asphalt)

• Cutting various concrete types, including hydraulic

• Openings and hatches in slabs

• Expansion and deformation joints (runways)

• Industrial tanks

• Road demolition

Choosing the Right Blade:
The two main materials processed are concrete and asphalt. Concrete cutting can reach depths of up to 1 meter, while asphalt typically requires less. Asphalt blades go up to 600 mm, concrete blades — up to 1200 mm.

Asphalt Blades: (further description follows...)

For asphalt cutting, medium-power floor saws are most often used, less frequently high-power ones. Since the material is very viscous, low drive power is undesirable.

Asphalt is highly abrasive, so all blades designed for this material have a higher diamond grain concentration compared to concrete blades. This is done to ensure that the blade’s lifespan is not too short.

The asphalt blade range is limited and includes several models from the “Distar” brand and one model from “Baumesser.”

An excellent blade for use with medium-power drives (6–13 kW).

It is characterized by a high material processing speed. Due to asphalt’s high abrasiveness, it can wear down the saw body, so several higher segments have been added to this model. They provide better overhang of the diamond layer above the core and protect it from rubbing against the material throughout the entire service life.

The product is available in diameters from 300 mm to 500 mm in 50 mm increments.

Sprinter Plus – suitable for both medium-power and high-power drives (up to 20 kW).

It offers slightly lower cutting speed than the Abrasive blade but has several times higher durability. It is an excellent solution for large-scale work.

The blade design also includes a protective segment, which in this case is inclined to further improve slurry removal from the cutting zone. Available diameters range from 300 mm to 600 mm.

Asphalt Pro – this blade is part of the “Baumesser” range, unlike the previous two which are sold under the “Distar” brand.

The blade is designed for low-power equipment. Even on low-power floor saws, it delivers high cutting speed but has the lowest lifespan of all the blades listed above. Thanks to its low cost, Asphalt Pro is the best solution for small-scale jobs.

Available diameters range from 300 mm to 500 mm.

Concrete saws

Since concrete is stronger and less abrasive, the segments used on such saws often have a more aggressive shape with various teeth and turbo design.

This design feature significantly increases the self-sharpening ability of the blades when working with low-abrasive materials.

The "ADTnS" brand offers Industrial class tools designed for complex, specialized tasks. They can be used on medium and high-power drives, unlike "Distar" blades, which are ideal for low and medium-power floor saws.

Such blades are typically used for concrete grades M400 and above, while "Distar" diamond blades are the best solution for less strong concrete, from M250 to M400.

ADTnS Blades

RM-W – The most budget-friendly blade in the lineup. It’s the only blade in this brand made with segments sintered together with the body, while the rest have laser-welded segments.

Designed for low-power equipment. A special W-shaped segment profile makes it quite fast on heavy, including reinforced, concrete. Available in diameters 300, 350, and 400 mm.

RS-Z – The aggressive tooth-shaped segment allows high-speed work on strong, including heavily reinforced, concrete. Suitable for floor saws of any power.

Among all the above, it has the highest processing speed, durability, and the widest range of diameters (300–600 mm).

RH-T – The best option for cutting old and strong concrete on powerful floor saws (15 kW and above). Handles rebar well. Available in 500, 600, and 800 mm, with custom sizes possible on request.

This blade is specially designed for cutting fresh, non-reinforced concrete on powerful floor saws.

Fresh concrete is more abrasive than old, so this blade is made similar to asphalt blades and has protective segments taller than the others.

Distar Blades

Technic Advanced – Like RM-W, it is manufactured using the sintering method. This universal blade performs excellently on many construction materials (concrete, granite, paving stones, bricks, etc.).

Ideal for low and medium-power equipment (4 to 9 kW). This budget blade ensures a very smooth cut and has medium durability. Available in 300, 450, and 400 mm diameters.

Classic H12 – Also designed for low and medium-power engines up to 9 kW.

A higher diamond layer ensures better durability but reduces performance, making it excellent for abrasive materials, although it can also handle reinforced concrete.

Diameters range from 304 to 604 mm in 50 mm increments. Thanks to the turbo segment, it delivers very high cutting speed both in concrete and metal.

Designed for medium-power equipment (5–13 kW). Available in 300–600 mm diameters.

Floor Saw Blade Restoration

After the diamond segments wear out, the blade core can be restored at a specialized service center instead of being discarded.

Restoration means brazing new segments onto the blade core and straightening it to meet standard specifications.

New blades are made with laser-welded segments, but during restoration, segments are brazed because laser welding is impossible on used cores. The most popular segments for restoration are RS-X and RM-X.

Both are manufactured using Diafix technology and have an oriented diamond layout for consistently high performance.

RS-X is a high-speed segment designed for heavily reinforced concrete. RM-X offers better durability and is ideal for more abrasive materials.

Conclusion

Floor saws are professional equipment mostly used in industrial applications to perform tasks impossible for handheld power tools.

Consumables for such equipment are a significant cost factor, so choosing the right blades carefully is crucial — not just based on price but also on their intended use.

The right blade will ensure fast, cost-effective work and extend your equipment’s life. A good combination of a powerful drive and quality blade reduces engine load, making it last much longer!