Concrete cutters and floor saws · Walk-behind, self-propelled and handheld saws, blade diameter and cutting depth, engine or motor, water delivery for silica dust control, depth control and straight cutting
A concrete cutter cuts slabs, floors, roads and walls with an abrasive or diamond blade, for expansion joints, trenches for pipes and cables, openings and repairs; types range from handheld cut-off and ring saws to walk-behind and self-propelled floor saws. Ask three things first: what cutting depth and blade diameter the job needs, which saw type and power source suit the site, and how the saw delivers water or extracts dust to meet silica rules.
Walk-behind and self-propelled concrete floor (road) saws and handheld concrete saws (cut-off, ring and cordless saws) with diamond or abrasive blades. Wall and wire saws, core drills, stationary masonry saws, and saw blades sold alone are outside this page except where compared.
Start with your task
01
Changzhou Jiehe lists its JHD-400 walk-behind floor saw for cutting expansion joints, pipe trenches and cable channels in concrete floors, with a 13 hp Honda GX390 petrol engine (with Kohler, Siemens or diesel power options), 0–175 mm cutting depth set by a hand wheel, a 25 L water tank for dust suppression, a net weight of 112 kg, an emergency shut-off, four-wheel alignment for straight cutting, left- or right-side sawing, and blades of 12, 14, 16, 18 or 20 in (blade not included). It states its walk-behind and self-propelled saws cover cutting depths from 0 to 400 mm. [2]
Editorial calculation: 13 hp is about 9.7 kW, and 175 mm is about 6.9 in; the depth any saw achieves depends on the blade fitted, so ask for the maximum depth with each blade size you will use. [2]
Editorial note: give the supplier the material (reinforced concrete, asphalt, masonry), the depth, length and orientation of the cuts (floor, wall, road), and whether cutting is indoors, so the saw type and blade can be matched.
Joint depth decides how much blade a floor saw needs. A study sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation (report FHWA-ICT-11-076) cut contraction joints on Illinois Route 59 in three 300 ft test sections: a control cut to one-third of the slab thickness with a conventional wet saw, a section cut to one-third of the slab thickness with an early-entry dry saw, and a section cut to a nominal 1.25 in with an early-entry dry saw. Surface scarring, joint raveling and slab edge breakouts were recorded during sawing; six cores were taken from each test cell for petrographic analysis, freeze-thaw and salt-scaling tests, and compressive-strength cylinders were tested at 3, 7 and 28 days. [4]
Editorial calculation: on a 250 mm (about 10 in) slab, a one-third-depth cut is about 83 mm, within the 0–175 mm range Jiehe lists for its JHD-400; a one-third cut on a 525 mm slab would reach that 175 mm limit, while the 1.25 in early-entry cut is about 32 mm at any slab thickness. [4] [2]
Give the supplier the material and reinforcement, cutting depth and length, saw type (handheld, walk-behind, self-propelled), blade diameter and arbor, power (petrol, diesel, electric, battery) and site power available, indoor or outdoor use, water supply, dust control required, weight and transport limits, noise and vibration limits, and spare parts needs.
02
OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.1153) sets a permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average and an action level of 25 µg/m³. Its Table 1 lists control methods by equipment: walk-behind saws and handheld power saws (any blade diameter) must be equipped with an integrated water delivery system that continuously feeds water to the blade, and be operated and maintained to the manufacturer's instructions to minimise dust; drivable saws are listed for outdoor tasks only, with the same water requirement. [1]
Table 1 requires no respirator for walk-behind saws used outdoors, and a respirator of assigned protection factor (APF) 10 indoors or in an enclosed area. For handheld power saws it requires none outdoors for up to 4 hours per shift and APF 10 beyond 4 hours, and APF 10 indoors or in enclosed areas. [1]
Editorial note: ask the supplier how water reaches the blade (nozzles, flow control, tank or mains supply) and for the operating instructions that cover dust control; a tank alone does not show that water is continuously fed to the blade. [1] [2]
03
Cooper, Johnson and Phillips (Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 2015; open access in PMC) tested a handheld worm-drive circular saw with a 17.8 cm diamond segmented blade cutting 19 mm quartz-based artificial stone (85% quartz) on a roller carriage, comparing a wetted blade, a wetted blade plus a water-curtain spray, and a wetted blade plus local exhaust ventilation (LEV), with dry cutting as a reference. The work was done in a small unventilated tent to compare controls, not to represent site exposures. [3]
The authors report that wetting the blade cut respirable dust about tenfold compared with dry cutting and that adding LEV cut it about tenfold again; the water curtain showed no statistically significant benefit. Mean quartz content of the respirable dust was 58.5%. They conclude that adding LEV to handheld circular saws is an effective, simple and low-cost intervention. [3] Compare with the water-delivery and respirator requirements of OSHA Table 1 above, which set controls for concrete saws on site. [1]
Editorial calculation: even the best wetted-blade + LEV quartz results (up to 0.20 mg/m³ = 200 µg/m³ over 30 minutes) are four times the OSHA 8-hour PEL of 50 µg/m³ on a concentration basis, which is why task duration and respiratory protection still matter.
| Condition (30-min task) | Respirable dust, mg/m³ | Respirable quartz, mg/m³ |
|---|---|---|
| Dry cutting | 69.6 | 44.6 |
| Wetted blade only | 3.54–7.51 | 1.87–4.85 |
| Wetted blade + water curtain | 1.81–5.97 | 0.92–3.41 |
| Wetted blade + LEV | 0.20–0.69 | < 0.12–0.20 |
Ask whether the saw has an integral water feed, an LEV shroud and port, the dust extractor airflow and filter efficiency it is designed for, and the water flow rate the maker recommends.
04
Suppliers linked to this page list concrete cutters or concrete saws; each card links to the page reviewed.
The suppliers reviewed list walk-behind and self-propelled floor saws or handheld concrete saws; ask each for blade range and maximum depth, power, water delivery design, weight, noise and vibration data, and spare parts.
05
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Blade and shaft | Cut the material. [2] | Diameter; arbor; type. |
| Engine or motor | Drive the blade. [2] | Power; fuel or supply. |
| Depth control | Set cutting depth. [2] | Range; mechanism. |
| Water tank and delivery | Feed water to blade. [2] [1] | Flow; supply. |
| Frame, wheels and guide | Straight cutting. [2] | Alignment; pointer. |
| Emergency stop and guard | Operator safety. [2] | Fitted. |
06
A concrete cutter quotation needs values for your cuts. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Blade Diameter (mm) | E.g. 12–20 in blades on a 400 mm saw. [2] | Range; arbor. |
| Maximum Cutting Depth (mm) | E.g. 0–175 mm. [2] | Depth per blade. |
| Engine Power (kW) | E.g. 13 hp (about 9.7 kW). [2] | Power; engine make. |
| Blade Speed (rpm) | Matches blade rating. | Shaft speed. |
| Weight (kg) | E.g. 112 kg. [2] | Weight. |
| Fuel Tank Capacity (L) | Run time. | Capacity. |
| Water Flow Rate (L/min) | Continuous feed to blade. [1] | Flow; tank 25 L. [2] |
| Noise Level (dB) | Operator exposure. | Sound power and pressure. |
| Vibration Level (m/s²) | Hand-arm exposure. | Declared value. |
| IP Rating | Electric saws. | Rating. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | Site climate. | Range. |
| Dust control options | Wet blade cut dust about 10×; wet blade + LEV a further 10× in one handheld-saw study. [3] | Water feed, LEV shroud, extractor. |
| Joint cut depth | One-third of slab thickness (wet or early-entry dry saw) or a nominal 1.25 in (early-entry dry saw) in an Illinois DOT field trial. [4] | Depth your spec calls for and whether the saw is wet or early-entry. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Cut: [material; depth; length] Saw: [handheld; walk-behind; self-propelled] Blade: [diameter; arbor; diamond or abrasive] Power: [petrol; diesel; electric; battery] Site: [indoor or outdoor; water supply] Dust: [water delivery; extraction] Limits: [noise; vibration; weight]
These companies list concrete cutters or concrete saws.
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Product scope checked 2026-10-11
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Product scope checked 2026-10-11
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Product scope checked 2026-10-11
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Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1153 Table 1 calls for walk-behind and handheld saws with an integrated water delivery system that continuously feeds water to the blade. [1]
It depends on the blade; Jiehe lists 0–175 mm on its 400 mm saw and up to 400 mm across its range. [2]
OSHA Table 1 requires APF 10 respiratory protection for walk-behind and handheld saws used indoors or in enclosed areas. [1]
In a controlled study, a wetted blade plus local exhaust ventilation cut respirable dust and quartz about tenfold compared with a wetted blade alone; a water curtain gave no significant benefit. [3]
An Illinois DOT-sponsored trial (FHWA-ICT-11-076) compared cuts to one-third of the slab thickness with a wet saw and an early-entry dry saw against a nominal 1.25 in cut with an early-entry dry saw. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. OSHA's silica standard is a US federal rule; Jiehe describes its own saw; the dust study and the Illinois DOT-sponsored joint-sawing trial report test conditions of their own. Local rules on dust, noise and vibration also apply.
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