To make sure you are choosing the correct diamond blade for your job, there are several factors you need to ensure you include to get the optimum level of performance for your needs.
What price of diamond blade do you need?
What price factor is the most important to you? The initial price of the blade, or the cost per cut? Although many factors influence the price of a diamond blade, two main types of work will influence how much you should pay:
1. For smaller jobs, occasional use, or one-time cutting jobs, a lower-priced blade from our OX Tools Contractor Series may be the best choice.
2. For larger jobs, regular use, and for professionals, choosing a higher-priced blade will be considerably less expensive in the long run, because it will deliver the lowest cost per cut.
For regular, professional use and larger jobs, the lowest possible sawing cost per cut or metre is likely to be much more important to you than the initial price of the tool. For example, when a utility contractor is under pressure to deliver a certain number of kilometres of gas pipe replacement, having to replace cheaper cutting blades more often will prove more expensive.
So, for large jobs, or continuous use, we recommend the OX Tools Pro or Ultimate Series product ranges.
What materials are you working with?
Correctly identifying the material(s) you are going to cut is the most important factor in choosing the right diamond blade. Matching the right product to the right materials directly affects the cutting speed and the life of the product.
Most diamond blades cut a range of materials. However, the material should be matched to the blade as closely as possible. As a rule, determine the material that will be cut most often or the material for which blade performance is most important and then select the most appropriate blade type (bond).
What is a "bond"?
The bond is a mixture of metal powders used in various combinations to achieve specific wear rates. A correctly formulated bond holds the diamonds in place, just long enough to get maximum use from the diamond points before releasing the stone and exposing the next layer of diamonds.
Most materials will fall into the following categories:
1. Hard materials: granite, clay products, flint concrete, engineering brick.
A soft bond is required when cutting hard materials, such as granite. The soft bond will release the diamond grit at the point of maximum utilization, without the danger of the bond holding the grit for too long, which would cause the blade to overheat and stop cutting.
2. Medium-hard materials: concrete products and building materials.
A medium-hardness bond type is required when cutting medium-hard materials, such as concrete kerbs and slabs. This bond provides the right balance needed to keep the diamond grit fully exposed and at the same time ensures the material wears the bond at the correct speed, giving the best possible life. Most universal blades will be a medium-bond product.
3. Soft and abrasive materials: bricks, blocks, concrete roof tiles.
A medium bond is also needed here, for the same reasons as above. Although these materials are slightly softer, a medium hard bond will be found on most universal blades and will be suitable for these materials, as they are either not hard or soft enough to require going to far either way with the bond that you choose.
4. Extremely abrasive: asphalt, 3-Newton concrete block.
A hard bond is required when cutting soft materials, such as Asphalt or 3-Newton Block. This hard bond will hold the diamond grits longer so they can be more productive. If you use a soft bond to cut soft material, the bond will release the diamonds before they have reached maximum utilization and good diamonds will be lost prematurely. The blades will still cut adequately but productivity will be poor.
Are you using your diamond blade for dry or wet cutting?
Choosing wet or dry cutting may be either a matter of user preference, job requirement, or the tool you are using. Below are some key considerations to bear in mind when deciding whether you need to dry cut or use water
- Important: Wet blades MUST be used with water. Dry blades may be used either dry or wet as the job or equipment allows
- When using a hand tool such as an electric grinder, it is not safe to use water because of the electrical power source.
- For floor saws, wet cutting is usually preferred because you can cut deeper when using water as a coolant.
- For tile and masonry saws, either wet or dry cutting can be used, but when used with water the blades will cut more efficiently and last longer.
- For hand-held petrol saws, dry blades are more popular, but they are often used wet as a form of dust control.
To see our full range of Diamond Blades, including the full range from OX Tools, check LION's Portal.