Disc Cutters

A petrol cutter is driven by a two-stroke petrol engine usually rated 4–6 hp and runs a 300–400 mm blade, which lets it cut concrete and asphalt to about 145 mm deep without mains power — the choice for outdoor sites. A cordless cutter runs on a battery, cuts quieter and with no exhaust, so it suits interiors; it most often uses a blade of about 230 mm with a shallower cut of around 70–100 mm, at a weight usually under 6 kg without the blade.

A 350 mm blade in a handheld cutter gives a single-pass cutting depth of about 125 mm. This follows from the blade geometry — part of it hides inside the guard and drive spindle. For comparison, a 300 mm blade cuts about 100 mm and a 400 mm blade up to about 145 mm. A deeper kerf comes from cutting the element from both sides or reaching for a floor saw.

A petrol handheld cutter with a segmented diamond blade cuts through reinforced concrete, including rebar a dozen or more millimetres thick. The key is a blade with segments for reinforced materials and water cooling, which lowers the temperature and extends blade life. Models rated 4–6 hp with a 350–400 mm blade suit rebar cutting. Where there is a lot of steel, a separate abrasive metal blade helps, and with rebar above 20 mm cut in stages with cooling so the segments do not overheat.

For concrete, reinforced concrete and paving blocks, use a segmented diamond blade for concrete, cooled with water. Asphalt needs a diamond blade for asphalt, with a harder bond resistant to the abrasive, sticky material. Cutting steel, sections and rebar calls for an abrasive (corundum) blade, dry only. Blade diameters are usually 300–400 mm on petrol cutters and about 230 mm on cordless ones. A blade run on the wrong material wears up to twice as fast.

A professional petrol Husqvarna handheld cutter for concrete usually starts from a few thousand PLN net, and more powerful models (5–6 hp) with a 400 mm blade for deep cutting cost more. Total running cost also depends on diamond blades, whose life runs to a few hundred metres of cutting, plus consumables such as the drive belt and air filter. Exact current prices for each model are on the product pages, and for one-off cutting, renting is sometimes an alternative.

Petrol handheld cutters for concrete are driven by two-stroke petrol engines usually rated 4–6 hp (about 3–5 kW) with a displacement around 50–95 cc. Lighter models with a 300–350 mm blade are usually about 4–5 hp, while more powerful units with a 400 mm blade for deep cutting and reinforced concrete run about 6 hp. Higher power means steadier revs under load and faster cutting, but also more weight, reaching 9–11 kg. Cordless and electric models are the alternative for emission-free indoor work.

A cordless handheld cutter cuts concrete, slabs and paving blocks, though shallower than a petrol one — with a blade of about 230 mm the cutting depth is usually 70–100 mm. It suits renovations and indoor cutting, where the lack of exhaust and lower noise matter. A single battery usually lasts several to a dozen minutes of continuous cutting, so spare packs help on longer jobs. For deep cutting of reinforced concrete, a petrol cutter with a 350–400 mm blade remains more efficient.

A diamond blade usually lasts a few hundred metres of concrete cutting, and its wear shows as low segments (below 2–3 mm above the core) and a slower kerf. Abrasive blades for steel wear much faster. The drive belt that carries power to the blade spindle is replaced when it shows visible wear or slip, usually every few dozen hours of work. Cleaning the air filter and cooling the blade with water extend the life of the blade and the engine.

Wet cutting of concrete is not formally required with every blade, but connecting water pays off strongly: it lowers silica dust by more than 90%, cools the blade and extends its life. Many petrol handheld cutters have a spigot and valve for a hose or a pressurised tank, using around 0.5–1 litre of water per minute. Dry cutting with a diamond blade is possible in short passes, but it raises a lot of dust, so indoors you use water or dust extraction.

For cutting paving blocks, kerbs and pavement slabs, the best choice is a petrol or electric handheld cutter with a diamond blade for concrete, 300–350 mm in diameter, giving a cutting depth of 100–125 mm — enough for most blocks and edging. On sites without power, a petrol drive of 4–5 hp wins, while for paving work in residential areas a quieter cordless or electric model does. Wet cutting limits dust and improves edge quality.