Cutting concrete slabs.

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I have finished laying the main part of the patio and just have 8 600x600x50mm concrete slabs to cut into the edges.

I need to hire a tool to cut the slabs, which would be the most suitable?

Slab splitter.
Hydraulic Ram.
Power saw.
 
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You think a power saw is most suitable for the job, ok.

I will go to the hire shop but don't know if they have stihl.
 
A petrol or electric grinder will do it. I use a Bosch 225mm angle grinder armed with a decent (£75.00+) diamond blade.

Cuts 'em like a knife through butter.:cool:

They can be a bit wicked-snatchy though. :eek: :LOL:
 
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decent 9 inch electric grinder will do the job. As noseall says with a decent blade its much easier. I very rarely use my stihl saw. They are very tiring to use and heavy. Its a lot easier to get accurate cuts with a grinder and the more intricate cuts as well
 
I don't know how much hire places charge for professional quality tools, but I've never had a problem cutting slabs and pavers with a £30 9" grinder and a £10 diamond disc.
If I were a professional I may have a different view, but for occasional DIY use they are fine. What's more they are available whenever I need them in the future and I don't have to get the job done by 4 o'clock on Saturday to avoid an additional charge!

Mike
 
Cheap diamond blades overheat, then flex and warp. This subsequently allows the blade to wander.

Also the cheaper ones gum up, and again this causes overheating and bluing.

I should know, i bought enough cheap blades before i saw sense! :rolleyes: I now pay around the £70 mark and it is well worth spending the extra.

My current blade is over two years old and it takes a battering.
 
ive got a marcrist thats still going strong after 18 months. With the amount of cutting of slabs we do thats not bad going i reckon. For inrequent use i can understand buying cheap.
 
I have a neighbour that is a real pain in the neck.
She complains when I am working outside building a wall or laying slabs.

Last year I took a window out and cut out bricks with a petrol grinder so that I could fit a door on the side of my garage and she moaned about the dust.

So I was trying to cut the slabs dust free.

My local hire shop has electric and petrol grinders and a Hydraulic block cutter. I took a slab there and we tried the block cutter but the cut was not clean.

I found another hire shop that has a masonry bench cutter that pumps water on the cut to keep dust to a minimum.
It will cost me £65 for the day.

I could of course buy a 9 inch grinder for £40 from Toolstation and get a blade for £14 but it is the dust I am worried about.
Nobody else here to squirt the hose on the slab to keep the dust down.
 

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