The Difference Between Concrete & Asphalt Blades

One of the most common questions us as salesmen get is, “What is the difference between blades…specifically the difference between concrete and asphalt blades?”

The easiest answer is the BOND of the blade. The bond is the metals that hold the diamonds in place. The bond consists of metal powder. The powder can be a mixture of a variety of metals such as cobalt, tungsten, nickel, and copper. Asphalt is softer then concrete so the metals that are used in the bond are the harder metals (cobalt & tungsten) For concrete the bond consists of softer metals (nickel & copper)

Another difference between the design of Asphalt vs Concrete blades is the core. Asphalt blades have a segment that will go further into the core, either a drop segment, wedge segment, radial segment, or tungsten or carbide kickers. The reason for this is because asphalt is more abrasive then concrete. Without the added features, your blade will undercut and thin out, because of the abrasive compounds grinding on the blade during cutting.

The last difference is the variety of bonds. Concrete is a lot different in Texas then in Florida. We offer well over 2 dozen different bonds on our professional wet blades. We have the ability to match the bond to the exact aggregate in each of our customers areas. For the most part, asphalt across the country is similar, although can differ across the country. At Diamond Blade Warehouse, we offer 4 different bonds of professional wet asphalt blades.