Can I use an angle grinder to cut concrete?

Need to cut a concrete paver but don’t have a giant saw? Using the wrong tool can be slow, wear out your discs, and create a lot of dust and danger.

Yes, you can absolutely cut concrete with an angle grinder, but only if you use the correct blade. You must use a diamond cutting disc specifically designed for masonry. Using a standard abrasive disc meant for metal is ineffective, dangerous, and will disintegrate almost instantly.

This is one of the most practical questions our clients ask. As a factory that has been producing professional-grade abrasives for almost 30 years, we’ve seen it all. Yes, an angle grinder¹ is a versatile tool, and with the right accessory, it can handle concrete. We manufacture specialized diamond blades² precisely for this purpose. But it’s not as simple as just swapping the disc. To get a clean, safe cut, you need to understand the right blade type, the correct technique, and the limitations of your tool. Let’s dig deeper into how to do this correctly.

Can you cut concrete with an angle grinder?

You’ve got the grinder and the diamond blade, but the cut is messy and slow. Just having the right parts isn’t enough; using the wrong technique wastes time and material.

To effectively cut concrete, equip your grinder with a diamond blade, and mark a clear line. Make a shallow first pass (scoring) to create a guide, then proceed with progressively deeper passes. Do not force the tool; let the blade’s speed do the work.

In our experience supplying construction clients, proper technique is as important as the quality of the blade. I once saw a team burning through expensive diamond blades because they were pushing down hard, trying to muscle through the cut in one pass. This overheats the blade segments, glazes them over, and stops them from cutting. We advised them to use a shallow scoring pass³ first, followed by incremental cuts. Their blade consumption dropped by 40%, and the quality of their cuts improved immediately. A little bit of technique goes a long way. The key is control, not force.

The Best Way to Cut Concrete

For a safe and effective cut, follow a structured process. This minimizes risk and ensures a clean result.

1. Preparation is Key: Secure the concrete piece on a stable surface so it cannot move. Mark your cut line clearly with a pencil or chalk.
2. Safety First: Put on your full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)⁴. This is non-negotiable and includes a dust mask⁵ (N95 or better for silica dust), safety glasses⁶, a full face shield, and heavy-duty gloves.
3. The Scoring Pass: Start the grinder and make a shallow cut, about 5-10mm deep, along your entire guideline. This creates a groove that will guide the blade during deeper cuts.
4. Incremental Passes: Go back over the initial cut, letting the grinder sink a little deeper with each pass. Let the weight of the tool do most of the work. Control the grinder firmly with both hands.

What is the best blade for cutting concrete with an angle grinder?

Choosing a blade from a wall of options is confusing. Picking the wrong one means slow, sloppy cuts, high costs from rapid wear, and potential safety hazards on the job.

The only acceptable and effective blade for cutting concrete is a diamond blade. For general-purpose concrete cutting, a segmented rim diamond blade offers the best balance of speed and cooling. For cleaner cuts on harder materials like pavers, a turbo rim blade is superior.

As a manufacturer, we produce a wide range of diamond blades under our RL brand and for our OEM partners. My clients’ success depends on having the right tool for the job. Standard abrasive discs for metal are made of aluminum oxide or silicon carbide, which simply gets ground away by concrete. Diamond is the hardest material known, so it can actually cut and grind the stone and sand aggregates in concrete. The choice between segmented, turbo, or continuous rim⁷s depends entirely on your priority: speed or finish. We always consult with our buyers to match the blade to the specific type of concrete they are cutting for optimal performance.

Diamond Blade Types Explained

The edge of the diamond blade, or "rim," comes in different styles for different jobs.

What size angle grinder for grinding concrete?

You have a big grinding job but a small grinder. Using an underpowered tool will lead to overheating and burnout, while a tool that’s too big can be dangerously hard to control.

For small cutting jobs like pavers or scoring, a 115mm (4.5”) or 125mm (5”) angle grinder works well. For grinding down small high spots, a 125mm is acceptable. For grinding larger floor areas, a more powerful 180mm (7”) or 230mm (9”) grinder is needed.

The grinder’s size determines its power and coverage. In my factory, we test our diamond cup wheels on various grinders to provide the best recommendations. A customer once tried to prep an entire garage floor for an epoxy coating using a small 115mm grinder. He called us complaining that our diamond cup wheel wore out too fast. After discussion, the issue was clear: the small grinder lacked the power and was overheating both itself and the cup wheel, destroying the diamond matrix. We advised him to rent a proper 7-inch grinder with a dust shroud. The right tool size is not just about disc diameter; it’s about having enough motor power to do the job without strain.

Matching Grinder Size to the Task

Bigger isn’t always better. The key is to match the tool’s power and size to the scale of the job.

For any significant grinding (more than a few square feet), using a dust shroud that connects to a shop vacuum is essential for health and visibility.

Is an angle grinder the same as a concrete grinder?

You see an "angle grinder" and a "concrete grinder," and they both spin discs. This can lead you to believe they are interchangeable, a mistake that results in poor quality work.

No, they are fundamentally different tools. An angle grinder is a versatile handheld tool for cutting and small-area grinding. A dedicated concrete grinder is a larger, specialized floor machine designed specifically to efficiently level, smooth, and polish large concrete surfaces.

I often clarify this distinction for clients in the flooring and construction industries. While you can grind concrete with an angle grinder using a diamond cup wheel, it is only for spot work—like a single high spot or a small patch. Trying to level an entire room with one is like trying to mow a football field with scissors. A dedicated concrete floor grinder is designed for this large-scale work. It uses multiple diamond segments, is much heavier to provide consistent pressure, and has integrated dust collection. They are built for one purpose, and they do it exceptionally well. Using the right machine saves immense amounts of time and produces a far superior, professional finish.

Key Differences: Versatility vs. Specialization

Conclusion

An angle grinder is a capable tool for cutting concrete when paired with the right diamond blade and technique. For large grinding jobs, a dedicated machine is always the better choice.