Concrete block is deceptive. It is softer than cured concrete, so it feels like it should be the easy cut - and then a general-purpose blade that lasted months on slab work is worn out in a week. The reason is that abrasive material attacks the bond holding the diamonds, not the diamonds themselves, so the blade needs a harder bond, not a more aggressive one. The MK-444D is MK Diamond's Supreme Grade high speed blade built specifically for abrasive block, and this part number is the 18 in. size on a 1 in. arbor.
Use Cases
- Cutting standard and lightweight concrete masonry units on a masonry saw
- Block walls, retaining wall units and hardscape block where the material is soft and abrasive
- Split-face and architectural block that has to come off the saw with a clean edge
- Abrasive brick and pavers that wear out general-purpose blades quickly
- Production block cutting where blade changes cost more than the blade does
Built for block masons and precast yards
The buyer here is running volume: a masonry contractor cutting block all day on a jobsite saw, a hardscape crew trimming retaining wall units, a precast or block yard filling orders. At 18 in. it is sized for the larger saws that take tall or wide units in one pass instead of two. The segments are laser welded to the core, which is the attachment rated for the speed and feed of a powered saw, and they stand 10mm tall, so there is a lot of blade to use before it is finished.
What actually kills a block blade
Two things, mostly. The first is the wrong bond, which is what this blade exists to fix. The second is heat with nowhere to go - block cutting is usually dry, so the blade depends on air moving through the gullets to shed heat. Let the blade run at speed and let it do the cutting rather than forcing feed pressure, and pull it clear of a long cut occasionally to let it cool. The other thing worth planning for before the saw starts: cutting block dry throws respirable crystalline silica, and that is a health exposure that needs real dust control and respiratory protection, not a shop rag.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: MK Diamond Products
- Model: MK-444D
- Part number: 150383
- Grade: Supreme Grade
- Application: Abrasive block, dry cutting
- Blade diameter: 18 in. (456mm)
- Blade width (kerf): .142 in.
- Arbor: 1 in.
- Segment height: 10mm
- Segment attachment: Laser welded
- Blade type: High speed segmented
Frequently asked questions
Why does abrasive block need its own blade?
Bond hardness has to run opposite to material hardness. Soft, abrasive materials like concrete block consume the bond itself, so they need a harder bond that can survive the friction. A blade bonded for hard, dense concrete wears away fast in block. Buying on price instead of matching bond to material is the classic and expensive mistake here.
What counts as abrasive block?
Standard and lightweight concrete masonry units, autoclaved and aerated block, split-face and architectural block, and softer abrasive brick and pavers. If the material leaves a sandy grit rather than hard chips, it is abrasive.
Does this blade run wet or dry?
MK Diamond lists the MK-444D under its dry cutting brick and block blades. Dry cutting block produces respirable silica dust, so plan dust control and respiratory protection into the setup.
What saw does the 18 in. fit?
It uses a 1 in. arbor and a .142 in. kerf. At 18 in. it is sized for the larger saws that take tall or wide units in one pass instead of two. Confirm your saw's arbor size and maximum blade capacity before ordering.
How does Supreme Grade differ from the other MK grades?
Supreme is the top tier in MK Diamond's three-tier structure and carries the highest diamond concentration of the three. In production block work that shows up as more cuts per blade rather than as a faster single cut.
Discount Cleaning Products is an authorized MK Diamond dealer. MK Diamond Products builds its saws, blades and diamond tooling out of Torrance, California, and US-based product support stands behind the line. If you are not sure which width or arbor matches your saw, contact us before you order and we will match the blade to the machine.
