Crews cutting asphalt every week buy on cost per foot, not sticker price, and that is the case for the MK-705W. It is MK Diamond's Premium Grade wet asphalt blade, rated one step above the Standard 700W on MK's own application chart, and it is built on the same 8 to 20 horsepower, 1-inch arbor platform that walk-behind and cart-mounted saws already use. This 12-inch, .125-inch kerf version is the entry diameter - the one paving and utility crews reach for on shallow trench and patch work.
Built for
- Full-depth utility and trench cuts in asphalt pavement for water, sewer, gas and fiber crews.
- Street openings, patch boxes and saw-cut layout ahead of a mill-and-patch repair.
- Squaring off failed pavement on parking lots, drives and paving jobs before removal.
- Municipal and DOT street department work on walk-behind and cart-mounted wet saws.
- Rental fleets that need a known asphalt blade for the 8 to 20-horsepower saws they already rent out.
Use Cases
The single most expensive mistake in pavement sawing is running the wrong blade in the wrong material. MK Diamond says so directly in its own blade manual: the most frequent problem it sees is a user cutting the wrong material with the wrong blade. Asphalt is abrasive and it loads a cut differently than cured concrete does, which is why MK builds a separate asphalt line and rates the MK-705W as Better on asphalt in its published application chart.
One caution worth reading before you order: MK does not recommend the MK-705W for asphalt over concrete. That job is a different blade in MK's lineup (the 600 series combination blades). If your cut will punch through the mat and into a concrete base, ask us and we will point you at the right part instead.
Getting full life out of it
This is a wet-cutting blade. MK is unambiguous that wet cutting blades can never be run dry, and publishes a water rate of 2 to 4 gallons per minute delivered evenly to both sides of the blade. Water does three jobs at once: it cools the steel core, it keeps the dust signature down, and it flushes the fines out of the kerf. Contractors describe the same thing in their own words - water helps the fines wash out of the cut and makes the blade last.
The two failure modes crews complain about most are both avoidable. A blade that stops cutting has usually glazed over from being forced; MK's guidance is to let the blade cut rather than push it, so fresh diamond keeps exposing. A blade that dies with segment still on it has usually been undercut, where slurry grinds away the core beneath the segments. More water, shallower step-down passes and staying out of the sub-base are the standard fixes.
Specifications
- Model: MK Diamond MK-705W, Premium Grade for asphalt
- Manufacturer part number: 133579
- Diameter: 12-inch (305mm)
- Width (kerf): .125-inch
- Arbor: 1-inch
- Segment height: 12mm
- Horsepower range: 8 to 20 hp
- Construction: laser welded
- Cutting method: wet only
- Material rated by MK: asphalt (better). Asphalt over concrete is not recommended.
- Available in this family: 12-inch through 30-inch
Frequently asked questions
How is the MK-705W different from the MK-700W?
MK rates the MK-705W Better on asphalt and the MK-700W Good. Both use a 12mm segment, a 1-inch arbor, laser-welded construction and an 8 to 20 horsepower range, so they mount and run the same way. The premium 705W family also extends to 30 inches in diameter where the 700W stops at 24.
Can I use it dry?
No. MK states that its wet cutting blades can never be used dry. Feed 2 to 4 gallons per minute evenly to both sides of the blade.
Is this blade rated for concrete or for asphalt over concrete?
No. MK rates the MK-705W for asphalt and marks asphalt over concrete as not recommended. For a cut that passes into a concrete base, MK points to its combination blade series. Ask us and we will confirm the right part number.
What does the .125-inch width mean in practice?
That is the kerf - the width of the slot the blade cuts. A narrower kerf removes less material, so a smaller saw is not fighting the cut and you get more footage out of the same horsepower. Wider kerfs in the same family exist for larger saws and heavier work.
How long should a blade like this last?
MK publishes no footage claim and neither will we, because life depends on aggregate, depth, water and how hard the operator pushes. What contractors consistently report is that keeping water on the blade and letting it cut rather than forcing it is worth more to blade life than any other single factor.
Discount Cleaning Products is an authorized MK Diamond dealer. Blades ship direct from stocking inventory, orders are handled by a US-based team that works with contractor and municipal purchasing every day, and we can help confirm arbor, kerf and horsepower against your saw before you order.
