There’s no definitive answer to tooling lifespan – in reality, job site conditions dictate how long diamond tools last. However, we can estimate based on the tooling and equipment. For example, when using a GP 500 or GP 700 grinder, the tooling is much larger so, with the head pressure, we can estimate that, on average, contractors should expect diamonds to wear down after about 8,000-10,000sq ft of work. Smaller machines have smaller tooling and less head pressure, so would last around 2,500sq ft on average. If you’re not matching your diamonds to the hardness of your concrete, that number could decrease.

We’ve had a customer working on some concrete for an indoor application, who experienced expected wear on diamonds. Then, when they used the same tooling to prepare an outdoor patio on the same site, the diamonds disappeared rapidly. After investigating, we noticed the entire patio felt like sandpaper because the materials they used to create a non-slip surface outside wore the diamonds down quickly.

There’s no one size fits all to tooling – contractors should always take the time to select tooling based on the flooring application, chosen machinery and job site conditions. Once they’ve established these parameters, they can build a toolbox that’ll ensure surface preparation success.
Dave Bigham, global director of training