Clean Soff-Cut joints are a mark of a skilled concrete contractor. Here are some tips from our concrete cutting experts on how you can ensure clean Soff-Cut joints and avoid ravelling or spalling.

Make sure your blade is broken in properly

Always break in your blades before you start to make your cuts. To break in your blades, put the diamond blade on the saw, and turn the engine rpm down to 50%. Run the blade through green concrete for 50-100 feet at 50% rpm. You should start to see exposed diamonds on the blade segment. Learn how to properly break in your soff-cut blades.

Cut the concrete in the Green Zone™

Soff-Cut is made for when concrete is in the Green Zone™. To start to detect the Green Zone™, first, press down on the concrete with your hand. If there is no imprint, step down on the concrete. If there is no footprint after stepping on the concrete, finally, roll your saw onto the concrete. If the saw doesn't leave an imprint you are in the Green Zone™ and you should begin cutting. Check out Husqvarna's video on detecting the concrete's Green Zone™.

Check the alignment of the skid plate

The skid plate is designed to prevent the ravelling of the Soff-Cut blade. It is located at the bottom of the blade block attached to the two spring-loaded pistons at the bottom of the blade block. If that is misaligned, the Soff-Cut blade is more likely to wobble and cause ravelled joints.

To check alignment, put the blade on the saw and drop the blade into an existing cut. The blade should be in the middle of the skid plate and the pistons should be able to move freely. If the skid plate or blade block is broke, bring your saw to one of our Repair Centers. 

Avoid Ravelled Soff-Cut Joints: Joint Protectors

One important thing that every Soff-Cut contractor should have in their toolbox is Soff-Cut joint protectors. These small, corrugated plastic pieces will go at your intersecting joint and at the point where your saw's wheel crosses the joint. Joint protectors help preserve your existing joints and decrease the chance of the concrete collapsing when cutting your new joints.

Fix Your Ravelled Joints: Husqvarna x150D

The Husqvarna Soff-Cut 150D is a Soff-Cut saw designed for making decorative cuts, and for making cuts in driveways and parking lots. It's specifically made to clean ravelled and spalled joints, avoiding tear-outs and saving you both time and money. Use this to transform rough joints into beautiful bevelled or radius edges creating a hand-tooled look.