Tools for cutting back concrete & Tile

BAUER 12 Amp, 7 in. Variable-Speed Rotary Polisher fitted with a diamond blade

Using a variable speed 7-inch polisher instead of an angle grinder allows you to turn the speed way down so that you can spray water on the blade as you cut, so you're not making dust. These have a 5/8" by 11 arbor, so they'll fit all the same cup wheels and arbor nuts and blades that any other grinder would fit. For decades, I would spend $250 for the fancy Makita version, but these $100 units from Harbor Freight have astonished me with their durability. If you feel sad because you don't get a fancy Makita bag with it, hit me up and I can probably send you one. I've got a stack of them from all of those that I've worn out over the years, and my wife says it makes for a tacky carry-on when we travel.

NOTE: THIS TOOL DOES NOT COME WITH ARBOR NUTS TO FIT A DIAMOND BLADE. If you haven't burned up a whole bunch of 4-inch grinders so that you have a plethora of these, you may need to buy a 4-inch grinder if for no other reason than to use the arbor nuts on this larger variable speed polisher.

1/2 gal. Handheld Sprayer

You should have a pump-up sprayer for acetone for wiping the floor after you remove all the stains and salts. These are pretty handy, and they're less than $15 as of June 2026.

Ear Plugs and Safety Glasses

You won’t use near as many ear plugs once you full figure out how dumb running loud equipment that makes dust is, you'll want them when you're cutting concrete, though. You only get the one set of ears in this life.

Safety glasses are always a good idea, but if you're wearing a full face respirator or PAPR like you should be, there's no place for them.

As with all the tools we are talking about, buy them locally if possible, and click on the image for an online retailer if you must.