When you start your concrete saw at the beginning of each day, you take for granted it will respond immediately. But given that it spends its entire life surrounded by clouds of dust or pools of slurry, plus works at extreme operating temperatures with less than gentle handling, it's almost surprising that it does.

There are things you can do to combat the conditions concrete saws face and ensure they start promptly and run efficiently. It begins with regular maintenance.

"Simple regular maintenance will help to greatly increase the productive life of concrete saws, while maintaining their future value," says Troy Halverson, senior service representative, Wacker Corp. "With the cost of saws ranging from a few hundred dollars for hand-held [models] to thousands for floor saws, routine preventive maintenance costs pennies on average over the life of the equipment."

Most problems affecting concrete saws are related to three key areas: air filtration, belt/chain tension and starters. Focusing on these areas goes a long way toward extending saw life.

Keep air flowing
Maintenance of a concrete saw's air filtration system can't be overemphasized. Check the operator's manual to determine the proper maintenance intervals and procedures for your particular model.