Concrete cutting saws are going to be needed when you have any type of concrete material to cut, as you cannot cut through a hard driveway or basement wall with a standard saw that is meant for cutting wood or drywall. However, not all concrete saws are built like standard handsaws, since you need to cut concrete where it's located and cannot put it on a workhorse or stand as you can with sheets of drywall and other materials. Note a few choices you have for concrete cutting saws and their application so you can invest in the right type for yourself. 

1. Concrete chainsaws 

These types of saws are made just like standard chainsaws in that they have a long, oval blade versus a circular blade. The actual blade itself will usually be diamond-tipped so that it can easily cut through the concrete. Using a concrete chainsaw allows you to put the nose or very tip of the saw into the concrete, which is good for making small, precise cuts. The long, oval shape of the blade also allows for deeper cuts into the concrete than a standard round blade. If you need to cut through a thick basement wall or garage floor, the concrete chainsaw can be the better choice.

2. Cutoff machines

Cutoff machines or cutoff saws are good for when you may have a variety of surfaces that need to be cut; they are used for concrete but also various types of metal and asphalt. They are handheld saws that you can use on a floor or wall; most other concrete cutters are meant for either surface but not one or the other. The one drawback to a cutoff machine is that, because they're handheld, they may not be good for larger jobs where you could get fatigued easily by holding the saw.   

3. Slab saw

Cutting a slab of concrete, meaning a concrete floor, can best be done with a slab saw. This is meant for floors in particular as it has the blade attached under a type of cart that you stand over and push in front of you. The advantage of a slab saw is that this cart allows you to see a long chalk line as you push the blade, so you can produce an even and exact cut. Using the slab saw also means putting more distance between you and the blade, which can be safer for those who are inexperienced with using a saw.