School me on tile saws

[TAftw]

I'm looking to buy a used tile saw for two badly-needed bathroom projects. I have some leftover 20" tile that I am looking to lay diagonally. Problem is, the only saws I've seen make up to a 20" diagonal cut, which leads to question #1- Does this mean only 20" if the tile is being cut diagonally, or it will make a diagonal cut on a 20" tile?

#2- Decent brands to look for? I've seen Rigids and Dewalts on CL, but also Mk, QEP, and Felker.

I'm only looking to spend about $300-$350 for the saw and I plan on scouring Craigslist for one.

 

[A_Pmech]

TA,

You might look into a "table saw" type wet saw. They will easily cut a 20" tile diagonally. You might find an MK bridge saw on CL but it would push your budget a bit I suspect.

I don't think anything other than a "bridge" or "table" type saw will cut a tile that big diagonally.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Is it tile you could score instead of cutting?

 

[glenmore]

Unless you really really like this tile and it is all the budget will allow, I would suggest a smaller tile. Easier to handle and will look better in a normal sized bathroom.

We (my wife) have an MK Diamond 770 and we have used it on about a dozen projects and it is sooooooo nice to have a good tile saw. Company has a large base in SoCal and support has been excellent. Needed a few brushes for the motor and I lost the wrenches to replace the blade and they were super to deal with.

One odd thing is that the blades seem so much cheaper now. IIRC the 7" blades back then (20+ years) were $25-$35 dollars. Now they are like less than $10. New blade cuts so smooth!

Depending on your area, they seem readily available on CL.

 

[scott37300]

I have a ridgid I bought about 4 years ago. I have cut 20" tiles on it but not diagonally. The ridgid says it will do 18" diagonally so it would do 20" tiles as long as the cut is at least 1" off center. And if need be you can cut as far as it will go and flip the tile to finish the cut, not ideal but for 2 bathroom jobs it should work. I like my saw, the newer style looks a little ncer but overall I've been happy with it and have done around 10 tile jobs with it now. It's not a "pro" grade saw with the direct drive motor but it does have some power.

I got a deal on a bunch of granite counter top cut offs from a local holiday in that remodeled. They must have ordered the counters long or something and then cut to fit, they were all 24" long by 10-13" wide and 1" thick. I did a kitchen backsplash at my moms with them and the saw cut them fine.

A good blade is a must just like any saw.

 

[moparmuscle88]

you need an MK

but if your on a budget, get a cheap *** table type to do it if its a one time job

 

[Homoudont]

Yes I've owned 3 tile saws in my life. And don't discount those cheap table top Saws from Home Depot for $88. I've used the poop out of the one I had it simply works. Makes sure there's a sharp blade on it and take it slow.

You could look at getting a Bridge saw if you want to cut such large tile. I've never owned or used one but that's what I would use for cutting such large tile if I had a choice.

My favorite saws are the Felkers and Target saw I own. I have the Felker 150 and it's portable and does the job 99% of the time. I own a huge Target Tilematic saw and it's great for slicing through porcelain and granite. Either brand is good.

On a side note.. Have you ever laid tile? Laying 20 inch tile is fairly difficult. Check out this forum John Bridge . It's a very helpful forum and they can point you in the right direction. BTW this is the place I bought my Felker 150 saw from and I think I got it 50% off of retail from the store site.

 

[Ign]

I'm sure it's been beat to death in the "good tool" threads..........but we've got the HF 10" wet saw and it's been great. My wife is presently on a job using a high(er) dollar Ridgid and says it's not as accurate as our HF. She does like other features it has tho like a drying rack for the tile (yeah you could do one w drying rack for dishes) and remote coolant reservoir down below.

For the money tho you might have a hard time beating the HF unit, esp at 20% off of a typical sale at $199. She's used it for 3 hallways, two kitchens, three bathrooms, one wood stove surround and one shower surround and there's no sign it's wearing or hurting. We only bought it for a couple small jobs around our house, then people just kept asking her to do work for them.

We're even using the HF "diamond life" blade. I keep offering to order a new one but she insists this one still cuts great.

However, the only comparison I (we) can offer you is HF vs Ridgid.

I see MK's come up on local CL but the asking prices around here are insane. Still $400 plus for saws that have obviously been well used, and often that's not even a 10" blade.

 

[Bull]

I have a Felker, used on two projects here. I bought it after researching good brands and models online. Not sure if it will cut 20" tile. If you decide to use a smaller tile, you can get a good deal buying it from me. Our second bathroom is now done.

 

[padronanniversary]

curious, how much dust is produced with these tile saws ? Can I run this indoors ?

 

[TAftw]

Is it tile you could score instead of cutting?

Definitely not. I've used the cheap scorers before, and I just can't deal with them. Too many broken tiles, inaccurate cuts, just a PITA to use, IMO.

Unless you really really like this tile and it is all the budget will allow, I would suggest a smaller tile. Easier to handle and will look better in a normal sized bathroom.

This tile is left over from a rental we own. It is free, I already have it, so I am going to use the rest of it.

I have a Felker, used on two projects here. I bought it after researching good brands and models online. Not sure if it will cut 20" tile. If you decide to use a smaller tile, you can get a good deal buying it from me. Our second bathroom is now done.

I may have to take you up on that offer .


We have 4 bathrooms in the house, only one at the moment is fully functional. One has the walls gutted, one is down to the subfloor, and one has the shower gutted. The 20" tile is going into the one with the ripped up subfloor. When I get the saw it's likely I'll just end up gutting the rest of all the bathrooms and re-tiling everything.

 

[54FordPanel]

I bought a little Husky 7" about 8 years ago. I did 6 big tile jobs with the little *******, and loaned it to my SIL a few years ago and we used it to do his bathroom. It's still working great, and it was well worth the $100 or so it cost me.

I got a top of the line Rigid for $600 a few years ago, after I loaned my Husky to my SIL and it was out of state when I needed one. After I used it on my home remodel, gave it to my nephew (he's a tile setter for a living and his saw puked) He says it's one of the best saws he's ever used. I see them on Craigslist for $300-$600.

My advice would be look for a Husky for around $100 and use it till it dies, which may be awhile.

 

[54FordPanel]

curious, how much dust is produced with these tile saws ? Can I run this indoors ?

A real tile saw is a wet saw, in which case not much dust is produced. But you will spray water everywhere, so you need plastic on the floor and on the walls if they are nearby.

 

[Cantause]

Definitely not. I've used the cheap scorers before, and I just can't deal with them. Too many broken tiles, inaccurate cuts, just a PITA to use, IMO.

Hi, so maybe you don't really know how it is with a real scorer if you've only used cheap ones
It's of course a matter of tile finish, material and thickness but many jobs can be done using a good quality scorer (they ain't cheap)

Here are a few good (european) brands that I know for their scorers

-Tomecanic France:
Their website is a bit crappy and maybe only in french, their products are topnotch though

<a href="http://s739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/?action=view&current=tomecanic-supercut-tile-cuttter.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/tomecanic-supercut-tile-cuttter.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

-Montolit Italia:
Their mastermontolit works really great, maybe the best, at least the ones I like the most. I think they make Raimondi's scrapers.

<a href="http://s739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/?action=view&current=mastermontolit-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/mastermontolit-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

-Sigma Italy:
Their tile cutters are "pull" type, some pros really like this system.

<a href="http://s739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/?action=view&current=Sigma.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/Sigma.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

There are other brands like Rubi (I've heard really good things about these), etc... but I don't know them
The manufacturers I've listed only produce top quality professional tools, of course you won't find them everywhere nor for 100$, but for 300$ their entry levels may be affordable as you have better prices in the US than here, even for euro tools
If you want to cut 50cm tiles in diagonal and have a good quality tool (I mean pro), it will be difficult to find a wet saw for 300$, a good scraper already cost more than that...

Scrapers may look oldish but they can do excellent job as long as you know how to use them and you have a good one... Search for these brands on youtube or dailymotion, you will see a lot of them in use, maybe you'll be surprised by the results

-Raimondi Italy:
They're well known for their wet saw of excellent quality, they're quite expensive....

<a href="http://s739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/?action=view&current=Raimondi.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx39/cantause/Raimondi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

You should ask on a tiler's forum, I found a really good one a few years ago with a lot of threads about tile cutters but I can't remember the name, I think it was this one

Have fun with your tiling job!

 

[glenmore]

Outside is better so there is a lot of back and forth. There is spray out the back so a cardboard blind is handy. Don't forget the earplugs! If you are cutting a lot of tile, that wailing will wear you out!

 

[Jack Olsen]

My garage was my first and only tiling job (so far). I got a scorer and a wet saw (both cheap Harbor Freight tools -- it was less expensive to buy them than to rent good ones).

The saw works fine, but it's slow going compared to scoring and snapping. As glenmore mentions, it's LOUD, too. I ended up using the scorer much more than the saw.

For combination-type cuts, the saw is the only way to go. But for straight cuts, I prefer to score it and snap it. Time is money.

 

[Underdog]

Not a tile guy but have seen many working on new houses. They all use the proverbial 4-41/2" angle grinder with a dry diamond blade. Creates lots of dust buy hey were building houses.

 

[TAftw]

Cantause, I have never seen scorers like that, those look very nice and expensive. I will look into those. The ones I've used just always mangle tile and I end up with a lot of wasted ones.

Jack, I will look into the HF one.

I'd like to mention that I am looking for a wet cut saw as well. It seems like Mk is getting the nod.

 

[Bull]

My Felker is a wet saw, dude.

Cantause, I have never seen scorers like that, those look very nice and expensive. I will look into those. The ones I've used just always mangle tile and I end up with a lot of wasted ones.

Jack, I will look into the HF one.

I'd like to mention that I am looking for a wet cut saw as well. It seems like Mk is getting the nod.

 

[Lightfoot]

I bought a like-new used felker tm-75 off of CL a while back for 60 bucks and just used it for the first time yesterday.
Worked Great!!!!
But i dont think it's big enough for tile that big. I'm just cutting 12 inch.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I bought one of the little Craftsman wet tile saws when I tiled the bathrooms in my last house:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...21x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=00922320000P

It was fine for a small job but it made a hell of a mess. I've already decided when I remodel the bathrooms in this house I'm gonna cough up the cash for a bigger, better saw. Since I wont be making a living with I'll probably see what's available on CL at the time or consider this one from HF. It cuts tiles up to 20"...

http://www.harborfreight.com/15-hor...ile-saw-98265.html?utm_term=98265&tag=froogle

 

[Cantause]

Cantause, I have never seen scorers like that, those look very nice and expensive. I will look into those. The ones I've used just always mangle tile and I end up with a lot of wasted ones.

I know what it's like to work with cheap scorers, I started with one of medium quality and wasn't really convinced.
Later I looked for a wet saw, just as you, and browsed the forum linked in my previous post (now I'm sure it's this one), there I discovered a lot of quality european brands, I had never heard of... results are not the same...


As said earlier, scorers are the most rapid for straight cuts but can't (well some do) make other things than straight lines...
I think that a good start for a DIY is a good scorer, for long straight cut, and a small stationary wet saw for complicated cuts or difficult tiles, (carbide piers, diamond rasp and diamond jigsaw blades are nice too)

As you're in the US I think that you can find one of these scorers at a decent price

 

[PaulR]

Why not rent?

That said, I bought a cheapo from the Cummins Junk truck I think for $50 and it did the job.

 

[NY Old Guy]

Years ago when I was a youngster I paid my way through college doing ceramic tiling, marble work. Used a Target wet saw. Heavy duty, made in USA too if I remember correctly.

 

[glenmore]

Won't find any of those fancy scorers at your local rent-a-tool.

The blades on a rented tile saw will be worthless if you are trying to do nice finish tile work.

Besides, one job and the saw is paid for! Best bet is to buy used. There seems to be plenty out there for sale.

 

[TAftw]

one job and the saw is paid for! Best bet is to buy used. There seems to be plenty out there for sale.

Yep, that's the way I look at it.

 

[scott37300]

A good scorer can compete with a tile saw. I used to be a carpenter and work all big hospitals and schools and other huge jobs. Most of the tile guys used a good scorer and a 4 1/2" angle grinder with tile blade. They didn't have time to run to a tile saw set up somewhere.

 

[rallenc]

20" tiles cut diagonally isn't going to happen with a reasonably priced saw. Perhaps you'd be better off getting smaller tiles say 12" and picking up a mid priced tile saw off Craigslist. Lots are typically available as people buy them, use them for one project, and don't want to store them.

Good luck!