Our choice for the Best tile saw currently available is the SKIL 3540-02 7-Inch. Read more in our review of this excellent wet tile saw.
Wet Tile Saw
There are various brands and types of tile saws are everywhere, but you will have to select the most suitable one for you as per your requirement. If you are thinking about professional tiling for your home improvements or any other larger projects, you will have to select the best one of the range and the diamond blade will be very useful. However, for just a small tiling job, you may consider hiring a tile saw as well. However, you cannot save a lot of money by this way as you never know whether you will frequently require them to replace some cracked tiles.
What is the best tile saw on the market? Well, there are many manufacturers that produce high quality tiles saws, but you will have to pick up the most suitable one as per your requirements. If you have a small tiling job, a manual tile saw would be good enough for you. However, an electric tile saw always comes in handy depending the thickness and size of your tiling project. So, before taking the final buying decision, let’s analyze the common types of tile saws and what is the best tile saw on the market to take an informed decision.
Manual Tile Cutter
Manual tile cutter comes in handy when you are having only a small project or doing a small part of total tiling. These tile cutters are basically made of steel with an efficient cutting wheel (tungsten carbide). You need to depress its handle placing the tile on the cutter. The most import of the cutter is that it’s operated manually. Well, in terms of money, this is definitely the best tile cutter and you will find various models only for a few dollars. You can cut both in straight lines and diagonally as per the specifications of the models. However, the reality is that the tile cutters always cannot offer you a precise cutting and not suitable for stronger & larger tiles. Also, the work is quite laborious and slow because of its hand operated mechanism. This is a good investment for a small tiling job, but if you are thinking of large or sophisticated projects like heavier and larger cuttings, the manual will not be suitable.
Handheld Wet Tile Saw
The tile saw is specifically designed for shaping the tiles and it’s more like a miniature circular saw. Most of the handheld wet tile saws include diamond-edged wheel and efficient for grinding through the tiles. These tile saws are just like the table saws, but there is a slight difference. The blade of the wet tile saws is mounted on the reservoir (water) for keeping it cool. These tile saws come in two types; one is pump-less and another one is re-circulating type. In a pump less wet tile saw, constant water supply is required, so it must be connected to a source of water. But, in case of a re-circulating pump, it can reuse and filter the same water once again, so there is no need of a faucet rather the tile saw utilizes the water reservoir. The tile saws come in different variety starting from the basic to a laser and stand featured ones for an accurate cutting. However, there are some portable models and these are great for the smaller jobs.
Tabletop Wet Tile Saw
The tabletops wet tile saw comprises a sawing blade or a circular blade placed in the table. There are similar to the table saws and work in the same way. As the blade rotates, you can cut the tiles carefully pushing through it and for better cuts, you will have to use some attachments like miter and bevel tools. To keep the blade cool, it’s set in a water source which helps to stop throwing up the dust. However, the tile saw has some disadvantages as well. It may create a little bit of friction between the tile and table surface and it may hamper the preciseness of your work as well. From the cut line to the blade, there is a possibility of hampering the sight that affects the accuracy. The prices of the tile saws are quite high as these are intended to manufacture for commercial purposes, but you can invest for your home operations as well.
Overhead Motor Wet Tile Saw
The tile saw comprises a circular blade (overhead) and the tiles pushed through a rail/table system. These are great for precise cuts because of their accurate control system. The tile is much helps to cut in an easier in comparison to a table top model as it includes the blade overhead. Also, this is helpful in lining the tiles up. You can use the re-circulating pump once again from a water reservoir as it uses the same water from the attached source. You can also consider the pump-less model, but you will also have to make sure the water supply. In terms of portability, they are not very easy to move from one place to another because of its bulkier and larger nature as well as the overhead motor. These are basically useful to perform the commercial operations and the most expensive for the rest.
Angle Grinder
You can use the tile saw for many purposes, but it is well known for grinding through the tiles. A small handle comprises in it as well as attaching a grinding wheel can be more useful. The angle grinder uses different types of blades and you can select as per your tiling requirements. The serrated blades are basically used for the cutting of natural stones and for the ceramic tiles; the diamond-tipped models are much helpful. These are excellent for making the odd shapes and probably the most powerful ceramic tiles cutting tool at an affordable price. However, the angle grinders throw a huge quantity of dust as they used dry and this is a great disadvantage of it. It may not be the best cutting tools for you as it can create a messy cutting and becomes overheated while you cut a thicker material.
So, what is the best tile saw on the market? There are a few more options and you may pick up the most suitable one considering all the pros and cons to complete your job.