As with any do it yourself project, the tools you need will be one of the first things you must consider as you plan the job. And if a tiling job is in your near future, the ability to cut the tiles will be the number one challenge you will face. The thought that many homeowners have when considering a tile job is that they can get by with a manual tile cutter since they are likely not doing a major project. This is primarily driven by cost and believe me I understand how that can sometimes affect a decision. Well, let me say, I have used many tile cutting utensils through the years, from the manual cutters through the best professional wet tile saws. If you are like me, you may have had mixed results when renting tools or equipment. Many rental items come with their own set of issues that can sometimes be the source of hours of frustration as you attempt to make them operate as they are designed to do. However, some tools are so expensive or impractical to own that renting is the only viable solution. But, when it comes to wet tile saws, that is not necessarily case. If you rent a wet tile saw you are looking at $40 to $50 bucks a day, so after a couple of days use this saw will pay for itself. Also, having my own saw allows me to work at my own pace instead of rushing to save on rental fees. I can tell you that the SKIL 3540-02 wet tile saw is a cost effective wet tile saw that will satisfy the needs of most any homeowner handyman.The saw arrived well packaged and included the saw, a 7-inch diamond blade, blade guard, and blade wrenches. This saw was easy to set up and it was assembled and ready for use in minutes. As I expected, this is not a professional contractor tool by any means, but for the DIY homeowner it is a good value for the money, simple, and surprisingly capable. Some specifics of this saw include a stainless steel table top that should make it resistant to corrosion, an adjustable rip fence with miter gauge allowing for accurate straight cuts, miter cuts, and bevel cuts from 0 to 45 degrees. All this sits atop a water reservoir to keep the blade cool and to minimize dust and debris.
The blade is of pretty good quality. Since acquiring this saw, I've worked it pretty hard, cutting tile, stones, and glass and it just keeps going. This saw can be used with about any size tile...you simply take the guide off and saw it free-hand. The limiting factor is how large a piece of tile can you hold steady and cut. I would estimate I have made in excess of 200 cuts, using only the blade that came with the saw, and it has performed flawlessly. It certainly is not the most powerful wet tile saw on the market but it's also not that expensive. Understand what you are purchasing and I think you will find this a simple electric tile saw for doing homeowner remodels. This is not meant for daily use or heavy duty construction projects. If you intend to take on multiple projects, you should probable consider a wet saw with more power and speed. It is definitely a better option than using the score and snap tools - even for the single job.
I have seen other reviews where people have struggled with the fence adjustment, complained about the small water reservoir, and were splashed by water while cutting tiles. Keeping these issues in mind when I started, I was able to overcome them by first, setting up the rip fence with a square before using. I made sure I had the fence aligned and screwed down very tight and thus did not see any movement as long as I had things very tight. I kept a jug of water close at hand and refilled the reservoir after every three or four cuts and wore safety glasses and old clothes when cutting. Also, reading the scale on the shiny stainless steel top is difficult to read but I never use it since I always mark the tile and use that mark as a reference for the cut. I found the saw fairly easy to clean up with a garden hose at the end of each cutting session.
When you first open the box, you might be a little concerned when you discover the saw is probably 90% plastic construction and the metal top seems a little too thin to last. However, once you get it going and make a few cuts, I think you will be surprised, as I was, at how well everything works. All in all the SKIL 3540-02 wet tile saw is one of the better tools (for the price) that I own. I highly recommend this saw and feel it is definitely worth the money for a homeowner that is looking to save a ton of bucks by doing their own backsplash, floor or wall tile.
