MK Diamond 157222 MK-170 1/3-Horsepower 7-Inch Bench Wet Tile Saw

From the Manufacturer

Versatile and compact for tabletop use by do-it-yourselfers. High-torque, universal motor. High-impact thermoplastic water reservoir will not rust or peel, and can be removed for easy cleaning. Safe-switch prevents saw from being operated when locking key is removed. 15-1/2-inch-by-14-1/2-inch-by-12-1/2-inch. Standard equipment: mk-170 tile saw, 7-inch mk-100 wet cutting diamond blade, submersible water pump, and adjustable rip guide. Specifications: 115-volt, 50/60 hz universal motor, 5,500 rpm. 7-inch blade capacity, 5/8-inch arbor, 2-inch depth of cut (10-inch blade), 12-inch length of cut (300 mm).   Designed for the "do-it-yourselfer", this versatile and compact tabletop tile saw features a high torque, 1/3 hp universal motor that spins the blade at 5500 rpm. This saw zips through tile 12 inches long, and 2 inches thick. Its high-impact thermoplastic water reservoir will not rust or peel and can be removed for easy cleaning. Weighing just 15 pounds this tool offers optimal portability. For safety’s sake, this saw has a special Safeswitch locking key and cannot be operated without it. Your purchase includes a 7" wet-cutting diamond blade, submersible water pump, and adjustable rip guide.

Technical Details

• 7-inch bench wet tile saw
• 1/3-horsepower engine for high torque (5500 rpm) and power
• High-impact thermoplastic water reservoir will not rust or peel
• Includes saw, 7-inch diamond blade, submersible water pump, adjustable rip guide
• 15 pounds; 1-year warranty

What People Are Saying About This Tile Saw:

Nice compact saw for small projects
Very good quality as expected from MK. Very light & compact. Seems to have plenty of power for the size of motor. I am using this saw to trim natural stone. I wanted something small to use on scaffolding & this saw is perfect for that. 


Screws Stripped
Saw arrived with stripped screw holes where saw attaches to base. Saw is held to base with 4 screws that thread into plastic ONLY. Returned.

Works well but could be better
It works well, mine doesn't run true so creates a slightly wider cut than it needs but it is only slightly so I'm not concerned. The only other thing is the plastic measuring bar which is difficult to set properly and you end up wasting a lot of time measuring and remeasuring from the front and back end of the measuring guide. Apart from that it has actually performed very well once you set it all up, if I purchased another I would consider this again however, I'd probably look for one that has a sliding table instead if I could find one at the same price.

Good saw, but not perfect
I have a fairly large size tiling project to tackle, so, after much research and reading lots of reviews, I decided to donate the portable 4" tile saw I picked up at Harbor Freight for $45 and invest in an MK-170. The MK-170 comes 85% assembled by the manufacturer and sets up quickly out of the box. The 7" continuous rim blade attaches easily to the motor with the provided tools. The deck is made of metal and not plastic, so you can expect it to last for many years. While I haven't used the MK-170 to cut tile yet, I can see where the raised bumps on the deck might pose a problem with making staight cuts. The bumps are quite large and don't appear to serve any useful purpose. I'll update this review after I've used the saw to cut tile. I turned the power on to test the motor. Some reviewers reported it as being 'loud', but it's quieter than my 4" Harbor Freight saw, which screams like a Banshee. The water tray is made of thick plastic and seems durable. The bottom of the tray is smooth, so I expect the saw may slide during use if not somehow braced. My Harbor Freight saw has 2 plastic elbows/brackets mounted to the front housing that latch onto a bench top to prevent sliding backwards during use. I plan to fabricate something similar for my MK-170. The on/off toggle switch is easy to operate. As other reviewers reported, there is no guide included for making angle cuts. Fotunately, I still have the angle guide that came w/ my Harbor Freight saw. If you don't have an angle guide, one can easily be fabricated out of 1/4" aluminum or PVC, but a guide should probably be included with the MK-170. Also, the included rip guide is plastic and seems flimsy, requiring a bit of finagling to lock down wing nuts on both ends to hold the rip guide in place. The locking mechanism on the rip guide could definitely be improved. The rip guide on my Harbor Freight saw is also plastic, but it clamps into position on both ends, similar to the attachment for a rip guide on a table saw. The MK-170 could also benefit from a ruler attached to the front and back of the deck, which would mean less time wasted fumbling around with a tape measure. Again, I haven't used the MK-170 to cut tile, but based on a side-by-side comparison of the MK-170 with an inexpensive Harbor Freight saw, I can see several areas on the MK-170 in need of improvement. After I put another $15-$20 and some quality time into my MK-170 tile saw, it'll be great, however, given that MK Diamond manufacturers professional-grade saws costing $1,000+, I don't believe to should be necessary for the consumer to have to find ways to fix obvious design flaws.

MK-170 7" Tile Saw
Do not BUY this saw. Yes, it does cut tile but there are serious problems with its design:
1. The Rip Fence is sooooo cheesy and in combo with the dimpled table surface becomes problematic for setting it straight.
2. The dimpled table is not only annoying but can be difficult when trying to move tiles smoothly while cutting.
3. There's NO 45 degree jig for such cuts that are frequently needed in most tile jobs.

No wonder MK Diamond stopped making this saw! 


Defective - Crooked blade
Judging from the reviews so far I think I might have had a defective product. As I took it out of the box and put everything together I thought it was decent but after wasting a couple of expensive tiles I realized it was the blade causing issues, not the fence or operator error. The blade was off 1/4" from one end to the other. The motor assembly mount of the holding bracket looks to be welded crooked. I would give this another try but I don't have time to return this and wait for a new one.

Just make sure to check that the blade is straight before you get into a tile project!

Home Hobbyist
This is a great little saw for the "Do It Yourselfer". I give it 4 stars. I bought it for my bathroom and kitchen ceramic tile installation. It's ready to go right out of the box. Just install the supplied blade and connect the water pump supply tube. I suggest you buy a quality blade with your purchase. The supplied blade cuts well but after about 25 cuts it began chipping the edge of the tile. Free hand cuts are a breeze but I did not find the rip fence user friendly at all. It needs to be re-designed. I'm satisfied with the purchase and I would recommend it.

The Pro's
- It's a great price
- Well built
- Very portable and easy to use
- Compact and powerful

The Con's
- The guide fence is useless.  
    

Rubi TS-40 Tile Cutter

When facing a new tile project, one of the first questions that you need to answer is what tools will I need to complete the job.  No matter how simple or complicated the job will be, you will definitely need to cut some of the tiles.  Therefore, one of the most important tools, if not the most important, will be the tile cutter you choose.  There are two basic options you can choose to use: a wet tile saw or a manual tile cutter.  If the only cuts you need to make are simple straight cuts, then you could easily get by with a manual tile cutter.   If you are cutting tiles on the diagonal, the cut is much easier to make on a wet tile saw, but we are here to discuss the Rubi TS-40 tile cutter so let's stick to the plan.

Being the guy that does the occasional tile job around my house, or helping family or friends, I only have a wet tile saw and do not personally own this or any manual tile cutter for that matter.  Thus, I sought out some of my builder buddies and acquired the names of some of the tile installers they use and sought their input.  Before we get into what their opinions are, let's cover some of the specifics of this product.

The TS-40 features a built in separator, maximum cutting length of 17 inches and a 9/16-inch maximum separating capacity. This set includes standard scoring wheel punching tool, 45 degree mitering tool, and a double-walled anti-shock plastic case. All of this in a package that weighs only 18.2 pounds.  Now, let's talk price.  This is not an inexpensive tool as it typically sells in the $230 to $250 price range.  However, if you choose to go the manual tile cutter route, you definitely will want a quality tool and this one certainly fits that bill.  I personally prefer the electric wet saw, but I understand that some folks are not that comfortable with power tools and would rather have a less scary item.

Okay, since you are still reading to this point I will assume you are still interested in a good quality manual tile cutter so let's get to what some of the pro tile setters had to say.  As I mentioned above, I ran down some folks that make their living setting tiles and doing other masonry work and, of course, not all of them had experience with this tool.  However, I was able to locate two that have and still use this particular tile cutter.  Below is what they had to say.

Both had owned and used this tool in excess of ten years and are extremely happy with its performance.  There only negative comment was that the cutter does not work with some of the larger tiles that are popular today.  Anything tiles over 16 inches require a different tool.  Outside of that, they highly recommend this as a top of the line cutter.  Even after years of use, the Rubi TS-40 tile cutter still cuts straight.  The cutter has a really strong breaker that works extremely well on porcelain tiles.  This is a superior product that is easy to use and they felt that even a novice will be happy with the quality of the end results.  One said that he still uses this manual tile cutter more that he uses his wet saw.  While you can find cheaper tile cutters, they both said that when the time comes to replace their cutter, they will purchase a Rubi once again.

There you have it folks.  Nothing persuades me to purchase a particular tool more than the opinion of the people that use it to make their living.  If you are facing an upcoming tile project and have decided that a manual tile cutter is the way to go, it sounds as if the Rubi TS-40 is easy to use and will last you for many years to come.  One thing I know for sure.  You will never go wrong using what the pros use.