A Wet Tile Saw - The Right Tool For The Job

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If you are like me and like to do your own home improvement, you know the importance of having the right tool for the right job.  No where is that old adage more true than when it comes time to cut a piece of wall or floor tile.  Sometimes, you can get by with substituting, say a pair of pliers where a box end wrench would be best, but there is nothing that will produce the clean cut on a piece of tile like a wet tile saw.

Oh sure, if you have just a few cuts to make, you could get by with a manual tile cutter.  A manual tile cutter pulls a cutting wheel across the piece of tile and scores a straight line on the tile.  The handle is then pulled down causing the plunger to press at the scored line and snap the tile.  Also, these manual units do not work as well on harder tiles such as porcelain.

A wet tile saw is an electric, motorized saw that sits atop a reservoir of water.  The water is pumped through tubing that directs the water flow across a diamond blade in order to keep the blade cool.  The diamond blade actually grinds the through the tile rather than actually slicing through like a regular circular saw blade.  The grinding produces heat which will dull the diamond blade very quickly if not cooled.  Thus, the reason for pumping water across the blade.

Wet tile saws come in various blade sizes, the most common of which is 7-inches.  However, this size has some limitations when it comes to cutting on the diagonal.  If your tile is over 10 x 10 inches, you will need a 10-inch blade to make diagonal cuts or even a professional grade saw that provides a glide for the blade to be pulled across the tile as opposed to the tile being pushed into the blade on the smaller models. 

The average homeowner doing tile projects around the house should be able to purchase a wet tile saw in the $150 to $300 range.  Saws in this price range produce very fine results when they are equipped with a high quality saw blade designed for the tile being cut.  Regardless of what saw you choose, I cannot stress enough the importance of purchasing the highest quality saw blades available.  Quality blades produce quality cuts with less effort, last much longer, and pay for themselves by making less broken tiles.

Again, in some cases, you can substitute a tool to get a job done and produce adequate results.  Believe me, this is not one of those cases.  If a tiling project is in your near future, purchase a wet tile and you will complete that project with much less aggravation.

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.  
    

QEP 60083 7-Inch Professional Tile Saw with Water Cooling System

From the Manufacturer

The 60083 7-Inch Professional Tile Saw with laser cutting guide is designed as a portable saw to handle any professional or DIY project where space prohibits the use of a large wet saw. Users will be surprised by the strength of it's true 1 HP motor with automatic thermal overload protection to prevent overheating. The power of this motor allows cutting through ceramic, terracotta, granite, etc. The water catch system not only reduces water run off but it recycles the water back into the reservoir minimizing fill frequencies. This is a very powerful addition to your saw line up at a very economical price.

Technical Details

• Laser cutting guide projects accurate cutting path
• Water catch system reduces water run off and recycles water back into the reservoir minimizing fill frequencies
• Includes a 7-inch diamond blade
• Tilt-up cutting table for precision 15-, 30- and 45-degree cuts
• Adjustable rip and sliding angle guides for accurate production cuts

What People Are Saying About This Tile Saw:

Great wet tile saw
I bought this QEP 60083 1-horsepower tile saw from Amazon....ordered it saturday jun 5, 2010...and received it Tuesday jun 8, 2010...
I do art work......using 4x4 ceramic wall tiles I cut and shape pieces using a wet tile saw.... and make what I call mosaic art work....
I ordered this saw because I needed an up grade from the wet tile saw I had.... the workforce THD 550 which I bought at Home Depot..
I wanted one with more cutting power (1-horsepower) in order to make cleaner cuts...
this saw has thus far filled the bill it cuts fast and makes nice cuts..very little jagged edges...
The blade supplied with this saw is garbage....so I replaced it with a DeWalt diamond blade number 4760...
with the new blade the saw cuts really great....
this is a good saw for the diy person, and I highly recommend it...but be prepared to get a replacement blade

Fundamentally solid
I spent WAY too much time trying to figure out which saw to buy. Eventually, I was standing at Lowes and had no more time to debate. I was putting in a granite tile countertop for my first DIY tile project. I cut about 100 lin feet with the saw and a DeWalt blade. In the plus column. Results were good. I got very true and straight cuts with the saw. The fence is just good enough - easy enough to set up and stays in place. I used an adjustable square to ensure the fence and wheel where parallel and accurate. Depending on your accuracy requirements, the grid on the top of the saw is close enough that with a smaller tile you could just use the table references to get it close - the grid is actually parallel to the blade! Plenty of power -the motor never slowed. The whole thing packs up really nice and compact for transport - blades and accesories store in the water resevoir and the handle mades for pretty easy carry. And it is very quiet. On the downside - holy crap did the water go everywhere! I never attached the blade guard - maybe that would have helped, but I figure any good craftsmans' first duty is to defeat the safety measures. MAYBE the "blade guard" is a splash guard? In any case, I soaked a shirt. Sort of like standing in the rain running a sandblaster. I found the table to be adequate size for 95% of the cuts, but anything wider than 10inches requires you to cut the negative off to get your finished size. In short, a good tool. For the price I expect a few minor inconviences but the fundamentals are very good.

Not for working with large tile
Bought this item to cut 13 inch tiles for the shower and I must say that I'm not impressed. I spent two days just trying to figure out a system to make straight cuts using Porcelain tile but failed. Problems? The laser was off, cutting angles was a nightmare since the tile would always hangup on the guard or table top, and just making a straight cut could be a chore. I decided to stop wasting my time with this unit and returned it.

BAD SAW ESPECIALLY FOR LARGE TILE
We bought this QEP table tile saw to cut large porcelain tiles - 24 x 24 in half. The table isn't wide enough to use the fence to cut 24 x 24 tile in half so we spent an hour engineering something that would work as a table extension. The saw does not have a pump so that the blade and safety hood spews water all over your shirt, pants and shoes. It is difficult to monitor your cut because the water hits you in the face if you try to bend over and view the cut in progress. There was quite a bit of water collecting on the floor after just a couple of tiles. There is a metal guide sticking up behind the blade safety hood that is slightly thicker than the blade cut so that when you get half of a large tile cut it binds in this guide, freezing the blade and then breaks or chips the tile. This guide also makes it difficult to move the tile through the saw - we almost tipped the table saw over trying to move the tile along. Debris builds up on the table so that the next tile can't be cut until you wash and brush it off. We tried to cut several tiles with a brand new Dewalt porcelain blade purchased separately and every tile had chips or breaks. We gave up and returned the saw. Now we are out the money spent on the better blade. We just bought the QEP 60020 rail saw that is large enough for 24 x 24 tiles and are giving it a try - it was only $60 more and definitely looks more like a heavy duty pro-weekend warrior model.

Good but not great
I got this saw for a couple of bath remodels. Overall, the saw seems good, though I haven't used it extensively yet. But I do have a few problems with this saw.

1) The included blade was not only of poor quality, it was dangerous. The blade warbled so bad that the saw jerked and shook when cutting and it caused a few tiles to bind and crack. I was ready to return the saw when I tried a new blade and the problem was gone.

2) After less than an hour of use, the handle on the rip fence came off. The pin on which the locking handle pivots broke and fell out. I had to fabricate a new pin.

3) The rip fence is not self-aligning, meaning when you lock it, it isn't automatically adjusted to be parallel to the blade. It can be off by as much as a 1/4 inch front to back. This is annoying because you have to adjust the fence position both at the front and back of the table, then hold it securely in place as you lock the blade.

One other minor complaint is the location of the on/off switch.
It is right under the front table rail where it is not readily visible, but instead you have to feel for it. This is even more of a problem when the rip fence is positioned near the on/off switch as it partially blocks access to the switch.

The saw does have some nice features though, like a laser cut guide, a tilting table for bevel cuts, and a fence-sliding miter gauge.

In spite of the quality issues I experienced with this product, I still believe that this saw is better designed and has better features than cheaper models But it definitely lacks the quality to be anything more than a do-it-yourselfer tool.

Great little tile saw
I bought this saw to tile a very large shower, tub surround and floor. The saw is really excellent for the price. The only reason it did not get 5 stars is that the supplied blade needs to be replaced. If you buy this saw, purchase a premium blade and it will serve you well!