Jules Richardson wrote:
On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:53:41 -0700, Heathcliff wrote:
I have checked around at a couple big box stores and at Harbor
Freight, which has a store in my area. There seem to be two main
kinds: the kind that's like a small table saw, where the blade is
fixed and you move the tile; and the kind where the blade moves back
and forth along rails above the work. The latter are more expensive
- are they worth it? -- H

I think I paid around $70 for mine from HD, and it works well for cuts
that are parallel to the tile edge - certainly better than score/snap.


Bad points:

1) I wouldn't trust the miter "feature" at all. The workpiece holder's
plastic, and gives the impression that it'd wobble quite a lot as the
tile was run past the blade.

2) The fence is pretty crappy - all plastic, and it's hard to get it
the exact distance I want from the blade edge as well as getting it
parallel to the blade. If I were wanting to use it often I'd think
about re- designing the fence with more metal components.

3) That there's no drain point - dumping the water after a job
requires tipping the whole saw upside-down. It's not at all heavy,
but doing that is a little messy. Before I use it next, I'll cut a
hole in the side and install a metal drain fitting.

4) Filling it with water (or checking the level partway through a job)
is... goofy. You have to open the metal flap to the right of the
blade, but the metal flap fouls on the blade guard - so the whole
guard has to be unbolted and removed first. Poor design.

You get what you pay for :-) It's OK for small, occasional jobs, and
the actual cuts it makes are very good - but the drawbacks mentioned
above likely don't exist on a saw that costs twice the money, and it
might be worth paying the extra if you think you'll be using it often.

My cheap one I got used is way better than what you describe. I don't use the
guides, but just follow the lines by eye.