How to find the right tile or masonry saw for the job

Anyone who has placed tile or put in a countertop knows that this is a very skilled trade where mistakes show easily. In order to make good clean cuts, you’ll need a good saw that is made specifically for the type of tile you are planning to cut and has the ability to create the pattern style you desire.

The type of saw you pick is going to depend on a few factors: what type of tile you will be cutting, the size of the tiles you need to cut, where you will be able to work, whether this is for a one-time job or will be used for many jobs, and the thickness of your pocketbook.

Size of the job

With any tile or masonry saw, you have a lot of options. That’s why you’ll need to plan out your project first (or know the range of projects you plan on doing) so you can choose the right saw for your needs. If you have a very small job using common ceramic tile, you may not need anything beyond hand tools. Any job that uses other types of tile will require a saw, and even large jobs where you are using common ceramic tile will be too time consuming to do it all using only hand tools. Besides the time factor, if you need pieces smaller than 5/8”, you will probably not be able to make consistent cuts with hand tools alone without damaging a lot of your tiles. Therefore, you will probably need a saw.

Some Tile Saws

Materials to be cut

A lot of a tile or masonry saw buyer’s considerations will start with the type of tile they will be cutting. As mentioned above, common ceramic tile is the easiest type to cut, since it’s made of hardened clay with a glazed coating atop it. Other types of ceramics, like glass or porcelain tiles, will require a wet ceramic saw.

Wet saws use a stream of water over the blade while cutting to help make smooth cuts and prevent the blade from overheating. Not using a wet blade for your cuts will result in coarse edges to your tile that will be extremely evident once your job is done.

Wet saws are also required for materials like granite and marble. For these materials, which are extremely hard, not only do you want to use a wet blade, but it must be a diamond blade. While that may sound fancy to anyone who has never cut tile, relax. Diamond blades are very common. Other types of materials commonly cut with tile or masonry saws are slate, terra cotta, and vitrified tile.

Tile and masonry saw pricing

The type of saw and blade to be used will depend on the amount of tile and the quality of the material you will be cutting. For anyone who has not worked with these products before, I highly recommend going in to a large store like Lowes, or Home Depot. They often host in-store demonstrations where you will be able to watch the full process, try the saws, and ask questions pertinent to your particular job.

Tile and masonry saws will range in price from $100 to $1100 depending on branding, durability, quality, and features. You definitely want to make sure you get enough saw for your job, but you don’t need to go whole hog if you’re only going to cut a few tiles. So let’s talk about the perks you may want to look for.

Proprietary features

If you are going to be making very small tile pieces or working with angled pieces for your pattern, you’ll want to get a saw that has an adjustable cutting head, vibration reduction, and a bevel feature with shoe.

Some Adjustable Saws

If your project involved cutting larger pieces like a countertop, you may want to get a saw with a sliding table feature for accurate cutting and an air filter with a vacuum to remove the dust as you are cutting. If you will be working away from home and taking your saw with you, look for something portable.

Some Portable Saws

For jobs that require a lot of cutting, try to get something lightweight so that you don’t tire out too early. Some additional good features on any saw are a large rust-free water tray (with wet saws), wide hand guards, and the ability to plunge cut. The vacuum system is nice even for small tile if you will be doing a lot of it or need to make your cuts while indoors. Not only will it save on clean up time, but tile dust can be hazardous to your health and lead to lung disease. It is best to always wear a face shield.

Saw brands and reputations

As was stated earlier, there are a lot of options for saws. Some of the top brands are Skil, Grizzly, Felker, DeWalt, QEP, Northern Industrial, Plasplug, and MK Diamond. Traditionally, the last three have consistently very high user ratings: The saws with the highest ratings are: MK Diamond 157222 MK-170, the Northern Industrial Wet Tile Saw, and the Plasplug DW185 US Master Tiler.

For more specialty work, the highest rated masonry saw is listed as the DeWalt DW861W Heavy Duty 4.5 in. wet/dry masonry saw, and the highest rated wet tile saw was the DeWalt D2400S Heavy Duty 10 in. wet tile saw with stand. If you are a beginner with a small job, you may not need to get the top rated saws, but can go for more economical Felker or Plasplugs, which are highly regarded as well.

Some Felker Saws

Some Plasplugs Saws

Stands and replacement blades

In addition to the saw itself, you’ll need to consider stands and blades. Most stands are well constructed and do a very good job. With that said, look for a stand that has the features you want. This includes a stand that is on wheels, has the ability to fold up for storage, and is the correct size for your tile or countertop needs.

Blades will need to be replaced eventually no matter how well you care for them. The blades are almost as important as the saw itself, because even though you have a saw with the capability of cutting the tile you need, you will still have bad cuts if you use the wrong blade. Make sure your blade is the correct size and quality for the material you are cutting, is made of the right material (steel? diamond?) and has the correct ability to be used in a wet or dry saw. For both tables and blades, prices will range from $20-$325 depending on what you decide fits your needs.

With this information in hand, you should be able to find the right tile saw. Good luck!