Lost $200 on a cheap tile saw that couldn't cut straight

Picked up a $80 tile saw from a big box store last spring thinking I was saving money. First real job cutting 12x24 porcelain tiles for a bathroom floor, and every cut came out wavy. Had to scrap 6 tiles before I realized the blade wobbled like crazy. Ended up renting a proper saw for $120 for the day and finished the whole floor in 4 hours. Anyone else get burned trying to go cheap on cutting gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige_martin1mo ago

Made that exact mistake except I bought a $50 pawn shop saw that looked like it survived a construction site explosion. First cut on a subway tile and it sounded like a dying cat having a fight with a blender. Spent more time trying to true up that wobbly blade than actually cutting tile. Figured out pretty quick that saving money on tile tools is like saving money on toilet paper - you just end up cleaning up a bigger mess later.

the_lucas1mo ago

Dying cat having a fight with a blender" is exactly right. I had a cheap saw that sounded like someone was grinding rocks in a tin can. The "blade" was basically a dull pizza cutter on a bent spindle. I spent a whole afternoon trying to cut a straight line on a threshold piece and ended up with a jagged mess that looked like I'd chewed it off. Rented a real saw the next morning and finished everything before lunch. The $80 I "saved" cost me about four hours of my life and six tiles.