Wet Tile Saw

For refurbishing your kitchen walls or repairing the floor in your bathroom, a good quality wet tile saw is what you need. By going for just established brands, you will be making life much easier for yourself when looking for one of these power tools. Doing this minimises your chance of choosing one that is poor quality.

To help you with this task we’ve looked at some of the best currently out there and decided on our favorite, plus a couple of notable contenders, which we’ll now share with you.

Best Wet Tile Saws Under 300 Dollars

1. SKIL 3550-02 with HydroLock Water Containment System

This is a strong and well built tile saw. However, it is not suitable for heavy or commercial use – so this is definitely one for home DIYers rather than professional tradesmen.

And that is good because the 3550-02 is simple, even for beginners, to set up. Using the miter gauge ensures that cut errors remain error free.

More flexible cuts can be made thanks to the tile saws cutting blade. It even has the capacity to go through tiles that are 18 x 18 inch in size.

The tile saw comes with a blade guard that prevents water from being spat all over your work space.

A water lock containment system comes as standard on the 3550-02 model to make cleaning the blade that much easier. It works to constantly keep the blade clean.

The top of the tile saw is made out of aluminium meaning it will not rust or corrode.

Pros

• A constantly clean blade
• Ensures error free cuts
• Can cut big tiles
• Does not spit water all over your work space
• Top will not rust

Cons

• Is not suitable for heavy or commercial use

Specs

• A water lock containment system
• A blade guard
• Up to 3,600 RPM
• A total weight of 24 lbs

Check out the price of this SKIL 3550-02 Wet Tile Saw

2. SKIL 3540-02

This tile saw is more suited to home DIYers who only do smaller, lighter bits of tile cutting work. Those individuals using a tile cutter for the very first time while find this model easy to use.

Not only is it affordable but there is also no compromise on quality. Skilsaws are known for their quality and this one is no different and comes with a metal top.

The 7 inch cutting blade has been specially designed to be able to make flexible type of cuts.

Like lots of other tile saws, the 3540-02 does not come with a pump for the water. The cutting blade just goes through water that is in its reservoir. However, the reservoir is pretty small so this can become troublesome – especially when working on larger jobs.

The water reservoir does help in getting rid of any debris or dirt that is inevitably produced from cutting tiles. To minimise flying debris, you should always cut through tiles with a low down blade guard.

The motor that comes with this particular tile saw is good enough to make accurate cuts. It is also helped by the miter gauge has been designed in a way that allows you to get high precision cuts.

Pros

• Perfect for smaller jobs
• Good quality
• Highly affordable
• Can make accurate cuts

Cons

• Has a small water reservoir

Specs

• A flexible cutting blade
• Made from stainless steel that is rust resistant
• A miter gauge
• A water pump

Check out the price of this SKIL 3540-02 Wet Tile Saw

3. SKIL 3601-02

This tile saw is a better version than the 3540-02 in terms of functions and features, but it is also more expensive. Although the relatively high price tag, it certainly does give you more than you paid for.

The 3601-02 is able to handle the biggest of jobs. It is a strong and well designed tile saw that is easy to use.

Using this particular model is pretty easy. All you have to do is push the power button and off you go, meaning you are able to use the tile saw with just one hand.

Coupled with this is the fact that the instructions are well written and clear to follow.  So should you have any issues, it is easy to resolve.

The 3601-02 is very lightweight and so can be easily lifted and transported. Similarly it is nice and compact, which again lends itself to being easy to move and use both in the home and on a worksite.

When cutting, this tile saw does not create large amounts of dust and debris. Even so, it does come with a dirt collection bag to help swallow up any dust and debris that is produced.

However, it is just as easy to attach a vacuum cleaner to the duct port and clean up that way.

Like all Skilsaws this one is a high quality power tool. That being said, the cutting blend is prone to dulling after being used frequently, which is no good if you plan to use this to tackle those bigger jobs.

If you do plan on using it for such jobs then we suggest buying some spare blades and keep them handy.

Pros

• Is easy to use
• Good quality
• Is affordable
• Is easy to move and transport
• Does not create large amounts of dust and debris

Cons

• Cutting blade is prone to dulling

Specs

• A dirt bag
• A total weight of just under 30 lbs
• An aluminium rip fence
• 120 volts

Check out the price of the SKIL 3601-02

Conclusion

As you can see we’re big fans of Skilsaw wet tile saws. Out of all the ones currently available on the market these three were our favourites – with the SKIL 3550-02 with HydroLock Water Containment System being our particular favourite.

Its good build quality, along with its ease of use even for beginners, and water lock containment system that ensures a constantly clean blade is what really set this Wet Tile Saw apart from the others.

However, it should be noted that is recommendation is purely for home DIYers and not for professional tradesmen, who would be more inclined to the SKIL 3601-02 Flooring Saw with 36T Contractor Blade.

Related Pages

• SKIL 3540-01 vs SKIL3540-02 – Which Wet Tile Saw is Best?
• The Best Rated Miter Saws in the Market
• DeWalt vs Makita

Table could not be displayed.

If you are a professional tradesman, then a wet tile saw is an absolute must have power tool – particularly for bathroom fitters and kitchen fitters. Wet tile saws work by utilising a water pump that is fully submersible to suck water out of a tray and then shoot it on to the cutting blade.

This spray of water works to keep the cutting blade cool and well lubricated so that it prevents your work piece from chipping and stops the dust and debris generated from going all over your work space. This is the best kind of power tool for cutting through tiles as wet tile saws do not cause any burn marks to appear on any expensive tiles or pieces of marble you may be working with. 

Our review looks at the two the best wet tile saws from the manufacturer, SKIL. Each of them is a good choice of power tool for both home DIYers and professional tradesmen alike, as they are both easy to use, lightweight and come with a whole range of useful functions and features.

This means they are able to tackle anything from the most basic jobs around the home through to the bigger jobs you find on a work site. So let’s take a look at our review of the SKIL 3540-01 vs -02… 

Speed and Motor Power

Skil 3540-01

This model is equipped with a motor that is 4.2 amp and is capable of spinning the tile saw’s 7 inch cutting blade a maximum of 3,600 RPM.

Skil 3540-02

This model also has a 7 inch cutting blade, but utilises a larger motor that is 7 amp to spin the cutting blade to a maximum of 3,600 RPM. Although it appears that this model requires a greater amount of energy to put out the same cutting blade speed, there is a bit more to it.

The speed put out may be the same as the 3540-01, but the bigger motor means that a greater level of cutting speed consistency is delivered no matter what material it is going through – even when cutting through hard materials such as stone or granite.

Conclusion

For cutting through thinner tiles, and thinner tiles only, the 3540-01 is the best choice out of the two models. However, if you need a tile saw that is capable of consistently cutting through tougher materials then go for the 3540-02. Realistically, the decision depends on the type of cutting you plan on performing with your tile saw.

Check out the price of the SKIL 3540-01

Rip Capacity

Skil 3540-01

This model has a capacity that enables a tile with a diameter of up to 12 x 12 inch to go through its cutting blade. It is limited at this size only, however, as it does not come with an extendable table.

Skil 3540-02

This model has a standard table which is larger than that of the 3540-01 and also has the capacity to extend further out. When the table is fully extended it is capable of having tiles of up to the size of 18 x 18 inch to sit on the table and move towards the cutting blade quite comfortably.

Conclusion

With tiles nowadays coming in a whole range of different shapes and sizes, it is important to have a tile saw that is able to cut through them. As a general rule of thumb, the greater a tile saw’s rip capacity, the better power tool it is. This is evident with the 3540-02 which can take tiles of up to 18 x 18 inch. 

Bevel Cuts

Skil 3540-01

This model has two angled bevel stops at 0 degrees and at 45 degrees.

Skil 3540-02

This model also has the same two angled bevel stops at 0 degrees and at 45 degrees.

Conclusion

In order to bevel the edge of a tile you need to bevel the tile saw’s table or head to 45 degrees before cutting. When you have the need to produce a smaller angled bevel cut on a tile, the 3540-02 is able to do this. The 3540-01 is only able to do it with the use of a bevel stand, which would have to be purchased additionally. 

Water Cooling

Skil 3540-01

This model comes equipped with a basin for the water that is affixed to the underside of the table so that the cutting blade can be submerged under the water to aid cooling and to provide sufficient lubrication.

Skil 3540-02

This model utilises SKIL’s innovative HydroLock system to stop any water from splurging above and below the table. It does not provide any extra cooling or lubrication to the cutting blade, but it does prevent your work space from getting wet.

Check out the price of the SKIL 3540-02

Conclusion

The water guard that comes with the 3540-02 is very useful and helps to reduce the amount of water in and around your work space. It also makes the clean up job afterward that little bit easier.

Portability and Weight

Skil 3540-01

This model weighs just 18 pounds (when there is no water inside of it), which makes it really easy to transport and carry.

Skil 3540-02

This model is a little bit heavier than the 3540-01 and weighs in at around 24 pounds (when there is no water inside of it). The extra weight is as a result of the tile saw’s extendable table.

Conclusion

Both of these models are very lightweight. The 6 pounds of weight difference between the tile saws is not a huge amount and would probably go un-noticed to most people. 

The Bottom Line

From this detailed look, it is quite evident as to why the SKIL 3540-02 wet tile saw is a popular choice. It comes with all the functions and features a home DIYer would ever need, whilst remaining portable and compact. Given their limited respective rip capacity, neither model is suited to use by professional tradesmen in a commercial setting.

But for use around the home, and maybe even some lighter commercial work, the SKIL 3540-02 wet tile saw is our recommendation.

Check out the price of the SKIL 3540-02