That cheap tile saw I bought on sale ended up costing me double

Picked up a $89 wet saw from a big box store to cut subway tile for my kitchen backsplash, figured it'd get me through a weekend project. Two hours in the motor seized up mid-cut and now I'm stuck with half a wall done and a useless saw. Anyone had luck renting a decent saw for a small job or am I looking at buying something way better?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesblack5d ago

Honestly, nobody talks about how those cheap saws don't even have proper cooling for continuous cuts. You're supposed to let them rest every 10 minutes or they just cook themselves. That's why the motor seized, it's not built for a whole tile job in one day. Renting is your best bet, but sometimes you can borrow one from a tool library or a neighbor for dirt cheap. Way less headache than gambling on another budget saw that'll probably do the same thing.

veraramirez5d ago

600 bucks for a tile saw and you only get 10 minutes of cutting before it needs a break? lol that's wild. @jamesblack is right, those cheap ones aren't made for real work. I borrowed a buddy's off-brand saw once and it overheated on the second cut. Had to wait 20 minutes for it to cool down every time. Renting a proper one from Home Depot for 40 bucks a day is way smarter than buying something that'll fry itself halfway through the job. Plus you don't have to store it after.