- Northern Industrial Wet Tile Saw - 7in. Blade Size
by Northern Industrial Tools
 |
List Price: Our Price: $69.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
Product Details
Manufacturer: Northern Industrial ToolsProduct features:
- Height: 6.8in.
- Not for masonry
- 120 Volt, 60 Hz motor
- 1.4in. max. depth of cut @ 90deg , 1in. @ 45deg
- 15in. x 15 1/2in. table
Tools and Hardware Reviews of - Northern Industrial Wet Tile Saw - 7in. Blade Size
Customer Review: You get what you pay for -- and you don't pay much.
Summary: 2 Stars
While this saw may be adequate for the simplest of tile projects, anyone tackling something other than straightforward tiling with 4", 6", or 12" ceramic tiles should invest in something better. I purchased this saw for a medium size project that involved both 12" and 18" porcelain tiles.
On previous projects, I had been able to borrow an inexpensive wet saw from a friend, but that wasn't available any longer. I assumed this saw would be equivalent to that unit. It wasn't.
The unit arrived in its display/shipping box in good shape, no problems. It was pretty much ready to go with only a bare minimum of set-up (a good thing, because the numbered call outs in the instructions do not match the numbers in the exploded diagram).
The table top is the first problematic issue. It is made of formed steel, and not particularly heavy steel at that. I made the mistake of cutting a few pieces of tile before I checked it for flatness -- when I found that the right side and front right corner were nearly 1/4" lower than the rest of the table. At first, I thought it was bent, but after disassembling it, I found the top was flat on its own.
Apparently, the mounting holes were off-line enough to introduce a warp. My short term fix was to remove the pivot bolts for the table and secure it with the tilt knobs only. This removed most of the warp.
The non-flat table causes the cut line to break when you are 1/4 - 1/2" from the end, which is very frustrating. This resulted in a angular break that nips off a tiny part of the tile corner. Not good.
The table scratches easily (not unexpected, working with tile), and those scratches will rust overnight. The underside of the table seems to be bare steel, and also rusted overnight after the first use. A coat of paint here would help.
The saw blade itself was extremely disappointing. I replaced it with a quality blade from Lowes ($40). This caused another problem -- the new blade was slightly thinner than the original, causing the cut tile to hang up when it hit the vertical steel support for the blade guard, which was now too wide for the saw kerf. Even with the better blade, the saw still left chips along the cut line on the porcelain tile. I suspect that the RPM is lower than it should be. With the new blade, ceramic tile cut smoothly, whereas before, it chipped along the cut lin as well.
The unit also throws a tremendous amount of water. I ended up placing it inside a plastic masonry tub that I happened to have, I suppose a kitty litter pan or something similar would work as well. You definitely cannot use this unit with the blade guard removed unless you are wearing a raincoat. With the guard raised, it throws a spray of water about 5 feet or so in front of the saw.
The water use was large enough that I had to replenish the water tray pretty much after each length-wise cut on an 18" tile. Not that it empties the water tray, but there is a minimum and maximum level indicated, and I had to monitor the level after every cut to ensure it stayed between those marks.
The guide fence appears to be aluminum and sturdy enough. However, the attachment knobs at either end are difficult to work with and it is quite a bother to set this accurately. Again, if you are working with 18" tiles, you can't get a center cut with the fence because the table is not wide enough to accommodate that. Attempting angle cuts on a large piece of tile is really difficult.
If you are looking for an inexpensive wet saw for a small project on smaller tiles, this unit will probably do the job. However, if you factor in the cost of a new blade, plus the wasted tiles you will generate learning the idiosyncrasies of this unit, I personally would advise you to either go with a rental unit, or step up to a saw in a higher price range. I plan to rent a better saw, and contact Northern Tool to see about returning it. I absolutely do not want to keep it, nor could I give to someone else in good conscience.
I prefer to spend my time on the project, not tinker around trying to get a power tool to work the way it should out of the box. If you have any kind of appreciation for quality tools, stay away from this unit.
Description of - Northern Industrial Wet Tile Saw - 7in. Blade Size
This Northern Industrial 7in. wet tile saw delivers ample power to cut a variety of wall and floor tile sizes. Can also cut granite tiles. All-metal saw is very sturdy. A great value for residential tile work. Rated Watts: 500, Engine Speed (RPM): 3,400, Cutting Thickness (in.): 1 3/8, Blade Diameter (in.): 7, Arbor Size (in.): 5/8Tile & Masonry Saws Tools
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