2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

I bought this on the web special to do a marble fireplace. Assembly was easy and it even would not let me install the table backwards :) Even includes the tools needed for assembly. Incredibly accurate right out of the box. I bought a high quality blade and even used it with a 6" bullnosing blade after making a fixture to raise the marble to the right height. The adjustable depth setting allowed perfect bullnosing. This saw performs better than the high end conractors saw I used to borrow for projects. A little noisy because of the direct drive. Make sure you also buy the stand.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

I purchased this saw over 2 years ago and it is still going strong. I have had no problems or any part of the saw or base go bad or fail. Good blade is the answer to a smooth easy job.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

this saw was a pleasure to assemble. the optional saw stand is so very convenient for moving it the unit around.the direct drive motor is a little noiser than a direct drive but either way you should wear hearing protection with either type of drive system.i put a good quality porcelain,ceramic blade on it for about 70.00 and it cut absolutley smooth and accurate. the table was perfectly square with the blade out of the box with no adjustments needed. the saw definatly needs to be outside account of the water that blows out the back of the unit when cutting. i highly recommend this saw to anyone.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

Bought this saw to tile a bathroom shower and floor with all different sized porcelain, glass, and stone tiles. I spent a little extra on a good quality blade for porcelain tile and had no problems. Cuts were straight, table rolled smoothly. The water line from the saw that connects to the pump's water line was severely crimped out of the box. I threw a pipe clamp on the crimp and everything worked fine. Easy assembly - though it helps to have an extra set of hands. For the price, nothing at the big box stores comes close! Does spray a lot of water out of the back, so probably should be used outside.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

Before using, it needed to be calibrated and after that, the settings stayed despite moving around a lot. A good diamond blade is a must.
Used to cut 18x18 granite for a countertop and it went with ease. No chip or break.
Used it to install about 200 square feet kitchen, 2 25 square feet bathrooms and a 100 square feet hallway project and it is still going strong. Cut through either porcelain or ceramic without problem.
The pump would not pump out water if put in a 5 gallon bucket. It worked fine in a shallow bucket or the provided tray.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

I bought this to tile a kitchen back splash and a bathroom. So far I've only done the back splash in a botticino marble and the saw worked very well. No chips or cuts that ran out as long as you give the blade time to remove the material. I did a diamond inlay in the pattern so there were many cuts and little notches to do. I put a 10" continuous rim QEP BlackWidow Blade on it and it worked beautifully. The fence worked well and was accurate for 0 and 45 degree cuts. The table rolls smoothly and made it easy to shave a blades worth of material off without issue. The tub has 2 dams built in to keep tile sediment from the pump which worked very well. I didn't even bother setting the pump in it's own 5 gal bucket which made the job go quicker. Got this on sale and you can't buy anything else that even comes close for twice the price.
So far the only con is the cheap plastic blade cover. While the rest of this unit is made from what seems to be a decent quality alloy and though it worked well and didn't break it feels cheap and flimsy when changing the blade or cleaning it .... Also the the center flap of the rubber splash guard on the back of the blade cover ripped off...
The bathroom will be done in a 12 x 24 porcelain tile... I'll update when that's done.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

This saw filled a definate need. After finding out that renting a saw for a few days would equal purchasing this saw we opted to purchase the saw and a 10" diamond blade. We tiled a hall and living room using a separate, elevated, 5 gallon pail for the pump and water since other reviews indicated the pump would last longer rather than recirculating "slurry" water once the cutting begins. Since cutting high grade porcelin tile, we also used it on marble tile and ceramic tile with no issues what-so-ever. The blade guard will protect you from water/slurry splash but if the blade ever broke it would not provide much protection. Over all the saw is very capable for cutting your tiling needs and can even cut brick or other stone if not too thick. The saw is on loan now to our friends who just finished their kitchen and laundry room. No issues. It has now more than paid for itself compared to renting. We did not get the stand but in retrospect, it would have been worth it since we used saw horses or homemade wood stands. We did purchase the extended warranty but have not had to use it. Overall, very satisfied with the value we received on this purchase. Take your time getting the cut made and the cut will be fairly attractive. Rush the cut and you'll see some small chipping, but nothing the grout would not cover. Your call as to how fast you cut the material. Assembly required when first purchased but nothing too hard. Follow instructions carefully. Safety goggles are recommended as are leather gloves. Face shields may come in handy for the extra safety minded.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

Overall I'd say this warrants a 4.5. It's far more versatile & capable than the one it's replacing. I found one real problem. The route of the water pump tubing leaves it prone to kinking. Thankfully that is super easy to remedy. I just pulled the tubing outside of the arm to eliminate the kink. You could also install an elbow at the bend (cost approx $1.50) BUT this should not be needed in a brand new saw.
One other thing: this unit is much better designed than the saw it replaced but the power unit is "cheaper". That's the key way they can manufacture & sell them so cheap (aside from cheap asian labor). On the other hand it would be easier to replace the power unit on this saw. My old one lasted just over 10 years & at this price these quibbles are admittedly pretty minor.

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

This saw worked great.The only thing that could be better is 12 inch so you can cut 5.5 inch block without flipping them over very nice tool for the money

Comments about Chicago Electric Power Tools 2.5 Horsepower 10" Industrial Tile/Brick Saw:

I purchased this saw because of its overall design and strength. Out of the box and using in less than 30 minutes, with only a minor blade adjustment. Splash control needs improvement as it is messy and I like to work inside near the job whenever possible. Buy a good diamond blade and you shouldn't have any problems. Have used it for over 500 sq ft of porcelain and ceramic with no problems, no chipping, no cracking.