Tile Saw Purchase Advice

woodbutcher

I'm looking at buying a good tile saw and I like the MK Pro line. Thinking either the
MK-100 ($569)
MK-101 ($799)
or the MK-101 Pro ($899)

I would like to get some feedback and opinions on these MK saws and perhaps which one would be the best choice.

I work with Ceramic, Porcelain and Limestone.

Thanks
WB

Mike Finley

I have a MK-100 but I only paid about $450 for it from Tool King as a reconditioned unit. I don't work with tile on a daily or even weekly basis so it is a great tile saw for me compared to what I could be using.

The main issues I would be concerned with are:

-Reliability & quality of the tool and how repeatable cuts are over and over again.

-Ability of the saw to cut tile of the size I want on a diagonal

- Weight and set up - this is where the MK I have sucks the most, it is messy as hell, it sprays water around, and it weighs so much that I often take it apart to get it where it needs to go.

I think it is going to be hard to tell you what is best because no body knows what your intentions are. Are you doing tile everyday? You might also want to post your question here http://johnbridge.com/vbulletin/foru....php?forumid=1 Tons of full time tile layers hang out there.

pbrad911

I have the MK 880 pro and it works great I wish it would cut alittle deeper for when I have to cut blocks or pavers but for tile it cuts almost everything, It would be nice if the table slide farther when doing wide stuff it's heavy and ochward but I use an appliance dollie when moving mine buy myself but its tuff getting on the stand, I made a secondary curtin that attaches to the rear and partway around the sides to keep most of the spray in that allows me to work near where I'm setting tile instead of going outside to cut

Mike Finley

Hey, I finally woke up and made a spray guard for my MK also out of shower membrane. That helped, but I'm now planning on buying another saw, going in the opposite direction - smaller is better. I'm totally sick of hauling that fricken monster around. It is great if you have a really big job and need super reliablity and perfect cuts, but for doing a small bathroom floor - I'm really leaning now towards one of those $200-$300 amateur type saws that I can easily carry and set-up quickly and easily. After hauling the tile, the thinset, the stand, the monster saw and setting up I'm tired of finding myself looking at my watch and wondering if it would be a bad thing to go to an early lunch when its only 9:00 am.

IHI

I've got the MK 170 since like many of you i dont tile on a daily baises and did'nt want to rent for the few tiles I do annually. I like the price, ease of set-up, portability, and now durability of this saw.

I DONT like the pump set-up they come with, hose constantly pops outta the fish tank pump, I hate the fence they send for repeating cuts as it has 2 tiny knobs on either end and it takes awhile to set up and get it perfect. It sprays water everywhere, the pump I got with mine is supposed to be adjustible....it is, either 1000gph thrown all over the front (on me) back and sides....or nothing. The pump has no trickle setting on the variable speed. The curtain is a joke and goes back to above mentioned statement. I always have to set the saw up outside and it makes on hellava mess with water everywhere.
The radial arm design works good, but I'm very limited to cutting large tile, 12" is max on a diagonal and it also plays into making repetative cuts as you have to set the fence up on one side or the other to compensate for the larger tile wanting to hit the arm that holds the motor.

It's given me 4 yrs of faithful service, makes great cuts and I've learned to overcome it's glitches. I've looked at the $500+ saws since this purchase and wondered if they're any better. This saw has done everything I've needed it to done on typical bath remodels, but maybe I dont know what I'm missing since I've never used a "real deal" tile saw. I do know the next sizable tile job I sell I will be renting a real saw and trying it out, it might be the most expensive test run I'll ever have

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Mike Finley

Dewalt is coming out with a tile saw that is supposed to be revolutionary, I guess we will all wait and see.