Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

[Cheesesteak]

So - the HF tile saw that seems to be the favorite is @ $299.

I was looking at Home Depot - and they've got a 10" QEP saw with blade and stand @ $296 - see here: QEP 60020 10" Tile Saw With Stand

Generally - the reviews look good for this saw. Anyone have any thoughts? I need to get cutting bricks soon . . .

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

CS,

The HD saw looks eerily identical to the HF saw. I have been pushing hard on my HF saw for over a year and this is what I like/don't like about it:
I like: the 2.5 HP motor, the vertical movement of the blade/motor, the dependability of the pump and on/off switch, the stand.
I don't like: the horizontal pivot arm that holds up the motor (over time it wiggles out and needs to be pounded back in with a very large hammer; It sags a few degrees which causes the blade to be a few degrees out of vertical (plumb?); the cheap plastic water tray, which has gone brittle after hours in the sun and has begun to chip away; the parallel steel runners that the cutting table rolls forward and back on - these are low-grade and have begun to rust;

Overall the HF saw is a workhorse, albeit not a precision tool. Every time I go to turn it on it works and on sale (periodic broadcast mail 10%-off coupons) cost $229 when I bought it. If it died suddenly I'd buy another one.

John

[azpizzanut]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

Hello All,

I too have a Harbor Freight 10" saw and like it. It is beginning to rust in a few places but I expect it to keep on performing. Mine is covered or under the shade of a tree most of the time so the plastic tray is still in good shape. Others have complained about the plastic tray but I understand they are available as replacement parts from HF.

You don't need a 10" saw to cut bricks although it sure is nice for many cuts. You can use an inexpensive 7" bench saw and cut twice with good results though.

I will check out HF for a replacement tray and report back on this forum.

Cheers,

[RTflorida]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

you will be fine with the QEP saw.looks very similar to the saws on the market, and QEP makes pretty good tool, at least for this application

RT

[SteveP]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

I bought that QEP saw with stand and blade for $199 and free shipping on line from HD in 2008 for my build. The saw worked great and I replaced the blade only once. The only problem I had was the design of the table and how it slid during the cuts. The dust would build up on the sliders and cause the table to stick. Other than that, I don't remember any problems with it. I still have the saw and use occasionally.

[buckeyebreadman]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

The biggest plus I've found with smaller saws is....Use the Smallest blade you need....
The reason is: the larger the blade, the more variation you have in your cut....simple as that...Cutting firebrick shouldn't be that big of a deal, but cutting tile, it really makes a difference.........

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

It seems a brother of mine is going to temporarily bequeath a very high-quality 10" MK wet saw to me to make room in his garage for other stuff. Anybody have any experience with this saw?

I am currently relying on the tried and true Harbor Freight 10" wet saw, which has worked admirably except for the sun-cracked water tray. In observance of this good fortune I just ordered a replacement tray from the 800 number at the bottom of the product page on harborfreight.com. All you need to do to order replacement parts is reference the item # on the product when calling and be prepared for the cost. With shipping ($9) the total cost of the cheap plastic tray ($17.78) was $26.77.

Grind on!

John

[azpizzanut]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

Hello All,

Yes, what GianniFocaccia said is correct. My two nearby HF's weren't excited about ordering in parts but would gladly replace a defective saw if it has a warranty in effect. Things like bad pumps and cracked trays were covered. "Just bring the saw in and we'll replace it".

Cheers,

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

I ended up picking up the HF 10" saw. Heavy piece of machinery.

If anyone's going to pick it up - you can just google Harbor Freight Coupon and find a 20% off coupon - print it out and use it. If you're buying on line - try the coupon code 20TOOL and it should give you 20% off on line.

I plan to use it for this build and then sell it locally on Craigslist . . .

[ebbro]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

Not that it helps you now, Cheesesteak, but I've seen the saw a couple of times going f/ $199 at the parking lot sales (there was one in March). Combined w/ the 20% coupon the price is $160.

I've used the saw f/ a couple of tile jobs and it works great for my needs. Someday I'll put it to use on an oven. Haven't had any problems w/ the pan cracking (it's been out under the Texas sun a lot) or with the pump.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Saws, Saws, and more saws . . .

Not that it helps you now, Cheesesteak, but I've seen the saw a couple of times going f/ $199 at the parking lot sales (there was one in March). Combined w/ the 20% coupon the price is $160.

I've used the saw f/ a couple of tile jobs and it works great for my needs. Someday I'll put it to use on an oven. Haven't had any problems w/ the pan cracking (it's been out under the Texas sun a lot) or with the pump.

ebbro - thanks - and I've seen that it goes on sale on occasion. Unfortunately for me - time is of the essence to get this thing built - so I had to bite the bullet. $160 is an amazing price for that saw.