Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

[staestc]

For any other new folks that are shopping for a brick and tile saw, the HF 10" saw that seems a popular choice of many here is on sale in the flyer I got in the mail yesterday.

Current normal price is $299, sale price is $229, and the flyer I received has a 15% off any single item coupon!

That price does not include the stand ($60 at HF) or a blade ($30 at HF), but I figure I can build/improvise a stand.

Just thought I would let folks know, incase anybody else is shopping.

Travis

[mfiore]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

It's a good purchase. You won't regret it. I couldn't imagine not using one.

[christo]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Good purchase. I'll post a pic of my poor saw later - it looks rough but is still kicking!!! - This is after the oven and cutting brick edges for aproximately 1000 sq ft patio...

Christo

[staestc]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

As of yesterday afternoon I am the proud owner of the Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw! Whoohoo

As of this morning it is still in the box (family and company over last night ), but after work today I will take it all out and assemble it. I will take pictures along the way, and if anybody is considering this saw and is interested I can post them.

I did indeed get it for $229 minus the $34 from the 15% off coupon, so all told the saw was less than $200, but did not include the stand or blade. I went ahead and bought one of HF's $30 blades, because I (of course! ) want to play with it on scrap bricks and the like. I will either build a stand or just use sawhorses as has been suggested.

So I have completed the most important part of any project; the excuse to buy new tools!!!

Travis

[Ken524]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Travis,

One popular tip for this saw: DO NOT put the water pump in the water tray. The area where you put the pump seems to accumulate most of the fine debris. It'll clog up your pump after only a few uses.

Hang a bucket of fresh water on the back of the saw and dangle the submersible pump in the bucket. Works great and your pump will last a lot longer. The few times I have been lazy and put the pump in the tray clogged up the pump. I had to disassemble the pump and rinse it out.

[staestc]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Thanks Ken. I have heard that from others. I was going to test and see how much head the little pump has, determine how far below the tray is can actually go, then hang or sit a bucket. If it looks like the dust settles out in the tray, I may rig an overflow near the top of the tray back into the bucket, but will have to play with first to see. (Can't wait to play with it!!)

Travis

[mfiore]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

For what ever it's worth, I used the pump as directed (putting it in the tray). I missed the threads warning of it plugging. I've made hundreds of cuts, resulting in bucket loads of sludge. No problems yet. The pump works just fine. I did clean out the tray and hose out the pump really well at the end of each day.

Just another person's experience.

[staestc]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Update on the tile saw.

I love it

For anybody that finds this thread because they are considering it I offer the following newbie impressions.

The saw is packed well, and nothing was damaged. If you don't have any big obvious dents or bashes in the side of the box you get, then the chances are pretty good that the stuff inside will be in good shape.

The assembly instructions are useless, for the most part, and don't even appear to be for the saw you just bought. I have kinda come to expect that from cheap tools, so it was not a suprise. Assembly is, however, very easy and pretty obvious. If anybody has any assembly issues, let me know and I have a bunch of pictures and recent experience that I will gladly share.

The pump has little suction cup feet that do not stick down to the tray very well, but probably not much of an issue since at least a couple of them always seem to stay stuck.

The pump delivers plenty of water when new and clean, but I am a little concerned that (with mine at least), the water seems to only be directed at one side of the blade, despite the appearance that it is going into the blade guard pretty much centered on the blade. Any of you old hands at this, I would appreciate knowing if yours does that and/or if it is of any concern.

The saw cut plain brick and Oklahoma flagstone like BUTTER Okay, well maybe not like butter, but pretty smoothly and I am pleased with that. This was with the Harbor Freight blade that I bought.

So all things said, I am really happy, and even more excited than I already was about this whole project!

Oh, one other thing I noticed when cutting, is reduce any pressure near the end of a cut, or you will chip out the back, but then you don't need much pressure to begin with.

If anybody needs more info please let me know.

Travis

[Ken524]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

The assembly instructions are useless, for the most part, and don't even appear to be for the saw you just bought.

I noticed that too. I spent the better part of an hour trying find parts that didn't exist and parts that were already assembled. After I threw away the instructions, set up was a snap!

[mannextdoor]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

I have to say it was a great investment. I didn't have any problem with using the pump in the tray as it was designed. On a long day I would wash up the tray half way through the day. I never had the pump plug up.

[christo]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

I took the extra time to make sure the little nozzles inside the blade guard pointed water on the blade vs on the guard and feel that largely contributed to the long blade life I expereinced.

I like the way the water sprays off the blade - makes it very easy to line up cuts on marked bricks.

My 2 cents, your mileage may vary...

Christo

[staestc]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

The water on mine is coming down the right side of the blade, on the blade itself. It just looks like there is less on the left side of the blade. The blade and cut definitely stay wet, but it seems like I read some advertising for some other high end saw that touted that their water system kept both sides of the blade wet or some such. I was just wondering if anybody thought it mattered, given that the cut stays very wet the whole time as is.

I would also be interested in seeing more photos of jigs that people rig to make special cuts. I believe in all the hundreds of photos that I have looked at I can only remember seeing one picture showing a set up for a specific cut, though I am sure there are more. I think a thread with good saw setup ideas would be valuable.

Travis

[mannextdoor]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

The water was coming just down on the right side of my blade as well. I had to adjust the left side a little to get it to hit the blade.

[skoolpsyk]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Picked one up the other day. Even though they said the sale had ended, I was visibly bummed and they gave it to me for the sale price anyway. So it might not hurt to ask about sale prices even if it's not on sale, seems they have some wiggle room.

[Ken524]

Re: Harbor Freight 10" Tile Saw

Picked one up the other day. Even though they said the sale had ended, I was visibly bummed and they gave it to me for the sale price anyway.

Harbour Freight = Very low production costs/High profit margin

I really enjoy my HF tile saw