When it comes to tiling, it’s important to choose the right tools. One of the primary tools when doing tiling is the tile cutter. It is important to choose the best tile cutter since it makes the difference between doing a great job and an average job.
One advantage of choosing an ideal tile cutter is that it helps you do a professional job; giving your home, bathroom or kitchen a great finish.
Types Of Tile Cutter And How To Choose The Tile Cutter For You
- Manual Tile Cutters
- Wet Saw Tile Cutter
Manual Tile Cutter:
It is also known as rail cutter, a manual cutter works like a glass cutter in that it has a carbide wheel which is slowly drawn across the tile to make a score once the tile is inserted in the machine. This requires some effort. Once the score is made, a “snapper’ is moved into place.
When you pull on the lever, the snapper compresses the score and the tile snaps in half. You have an option of using a snapper or by breaking off the tile by hand.
It can only cut straight lines; it can’t cut curves or other shapes. It is ideal for smaller jobs and for tasks that don’t require a high level of accuracy or precision. When used to make a straight cut, small irregularities might occur making the cut asymmetrical.
In comparison, a wet tile cutter can make extremely straight lines.It is not suitable for large projects or tiling over a large surface area and is not suitable for use on glass or natural stone. Ideal for tiles less than 12 inches.
Wet Tile Cutter:
Wet tile cutters are motorized tile cutters. It makes use of water and electricity while a rapidly rotating blade helps you cut the tiles.
They give clean cuts and professional finishes. It not only allows you to make straight cuts, but it also allows you to make shapes, curves, and cuts at odd angles.
A wet tile cutter has a hose to allow clean water to run through the cutter. Electricity powers the blade, and the system also has a drainage tray for water to drain.
How To Choose The Best Tile Cutter
When choosing a tile cutter, consider the job at hand. This is important because the size of the tiling area could either be small or extensive.
Some tile cutters can cut tiles faster and more efficiently, making them ideal for big jobs. For home improvement jobs, you may only need a manual tile cutter which will still do the job effectively with a high level of accuracy.
Another factor is the tile cutter size. Tile cutters come in different sizes. For large areas, you might need a tile cutter which can produce enough cuts quickly enough to get the job done fast.
The tile cutter should be able to cut the tile in one continuous motion. If you have to make more than one cut to break the tile, then the tile cutter might be too small.
Is it motorized or manual cutters? For bigger jobs, you might want to consider buying or leasing a tile cutter to get the job done quicker. The bigger and more powerful a tile cutter is, the more expensive it is.
For home tiling, you might use a smaller manual tile cutter to get the job done. Manual tile cutters are more portable and require low maintenance. The only setback is that they tend to do the job slower than a motorized tile cutter.
The type of tile you choose for your project will determine the type of tools you need. The harder the tile, the tougher it will be to cut. Ceramic tiles are quite easy to cut in comparison to a material like granite which would need a motor with a special blade to cut through it.
A masonry cutter can cut through any material such as ceramic, glass or porcelain. It is heavier, more expensive yet is ideal for cutting through thick material such as stone and granite.
Masonry cutters are stationery and have a blade which can slice through the harder and thicker material.
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The Best Tile Cutter Reviews
1. Rubi Tile Cutter – TX-N Super
– Best Dry Tile Cutter for Professionals
The Rubi TX-N tile cutters have two blades which you squeeze together using the handles to cut the tiles. The tips of the cutter can take small cuts which make it ideal for mosaic tiles. It is also recommended for smaller jobs which require higher attention to detail.
It allows for greater precision when cutting tiles. It comes with a dual reinforced guide, a soft breaker handle and an angular measurement system for you to make accurate cuts.
Qualities of the Rubi Tile Cutter
• Made of aluminum making it quite light in weight
• Steel guides which make it anti-corrosive
• Large breaker which allows you to make a cut on any position of the tile
• Swivel angle plate with a central pivot to allow you to make consecutive cuts at any angle
• 8mm and 18mm cutting wheel
• Anti-shock plastic case
• Can handle 2205lbs of breaking force, ideal even for a tough material like porcelain
• It has a side support for large tiles
• The spring mechanism doesn’t trap tile particles
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2. 2190 Tomecanic Supercut 35-inch
: Best Dry Tile Cutter for Hard Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles
Tomecanic Supercut tile cutter series is best for dry and hard tiles. It is designed with nine ball bearings that slide easy allowing the head to achieve great accuracy and ease scoring.
This is coupled by large breaker and high-quality spring loaded pads to ease tile snapping and enhance efficiency. It is designed to cut stone porcelain tiles that are fully vitrified, unglazed clay tiles and clay ceramic tiles.
Their breaking system lever is able to produce 2500 pounds of pressure while its rail guide does not flex on impact offering more preciseness.
Cutting is made easy by the head sliding easy on the nine self-lubricating ball bearings. For shock absorption, breaking pads are laid on springs.
Tile cuttings easily fall on the floor thanks to the cut-out fitted under the breaking pads; this eases cleaning. Thick materials are easily cut.
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3. Brutus 10600 18” Diagonal, 24” Rip Porcelain Tile Cutter
– Best Tile Snap Cutter on a Budget
If you are on budget and still needs a good performing tile snap cutter, this is your best bet. It is a professional multi-purpose cutter but mostly used on porcelain and ceramic tiles.
It is designed with Ishii Engineering technology for maximum performance.
It has a wide cast base made of aluminum alloy with rubber pads and 2 chrome-plated rail bars to offer maximum stability when cutting. It sports 7/8-inch tungsten carbide ball bearing wheel which is titanium coated which offers long lasting cuts.
The Brutus 10600 is designed for hard porcelain tiles. Its wheel can be adjusted four levels to allow easy snapping. With its large high leverage bicycle grip handle, the cutter feels comfortable on your hands and gives you full control.
Its base supports large format files with its extensions.
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4. Sigma 2G 37cm Metric Tile Cutter
– Compact Tile Snap Cutter for Ceramic Tiles
The Sigma 2G is a cutter which is ideal for all your tile snapping requirements. It is quite compact and is light in weight; only weighing less than five pounds. It allows you to make precision cuts with ease.
It has a quick positioning button which allows you to make cuts from 0-45°.
It comes with an easy grip handle and can cut material between 1/16” and 3/4” inches thick. It is made of high resistance aluminum alloy and steel, making it strong enough to cut through tiles.
It has a spring loaded table. The scoring wheel is tungsten carbide, and it has a swiveling bar which takes measurements in inches and allows for -45 to + 45-degree diagonal cuts.
This cutter allows for easy transportation due to its compact nature and can cut all types of tiles available commercially. It comes with plastic fitting to prevent marks on the tile.
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5. Brutus 10800 27-Inch
– Easy to Use Porcelain Tile Cutter
The Brutus 10800 has a wide aluminum alloy base which helps you cut through porcelain tiles. It has heavy duty rubber pads and can cut both porcelain and ceramic wall tiles of up to 24 inches, making it a multi-purpose cutter. It can also cut tiles of up to 18 inches and can cut tiles diagonally up to 1/2 inch thick.
It comes with replaceable 7/8 inch titanium covered tungsten carbide cutting wheel; making it solid enough to handle tough materials.
This also makes it long lasting and helps provide accurate and clean scoring. For easy grip, it comes with large handles which make it easier to handle and reduces hand fatigue.
The cutter comes with a bolt and nut upon purchase, and once you replace the cutting wheel after long use, the cutter goes back to its original high performance.
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6. Montolit Masterpiuma 75P3 Evolution 29-Inch Porcelain Tile Cutter
– Best Porcelain Cutter Operated Manually
Montolit Masterpiuma 75P3 is among the best tile cutters for porcelain designed to be operated manually. The cutter is offered with a special titanium wheel that makes it ideal for porcelain tiles.
However, it can cut ceramic and glass among other types of tiles. It cuts tiles between 1/4-inch and 1-inch thick and features adjustable breaking system. You can choose from different lengths depending on your needs.
For preciseness, the cutter features an ergonomic handle and two measuring scales; one on the sloping edge of the cutter provides measurements of inclination while the one on top of the square measures 45-degree cuts from the tile corner to the cutting line.
Breaker feet are offered with high-quality non-scratch plastic while the support feet feature a non-slip rubber.
One of the major advantages of the cutter is the fact that it is lightweight and compact making it comfortable on hands and easy to store and carry.
Its cutting edge can be tapped out enabling you to replace wheels. However, it is still a manual cutter and your energy is needed to do the cutting.
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7. Sigma Max 3D3M 36″ Push Tile Cutter
– Best Manual Tile Cutter for Diagonal Cuts
The Sigma Max push tile cutter cuts 36 inch straight cuts and up to 24 inches diagonally. It has a ball bearing carbide scoring wheel which ensures you can make cuts on all types of tiles. It allows for measurements in inches, making it precise and accurate.
The ball bearing carbide scoring wheel makes it ideal if you are looking for a tile cutter which can consistently cut uneven surfaced tiles such as wood-look textured tiles.
This makes it the right tool since such tiles can prove quite problematic. Using the Sigma Max prevents uneven breaks and wastage of broken/chipped tiles.
With tiles becoming larger and denser, the size of the tile cutter and pressure of the wheel change. With the Sigma Max push handle, it allows you to reach a greater distance while ensuring the pressure on the handle remains consistent. This helps give a cleaner finish and reduce tile wastage.
It has a swiveling measurement bar which can easily handle diagonal cuts. It allows for cuts at angles between 45 to +45 degrees.
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8. QEP 10630Q 24” Manual Tile Cutter
– Best Manual Tile Cutter for Porcelain Tiles
QEP 10630Q is designed to cut both porcelain and ceramic tiles but is mostly used on porcelain. It is offered with an easy score and snap design that allows it to rip and cut tiles diagonally. The dual rugged steel rails with linear ball bearing slides enhance smooth scoring especially when used on thick tiles.
The cutter features an aluminum alloy base with heavy duty rubber pads and cutting table extensions give the cutter additional stability when you are cutting large sized tiles.
You will fancy the bicycle grip handle as it lets you take control of the cutter enhancing comfort and efficiency.
A 7/8-inch tungsten carbide scoring wheel which is titanium coated is equipped to enhance the cutting process. The manufacturer has bettered the product by offering 1-year parts warranty.
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9. QEP 10214Q 14 inch Rip Ceramic Tile Cutter with 1/2 inch Cutting Wheel
– Best Ceramic Tile Cutter on a Budget
The ceramic cutter cuts ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tiles of up to 14 inches. Both steel rails are chrome plated which offer smoother scoring.
It can cut 10 inches diagonally and 1/2inch thick tiles. It is equipped with a 1/2 inch replacement tungsten carbide cutting wheel.
It has padded handles which make it easier to cut and reduced fatigue while in use. It comes with an adjustable rip guide designed to help make repetitive cuts faster and easier.
The cutter comes with rubber padded aluminum alloy breaker bar which prevents marking the tiles. The base has heavy duty rubber pads to keep tiles in place. It is light in weight; weighs only 6.2 pounds and it is 19.3 x 6.1 x 4 inches.
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10. Dewalt D24000 1.5-hp 10-Inch
– Wet Tile Cutter for Ceramic Tiles
If what you are looking for is a wet tile cutter that does a great job on ceramic tiles, this might be your best bet. It features an integrated cantilevering rail system which allows 24-inch ripping capacity and 18-inch on diagonal.
It is offered with 2 adjustable water nozzles with rear attachments to regulate water run-off and spraying blade with water. Dewalt D24000 comes with a removable cutting cart that enhances cleaning, its five-gallon water pan gives you long periods of unrestricted cutting.
Cutting precision is bettered by edge guide and degree guide features. This cutter is ideal for hard porcelain and stone thanks to its 1.5 horsepower motor. Bevel and plunge-cut features coupled with the fact that this cutter is lightweight and compact offer convenience to the user. A three-year limited warranty strengthens the trust for the cutter.
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Conclusion
Did you enjoy our top 10 tile cutters list? I hope so. I came up with these tile cutter reviews to help you decide which tile cutters to use for which tiling job.
I once struggled trying to get the best tile cutter for my kitchen tiling and I know how painstaking the shopping process can be given the saturated choices in the market today.
Having a good quality tile cutter, I was able to save time and money. Please share your comments below and if you found this helpful, share it widely with anyone who you think might benefit from it.
