Can we talk about that $200 specialized tool I bought for one job

I bought a $200 tile saw for a bathroom floor project last spring and used it once before the motor burned out on the second pass. Now it's sitting in my garage and I'm out the cash with nothing to show for it. Has anyone else gotten burned by a tool that just couldn't handle the work?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wade3d ago

Wait, the motor burned out on the second pass? That's wild. I've never seen a tile saw crap out that fast, even the cheap ones. I helped a buddy tile his whole kitchen last summer and that $100 pawn shop special he bought took a beating all weekend and still runs.

jamie_clark2d ago

The motor probably seized from heat, not from being a junk saw. Second cut means the cooling fan never got a chance to do its job if the blade was binding or the water flow was weak. Check the arbor nut next time, too - if it's loose even a little, the blade wobbles and drags the motor down fast. Try a diamond blade with a half-inch arbor, those cheap stock ones are useless on hard tile.