The Best Wet Tile Saw in 2022 for an Engineer
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The best wet tile saw in 2020 for an engineer is the DeWALT D24000.
The DeWALT D24000. Tough and versatile enough for any job. Light enough for any engineer.
Forget renting or borrowing a wet tile saw. We make some decent change at work and we have several tile projects on our to-do list! However, like any good engineer, let’s over analyze why the DeWALT D24000S is the best wet tile saw on the market.
Pop quiz: What is your typical engineer stereotype?
If your answer is “nerdy/ sits at a computer all day/ only moves fingers around on a keyboard/ over-analyzes any given situation/ wears glasses/ fluorescent tan (aka pasty white)” your answer matches mine!
So the #1 desirable quality for a wet tile saw as an engineer is WEIGHT. As in, how little does it weigh?
Your stereotypical engineer (me) setting up the DeWALT D24000 at one of my many (soon-to-be) glamorous job sites.*
Enter the DeWALT D24000 wet tile saw coming in at a mere 69 pounds!
Don’t get me wrong, sixty-nine pounds is heavy for our established stereotypical engineer. As a software engineer myself, I certainly am no exception!
The D24000’s sixty-nine pounds was a daunting load to carry because I had little more muscle than bicycle legs at the time. I knew I had to move the saw on my own as I would be flying to the work site and working solo many weekends. The comparative wet tile saws from MK, Target and Felker with the desired features are all in the one hundred pound range. So sixty-nine pounds is a lot lighter than the competition: more than 30% lighter!
Quite honestly, any engineer can stop here with the decision making. Of course, the overanalyzing engineer does not stop researching based only on weight. You want to know more about what you are getting into!
The Short Answer: The DeWALT D24000
The first and last time my DeWALT D24000 was this clean!
I do not mind spending more on a tool that will not only last for years, but also provides all the extra very necessary features required for more complicated jobs. Since I needed a saw with so many features (explained below) it put me in the $800-$1100 range. Hours and hours were spent researching all the wet tile saws on the market. I looked at manufacturer websites and reviews of the saw on sites like Amazon. I agonized over the decision while reading as many opinions as I could find on contractor forums. The winner was the DeWALT D24000S which includes the tile saw (DeWALT D24000) with the stand (DeWALT D24001).
Here is my personal review for the best wet tile saw, the DeWALT D24000, in one sentence. It had everything I needed at the time (and continue to use): lightweight, drop cuts, reliability, miter cuts, the ability to use a profile wheel and reasonable cost.
One Very Important Note
I moved this up out of the cost section because I feel this is a grey area that needs to be cleared up first. I bought the DeWALT D24000S. In 2008, I found a great deal on Amazon where the price was better as a combo as opposed to separately buying the DeWALT D24000 saw and the DeWALT D24001 stand. There is absolutely no difference between the saw in the combo pack and the individual saw. I contacted DeWALT support to verify this statement. Go with your gut: choose the cheaper option! Just make sure you buy the stand (explained in the cost section below).
Weight
An industry leading, lightweight, contractor grade wet tile saw at sixty-nine pounds. ‘Nuff said.
Drop Cuts
The ability to make drop cuts is another necessary feature. There are often many unknowns in any given project. However, out of half a dozen or so outlets between bathroom and kitchen backsplashes you should put money on one falling in the middle of an 18” tile. I am not a betting person and I’d lay down $100 on that! Drop cuts should be assumed and the DeWALT D24000 can make them accurately. Having this feature also provides the flexibility to handle air conditioning registers if there is a follow on tile project with ducting through a floor or wall.
Reliability and Warranty
Since I was working as much as possible on extended weekends around the clock I needed to know the saw I chose would be reliable. Downtime on a remote job site is NOT an option. The three year warranty with one year of free service helps relieve any concerns if any problems are encountered with the wet saw functioning.
In addition, I have seen this saw in use by tile crews at several houses in the new development going up in the neighborhood next to mine. If a tradesman uses the DeWALT D24000 for their daily work to put food on the table and a roof over their family’s head, it will certainly be able to keep up with your weekend warrior demands.**
Proof! A DeWALT D24000 and D24001 spotted out in the wild!
Miter Cuts
Planning on creating granite thresholds as transitions between the hardwood floors and tiled rooms? If there is a small difference in height between the two rooms you needed the ability to easily and accurately miter the granite on the side leading to the lower surface. If you do not, there will be a sudden 90 degree drop between the two rooms waiting to jump out and stub your toe.
Granite threshold with a 45 degree mitered edge.
The integrated 45 degree miter makes for a very precise line across the floor. In conjunction with a variable speed grinder and polishing diamond pads the end result is beautiful (note the picture to the left). There is also an integrated 22.5 degree miter option.
Profiling
Self-fabricated bullnose countertop edges in my bathroom.
If you desire to create your own bullnose tile trim edges, the ability to profile is another must-have when you decide on a wet tile saw. The DeWALT D24000 can handle a 6″ profile wheel.***
The image to the left illustrates corners where fabricating your own bullnose is desirable in your home: countertops, backsplashes, bathtub and shower surrounds are the big hitters. A rounded corner is also attractive on window sill tiling, tile baseboard, tile surrounds, stairs as well as any other ideas you can imagine.
My limited budget meant I could only afford a very small and strategic amount of professionally bullnose profiled tiles. The kitchen and bathroom countertop granite tiles as well as the entire travertine tile surround in the bathroom begged for a bullnose treatment. In all reality, I did not even know how much travertine edge I needed to bullnose. The ability to bullnose (same as mitering–in conjunction with finishing the profile edge with diamond pads on a grinder) adds job flexibility and cost savings.
Cost
The cost of the most expensive tool I had ever bought prior to the remodel was a huge factor. I had just put a healthy down payment on the house. Afterwards, I anticipated months of carrying costs while completing and paying for a major remodel of the bathroom and kitchen. The DeWALT D24000 was the most economical choice in comparison to the more expensive MK, Target and Felker models. All of the other saws have a great following in the tiling community and high marks for reliability. However, the difference in price between the DeWALT D24000 and the competition was a win in my pocketbook.
I even debated on buying the DeWALT D24001 stand due to the aforementioned reason of cost. I wondered if the stand would truly be that beneficial to me. I knew I would be hefting this unwieldy expensive piece of machinery in order to set it up for use. Would the tile saw be sturdy on the stand? Would the tool slip or wobble? I also considered the alternative: hours of cutting tile stooping over on the ground, which was already a given *inside* the house since I was laying flooring.
Upon arrival I discovered the tile saw locks into place on the stand. I now call it cheap insurance. The stand would more than pay for itself if the saw slipped off a sawhorse. Consider the difference in buying the stand versus the cost of a silo of Ibuprofen and additional visits to your chiropractor.
Alternative Costs
From a different perspective, consider renting a similar saw at Home Depot: $67 a day, $268 per week, or $804 for four weeks.**** If you buy it and use it at a leisurely pace, as I now do on my job site (my home–which may include naptime or a break for a brew) you are ahead many times over the original price of the saw. If you decide you should sell it before adding to your todo list you come out even further ahead!
Opportunity Costs/Savings
I would like to revisit the previous sections on the ability to profile and miter. I briefly mentioned there is a cost savings in learning to bullnose yourself. Let’s say you hire a tile business put a bullnose on your tile with a conservative estimate of $10/linear foot. It may be more or slightly less. However much your estimate is, each foot you bullnose on your own pays for the saw.
Let’s make this real with some math. If we have a $800 saw, $50 6” x ½” demi bullnose profile wheel, $60 diamond pads, and $80 grinder all of that totals up to $990. $990 divided by $10 means if we bullnose 99 linear feet of tile then the entire setup paid for itself.
I manufactured a bullnose on roughly 60 linear feet of travertine in my first bathroom alone. $600 SAVED! One more bathroom like that and I’m in the green!
The Rest of the Specs to Call This a Thorough DeWALT D24000 Review
It can rip tile up to 24″ and 18″ diagonally. The maxiumum depth of a cut is 3-1/8”. You are good to use it on a 15 amp circuit.
I am a fan of the rubber cantilevering tray/rail system. The rubber grips smaller pieces of tile better than metal trays.
The side and rear water encatchement trays really contain the overspray. Water is reycled so well you do not have to refill the tray. Instead, you just need to remember to change the water from time to time in kindness to the water pump. Or if it evaporates because you live in an arid climate such as Arizona.
Other Factors of Utmost Importance When You Buy the Best Wet Tile Saw!
There are still a few items to consider that could be considered a pro, a con or both. Once your friends know you have this saw you will become their new best friend for any spiffy tile project they dream up. You may also find you start adding more projects to your to-do list.
For instance, I installed a stone skirt on my house with stacked stone. I’ll admit it was a completely unnecessary project. Yet, I fell in love with the idea, had the saw, and a great contact in the business (and apparently time). I now have a striking and overly extravagant exterior.
One last spoiler photo…the stacked stone skirt.
***Warning***
The cost of a saw is less than hiring a professional. However, consider your abilities and practice prior to a big job. Ripping out your work then paying a professional on top of buying the tools is much, much, much more expensive. And depressing. It will kill your attitude leaving bad mojo when you walk into the room long after the project is over.
Again, check out the difference in pricing between the DeWALT D24000S and the separately sold combo of the tile saw (DeWALT D24000) with the stand (DeWALT D24001).
Remember, get the right tool. Now let your imagination go and have fun tiling!
General FAQ
What is the best wet tile saw for an engineer?
The DeWALT D24000S is your best choice based on a best-in-class weight (69 pounds), durability, ability to create drop cuts, miter cuts, use a profile wheel and reasonable cost for the features listed above.
How much does the DeWALT D24000 weigh?
69 pounds. Similar contractor grade wet tile saws are in the 100+ lb range.
How much does the DeWALT D24000 cost?
$700-$800 depending on if you buy the D24001 stand (I highly recommend it to save your back).
*WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION! As you can see from the water pump sitting outside the water, I am setting up the saw. Even though I wear glasses I still wear goggles. Earplugs are a must too. Otherwise you won’t be able to hear late night tunes after you underestimate the length of a project. Not that I would ever admit to it. 😉
**On a related note, but well after I had bought the DeWALT D24000, my husband worked at Maggie’s Place as the director of facilities when they rebuilt the Magdalene house. Much of the tile installation work was provided by professional crews. The crews installed at least half a dozen bathrooms in the main house as well as the adjacent apartments. My husband used my wet tile saw from time to time. He received several admiring comments from the professional tile crews when they noticed hardcore yet lightweight saw/stand combo. One gentleman went so far as using the back of his truck as a stand so he did not have to move his saw.
***I would like to put a link to a 6″ profile wheel here to round out this DeWALT D24000 review, but due to many deciding factors (and this post) I will instead add a link to a future post describing how to determine which profile wheel best fits your needs.
****Rental rates advertised online as of 5/1/2017. According to the Home Depot website there are none available in my area, but there were two available when I walked into the store. YMMV!
