Every once in a while, common sense slips in.
When working on a tile job, you don’t always need the high priced, high powered tool. Put away your inner Tim “The Toolman” Taylor and consider a manual tile cutter for your straight cuts. A tile cutter that scores and snaps can save you a lot of time and a bit of a mess compared to using a tile saw.
If you are in a tight space, and aren’t able to setup your wet saw nearby, you will find the back and forths will be a bit tiring and will add a lot of time to your project. A simple tile cutter will speed your project and keep the mess to a minimum. There are certainly cuts that can’t be made with a cutter and you will need to head down to your tile saw, but for the majority of your cuts consider the old school method of score and snap.
A decent tile cutter can be had for less than $40. When I say decent, you might wonder what I am comparing it to. Decent compared to a pair of nips, or decent compared to a high end wet saw? What I would say is that it is decent for a one or two time use. The materials used in the lower end tile cutters are not going to hold up to heavy use. However, if you pick up a tile cutter for $20 and use it for 2 jobs (before tossing it out for the junk collector) think of the money you will save over a rental charge.
You can purchase a decent unit at a tile shop, or at Amazon.com, or you can head down to Lowe’s or Home Depot and pick up a serviceable unit for about $20-$30.
Good luck.
