How good are manual tile cutters?

[PistonReg]

I've currently got a disc cutter which is great, but very noisy and messy and am considering a manual cutter such as:
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsessionid=NCCKI...

I've never used on though and not sure if they tend to give a clean break.

[motco]

In my experience they're okay for simple cuts on thin tiles. Otherwise, no good. My trusty old Plasplugs disc machine wins hands down.

[.:ian:.]

yup, if you need to cut a load of big tiles in half, those are much quicker, if you need to cut right angles or thin strips off you need a disc cutter. (one of each device is a good combo..)

[Chris77]

How much tiling are you doing? if its just a one off job that will be fine, if you are looking for a good long term cutter a Rubi is the way to go, not cheap but the best tile cutters available IMHO. Also every part is replaceable, had a TS40 since the early 90's still going strong

http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/rubi_manual_til...

Edited by Chris77 on Thursday 10th December 11:24

[Drew b]

Montolit are superb,if a little expensive.This montolit masterpiuma is what I use,and it's a good bit of kit. I rarely use electric saws as they sometimes splinter the edge of the tile.Using tile nippers takes longer but looks better.

[MrV]

Chris77 said:

How much tiling are you doing? if its just a one off job that will be fine, if you are looking for a good long term cutter a Rubi is the way to go, not cheap but the best tile cutters available IMHO. Also every part is replaceable, had a TS40 since the early 90's still going strong

http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/rubi_manual_til...

Edited by Chris77 on Thursday 10th December 11:24

+1 on the Rubi mines 20 odd years old and still going strong ,bit pricey for DIY but worth hiring one.

[PistonReg]

MrV said:

Chris77 said:

How much tiling are you doing? if its just a one off job that will be fine, if you are looking for a good long term cutter a Rubi is the way to go, not cheap but the best tile cutters available IMHO. Also every part is replaceable, had a TS40 since the early 90's still going strong

http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/rubi_manual_til...

Edited by Chris77 on Thursday 10th December 11:24

+1 on the Rubi mines 20 odd years old and still going strong ,bit pricey for DIY but worth hiring one.

Just found a Rubi Star 50 for £60 so will get it. Thanks a lot for the pointers - I findtiling surprisingly enjoyable, but my machine is very noisy and gets water everywhere so the cutter looks perfect!

[Chris77]

What kind of electric cutter do you have? There are some good cheap ones available that circulate the water within the unit and reduce mess. You may be over filling your machine???

Used a star 50 in spain earlier this year to do this:

Edited by Chris77 on Friday 11th December 09:51

[andye30m3]

I bought a cheap tile cutter from one of the local DIY stores as i was only doing a small area and had taken it back within an hour and paid the extra for a decent one similar to the one in the link.

Having said that I prefer the disc cutter I've more recently bought despite the noise.

[Road2Ruin]

Simple, use the manual tile cutter for the straight cuts (not too close to the edge) and the electric for everything else. The manual cutter produces much straighter edges and is quicker, cheaper, less mess. You will need a file to smooth off the cut edge though.

[Harpo]

Exakt Saw. Amazing piece of kit.

[convert]

I've had a screwfix manual cutter for the past 10 years.

So far it's been used to tile 3 kitchens, 5 bathrooms and a hall way.

Other than the hall way it's been used for floor and wall tiles. Had to replace the blade once so far.

As the others have said they're great for straight cuts, but you need either a disc cutter or a diamond disc and abgle grinder for more complex cuts.

I've got a grinder and diamond disc, and also the ceramic cutting bit for my dremel; which is fantastic, you can carve your initials in a wall tile with ease.