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When it come to selecting a roofing tile cutter for your next tiling undertaking , you ’ll find a lot of equipment on the marketplace . Although wettile sawsare an option , they are n’t a virtual option for smaller tiling jobs . Manual tile saw are a well fit for those minuscule projects . With that in mind , I set about looking for a manual tile watch that was easy to employ and capable of making reliable gash without damaging the tile .
After subjecting some of the top manual roofing tile carver to a bombardment of tests cutting thick porcelain outdoor roofing tile , bathroom tile , and smaller backsplash tiles , I landed on theSigma 2Gas the top model . This manual tile saw from an Italian maker impressed me with its ability to make both clean , straight cut of meat and mitre cut reliably . Couple that with a compact size that create it soft to tote to the jobsite , and it ’s the perfect manual roofing tile cutter for smaller tiling job .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Sigma 2G 37cm Pulling Incision Tile Cutter: At a Glance
Testing the Sigma Metric Tile Cutter
I put Sigma ’s roofing tile carver to the test in my home , using it to cut four dissimilar type of tile , include porcelain , ceramic , and glass tiles . The roofing tile I tested it on ranged from small chicken feed backsplash tiles up to gravid 24 - inch - long by 12 - column inch - wide can roofing tile .
After assembling my stage set of trial tiles , I used the Sigma 2 G to make several types of cut , include both straightforward and angled cut . For each cut , I considered how easy it was to rack up the roofing tile and how much pressure was required to make the cut . I made multiple cuts on tile of varying size and case , noting how sporty each cut was and whether there was any damage to the tile after the slice .
Along with cutting performance , I also considered how easy the Sigma was to apply , noting its stability while applying pressure to make cuts and how easy it was to set up mitered cuts .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Cutting Tile With the Sigma 2G
The Sigma tile tender , like all manual tile cutters , uses the same two - whole tone unconscious process of cut tile . It amount outfit with a scoring bicycle that runs along the surface of the tile to create a shallow groove in the Earth’s surface . You then pull a hold to apply pressure to the roofing tile over the alloy vertebral column on the base , snap the tile along the score line of merchandise .
The reason the Sigma ranks higher than any other manual tile stonecutter I tested is due mainly to its reliability . I made more than 20 unlike cut with the Sigma on roofing tile of various types . Whereas other roofing tile cutter I tested would shatter a roofing tile here and there ( particularly when assay mitre cut ) , the Sigma reliably made cut after turn off with piffling to no damage to each roofing tile . This is largely because of its intention , which includes leap - lade panels alongside the raised spinal column . The panels provide supporting while tally the roofing tile , then retract as you apply pressure to the roofing tile with the ledgeman .
The other area where the Sigma shine was with mitre cutting . Most manual tile cutters either have humble flimsy miter fences or no fencing at all . The Sigma come equip with a sturdy 20 - in - long aluminum fence with a mitre range of 0 to 45 degrees . The cast - Fe base include seven preset notch that make it easy to localize the fencing to commonly used miter angles .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
This excogitation made it easy to make angled cuts on even larger tiles . My only beef is that there are no imperial measurements on the Sigma ’s miter fencing , which mean you ’ll desire a tape measure measure with metrical measuring if you ’re taking measure on a storey or backsplash to make accurate cuts .
Sigma Features
Part of the appeal of a manual tile saw is that you may use it indoors . Since pixilated tile byword bring forth life-threatening silica debris and a sight of water spray , using soused roofing tile saws indoors is n’t advisable .
The Sigma tile saw is well designed for transporting it to where you need it . Since its total system of weights is under 5 pound , I had no trouble carrying it up flights of step or throwing it in the proboscis of my car . It ’s also compact enough that you wo n’t mind using it in cramped spaces , such as a minuscule bathroom . This make it peculiarly idealistic for indoor projects on a 2nd trading floor and other areas where traveling back and forth to make cut of meat on a lactating tile saw just is n’t virtual .
Though it ’s compact and lightweight , the base does n’t feel fluid . With its rubber understructure and tough mold - smoothing iron construction , it stayed put while I was apply pressure to the legal profession to make cuts .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
Sigma Performance and Durability
Manual tile cutters are project to cut through thick ceramic and porcelain roofing tile . They do so by using a scoring roulette wheel to hack a shallow rut in the roofing tile and a metal bar that applies pressure to the tile to break it into two pieces .
This means there ’s a fair amount of force applied to a tile stonecutter with each cutting . For this reason , a job that might require gobs or even hundreds of cuts can quickly take a cost on a manual tender .
With its cast - Fe base and a handgrip and miter caliber made from thicker - gauge cast aluminum , the Sigma has a very sturdy feel to it . I was n’t impressed with its enamel paint app , however , which quickly wore off the prickle of the iron bag that ’s used to snap the roofing tile , reveal simple alloy . While this was n’t a vast heap , it does mean it ’s crucial to store the tile tender in a juiceless place when not in use to prevent rust fungus from forming .
Photo: Tony Carrick for Bob Vila
That care aside , I have little doubt that the Sigma roofing tile carver would hold up through manytiling projects . While the scoring wheel will eventually jade out , replacing it with a new one is a simple process that involves removing a single fuck .
Why I Think the Sigma Tile Cutter Is Worth the Money
As manual roofing tile saws go , the Sigma roofing tile cutter certainly is n’t inexpensive . At around $ 255 , it costs twice as much or more than other manual roofing tile saws we try . While that may seem like a huge difference , it ’s important to note how well it performs liken to cheap manual roofing tile saws . Whereas other manual tile saws we quiz were very capable tile cutter for square cuts , they were more prone to shattering tiles , specially when execute mitre slice . Given that tile can be $ 15 a square foot or more , it ’s not hard to make a case for pass more on the Sigma 2 G tile cutter . Still , if you ’re only design to employ a roofing tile cutter for a single projection , it probably makes adept financial mother wit to go for a more affordable alternative .
Buy the Sigma roofing tile stonecutter onAmazon for $ 253.33 .
Product Comparisons
So, is the Sigma tile saw right for you?
The Sigma tile cutlery is the good manual tile saw I test . With its well - designed cut mechanism and mitre joint fencing , it ’s adequate to of making straight snub and mitre cuts without damaging roofing tile . It ’s well construct with a sturdy cast - iron groundwork and arduous - gauge Al parts , yet it is heavyset and unhorse enough to carry up flights of stairs and use in pocket-size infinite . This score it an ideal choice for small to intermediate - size of it indoor tiling projects . That said , if you ’re working on a orotund tiling project that involves cut a high intensity of roofing tile , you ’ll desire to go with an galvanizing loaded roofing tile byword .
Meet the Tester
Tony Carrick is a freelance author specify in home improvement , landscaping , technology , home security , and design . He has conduct strict product examination on everything from superpower creature to rest home certificate organization to backyard grillwork . With each review , his goal is to help reader make up one’s mind whether a product meets their needs and if it is or is n’t deserving its price tag .
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