Electric Tile Cutter: Plasplug or 'Generic' make?

[Jon Weaver]

I am going to buy an Electric Tile cutter to cut some ceramic floor tiles and am wondering if anyone has any advice.

I like the look of the Plasplug model, mainly because its small, but I did think that it looked a bit plasticy.

I have also seen some 'all metal' models which are bigger and are branded as the usual 'generic' make (i.e Blackspur, Furn, Performace Power etc).

As they are all around £30, it seems hard to choose between them.

Does anyone have any good or bad feedback about any of these types of cutters?

Jon

[Serial Bodger]

I bought the Plasplugs on the advice given in this group. Used it to cut tiles for my bathroom/kitchen. Found it very good.

[Ledswinger]

The plastic is less of a problem than cheap painting and plating on the low cost metal models that you'll be looking at. Even the thirty quid Plasplugs machine will cope with a kitchen floor, although I have seen a larger "£40 in B&Q" Plasplugs plastic and aluminium model that looks a more appropriate tool for heavy floor tiles.

Yes, avoid the cheapy generics. IME they are as effective at cutting tiles as the Plasplugs machines, but they are heavy, tedious to use and maintain, and the chromed cutting bed scratches to f*ck in no time, leading to rust on the steel exposed.

Led

[Dave Plowman]

It does, but is pretty robust.

Trouble is they tend to rust. You really need aluminium or stainless for the bedplate to better plastic - paint or chrome plate isn't up to it.

There's a larger Plasplugs model at about 50 quid which has an ally plate and a larger cutting wheel. Also a motor designed for more continuous use, although this won't matter to most for DIY. The bigger bed is useful, though, for large tiles. Of course this makes it bigger to store, so you pays your money...

[Jon Weaver]

I think Argos do the £40 model too.. In their catalogue, they show two Plasplugs models, the 'compact' for £30 and the 'Pro' for £40.

Even though I didn't think that the Plasplugs model *looks* upto the job, I have read so many good posts about it that it must be good (thinking about it, I havn't read a single bad post!)

I think that I will invest in one of those, although I am started to get tempted into borrowing my neighbours as he keeps offering to lend it to me.. I like to use opportunities like this to build up my tool collection. But I tile so infrequently, that I am starting to wonder if its worth breaking my rules and borrowing it, just this once!

Thanks for the feedback.

[michael cane]

Bought one (Plasplugs £30) to do kitchen. Reallyt good, but sprays water every where, so use outdoors. I found mine a real investment and time saver. Go for it.

[Dave Plowman]

Are you sure you're not overfilling it, and have the guard correctly set? It should only really spray you...

But FWIW, the larger 'tradesman' one seems better in this respect - perhaps to do with cutting wheel size or speeds.

Another satisfied customer. Tile cutters and SDS drills roolz.

[Brian]

Just thought I would mention that an angle grinder with a 4" diamond disc is pretty good. I bought a red devil from Argos. It cut fancy shaped floor tiles a treat.

[Steve Firth]

Plasplugs has a tiny diamond wheel and the tilting table arrangement for cutting mitres is rubbish. I have a Plasplugs cutter that I bought to do a tiling job in the bathroom (marble tiles for the shower enclosure which can't be cut by scoring them). The quality of the cut is IMO substandard if you have to have a cut edge showing.

I recently bought a B&Q PowerPro model, much, much better. The wheel is larger & cuts much more cleanly than the Plasplugs. The bed tilts accurately and the fence and angle cutting aids are vastly superior to the Plasplugs.

Dave has a bee in his bonent about rust. I wash and dry the PowerPro after use and I store it in the shed, no signs of rust so far.

[Steve Firth]

I'm comparing it to the Plasplugs cutter I bought a couple of years ago which has a 5in (approx) cutting wheel. The price was identical £29.95 for the Plasplugs and the PowerPro.

I've cut over 100 ceramic tiles on it of varying thicknesses and some clay tiles, and the rocks with fossils in that my grandson brought back from Lyme Regis.

The bed seems impervious to rust and there's none showing on the frame either.

[Dave Plowman]

Some mothers...

I just raise the guard slightly - enough to see the chinagraph line.

But I usually put the cutter on the workmate outdoors - better light.