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RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw

RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw, Model R4030IMG_0028

The folks at RIDGID recently sent me their RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw to test and evaluate.   To me RIDGID has always been the best kept secret in the world of power tools – a hidden gem so to speak.

First Impression:

At first glance the RIDGID 7 Inch tile saw size is highly appealing and was super easy to carry.   A plus on small jobs or jobs where portability is a must.

A die cast aluminum table and plastic water well help keep the weight down the  heavy duty arm all point to a durable design and quality.

At 120 V AC, 10 Amps this saw has a no load speed of 5,800 r/min. (RPM),  A diamond blade cutting wheel diameter of 7 inches and a 24 inch rip capacity, 18 inch diagonal capacity with a 2-1/4 inch max depth of cut.

The saw measures 22″ wide x 32″ long x 13″ high.  At 44 pounds the weight is amazing.   If I was a tile guy I would lug this up 4 flights of stairs with ease.   The saw is also well balanced  it’s almost a shame that it doesn’t come with some sort of shoulder harness to make carrying that much easier.

Using The RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw

The RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw is designed to cut through natural and man made tile and pavers.

All of the adjustments, jig and sliding table move with ease.  The power switch is solid and switches on and off with no problems but I really hate the removable safety tab in the switch.  to me this is a small part waiting to be lost and cause job slow downs and frustrations.    I hope RIDGID rethinks the switch.

The die-cast aluminum table slides beautifully and slides on dual precision extruded aluminum rails, guided by sealed ball bearing rollers.    The table has a lock on it which is nice when you need to move the tool or during certain cutting applications.

The aluminum rip guide allowed for precise straight and miter cuts from 0 to 45 degrees left and right.

The water pump has an adjustment on it to determine the amount of water that is sprayed onto the blade, another nice feature if you don’t need to soak the tiles you’re cutting, or yourself.

RIDGID uses a Tank-less Tray Technology which allows water to flow down the tray, trapping debris and passing through the Sediment Separation System, filtering the debris out of the water.  This feature worked as advertised and will prolong the pumps life span.

A deep water well made for easy filling and a plug allows for easy and fast emptying of the well.

I was very impressed that the RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw cut square with minimal to no shaking that can typically happen with older or larger tile saws.   The saw had plenty of power and easily cut ceramic tile on a small shower job were were working on.

The saw has an adjustable laser alignment system  that was bright, easy to adjust and accurate but not top on my list of features.

The degree guide for bevel cuts, however you still require a square to make sure your 45 degree cuts are true 45 degree.   I like to see a positive stop in order to lock the saw at the 45 degree position.

A pet peeve for almost all tile saws is a lack of cord storage.  There is no real cord storage for the unit. Having approx 4 ft of cord from the pump to the motor, and approx 5-6 ft cord from the motor to the power source, when you are done with a project I personally am not a fan of coiling up the cords around the machine, it puts stress on the cord in places you do not want it.

On the same token, where the pump cord plugs into the motor, there is protective sleeve to cover the cord connection from water spray from the machine – nice touch.

Overall Impression

The RIDGID 7 Inch tile Saw is a lightweight, affordable, solid tile saw with durably quality features.  In my opinion this saw is serious DIY-er or light duty PRO saw.    As a contractor I would use this innovative saw as my go-to saw on small jobs where using a hand cutter is not feasible and carrying and setting up a larger saw is a hassle or space is limited.

At $299.00 this saw is a great value and a perfect light duty saw for PRO applications.

 

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