Given the price of this saw, I am seriously impressed. There is a LOT of power in that little frame. The frame itself has challenges, but these can be overcome. I'm in both a time and money crunch on our kitchen remodel. A little time watching videos online will reveal A saw is essential in cutting sink countertops. But THIS saw in particular is incredible value, IF you get to know it. All below is from cutting ColorQuartz.
Shallow Cut Depth: The stock 4" blade cannot cut through 30mm material. If you use something like a square or a fence to guide the cut, this will make the cut depth even shallower. A two-pass (w/ and w/o fence) leaves a 30mm slab at where you can easily break the kerf open. HOWEVER! Another reviewer said "just put a 4.5 inch blade on it." I only just received a 4.5" I had ordered for the angle grinder. Could it be so simple? YES. Just stick a 4.5" blade in there and see if that solves your problems! I will test again as soon as weather permits!
No (precise) Kerf Mark on Shoe: Where you can lock/unlock the bevel adjustment there IS a pathetically small sorta-reticle protrusion. And it very precisely indicates the FAR side of the kerf from the "workpiece" (the large piece on which the shoe is resting). So you either need to use a fence (see above) or scribe your cutline *1/16 inch" beyond* where you'd "leave the line" in order to NOT cut the kerf out of your workpiece accidentally. Constantly adjusting marks-from-measurements is a pain; using a fence makes the cut too shallow. Or just freehand it a safe distance from the line, and the grind out the rest. Where there's a will, this saw WILL cut happily. Almost too happily!
Water Supply/Screw Issues: I bought the saw because I was thinking of constantly stealing the water line off it and just setting it up to dribble where I was using wet bits on dry tools (again tight budget). As other reviewers have noted, it's a royal pain to actually screw the water supply into the saw. The screw hole in the body does not actually line up with the molded hole in the plastic with any kind of helpful tolerance. You have to fiddle until everything aligns just *perfectly,* or you WILL strip the hole, ruin the screw, or both.
So go slow and be careful! OR! Cut the plastic until it recesses with its screw hole well-aligned with body's hole. What a pain, right? Deal with it. It's a cheap saw. Regardless no one in their right mind would WANT to take that on and off a bunch...
So, happily, on my sixth test cut (not doing anything crazy ever!) the water shutoff valve body snapped in twain, midway along the whopping 3 inch cut... Two silver linings and one hopefully sweet idea:
1.) It's snapped just so perfectly that the On/Off still works! It's just not attached to anything. So I just used bricks to hold the line where I wanted it (Or I held it myself, rarely ideal). Now I could supply all the water I wanted to the wet-bits-on-dry-tools!
2.) I called the Ryobi phone number listed on the product page and just said "I bough this saw online. The saw works great but the valve snapped in half. I wasn't doing anything crazy, I swear. How do I go about getting a replacement valve?" And they were amazingly fast and helpful. I assumed I'd need to pay for the part. But no! No balking about an online purchase.
Hopefully Sweet Idea: I think this is just plain old 1/4 inch poly line! Haven't measured yet. But if it was (and I will test this very soon), than anyone could make the water supply detachable from the saw with push-fit couplings! Then you wouldn't need to fiddle with that terrible screw situation (apart from the first time) if you wanted the line off the saw for any reason.
It's Lightweight! TOO?!: This powerful saw is SO lightweight it's almost too lightweight. Without a fence it can easily become squirrelly in the cuts. It's so light it's TOO easy to accidentally lift up the back of the shoe. It requires both firmness and ease to guide the saw well. Just practice more than you expect to before going to actual work. On my first big cut I did get a significant kickback. Operator error. So lightweight-and-high-power have their advantages. This saw demands respect its price would seem to belie.
Can't wait to give these improvements a try! Obviously there are great saws available out-of-the-box if you can afford them. But if you want a real tool on a budget, and are willing to work with it's limitations, this is a GREAT option to consider!
| Brand | Ryobi |
|---|---|
| Color | Green |
| Blade Material | High Speed Steel |
| Surface Recommendation | Tile |
| Power Source | ac |
| Special Feature | Depth Adjustment |
| Included Components | Bare-Tool |
| Product Dimensions | 12.6"L x 7.17"W x 8.5"H |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Item Weight | 9.28 Pounds |
| Speed | 4500 RPM |
| Blade Length | 4 Inches |
| Number of Teeth | 24 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Cutting Angle | 90 Degrees |
| Current Rating | 12 Amps |
| Manufacturer | Ryobi |
| Part Number | Tc401 |
| Item Weight | 9.28 pounds |
| Item model number | Tc401 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | Depth Adjustment |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
