# Snap Tile Cutters



## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

So I've got my big bridge tile cutter that I drag along for all of my jobs, but recently I got turned on to snap cutters by one of the guys at work. I was always used to the cheap little ones that are flimsy and weak, but the Brutus (QEP) snap cutters at Home Depot actually perform pretty well and aren't crazy expensive. Seeing as how 90% of the cuts we make are full crosscuts, the portability of the snap cutter really shines. This is especially true for second story jobs where you really don't want to be running inside and outside for every few cuts.

For me, it paid for itself on my current tile job. Easily saved me 2-3 hours of running up and down stairs, and let me work longer because I wasn't having to hoof it all day.

Anyone else out there a big fan of snap cutters?


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Spend the money and buy a rubi, you'll be glad you did.

http://www.ohiohomedoctorremodeling.com


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

I hated using them and would spend the time walking to the wet saw. On my current job, Gary convinced me that I _need_ to use it if I ever want to speed up production.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f73/siri-tile-cutter-review-68046/


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Spend the money and buy a Sigma, you'll be glad you did.
> 
> http://www.ohiohomedoctorremodeling.com


Fixed that for ya :whistling



:laughing:


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## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

angus242 said:


> I hated using them and would spend the time walking to the wet saw. On my current job, Gary convinced me that I _need_ to use it if I ever want to speed up production.
> 
> http://www.contractortalk.com/f73/siri-tile-cutter-review-68046/


Totally sped me up, and I haven't had to sacrifice any quality. The Brutus 20" cutter is only about $90, and works for most of my jobs. The way I see it, it's kind of an entry level cutter to see if I really like it. If I get ahead (buying a house in a month, so it might be a bit before I can buy some shiny new tools) I will definitely look into some higher end snappers.

By the way, to anyone unfamiliar with the better cutters, the difference between some cheap $25 snapper, and a Brutus is night and day. I have heard that the Sigmas and other comparable ones are supposed to be even that much better than the Brutus level.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

I don't like them and rarely use them. I think a lot of it comes down to how much and of what one does.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Be sure to get the granite wheels. They are 5 point star shaped. Or maybe 6. I forget.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

It seems the majority of cuts are covered anyway, some by base, some by cabinets, so a perfect cut is not an issue most of the time. I use a snap cutter with a wet-saw and an angle grinder set up in the garage for the cuts that need them.


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## jlyons (Apr 17, 2011)

i am surprised how many of you don't use snap cutters for all straight through cuts. not to mention a sigma. used a couple of cheap ones and sigma for sure is the way to go. they really aren't that expensive for how many cuts it will do over its life. and so fast and works every time.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

I have, use, love and would Kill ya if you tried to take my Sigma 2D3 http://www.tools4tile.com/servlet/the-5/sigma-2D3-dsh-Technica,-italian-tile/Detail it is worth 2X the $$ more if you set on the Diagonal much


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## onthelevel (Apr 6, 2011)

*No Depot.*

Good advice fellas. I don't trust anything from the box stores to last long at all. Not made for professionals. That stuff is made for homeowners who use it once and put it in a closet for 15 years. If you do it all the time spend money.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

jlyons said:


> i am surprised how many of you don't use snap cutters for all straight through cuts. not to mention a sigma. used a couple of cheap ones and sigma for sure is the way to go. they really aren't that expensive for how many cuts it will do over its life. and so fast and works every time.


That always blows my mind to. I can't count the number of floors I've done with just my Sigma and 4" Makita. Hell I can grid a small floor, make all of the cuts, and set it with RS in less time than it takes to load/unload/re-load the wetsaw, set it up, and break it down :laughing: Not to mention it's a helluva lot easier on my back. I guess its all in what you're used to.


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## Remodelor (Nov 5, 2010)

onthelevel said:


> Good advice fellas. I don't trust anything from the box stores to last long at all. Not made for professionals. That stuff is made for homeowners who use it once and put it in a closet for 15 years. If you do it all the time spend money.


I wouldn't write everything off in the box stores. I've found many of the products they sell to be of professional quality. It's just a matter of weeding out the stuff for homeowner "occasional use" and the heavy tools we need to use every day.

I'll swear by most Kobalt and Husky hand tools as being professional quality, and many of the power tools made by Ridgid are very tough and high quality. Plus, you can find brands like Makita and Bosch in any Lowe's and Home Depot, and if those aren't professional grade, then I don't know what is.

The Brutus may not be a Sigma, but as someone who installs a lot of tile every year, I have to say that it certainly meets my needs.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Remodelor said:


> The Brutus may not be a Sigma, but as someone who installs a lot of tile every year, I have to say that it certainly meets my needs.


Then it's a good fit for ya.

Maybe it was menards he was talking about not being worth a sh*t?
They don't "give preferential treatment to the military" as they call doing what HD/Lowes does. What those gomers do do though is put out a very light sprinkle of real, adult power tools out, then fill in the majority of their shelf space with their junk workforce and tool shop garbage.

I needed a socket to sink some lags in and they had a bunch of them, each one, $0.98!


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## Plumber Will (Jul 23, 2011)

Sigma and "The Big Clinker" you can get at Home Depot (made by Ishii, under the Brutus name) are the best you can buy.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Plumber Will said:


> Sigma and "The Big Clinker" you can get at Home Depot (made by Ishii, under the Brutus name) are the best you can buy.


We were at a HD this afternoon to pick up a few plants, so I walked over to the tile dept and checked out the biggest brutus snap cutter.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

If it's this one and I were Ishii, I'd not put my name on it either.


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## tileman2000 (Feb 14, 2011)

I've had the Brutus cutter for about 8 years now. Used it on residential and commercial jobs. Cuts just about every tile I've had to deal with. With the exceptions of glass,marble and stone, then a wetsaw is a must.

My next cutter will be a Sigma though.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

CO762 said:


> If it's this one and I were Ishii, I'd not put my name on it either.


:laughing:


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

tileman2000 said:


> My next cutter will be a Sigma though.


Do you have experience with both the push and the pull ones?
I've only used the pull ones (superior) and found you can get pretty good repeatability by how you grip it. And the longer one uses it, the more slop there is in it. (be interesting to know if the sigmas have this). Air tool lube works well to keep it smooth and I always have a small bottle of that around somewhere. 

I saw someone else doing a ceramic floor and he had the push one. It looked like physics wise, that's a lot easier. It certainly slid well, but it looked new.

That HD brutus I messed around with had a tremendous amount of slop in the bearings and with the leverage the push handle would give you, I'd not see it lasting long. An ishii like this one should resolve that as not only is the handle more stout, but it looks like the bearings and attachments are also.










I rarely did ceramic and a lot of the porcelain I did was part of larger jobs that used mostly stone, so I had to have a wet saw there anyway. (and not to mention that snappers can walk away easier than a wet saw, but not as easy as angle grinders). 

I'd like to test some of these snappers and see how well they do on the thicker, harder porcelain. 

Who knows, I may get back into doing the smaller HO jobs on the side and if that's the case, may throw out the one I have and get on of those solid handled Ishiis.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

CO762 said:


> Do you have experience with both the push and the pull ones?


I have used both the push and the clickclock I personally like the push
im messing with some tile tom maybe i will bring my flip and make a vid


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