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Based on the good advice I got here, we decided to tile above the kitchen countertop to beneath the cabinets. I don't want to rent a wet saw simply because, for me, these projects take time, and the rental will add up soon to a price of a new saw.
So, how are the inexpensive saws sold at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, etc? The area to be done is not big at all, and we bought the prebacked subway tiles (2"x4").
you get what you pay for with those saws. if you can hide the cut lines, they're fine. but if you have a critical cut or have to make angles cuts. the better saws show their worth quickly. cheap saws can wobble a bit, and cause a lot of chips in a finished surface. That being said, there are several hand tools that will do extraordinary detail work. but - they take time. There are a ton of videos out on the web that show how to make relief cuts and break out curves and holes with nothing more than a carbide rasp, hand tile saw, and a nipper.
2,000 years ago the romans laid tile with nothing but tools we'd consider hopelessly crude by todays standards - and they're still the benchmark for perfection and longevity. Take your time.
I've set more tile than I care to think about. my personal preference is a few hand tools for certain situations. but when it comes to a saw. the wet saws with the blade above and a moving work tray have produced the most consistent cuts. And never underestimate the usefulness of a dremel with diamond bits for detail work or when the piece gets small. Get yourself a china marker or grease pencil to make your lines. nothing else works nearly as well for making lines on tile.
as an aside - check the local FB sale or craigslist groups. lots of people do exactly what you are trying to do. Many buy a tile saw for one project, then dump it. You might be able to save a few bucks and still get something usable.
I tiled my whole house including baseboards with a HF tile tablesaw, I think I paid $35.
One thing to keep in mind with those type of saws is that the water comes right at you from the top of the blade, I fashioned a garbage bag like a pull over, the water hit right at my belly.
For the price they do an OK job you just can't rush the cut otherwise they'll chip the tile, the blades have a 1" arbor, I almost took the removable blade holder to a machine shop to turn it down to 5/8 so I could use better quality blades.
I bought a table top tile saw from Home Depot, paid a little under $100 for it. That was 15 years ago. Used it for multiple tile jobs in my house, marble in the bathroom, slate in the laundry room. Been borrowed to others many times, currently at my mother in laws for porcelain tile job. Has always worked well for us.
My dad got the table top wet saw from HD, so far it has paid for itself in saved rental fees. We've done 3 kitchens/bathrooms so far and I've got 2 more slated for tile work. It was worth the price for us.
I will most likely go with the inexpensive saw, get a good blade, and definitely practice with it. Luckily the area to be done isn't that big and the only cuts would be for the outlets. The tiles are small (2"x4") so a screw up isn't a big deal. Plus, my wife bought extra tiles - many extra. I thought that maybe she did the math wrong but most likely she expects mistakes.
I'm glad the economy is great and the pros are getting a lot of work, but it makes it hard to get someone to do small jobs.
I bought the 10 inch saw from Harbor Freight years ago and have used it to lay 1000's of feet of tile. It will occasionally chip one but if you go slowly, a chip is rare.
some tile suppliers will have good saws for loan or rent if you buy the tile from them. You may have to pay a bit more for the tile but you can do the math and find out which way works best.
Make sure you get the correct blade for the type of tile you're using. Porcelain tile will eat up a regular tile blade.
For your backsplash tile , a table top will do fine. Check the pawn shops. Agree on the blade advice, shame they warned you about the water, was always funny with the new hires...
Would a 4 1/2" saw do the job or is it worth it to get the 7"? The tiles are 2"x4".
4 1/2" will do it all
I bought a Ryobi Wet Tile Saw from Home Depot a couple of years ago: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-7-...S722/205049842
I have completed three rooms with Marble Tile, a 6ft x 6 ft x 42" Wood Stove nook in slate, and a 3ft x 8ft marble hearth in front of the Wood Stove all with that wet tile saw. It did a good job; except some cuts could be difficult when using 12" x 12" or larger tile due to the size of the top and fence.
I just cut this porcelain floor tile with a 4 1/2" table top saw bought at a garage sale for $25.
https://i.imgur.com/3ab1av5.jpg
I did a tile shower stall with a cheap, ($40 about) 4inch wet tile saw from home depot. Its mostly plastic, and you have to take your time, but it did well. It cut tile so hard that no masonry bit / carbide grit would touch it. Very happy with it.
I used a HF tile saw to do our kitchen, two bath rooms and my son's bath room and it did a excellent job. Just take it slow when cutting the tile and it will cut without chipping the tile. Get in a rush and you will chip some types of tile.
Remember, your wearing away the kerf with a tile saw as opposed to cutting with teath.
I bought an inexpensive saw (7"??) at HD about 20 years ago for a bathroom floor, thinking if it lasted through the bathroom I'd be money ahead over renting a saw. I have used it on several other projects, and loaned it to several people and it's still going strong. The last thing I used it for was a glass tile back splash in the kitchen. You have to go real slow with glass, but it did just fine. I have never used a good quality tile saw, but for my purposes it has done everything I've needed it for.
What ever you end up doing, use ear and eye protection.
My tile saw will easily handle 13" square tile, but I made a fixture that allowed me to cut 24" tile, the long way. I needed 5 pcs 1-3/4"× 24" to finish off our master bathroom floor.