Bosch has been in the Diamond wet saw blade business for sometime but this is the first time we are seeing a true stationary wet saw, in the US anyway. A wet saw is a challenging tool for several reasons: first, because by its very nature, you are using water with electricity; second, because these things get knocked around a lot moving from jobsite to jobsite; and finally, no matter how badly they get abused, people still expect them to stay perfectly aligned for very accurate cutting. We tested the Bosch TC10-07 ($999, Ohio Power Tool) unit with stand on several materials to get a feel for it before lending it for some long term abuse.
Making the Cut
Several features of this saw make it very nice for cutting. The huge capacity can rip 24” tile or 18” tiles at a diagonal. The sliding table design uses stainless steel rollers and glides effortlessly into the blade. The table itself has a nice rubberized base which grips the tile very nicely and even allows you to cut pre-arranged mosaic tiles very easily (seen in our video). The table also has 3 slots which allow the saw to bevel at 3 different angles (90, 45, 22.5) but not in between.
The saw also features a plunge cut option for cutting directly into the surface of the tile for floor vents and other openings. It is also large enough and powerful enough to handle large material such as brick and pavers very effectively. We made several cuts on a paver with some chunky aggregate with no problem for the saw or Bosch blade provided, which is a pretty nice diamond saw blade Bosch DB1066 ($69).
Solid Unit Construction
We were very impressed with the solid construction and sturdiness of the aluminum arm supporting the motor and blade housing. This structural piece is critical for protecting the main components and maintaining integrity of the cut even after being knocked around in the back of a truck. The plunge components are even protected within the housing leaving only the bevel feature exposed to abuse. The base ends/corners are again very solid with well designed places to grip the saw on front and rear.
The saw is heavy (75 lbs ish) but well balanced and we found it fairly easy to transport (as far as large tile saws go), but it would be way easier with the upgraded folding stand with wheels GTA10W ($200). The one thing we were disappointed to see was actually on the underside of the saw which left the water tray was pretty exposed. The saw uses a plastic water tray which is pretty common even in other professional saws but there are also stainless or coated aluminum trays. Unfortunately this means if the saw is accidentally set down on something, the underside is completely exposed and the plastic could crack. As plastic trays go, it is fairly thick and we were happy to see it is super easy to remove for clean out or replace if needed.
Keeping it Clean
The first thing that will catch your eye when you first see this saw is the 3 large splash guards. If you are used to making a huge mess when using older style pro diamond saws you might think there is just no way to cut tile and keep the work area clean. By combining the splash guards and rear blade housing flaps you would be very surprised how clean the entire process becomes, at least in terms of splatter for the surrounding work area. These guards, specifically the rear guard, also do another very important job of returning the water back into the tray and keeping the pump able to flow the correct amount of water for a longer amount of time. It’s amazing how often these saws are run not only well below the “fill to here” line, but pretty much empty with nothing but a little sludge on the bottom. The splash guards also attach and come off very easily for transportation and storage.
Overall
We were very happy with the performance of the Bosch tile saw TC10. This unit is definitely built solid for professional use and priced very reasonably with that in mind. This particular unit is now out on loan and we will certainly get the full report if there are any problems, but so far so good. If you have any other questions on tile & masonry saws give the pros at Ohio Power Tool a call at 800-242-4424.
