Since its foundation in 1924, in power tool industry SKIL has become one of the most recognized and powerful brands. In tile saw market SKIL is renowned for its research and innovations. As per official website.
SKIL 3550-02 SPECIFICATIONS & KEY FEATURES
If speed and ease of tile cutting is what you are looking for then SKIL 3550-02 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw is the best tile saw for you. With sharp diamond blade, innovative table design and new Hydrolock System, SKIL 3550-02 gives user freedom from complexity of tile cutting with minimum clean up time.
- It is equipped with a powerful 5 amp motor with 3600 RPM engine.
- At 22 pounds it is very lightweight and easy to assemble and use.
- It has diamond coated 1/8 inch thick cutting blades.
- Hydrolock System. In SKIL 3550-02 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw comes with new innovative HydroLock System specially designed to prevent water leakage as its innovative upper and lower guard design keeps water contained near the blade and this design will soon be patented. This reduces clean up significantly and also allows to cut tiles in room itself and install there instead of taking all tools to garage or yard.
- Sliding Extension. SKIL 3550-02 comes with a sliding side extension which can make tile saw support up to 18×18 inches and it can be placed on either side of the saw.
- Cutting Ability. When it comes to cutting, diamond coated 1/8 inch thick blades are easy to install and gives capability and durability to cut through different types of tile materials up to 0.75 inches depth. Extension facility is there for blade to reach up to 1.75 inches above its tables to make way for cutting thicker materials with ease.
- Miter Cut Angles. For any tile saw, used by either handyman or professional, accuracy of straight and miter cuts is the key and adjustable rip fence is provided by SKIL with miter gauge to provide that facility. And when it comes to flexibility SKIL 3550-02 allows to bevel cut tiles at 0, 22.5 and 45 degree angles to make accurate angled cuts as well.
- Rust-Resistant. The table top is made up of Aluminium which makes surface durable as well as rust-resistant.
- Portability. For ease of storage and transportation, SKIL has provided a built in Cord Wrap too.
For people new to tile saws it is the perfect tool to get started and get done with day to day small jobs. Another problem seen with tile saws is that due to their nature of usage and task they might be worn out or broken and hence 3 year limited warranty on registering within 30 days of purchase is an added bonus.
- Its unique and innovative HydroLock System does wonderfully what it promised to do that it contain water and maintain cleanliness. Sometimes even zero overspray.
- Its cheaper than other DeWalt and Bosch tile saws in same segment.
- Setting up and carrying it is super easy as it is light and has a Cord Wrap. Moreover, it doesn’t require a lot of water.
- Diamond blade is visible when system is in place and saw is running.
- Fence is highly unsatisfactory and troublesome. From issues ranging from fence set-up to adjustments to aligning.
- Blade guard which is made of plastic often gets clouded or muddled.
- At professional level, cutting big or rough tiles can be difficult.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS & RATINGS
SKIL 3550-02 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw has received 4.1/5 star ratings on amazon based on 186 buyers opinions. On Amazon it has 149 positive reviews and 37 critical reviews with 80% reviewers giving it more than 4 stars and only 8% giving it 1 star. While on official website of SKIL 3550-02 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw, 7 consumers rated it at an average of 4.6/5.
Critical Analysis
Complaints and criticism is there from the professionals regarding the quality and especially regarding its fence which is pain to align and adjust to obtain the perfect cut. Majority of the reviewers have unanimously termed fance as a “garbage”.
Customer Reactions
From detailed analysis of the consumer reviews we can say that for household purposes and small routine tasks, SKIL 3550-02 is top notch with all household buyers being more than satisfied with the product. In terms of promise of not spilling water and saving time without being heavy on the wallet, SKIL has won trust of many customers since years who weren't able to find a quality tile saw or use it sparingly for small jobs or do-it yourself project. As per reviewer Albatross on amazon the tile saw is “Easy, light & clean, but cheap & flimsy” and he further wrote:
“All in all, I might recommend this as a secondary tile saw, but if you’re anything of a professional and you’re shopping for your first wet saw or a workhorse wet saw, skip this and go bigger/better/more expensive. I’ll keep it on hand as a back-up or if I need to rip some 36″ tile or something, but it’s too cheap/plastic for professional use.“
Albatross
Amazon Review
FINAL WORDS
SKIL 3550-02 7 inch Wet Tile Saw is marketing itself as a power tool to ease the household tile cutting tasks and it perfectly meets that criteria. The cleanliness and freedom from messy water it provides surprised majority tile saw professionals and the time saved with its use is also substantial compared to other tile saws in the market.
Though fence adjustment and locking mechanism is an issue which makes it plastic for professional users but for household work or secondary usages, this cheap tile saw is as good as anything can be. Hence if these are the features you are looking for then SKIL 3550-02 is your tool with 3 year warranty on registration being a bonus.
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