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Over on Instagram, our primary source for Makita news since they blacklisted us (seemingly for asking too many hard questions), Makita has announced a new 18V “diamond cutter” – a 5″ mini circular saw designed for cutting tile and masonry materials.
The Makita 18V tile cutter, DCC501ZX1 (bare tool, international SKU), has a 5″ diamond grit blade that can cut materials up to 40mm (~1.57″) deep.
It looks like the new Makita masonry/tile will include a water reservoir accessory, as well as a supply hose.
In addition to being able to wet-cut materials, users can switch to a different dry-cutting guard for use with a dust extraction system.
Key Features & Specs
- 5″ blade size
- 8,800 RPM (no-load)
- 0-45° bevel capacity
- Water supply attachments
- Electric blade brake
- LED worklight
- Optional guide rail attachment (198673-2)
- Weighs 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs)
- Replacement diamond blade: A-95152
At this time, there’s no word as to if or when this will be available in the USA, or if it will also launch as part of Makita’s 40V Max XGT cordless power tool platform.
See Also: Makita 12V CXT Tile Cutter
Makita also has a similar 12V Max CXT tool.
Buy Now: 12V Max Kit via Amazon
Discussion
User reviews for the 12V Max tile cutting saw on Amazon seem to be mixed, but it seems to be a moot point given the drastically different designs.
One thing I find curious is that the 12V Max saw is a blade-right design, and the 18V diamond saw has a blade-left design. The 12V Max version always looked like it was retrofit, with how the water reservoir is attached and suspended above the tool, whereas with the 18V saw the guard is specially designed around the water supply accessories.
It’s also interesting to compare Makita’s two saws with respect to speed. A couple of user reviews mention that the 12V Max saw isn’t very fast or powerful. That saw is rated at 1,600 RPM and has a 3-3/8″ blade.
This new 18V version has a 5″ wheel and operates at 8,800 RPM.
It’s not just that the 18V tool is faster with respect to RPMs, but a larger blade will usually have a faster linear cutting and material removal rate than a smaller blade spinning at the same RPM.
Based on the specs, I would assume that the 18V tool cuts significantly faster than the 12V Max versions.
Whereas Makita describes their 12V Max saw as a tile and glass saw, the Makita DCC501 18V saw is described as being a diamond cutter for use on tile, masonry, and concrete.
There are many handheld cordless multi-cutters that can be used to cut tile and other such materials, but I haven’t seen many others that have a built-in water supply system.
Ryobi used to have an 18V wet-cutting saw (P580), but it doesn’t look like you can still buy that today.
Makita’s first 12V Max cordless tile and glass saw came out 6 years ago. Why haven’t other toolmakers come out with similar tools since then?
Do users have a stronger preference for larger wet-cutting tile saws?
If you’re looking for a different cordless wet tile-cutting solution, there’s always Craftsman and Porter Cable have portable benchtop-style tile saws.
Here are some other recent Makita tool releases:
New Makita 18V Cooler and Warmer, Plus More Tools are on the Way
Makita 18V X2 Cordless Pressure Washer with Portable Water Reservoir
At the Bigger and More Powerful End of the Spectrum
Milwaukee Tool has their high-powered MX Fuel 14″ cut-off saw, and there’s an onboard water connection for use in wet and dry cutting applications. But, this is not the type of tool for use on tile materials.
Several brands also have 9” saws.
It has been more than 3 years since OSHA silica rules went into effect. There are a lot of dust extraction solutions today, but it’d be good to see more wet-cutting solutions as well.
There’s also the iQ Power Tools Cyclone tile saw with built-in dust control.
Why haven’t there been many other solutions in the space between Makita’s 12V Max saw and 9-14” saws? I’ve seen angle grinders used on masonry materials, and it’s often a dusty and dirty mess.
Is Makita’s new saw the first 18V cordless wet-cutting tile and masonry tool, or is there a whole category of these tools that I seem to have missed? And if it is, why is that?
