RIDGID has long since been a power-tool of choice when it comes to drills, drivers, saws, and vacuums, but how does it stack up in the world of professional tile saws? Trust, ease-of-use and fair prices are just three items that RIDGID has built their reputation upon. It’s not surprising that these same characteristics ring true with the RIDGID R4040S Wet Tile Saw. This is a very portable, easy-to-use saw has a street price of $499, and this includes everything needed to start cutting tile…just plug-in and add water.
Testing and Use
Right off the bat, portability comes to mind when unboxing this saw. The rugged aluminum body conveniently clips into the water tray. The rigid (RIDGID made it rigid, hah!) plastic water tray on one end has two wheels, and on the other end a fold-out handle. Grab the handle and wheel the saw around to whatever area of the worksite you want to start. Unfold the scissor stand, lift and set the saw in place where the alignment tabs on the bottom of the water tray easily align themselves on the horizontal cross-bars of the included stand.
Built into the water tray are several ridges and dams to reduce the amount of tile debris to make it back to the water pump. Additionally, a reusable-cleanable mesh filter protects the pump further from any pollutants that may make it to the pump area. The splash guard that clips into the rear of the plastic base keeps the majority of the water returned to the pool which was sprayed by the saw during cutting. During a typical day’s use, I rarely ever had to add any water to the tray.
Cutting the Mustard Tile
9 x 12 Shower Tile
First things first. I start off simple, cutting some 9 x 12 shower tile. With ease, the power of the motor, quality of the blade, and fluidity of the rolling-table cuts through this shower tile like a hot knife through butter. The alignment of the table and blade were spot-on right out of the box. Whether cutting the width, length or diagonal, the 9 x 12 was not even a hurdle to the RIDGID R4040S.
Eighteens
Next, I test our tool with some 18 x 18 ceramic floor tile. Again, the cutting of the tile was not a problem, and the cut was still very true…no bog or run-out of the blade. Using the included aluminum miter guide, I quickly set to 45, so I could cut diagonal on the 18” tile. No matter what type of cut I was making on the tile, it was no problem for the saw.
Twenty-Fours
And the final test was cutting 24 x 24, 3/8” thick tile. Our absurdity with oversized items has long-since spilled into our flooring, so we test the limits of the 8” RIDGID. This is where the saw was stretched a bit in its capabilities; albeit, it accomplished the tasks. Cutting such a large tile was not an issue with the performance of the 12-Amp motor or the 8” blade, just more so an issue for the table and frame-clearance. When cutting just a couple inches off a full tile, the cut had to be made by hanging the large majority of the tile off the right side of the table…trying to cut with the large area on the left, the tile would hit the frame of the saw when the table rolled forward. Any diagonal cuts with this size tile will pretty much be a pain, but it’s an 8” saw, right?!
The Angle of the Dangle
Making beveled (22.5, 45, etc. degrees) cuts was quick and easy with this saw. Loosen the large wing nut on the rear side of the saw, set your desired angle and cut your tile. Within seconds you can set/reset your angles, then within seconds return to making your standard straight-up cuts.
Tear-Down
So you’ve spent a whole day on your knees, getting up and down, playing in the mud, walking back and forth to the saw and looking for that stupid pencil. The last thing you feel like doing is cleaning up your workspace…RIDGID is your best friend when it comes to the teardown of the R4040.
Remove the threaded cap on the rear of the water pan, and drain the water into a 5-gallon bucket or onto the lawn. While the water is draining, release the two large clips on the front where the pan and frame meet, then lift the frame and saw from the pan and set aside. Spray out the pan, spray off the mesh filter, then replace the frame and saw and fasten the clips. Now wheel your saw to your truck, load it up and you’re ready for another day of work.
Pros
- Powerful
- Expandable
- Portable
- Functional
Cons
- Sliding table extension not included
RIDGID R4040S Features
- 12 Amp Motor
- Oversized Cut Capacity: 24-inch rip, 18-inch diagonal, 2-3/4 inch deep, can cut up to 5 inch wide extra-long backsplash or threshold material
- Removable Rear Water Tray – captures overspray and water from larger tiles to keep work area clean
- Aluminum Miter Guide – precision straight and miter cuts from 0° to 45° left and right
- Heavy Duty Cast Aluminum Arm – prevents flexing while keeping the cutting wheel aligned
- Folding Stand – tool-less height adjustment and scratch resistant feet to help protect flooring
RIDGID R4040S Specifications
- Input: 120 V AC, 12 Amps
- No Load Speed: 5,000 RPM
- Cutting Wheel Diameter: 8 in.
- Rip Capacity: 24 in.
- Diagonal Capacity: 18 in.
- Backsplash Capacity: 5 in.
- Max Depth Of Cut: 2-3/4 in.
- Weight: 49 lbs
- MSRP: $499
Conclusion
In my brief 20+ years of doing tile work, I’ve worked with many varieties of tile saws, from a 4-inch table top to a MK101 Pro and everything in-between, fore, and aft. Is the RIDGID R4040S the most powerful saw I’ve ever used? No. But, is it the most versatile, portable and well-rounded tile saw I’ve ever used? Absolutely, yes! Pair this with the Ridgid R7135 mud mixer, and you’ve got almost everything you need for a successful tile experience.
For the large majority of tile jobs (exception may be for the jobs when you’re laying large amounts of 24”), this is definitely the go-to saw for the job. You can purchase this package for less than $500 and have everything you need to start cutting tile. This has to be the best bang for the buck on a professional saw.
