# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  sigma tile cutter

## davo81

can someone plaese tell me why my new sigma tile cutter keeps shattering 10mm tiles and my chepo bunnings cutter works fine? spent $350 on it & not happy!! :Mad:

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## Batpig

Dear Davo, 
Without knowing which model Sigma you've bought, off the top of my head I'd say it would most likely have something to do with getting the particular unique-to-Sigma scoring-action correct. It's a different action to all of the other brands - including the cheapies that Bunnings sells - and as a result it's perhaps a little easier to not fully score all the way across a tile with a Sigma than it is with other brands, especially when you're still fairly new to the things. The payoff in the long run with a Sigma, however, is that they will (well, should...) give you consistently straight cuts time after time, because there's no "play" to speak of in the travel of the cutting-head assembly on the shaft, nor is there any "wobble" in the scoring-wheel on its little axle. These unwelcome commodities are standard on cheaper brands... :Frown: . So in other words, the Sigma's worth sticking with until you get its action "Down Pat". Isn't that what you grabbed all those free sample tiles for?... :Wink:  
Good Luck with it,
Batpig.

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## Nonimus

if the cheapo one works then keep that and give back the sigma, don't always get sucked into the idea of brand name. if another brand does your job well then keep it and don't fork out extra for just a name. Chances are many cheaper products you could buy 2 - 3 of them for the price of some brand name product and if the cheap product does the job as you want then buy it and throw it, throw it out when its had it and buy another.

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## stevoh741

> if the cheapo one works then keep that and give back the sigma, don't always get sucked into the idea of brand name. if another brand does your job well then keep it and don't fork out extra for just a name. Chances are many cheaper products you could buy 2 - 3 of them for the price of some brand name product and if the cheap product does the job as you want then buy it and throw it, throw it out when its had it and buy another.

  You ever tried one mate. I'm a chippy and do a lot of renno work including my own tiling and I bought a sigma on recommendation from a tiler. Mate the cheap chit ones are just that CHEAP CHIT! Try something before you bag it. 
To the original poster: don't give up on the sigma if anything is the problem its probly the cheap chinese tiles from the green shed.

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## Nonimus

> You ever tried one mate. I'm a chippy and do a lot of renno work including my own tiling and I bought a sigma on recommendation from a tiler. Mate the cheap chit ones are just that CHEAP CHIT!

  how about you get of your almighty high horse and read the OP, the cheapy worked fine no problems, if it does then use it and don't fork a fortune out for a name brand because someone on a forum say that they are a "chippy". Everyone likes to get the advice of people and appreciate it but if you personally experience a product to be good then great no need to go brand name if others work just as well if not better in this case. 
If the cheapy works buy that and use it till it breaks. The price of cheapy tools is at times half the price of the sol called name brands. If it does the job for you great use it.   

> To the original poster: don't give up on the sigma if anything is the problem its probly the cheap chinese tiles from the green shed.

  So the fact that another cutter has no problems with the tiles but the sigma has then it must be the tiles fault, great thinking there.. :Doh:

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## stevoh741

> how about you get of your almighty high horse and read the OP, the cheapy worked fine no problems, if it does then use it and don't fork a fortune out for a name brand because someone on a forum say that they are a "chippy". Everyone likes to get the advice of people and appreciate it but if you personally experience a product to be good then great no need to go brand name if others work just as well if not better in this case. 
> If the cheapy works buy that and use it till it breaks. The price of cheapy tools is at times half the price of the sol called name brands. If it does the job for you great use it.  
> So the fact that another cutter has no problems with the tiles but the sigma has then it must be the tiles fault, great thinking there..

  sounds like ur a bummings employee  :brava:

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## Nonimus

> sounds like ur a bummings employee

  lol desperate man with no substance, made to look the fool now acts like one.

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## davo81

the Sigma model i have is Art 2A-3. I am pretty sure i scored the tile well enough, i scored it back & forth, & tried snaping the tile from the edge and the middle with the same result.  
thanx to everyone for the imput. after doing a few cuts in the bathroom i will be tiling the house & would like to use a relialbe cutter. i hope i get the hang of this cutter.

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## stevoh741

> lol desperate man with no substance, made to look the fool now acts like one.

  ok champion :brava:

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## Lexi01

> i hope i get the hang of this cutter.

  You will...I did this on the last house...used a $30 gem from Bunnings and it was cutting without fail but the wobble in the wheel prevented a true cut (as opposed to a straight cut). 
I bought a 63cm Sigma...and started to break just as many as I cut successfully (even though the cheapy wasn't)...I took it back to the tile store and complained...looked like a bit of a d*ck...they all said they take some getting used to ... and they gave me a half box of reject tiles for practice before I going back to the (more expensive) 600x300 tiles I'd been trying to cut... 
After a while you get the hang of the action...I found that I had to watch the weight I put on the tile (less pressure worked better) and keep a nice consistent pace across the tile too...hard to explain (especially from memory)...but Id never go back to the cheapy.

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## stevoh741

> You will...I did this on the last house...used a $30 gem from Bunnings and it was cutting without fail but the wobble in the wheel prevented a true cut (as opposed to a straight cut). 
> I bought a 63cm Sigma...and started to break just as many as I cut successfully (even though the cheapy wasn't)...I took it back to the tile store and complained...looked like a bit of a d*ck...they all said they take some getting used to ... and they gave me a half box of reject tiles for practice before I going back to the (more expensive) 600x300 tiles I'd been trying to cut... 
> After a while you get the hang of the action...I found that I had to watch the weight I put on the tile (less pressure worked better) and keep a nice consistent pace across the tile too...hard to explain (especially from memory)...but Id never go back to the cheapy.

  take note Nonimus

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## Tools

Don't the Sigmas have an adjustable bed? Might be that you need to adjust the bed but have no idea how to. 
Tools

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## Mouse Whisperer

My neighbour who is a pro tiler lent me his sigma for my en-suite floor and shower, brilliant device, score the tile firmly and once only was his advice, then tap the lever firmly once or twice from the tile edge, presto perfect cut. 10mm porcelains 300 x 600 I was cutting, botched maybe 2 tiles for the job right at the start  and those I used as off-cuts so virtually no wastage.

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## bobsmith

My not so cheap Bunnings cutter ($90) fell apart halfway through tiling the laundry, about 3m2. The screws started coming loose beforehand and then when I went to give it a whack/tap to break the tile, it exploded, with parts flying everywhere. :Shock:  
Lucky I was in the process of stopping to finish the rest another day.  
Guess I'll be looking for a good quality one now..... 
After I get my Bunnings refund.

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## murray44

I did my bathroom with a cheapo $30 cutter and didn't have a problem.  
Yep, sure, you had to be careful to follow the line on the tile or the cut would waver but not really an issue. 
And BTW, people are very impressed with the quality of the job I've done, it didn't end up half arsed.

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## danr6

Hhhhmmm I seem to be in the boat as Davo81. Got a Sigma Art 7 F I think (20 years old most likely). Tried cutting 10mm thick porcelain 300mm x 600mm and it would break the corners off the tile where you pressed down on.  Tried smaller 200mm x 200mm, perfect cuts every time. Watched videos, tried different positions, different pressure etc, all the same result on larger tiles. Gave up and used the angle grinder

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## wozzzzza

i got a $70 one from bunnings not long ago, looked ok, got it home and started cutting tiles.  the tiles had a nice curve cut in them or they had a snake cut.  i could not cut straight lines.  it also started breaking more tiles than it cut so i thought stuff this, took it back, got a refund and went and hired a sigma cutter.
Never looked back, soooo much better, never broke a single tile, every cut was a straight cut.
now im looking for my own sigma cutter.

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