4"/5" Lapidary Equipment Trim Saw

I was very impressed with this little rock trim saw. It is actually fairly quiet and it cuts a rock perfectly and trims the end of the cut that larger rock saws may leave behind. It is easy to adjust the wheels and they are easy to remove. It functions better than I expected and it is small enough to be very portable. i can use it inside and outside the house depending on what I am doing. It takes very little water to use it and it is easy to add water as it gets sprayed out. It seems that the construction and the motor are well made and should be durable. For small stone cutting/trimming this is a good value for the money.

I have many years of lapidary experience. I did not like the results of using a tile saw for fine cutting and did not want to switch to a messy oil bath type, so I got the Hi-Tech. The kerf is easily 1/3 of that on my tile saw with a good Lapidary Hot Dog blade. It makes less than half the noise and the noise is easier to listen to than the vibrating grind of the tile saw. The blade is extremely thin, about like the thickness of the paper on a greeting card. However, when it is spun at 3,400 RPM it becomes somewhat rigid. I cut a number of shapes from my slabs and it cuts well. It was slightly slower cutting than with the tile saw, but it is a much more even, precise and smooth cut. With the tile saw I had to cut just off the outline and then later grind to it. With the precision of this saw I will cut much closer to the line. The kerf is much smaller than the ones made by tile saws. I would never cut anything over a half inch thick with this saw, but all my slabs are a quarter inch or thinner. As I am cutting geometric shapes I sometimes have to start on an angle. When this happens the blade wants to bend and not start the cut. I just applied a little pressure on the blade with my finger and the blade bit in. Once there was a 1/16th inch slot the blade held true on its own. The water reservoir is only 8 ounces, but that is plenty. I added no more than 3 ounces of water and made several cuts. When I was done I used a turkey baster to suck the remaining water out. The tile saw has a chrome plated metal surface that blares light back at you. This saw has a black plastic top that has no glare, making it easier to see what you are doing. Of course, it will never rust. It comes with a nifty splash guard that would be nice if it did not get in the way. It is only a few inches in front of the blade, so there is no room to hold the rock. But, it is easy to remove. When water flows off the top it collects in a channel and drops back into the pan, cutting down on water loss. The saw is half the size and weight of the tile saw. For what I am doing it will be great. The blade is easy to access and change. I like just about everything on the saw. My one reservation is how long the blades will hold up. Time will tell. It comes with a 5" and 4". Right now I am using the 5". I will soon try the 4" to see how I like it. Replacement blades are either $5 or $6 from Hi-Tech Diamond. It is smaller, lighter, much quieter and cuts thinner with smooth precision. It also sprays a lot less water around. You have to be a bit more gentle than with a tile saw, but it makes the cut. So far I am a very happy Rockologist.

Does a good job on small stones.

Why did you pick this product vs others?: I’m seriously impressed with the Hi-Tech Diamond lapidary saw. It cuts through stones and crystals like butter, with minimal chipping and a super clean finish. The setup was straightforward, and the saw feels solid and well-built. It’s compact enough for my workspace but still has plenty of power for most lapidary tasks. I’ve used it for [agate, quartz, jasper—insert what you cut], and it handles them beautifully. The water reservoir works great to keep the blade cool and reduce dust. If you’re into lapidary, crystal cutting, or jewelry making, this saw is totally worth the investment.

Although the saw blades were damaged I’m sure during shipment, I was very disappointed. So I ordered new blades from the manufacturer. The blades arrived within 3 days. Finally, I was ready to test the saw out. A couple of years ago I dropped a crystal prism and broke the end off. I thought it would be a good test for this saw. It cut right through in just under 3 minutes. Awesome little saw from Hi-Tech Diamond. I’ve since then cut rocks and fossilized bone. A cool apron even comes with a saw. All-in-All a neat tool and so far no issues.

This is a nice small trim saw, it works very nicely ! But you must be diligent and re grease the shaft make sure you take two small set screws out pull the piece that you adjust your blade to center ! Just clean and grease it every use , and this little saw will do its thing ! Great companies back their products, and this is a great company !!! I had a problem with the power switch , and they sent a new one right away , and had returned shipping label paid to send the old one back . You can’t do better than that!! Make sure if you have a problem to contact the company on their website, because I had to deal with a smart ass on the Amazon site . There are always bad apples , but the company swiftly responded, and took care of my issue , once I contacted the proper site . The saw is totally worth it .

Although I do feel this thing is way overpriced, it is good quality and cuts well. This is my first time buying a lapidary saw. You do have to be careful about the amount of water you put in it, or else it will spray all over the place. It's small so it will fit almost anywhere! Lots of different speed settings. Cuts accurately. Love it!

Plastic knob used for changing the blade snapped off after only a few uses. This saw is only a few weeks old at this point. Nothing is made to last anymore.

Perfect