Cutting tiles with Power X-Change – The cordless tile cutter for mobile use

Has your dream of owning your own home finally come true and you're taking on the renovation work yourself? Anyone who wants to take on decorating and renovation work themselves knows that the right equipment can make all the difference. Tiling is one of the rather difficult, unpopular tasks. If you're brave enough to tile your own basement, bathroom or other space, you'll need the right tools to cut the tiles to size. In addition to electric tile cutters, our range also includes the new cordless tile cutter TE-TC 18/115 Li. You can discover its advantages, practical features and what you need to pay attention to when handling the compact machine here.

Einhell cordless tile cutting machine TE-TC 18/115 Li
Our blog will show you which features and functions the Einhell cordless tile cutting machine TE-TC 18/115 Li impresses with.

How the cordless tile cutter works

With the help of a high-quality turbo-diamond cutting disc, the tile cutter can cut all commercially available floor and wall tiles perfectly to size. Thanks to its 305 x 335 mm work table, it can be used to cut small to medium-sized tiles. Because the table is tiltable, the maximum tile thickness varies depending on the angle. With a 90° cut, up to 24 mm thick tiles can be cut. For jolly cuts at an angle of 45°, tiles can have a maximum thickness of 16 mm. Clean cuts are possible thanks to the integrated water tank. The cutting disc rotates continuously through the water in the container and is cooled.

The different types of tile cutters

There are both mechanical and electrical tile cutting machines. Manual tile cutters differ fundamentally from electric models in how they work. While a manual tile cutter only scores the tile, electric tile cutters cut the tiles completely, similar to a circular saw that saws through wood. The scoring of the tile creates a breaking point at which you then have to break the tile. Depending on what the tile is made of, this not only takes a lot of force, but can also lead to unclean results. Cordless and electric models, on the other hand, are equipped with a cutting disc – usually a diamond cutting disc for the hard material. You then guide the tile along the desired cutting line, where the cutting disc will cut it. So that neither the tile nor the device or the cutting disc overheat, it is constantly cooled with water.

With the electric models, you can distinguish between wired and cordless, battery-powered devices. Not to be neglected are radial tile cutting machines, which represent the stationary counterpart to the small, mobile tile cutters. Radial tile cutters are suitable for working with very large tiles. You do not guide the tile, but can fix it and guide the cutting disc slowly and controllably through the material. However, the stationary cutting machines are not only comparatively significantly larger, but they are also more expensive and more suitable for very ambitious DIYers taking on tricky, time-consuming projects.

Advantages of the cordless tile cutter

The compact tile cutter offers numerous features that allow you to achieve clean results and make it easier to use the device.

  • Power X-Change: Even an 18 V Power X-Change battery is sufficient to provide enough power to cut through hard tiles. Depending on the battery, you can cut different numbers of tiles with one battery charge. However, the maximum is 150 tiles (15 mm thick) with the 6.0 Ah Power X-Change battery.
  • Mobile use: The battery-powered tile cutter is the perfect tool for working without a mains power connection. Thanks to the reinforced handle with softgrip and a weight of only 3.5 kg, you can also transport the machine from A to B without any problems and use it flexibly. Non-slip rubber feet ensure secure, low-vibration standing during use. The machine can also be stably attached to a workbench using fastening holes.
  • Clean results: With a high speed of up to 3,800 rpm, the supplied diamond cutting disc cuts through various tiles quickly and precisely. The permanent water cooling prevents overheating of the cutting disc, minimises dust formation and ensures clean edges.

Wireless battery-powered performance

The Power X-Change battery provides the necessary power to cut the hard material. As with all devices in the system family, all batteries, chargers and system devices can be flexibly combined with one another: In addition, if the running time of your battery is not sufficient, you can replace it with another charged battery at any time. This makes the cordless tile cutter the perfect equipment for both construction sites and outdoor use, because it is ready for use at any time, wirelessly and without a mains power connection.

A graphic representation of the Einhell cordless tile cutter TE-TC 18/115 Li with 6.0 Ah Power X-Change rechargeable battery.
The compact, 3.5 kg tile cutter works completely wirelessly thanks to the Power X-Change battery.

Clean execution of different cuts

To optimally cut your tile, the Einhell tile cutter is equipped with important features. This means different cuts can be made.

  • Straight cuts: The integrated rip fence ensures an exactly straight guidance of the tile.
  • Mitre cuts: With the help of the angle stop with integrated scale, the desired angle can be precisely determined and cut.
  • Jolly cuts: Thanks to the tilting work table, jolly cuts are also possible with ease. The table can be tilted by 22.5° and 45° to cut the edge at an angle.

Tips: What to pay attention to when working with tile cutter

To achieve the cleanest tiles cuts, there are a few things you should consider when using the tile cutter. First, you should always make sure to fill the water tank before work and empty it again afterwards. Only if there is enough water in the container, the cutting disc can be optimally cooled.

In addition, you should regularly check the condition of the cutting disc. If it is blunt or damaged, you should not continue to use it. You can find out how to install a new cutting disc in the operating instructions of your tile cutter model. By the way, cutting discs are suited to different materials. The included turbo-diamond cutting disc has a diameter of 115 mm and is suitable for cutting old concrete, marble or granite.

Last but not least, the calm and controlled guiding of the tile determines the result. For clean separation, it is advisable to securely guide the tile under slight pressure and with the aid of a rip fence or angle stop. You should wear gloves and goggles so that you don't get hurt. Remember, the following applies to all DIY work: Safety first!

A man cuts a small tile outside on the balcony using the Einhell cordless tile cutter.
When working with the tile cutting machine, you should pay attention to a few things for clean cuts.

Summary: Stable and powerful, yet portable

Looking for a handy tile cutter to tile your basement? If you're laying small to medium-sized tiles with a maximum thickness of 24 mm, the Einhell cordless tile cutter is the ideal tool for your project! Easy to transport, safe to operate, space-saving to store and, thanks to Power X-Change, to be used wirelessly anywhere and at any time – the TE-TC 18/115 Li.

Picture of the author Tom Weber.
Written by Tom Weber
Published on 31.08.2022

Tom Weber is a product specialist at Einhell. In his blog posts, he not only shares his in-depth expertise in using various Einhell devices but also provides inspiration and instructions for DIY projects that every home improvement enthusiast can tackle at home.