Tile saws range come in three basic styles:

• Small fixed tray saws, where the tile is pushed across the blade like a table saw
• Standard Sliding Tray saws, where the tile is placed on a tray with rollers and pushed across the blade
• Overhead Rail Saws, where the tile remains stationary and the blade is drawn across the tile

Each type of saw has it's advantages. The smaller fixed tray saws are inexpensive, light, and perfect for smaller jobs. They use smaller blades, which are more economical. For many simple tile jobs, these are more than adequate. An example of this type of saw is the MK-145 and the Felker FTS-50.

A larger, sliding-tray tile saw is preferable for a tile-setting professional. It offers quicker cutting and can accomodate larger tiles more easily. It usually comes with a steel or plastic water tray. The steel trays are more durable than plastic. The plastic water trays are lighter and usually less expensive to replace. Sliding tray saws are by far the most common saw seen on the jobsite, and most all parts are easily available if one fails. Some very popular examples are the Target Tilematic Series (steel tray) and Felker Tile Master and MK-101 (plastic tray).

Overhead Sliding Blade have an overhead rail that the blade and motor mechanism ride on, and are pulled across the tile. These saws have no side restriction, and therefore are able to cut very wide materials. The Imer Combi series is an example of an overhead sliding blade tile saw.