Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw Review – Cut It Out And Plunge In

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ridgid r4040s tile saw

First, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way: I am not a pro tile installer, although I have many attributes in common with them. Crappy knees, a sore back, and an extensive vocabulary of colorful language, for instance. Despite that, I have installed a fair bit of tile over the years, bringing about glorious transformations to several bathrooms and kitchens. On many of these projects, I used a cheapo basic tile saw, aka the Community Tile Saw, borrowed from my buddy Steve. Recently, though, he moved, and selfishly insisted on taking “our” saw along. Since I had a bathroom floor to install, I was very happy when a large orange and white box, containing a Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw, showed up at my door for a review on HomeFixated.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
The Ridgid R4040S tile saw showed up just in time to play…

The Ridgid R4040S is a major step up from the little tabletop saw I’m used to using. The motor is quite a bit larger, and much more powerful. Instead of pushing the tile across a gritty, aluminum table, a rubber-covered tray glides smoothly through the cut.

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The old Community Tile Saw, before it was spirited away…

One of the biggest differences is that I get to stay dry; the little saw tended to throw spray in the general direction of the operator, while the Ridgid sends it down and back. This is thanks to its sporty guard baffle system and wrap around rubber splash guard, along with a water tray extension at the rear of the unit. Here’s a list of features, followed by a short promo video from Ridgid:

• 12 Amp motor – 1.2 HP heavy duty motor powers through natural or man-made tile and pavers
• Oversized cut capacity – 24 in. rip, 18 in. diagonal, 2-3/4 in. deep, can cut up to 5 in. wide extra-long backsplash or threshold material
• Removable water tray – captures overspray and water from larger tiles to help keep work area dry and clean
• Aluminum miter guide – precision straight and miter cuts from 0 to 45 degrees left and right
• Heavy duty cast aluminum arm – prevents flexing while keeping the blade aligned
• Cast aluminum frame – heavy duty performance yet lightweight for easy transport, aluminum prevents rusting
• 5 Gal. water tray with wheeled system – allows for quick setup and easy transporting of saw
• Folding stand – tool-less height adjustment and scratch resistant feet to help protect flooring

Getting Ready To Slice And Dice…

Getting the Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw set up was fast and easy. You’ll just need to bolt on the motor assembly, stick the pump in the reservoir, and install the blade. Doing so is simple. Turn the knob on the blade cover, and it swings open. The arbor wrench and Allen wrench work well, and the blade goes on easily. Just make sure when you put it on that it goes in between the two nozzles, so both sides of the blade get spray. Once the tray assembly is ready, it clamps to the top of the water tray, and you’re ready to cut some tile.

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There are just a few parts to assemble; it goes pretty quickly.
ridgid r4040s tile saw
The pump goes into the little reservoir on the right
ridgid r4040s tile saw
The door swings open for easy blade installation…
ridgid r4040s tile saw
And the wrenches live on the back.

The setup feels very solid when assembled. The table glides smoothly, thanks to dual-bearing rollers. A knob by the motor makes it easy to lock it in the down position, or to unlock for use in plunge cuts. The motor can also be quickly tilted and locked into position to make beveled cuts at 22.5 or 45 degrees.

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The saw can be locked down, or left free for plunge cuts
ridgid r4040s tile saw
The saw locks firmly in place for bevel cuts.

Using a small lever on the side of the table, it can be locked into position beneath the motor. This would be useful for making repeated cutoffs, or for plunge cuts. The same lever also allows the Ridgid R4040S tile saw to be a free-range beast, or as free-range as you can be going backward and forward.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
The table can lock in place, or be free to glide.

One of my favorite features on the Ridgid R4040S tile saw is the laser guide. It makes a visible line the entire length of the tub, so even if you start with the table pulled all the way back, you can get the blade lined up with your mark. The laser is activated by a button on the end of the motor’s handle, and remains on until you command it otherwise. It was dead on, and really sped up the cutting process. If it does eventually get knocked out of whack, from being dragged from job to job, the manual provides adjustment instructions.

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A button controls the laser on the Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw.
ridgid r4040s tile saw
The laser line extends the full length of the table.

Take A Stand And Pull The Trigger

Another feature my creaky knees and I really appreciated is the included saw stand. The stand is sturdy, and simple to set up: Slide the feet out to the desired height, insert the pins, and flip the locking clips around. Two crossbars fit into grooves in the tub and saw assembly, and the setup is very stable.

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Height adjustments on the stand are fast and easy
ridgid r4040s tile saw
The saw is very steady sitting on the stand.

The power switch on the Ridgid R4040S tile saw can be locked in the off position. I think this is a great safety feature for a tool that might be left at a customer’s home for several days during a remodel.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
And you can lock it in the “OFF” position.

The tray has wheels at one end, so when your slicing and dicing is complete, you can tug it along behind you, rather than trying to carry it to your vehicle. It stands solidly upright, making it easy to store.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
Wheels and a handle make for easy road trips…

The Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw Makes The Cuts

For its break-in project, I put the Ridgid R4040S tile saw to work on a bathroom floor tile job. We were using a mix of 4 X 12” and 8 X 12” ceramic tiles, and the bathroom had a Jacuzzi-style tub with a 45° angle, to keep boredom at bay.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
Stripping out the old vinyl floor, always a treat…

I set the saw up in the garage, and filled it with a garden hose. Protruding MIN/MAX fill indicators make it easy to get the water to the right level, and a foam filter keeps much of the sludge out of the pump reservoir.

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The sediment filter and MIN/MAX fill indicators…

The first few cuts I made were simple cross cuts. We were staggering the joints, so I needed to cut several of the 4” wide tiles in half. After determining the mid point of the tiles, I clamped the miter guide in place. It locks down firmly, and made it fast and easy to get precise, repetitive cuts.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
Locking the miter guide in place gave perfect repeated cuts.

For other cuts of various lengths, the laser line was a huge help. I had the saw set up in the garage, and the light was easy to see. When the saw was in direct sunlight, it was tough to see the line, a problem common to pretty much every laser light.

To power up the Ridgid R4040S tile saw, just pull the large red switch toward you; push it back in to shut it down. It takes a few seconds to get the water flowing off the blade; I used this time to ponder the mysteries of the universe. And occasionally to think about how good the first beer would taste at the end of the day.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
Pull to power on, push for off…

The tray glided very smoothly along the rails and under the blade. The rubber on the table did a great job of keeping the tile from slipping around. The 8” blade sliced through the tile quickly and smoothly, with no bogging down at all, unlike the little saw I was used to using. Every cut I made came out perfectly smooth, with no chipping at all.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
I got perfect cuts throughout the project, with nary a chip…

Next up were the angle cuts. The miter guide can be placed on either side of the cut line. This made it easy to find a comfortable position to hold the tiles in place while making the 45° cuts. The angle was dialed in at a perfect 45°, and again there was no chipping, even at the pointed ends of the angle cuts.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
The miter guide and rubber table made for perfect angle cuts.

The Ridgid R4040S tile saw also did a nice job on our notch and L cuts. Marking the top and bottom of the tile helped me avoid overuse of my special tiling vocabulary. I cut the top first, then flipped the tile over; the bottom cut requires overcutting the mark, which takes a little practice to avoid crossing the line.

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Making a notch cut: first the face…
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Then a slight overcut on the back.

Here’s a step-by-step video from Ridgid, showing exactly how to set up and use their four top-end saws, including the R4040S; it includes a couple of tips that might be helpful for ANYONE trying not to exceed their daily quota of foul language.

After all the cuts were made, draining the reservoir was easy – just unscrew the cap at the rear of the tank. Just make sure you have a bucket ready to catch the sludge water. A series of baffles in the bottom of the tray, combined with the foam filter, helps keep sediment out of the pump area.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
Just unscrew the cap to drain the 5-gallon tank…
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Then it’s time for some de-sludging.
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Two quick clamps make it easy to separate saw table from tank.

Ready For A Saw That’s A Cut Above?

I was impressed with the Ridgid R4040S tile saw. It feels well made, solid and durable. It’s easy to set up and use, accurate, and gave perfectly smooth cuts with absolutely no chipping. The ability to cut 24” tile, make accurate bevel and miter cuts, and make plunge cuts makes this a saw that should appeal to a lot of users. Throw in the ability to cut 4” thick pavers, and it gets even easier to rationalize making the investment.

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The Ridgid R4040S tile saw, ready to roll to its next mission.

The only negative I can come up with is that when you’re cutting 24” long tile, there’s a fair bit of it hanging off the table unsupported. Some sort of extension table would be helpful for tile setters who regularly install this type of large tile. Even so, when I tried it out, I had no issue with cutting tile this large.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
The R4040S can accommodate 24″ tile – with a bit of overhang.

If you’re a remodeler who does a lot of tile jobs, a serial renovator, or just a DIYer who likes having quality tools to get the job done, I think you’d be very happy with the Ridgid R4040S tile saw. I’m almost looking forward to my upcoming kitchen backsplash tile job – and now I control the NEW Community Tile Saw! Ridgid backs the saw with a 90-day money-back guarantee, a three-year warranty, and its Lifetime Service Agreement.

ridgid r4040s tile saw
All cut and installed, ready for grout.

Buy the Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw from the Home Depot for about $500:

Buy Now - via Home Depot

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About Phil

Phil’s path to the pinnacle of success as HomeFixated’s Senior Writer was long and twisted. At various stages of his life, he worked as a framing carpenter, attended motorcycle mechanics school, served as an Army MP, did a hot and itchy stint installing insulation in Phoenix, owned and operated a small contracting firm doing residential renovations, and worked as an employee of a major airline (Motto: We’re not happy ‘til YOU’RE not happy). He is currently semi-retired, but continues to take on little projects, such as the total renovation of an old farmhouse. Yes, he is a slow learner. Future projects include a teardown restoration of his 1965 BMW motorcycle, and designing and building a kick-ass playhouse for his grandsons. Phil loves spending time outdoors, hanging out with family and friends, cool tools, and a cold IPA when beer o'clock rolls around.

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9 thoughts on “Ridgid R4040S Tile Saw Review – Cut It Out And Plunge In”

  1. Phil, the old R4030 I use has a broken lock knob on the table. I bought a replacement online, but I don’t understand how it works. Can you explain?

    Reply
  2. Phil, never done tile, just pavers and stone, any recommendations on tile spacer brands,and/or what you use, I’m seriously considering to go tile when I remodel the kitchen and our baths. Thanks

    I’ve been using this saw’s little brother the 4020 Jobsite 7″ wet tile saw, for hardscaping projects, used it last week on some 4.5″ concrete pavers to contain a pea-gravel path for a client, it was about 90′ long and meandered and had a few hard sweeping curves required cutting as well as fitting end pieces. I ended up removing splash guard and riving knife (Disclaimer not recommended probably not OSHA approved) , had to then score as deep as possible on both sides while standing behind the table because of the plume of wet spray, I slide the pavers on a paper towel and used 14″ X .5″ x 1″ strip of foodgrade plexi-cutting board to slide against the fence, then finish the cut with dust mask and a diamond turbo rim on my circular saw, now that created quite the dust clouds.

    This would have made the job go much faster and cleaner sans dust mask as well. I also like the built-in pump, on board tool storage and the laser is a nice add as well. Included stand is nice and much more compact than the 4’x2′ folding lifetime brand table I normally use. Yet the 4092 10″ Beast is very enticing but $200 more than the R4040, it uses the same stand setup as the Rigid AC9945 MSUV miter saw utility vehicle – that I use and store my 10″mitre saw, but still takes up a 2.5′ x 3′ of floor space with its foot print but I now use my miter saw all the time, its a breeze to setup and store when finished. The R4040 looks like it has a much smaller storage footprint similar to the R4020. Yet HD has the R4091 10″ beast on Special buy for $459 till 6/21 normally $699 but still the storage footprint for me is an issue, but mighty tempting nonetheless (No, I don’t work HD or TTI (Rigid’s parent company).

    Reply
    • Hi, Jonathan –

      For tile spacers, I normally use the “tombstone” type spacers (they look like a cross), and stand them up between each row of tile. You can get a bag with hundreds of them at any home improvement store. To reiterate, I’ve done a fair bit of tile work, but I am definitely NOT a tile pro; any tile setters out there, please feel free to weigh in with suggestions!

      As for the bigger Ridgid “beast” saws, I have no experience with them. I can see how they’d be attractive to someone who cuts a lot of big, thick hardscaping material, though. The R4040 can cut up to 2-3/4″ in a pass. I measured the clearance, and with the head fully upright, you could get material up to 4-1/4″, or maybe a shade thicker, through it. If your pavers are a true 4-1/2″, they wouldn’t make it, just an FYI.

      Good luck with your tile projects; it’s really not that hard to do, good prep and getting the layout right is 90% of it. Looks great when it’s finished, too! I’ll be doing another kitchen backsplash in the near future, and I’m always amazed at how it transforms the space. It was interesting hearing about your paver workaround, too – being able to improvise is key. Let us know what you decide to do, and how it works out!

      Reply
      • Oops – forgot to mention, the footprint of the R4040 is about 16″ x 26″, if you set the folding stand on top of it, or about 18″ x 26″ with the stand behind it.

        Reply

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