Is there more than one type of slate guillotine?

9th March 2020

Is there more than one type of slate guillotine?


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		More often than not, slate guillotines are categorised according to their application e.g. the material they are designed to cut through and the thickness they can cut, rather than their appearance.As well as the cutting ability, when looking to purchase a slate guillotine, you should also consider the different weights that are available and any additional features which may make the job easier.

		Material
		There are slate guillotines which can cut roof tiles made of natural slate, artificial slate and fibre cement. They often have a hardened blade which is especially suitable for hard and brittle slate tiles up to 9.5mm thick.

		Material thickness
		There are slate guillotines available to cut up to 7mm, 8mm, 9mm and 12mm thicknesses of slate or tile.At the more robust end of the scale are the slate guillotines which can cut up to 12mm thick pieces of slate. These will often be referred to as ‘heavy duty slate guillotines’. There are also models that will cut slate that is a maximum thickness of 9mm. These are sometimes referred to as ‘large slate guillotines’.

		Weight
		You could also categorise a slate guillotine by its weight. Despite their names, most large or heavy duty slate guillotines will still be light enough to carry onto the roof and be used there. This is because the name usually refers to the slate not the guillotine!

		Others are heavier and more cumbersome, so are often better used at ground level only.

		Additional features
		Punching facility Slate guillotines can also be categorised according to whether or not they have a punching facility to create holes in slate.

		Offset handle Some models also have an offset handle to provide for greater leverage when cutting.

		Adjustable guide Some slate guillotines can be used with an adjustable guide. Adjustable guides are sometimes built into the tool but are usually purchased separately.

		Which slate guillotine is best for you?
		Small guillotines are easy to carry onto a roof and be used there. It’s convenient to have a slate guillotine with an in-built hole punch facility.If you have many slates to cut, of no more than 7mm thick, then you might want to use a smaller guillotine.

		The price may affect your decision: in general, the larger the guillotine, the more it will cost.