Garnet abrasive
An abrasive waterjet mixes garnet into the water stream to do the actual cutting, and it is consumed continuously. It is the main running cost and the thing you re-order most, so factor it into the cost per cut.
WAZER
WAZER Desktop - Specs, Score & Price
WaterjetProsumer$9,999.00
What it cuts, and how
A waterjet cuts by firing a high-pressure stream of water mixed with garnet abrasive at the material, wearing through it rather than melting or burning it. The defining advantage is that it is cold: there is no heat-affected zone, so it will not warp thin metal, discolour an edge or crack brittle stone and glass the way a thermal process can. The WAZER Desktop cuts metal, stone, tile, glass and composites.
WAZER Desktop uses 80-mesh almandine garnet, ~0.33 lb/min. The abrasive is consumed as it cuts, which is the machine's main running cost.
Cut thickness
The maker states a cut thickness of up to ~10mm (0.375") in steel, and thicker in softer materials given cut time. A waterjet can cut very thick stock given enough time, so treat this as the practical clean-cut range rather than an absolute ceiling - thickness costs cut time and abrasive rather than being a hard limit.
Cutting speed
The Desktop runs the standard WAZER pump - fast enough for a small shop or maker, and the slower of the two WAZER machines. A waterjet trades speed for the ability to cut anything cold, so plan cut times generously.
What the score reflects - and what's missing
WAZER does not publish cutting area in a form we can verify, so that component is excluded rather than guessed. The number reflects only what we could verify. WAZER's cutting-area figures are behind a JavaScript-rendered spec table we cannot read automatically; confirm the bed size on wazer.com before buying.
Full specifications
| List price | $9,999.00 |
|---|---|
| Cutting area | Not published |
| Materials | metal, stone, tile, glass and composites |
| Cut thickness | up to ~10mm (0.375") in steel, and thicker in softer materials given cut time |
| Abrasive | 80-mesh almandine garnet, ~0.33 lb/min |
| Pump | Not published |
| Water use | Mains water feed with abrasive collection |
| Software | WAM (WAZER's browser-based CAM) |
| Footprint | Not published |
How we scored it
Waterjet scoring model 2026.07-waterjet-1. Each axis is scored 0-100 against an absolute reference and weighted below.
| Axis | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Material versatility How many material families the machine cuts - metal, stone and tile, glass, and composites. A waterjet's defining strength is that a single cold process cuts almost anything, so breadth is weighted at the top. | 24 | 100 |
| Cut thickness The thickest material the maker states it cuts, against a reference. A waterjet can cut very thick stock given time, so this reflects practical clean-cut capacity rather than an absolute ceiling. | 22 | 40 |
| Cutting area The sheet that fits on the bed, on a logarithmic area scale. Desktop waterjets are deliberately small, so a modest bed is normal for the class. | 24 | Not scored |
| Cutting speed The pump pressure and flow that drive cut speed - the difference between a standard desktop unit and a faster professional one. | 16 | 50 |
| Value The weighted quality of the four axes above per dollar of manufacturer list price. Waterjets are expensive, so value carries real weight. | 14 | 20 |
Frequently asked
- What can the WAZER Desktop cut?
- A waterjet cuts almost anything - metal, stone, tile, glass and composites - because it removes material by abrasion rather than heat. The maker states a cut thickness of up to ~10mm (0.375") in steel, and thicker in softer materials given cut time. There is no heat-affected zone, so it does not warp thin metal or crack brittle material the way a thermal process can.
- What does a waterjet cost to run?
- The main running cost is garnet abrasive, which the jet consumes continuously while cutting, plus water and the consumable nozzle and orifice that focus the stream. Budget a cost per cut rather than treating it as free once bought - abrasive is the ongoing expense that defines a waterjet's economics.
- Is a waterjet better than a plasma or laser cutter?
- For different jobs. A waterjet cuts the widest range of materials with no heat and a clean edge, but slowly and wetly; a plasma cuts conductive metal fast; a laser is fast and precise on thinner material. If you need to cut metal, stone and glass on one machine with no heat distortion, a waterjet is the tool - see our comparison of the three.
What you'll also need
A waterjet is a plumbed installation, not a tabletop tool. These are the things a working setup needs alongside the machine.
Water supply and drainage
A waterjet needs a mains water feed and somewhere for the used water and spent abrasive to go. Plan the plumbing and the abrasive collection before the machine arrives - it is not a tabletop appliance.
Consumable nozzles and orifices
The mixing tube and orifice that focus the jet wear with use and are the parts that keep cut quality sharp. Keep spares matched to the machine.
Sources
Verified figures are transcribed from WAZER's published specification. Where a figure is not stated in a form we can verify, the page says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications last verified July 28, 2026.