I know this thread has been going for a while, but I thought I would add my experience.
After getting started with rock tumbling, I wanted to be able to cut and prep rocks to help reduce the tumbling time and material loss. I also wanted to be able to face cut or slab specimens for polishing. I tried using my Dremel for some of this, but progress was a bit slower and more limited than I would have liked. Plus, you can't really make deep cuts with a Dremel.
I would love to have an actual lapidary slab saw, but they are incredibly expensive and I wasn't too fond of cutting with oil. So, I decided to look into buying a wet tile saw to accomplish my objectives.
I had seen some of the 7" table top saws that cost around $100, but the saw blades were quite recessed and didn't allow for terribly deep cuts. These might be good for trimming, but probably not slabbing or cutting thick rocks.
So, I determined that I would try a more traditional tile/masonry saw with its own stand, a sliding tray, and a more exposed blade. I ended up acquiring an 8" Ridgid R4041. It seemed to be the right combination of size and features for me.
So far, the saw has worked very well for my purposes. It does a fantastic job as a trim saw and cuts through smaller rocks pretty easily. It also allows me to cut specimens up to around 6.5 inches in diameter, although the process is quite slow for such a thick rock. Since the depth of cut is only around 3.5 inches or so, cutting a thicker rock requires careful rotation (by hand) as you go.
It takes a little while to familiarize yourself with the saw, the process, and how fast to cut; however, I am happy with my results. I have used the blade it came with, a $35 QEP blade, and a $90 Agate Cutter blade; honestly, I don't see much difference between them. The Agate Cutter blade had a slightly smaller diameter for some reason, but it did seem to perform slightly better on the thick cuts. However, this difference is pretty small and may just be some sort of mental bias (got to justify the price I spent 😉). All of them need frequent 'sharpening' with a dressing stone to keep the cuts going on the thicker rocks, at least for impatient me. Sharpening is usually not as necessary on the smaller cuts and trims.
I find that rotating the rocks as I cut through them works best for me, instead of trying to cut straight through. This results in a smaller blade surface contact and more visible cutting progress. While the blades won't generally cut your fingers (unless you press real hard), make sure you still practice safe power tool practices. Wear eye protection and keep your clothing away from spinning elements. Don't wear gloves while using a hand fed tile saw.
Anyway, maybe I wandered a bit with my response, but hopefully there is something useful in there!