TS Blade Recommendation

[Pete Schupska]

I've picked up a small benchtop table saw, finally. It's the Ridgid R4516 (10" and 15 amp motor). I'm thinking now about acquiring a slightly better blade, and looking for recommendations.

I work in almost exclusively domestic hardwoods and cedar. (primarily cherry, walnut and hickory) Any suggestions on a blade in the sub $50 range?

[David Christopher]

Pete, Ive had good luck with freud thin line blades....I got mine for 60 bucks NOT on sale

[Prashun Patel]

I suggest you get 2 blades:

I really like the Freud Avanti 50t combo blade for cross cutting just about anything. It's regularly in the $30 range, and some HD's have them on sale 2 for 1...

But for ripping - especially on a smaller saw - you're gonna need the help of a true ripping blade. Fortunately, these tend to cost less than their toothier counterparts.

[Myk Rian]

I use my Freud 50 tooth combo and glue line rip blades the most.

[Todd Young]

Check out Freud blades. Not sure of any specific models as I'm not sure about your needs (rip - X-cut - Combination), but for the cost you're looking to spend, I would say Freud is a good option. Many of Freud's options can be had around $60-100, maybe less as Shawn pointed out. I just grabbed a Freud (LM72R010) flat grind 24 tooth rip blade from WC for $59 before I used their $15 off of $50 deal they sent out in the mail.

Todd

[Darius Ferlas]

I boguth both Freuf 50T and Ridgid 50T (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&N=5yc1vZ1xhuZ18g&R=100030896) combos.
I still haven't touched the Freud which I bought as a backup for the Ridgid. It's been almost a year now and I had no need to switch to the Freud blade yet, or even to re-sharpen the Ridgid one.

I've been using it with cherry, walnut, white oak and pine. For the price... very happy.

[David Giles]

Has anyone mentioned the Freud blades yet? The 24T rip blade is beautiful.
I also really like the Amana 50T crosscut. Much better than the WWII.

[glenn bradley]

Sounds like you are looking for one do-it-all blade. Probably any of the 40 to 50T blades mentioned will do. I run 80T for crosscutting and 24T for ripping. I have some 40T blades for not-so-particular cuts; I almost said rough cuts but that is not fair. Some tweener blades do a real nice job in a lot of woods. I get better results with task specific blades in oaks, ash, lacewood and other really fibrous materials.

[Myk Rian]

Has anyone mentioned the Freud blades yet?
Did you read any of the previous messages?

[Doug Shepard]

... I run 80T for crosscutting and 24T for ripping....

Same here, both Freuds. The 80T gets all the sheet stuff cutting too. I also have a Forrest WWII that doesn't excel at either task but is a good all around blade.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Did you read any of the previous messages?

I think he was being facetious because EVERY post was pro-Freud :)


+1 for the Avanti combo. I have one and it cuts better than my WWII (*ducks and runs for cover before the Forrest fans arrive*)

[scott spencer]

Pete - The Infinity Combomax 010-150 (http://www.infinitytools.com/products.asp?dept=1196) is on sale for $55, and is the best 50T thin kerf combo I've used, and is better than the vast majority of full kerf combos I've used. My Epinions review (http://www.epinions.com/content_380232306308).

For decent lower cost alternatives, the Freud Avanti TK906 (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-TK906-Avanti-10-Inch-Combination/dp/B0000223O1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1249655926&sr=8-1), Freud Diablo or Freud made Ridgid R1050 are good choices, as is the Freud Industrial LU86R010 (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU86R010-10-Inch-General-PermaShield/dp/B00020JOBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1249656010&sr=1-1). LU86 Epinions (http://www.epinions.com/review/Freud_LU86R010_10_40_Tooth_Thin_Kerf_General_Purpo se_Blade_42542453/content_227985493636) review. The DeWalt DW7140PT or DW7150PT (http://www.epinions.com/content_401473310340) are also very good low cost choices on sale.

The philosophies about choosing task specific blades that will perform very well in a narrow operating range, or more of a "do-all" general purpose blade that will give good results in most applications but excel at none, are really a matter of preference. Both philosophies have merit depending on your saw, your preference, budget, and cutting objectives. A decent purebred 60-80 tooth crosscut blade will certainly make cleaner crosscuts than a 30, 40 or 50 tooth general purpose blade of comparable quality. Inversely, a 24 tooth bulk ripper will certainly be more efficient at ripping thick material than the general purpose (GP) style blade. The key to being “better” depends on how you define that term. Better performance characteristics in one aspect of cutting doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better choice overall. Consider both sides of the equation before making a decision. Taking the approach of using task specific blades requires owning at least two blades that each excel in a limited operating region, and are typically unacceptable for tasks outside of their intended scope. They also require blade changes for each different task for optimum results. Two task-specific blades (typically a 24T ripper and an 80T crosscutter) will generally stay sharp longer than a single general purpose blade because they share the work load, but cost more upfront and will also cost more to re-sharpen when the time comes. A general purpose blade will neither rip as efficiently as a true rip blade nor crosscut as cleanly as a dedicated crosscut blade, but you may find that it’s more than acceptable at doing both tasks for most situations. A valid argument in favor of using one high quality general purpose blade is that the GP blade leaves a cleaner edge than the rip blade, crosscuts faster than a crosscut blade, and does so with the convenience and cost of using one blade. If you happen to do a lot of specialty cutting of fine veneered plywoods, veneers, melamine, MDF, plastics, etc., a blade made specifically for these materials is definitely recommended. If you tend to rip very thick dense materials regularly, then a dedicated ripping blade is a wise choice for you right from the start.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

So many WW II bashers. I agree with Scott. Any single purpose blade will be better than a combo. So yes, a cheap Freud crosscut will cut better than the WWII. So if you want one blade to stay on your saw, get a WWII and leave it there. It's cheaper than buyinng 3 Frueds. Or whatever else brand you want. I'm not bashing Freuds, I have 3 of them. They are good blades. Just my .02.

Oh, since you have a smaller hp saw, thin kerfs may be the way to go.

[glenn bradley]

Has anyone mentioned the Freud blades yet?


Did you read any of the previous messages?


I think he was being facetious because EVERY post was pro-Freud


Bwaaa-ha-ha :D:D:D