Table saw blade recommendations

[Jeremy Killingbeck]

I am looking to get a new table saw blade & would like some recommendations. I am currently using a Freud Avanti 60T on my table saw. I have heard good things about the Forrest Woodworker blades, but are they worth the money? I would like a good general purpose blade that I can rip with & do cross cuts. My saw is a 1.5HP Delta Contractor saw. Do I need to run a thin kerf blade on there, or can I run the full kerf? I would think that the full kerf would have less deflection, but does my saw have enough power to support it?

[Bob Betker]

Jeremy: Scott Spencer turned me on to the Infinity 010-060 which I now use on one of my Ryobi BT3000. It has been an excellent combination blade for me. It is currently on sale as well for $60.

Bob

[Robert Meyer]

When I had my contractors 1.5 hp saw I used a thin kerf Freud Diablo combination blade which worked well especially after I put blade stiffeners on the arbor. I also had a thin kerf Forest combination blade which also worked much better with the stiffeners. After I got my 3hp table saw I bought a WW II combination blade full width. All have been outstanding IMHO. I don't think you will regret buying a good Freud or Forest blade.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have a contractor's saw with a 2.0 HP motor. I don't own any thin kerf blades. Even though I own two Forrest WWII"S, the go to blade on my saw is a Delta 35-7657. These can be purchased from Cripe Distributing (Google Cripe Distributing) for $17 each, plug shipping (usually about $10.) This makes new cheaper than sharpening.

[Van Huskey]

I prefer TK blades on lower HP saws BUT it depends on what you cut.

My two favorite all around blades are the Freud P410 and the Forrest 40T WWII. Both of which come in TK now. You can get good blades for less money but an excellent blade will last a LONG LONG time for a hobbyist.

[glenn bradley]

I've had a TK Woodworker II 40T for years and it is a good all around blade for this and that. I have Freud 80T TK blades for crosscutting which leave a superior finish and Freud 24T TK blades for ripping, also superior to the do it all blade but, that is to be expected.

I have a Lietz 40T that cut with a quality equal to the WWII. All are quality blades which just goes to show that many good blades will do well at the job they are designed for. Just make sure you are wanting to do the job for which the blade is designed, not for which it is "hyped". I haven't tried the Infinity but, I respect Scott's opinion and would try one in a heartbeat if I needed one.

BTW, if you do a search here you will get a lot of good info on this subject.

[Kirk Simmons]

My primary blade in the table saw is a 24T Freud Industrial ripping blade ($40 @ Rockler). If I need to crosscut something and I'm not using my SCMS to do it, then I put in an 80T Freud, but the ripping blade gives such a clean cut that it stays in there most of the time.

[Bob Haskett]

I have really been liking this blade..

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020099/29292/Freud-Fusion-10-x-40T-x-58-Thin-Kerf-Saw-Blade.aspx

One of these days I will get a dedicated blade for ripping and cross cutting but for now this does it all for me.

[Richard Amabile]

I have a very old Delta contractor's saw that I just started using again for a project. I was sawing 2" pine for bed frame. I didn't even check the blade and started the work. It was terrible. I thought the saw had problems even though I had upgraded the motor to a 2HP Baldor some years ago and I remembered the saw as cutting quite well. I bought a Woodworker II (regular not thin kerf) and tried it. I was amazed at how well it cut. It was so good that I could join the boards without further work and get a reasonably nice joint. For me it is an all around good blade for ripping and cross cutting. But, some people say they need sharpening more often than blades like the Tenryu.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I am looking to get a new table saw blade & would like some recommendations. I am currently using a Freud Avanti 60T on my table saw. I have heard good things about the Forrest Woodworker blades, but are they worth the money? I would like a good general purpose blade that I can rip with & do cross cuts. My saw is a 1.5HP Delta Contractor saw. Do I need to run a thin kerf blade on there, or can I run the full kerf? I would think that the full kerf would have less deflection, but does my saw have enough power to support it?

1. Yes, Forrest is worth it IMO. I've got a bunch of 'em. Never had a reason/inclination to try anything else.
2. Std kerf prolly OK, but I'd do like Robert noted - WW II 40t thin kerf + stiffener. Although, a number of people here use the 30t WWII as their primary blade.

[mreza Salav]

When I had a 1.5HP contractor saw I used FWW II and wasn't very happy with it. It was Ok but not that good. Sold it and bought Freud Fusion.
I found it better than FWW II (note that there is no single blade that is excellent in all types of cuts).
A thin kerf blade works better in a low powered saw.

[Randal Stevenson]

I have really been liking this blade..

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020099/29292/Freud-Fusion-10-x-40T-x-58-Thin-Kerf-Saw-Blade.aspx

One of these days I will get a dedicated blade for ripping and cross cutting but for now this does it all for me.


When I had a 1.5HP contractor saw I used FWW II and wasn't very happy with it. It was Ok but not that good. Sold it and bought Freud Fusion.
I found it better than FWW II (note that there is no single blade that is excellent in all types of cuts).
A thin kerf blade works better in a low powered saw.

Have either of you compared the thin kerf Fusion to the regular kerf ones?

[Scot Roberge]

Jeremy:

Based on the recommendations I received on SMC, I decided to pop for either a Forrest WWII or Freud Fusion P410. Since both came highly recommended, I let price be my guide. Picked up the Freud for $79.99 with free shipping from International Tool. (Alas . . . I just checked and that deal is gone . . .) I have never experienced anything like this blade. I've heard that sanding the cuts from today's high end blades degrades the finish. It's true. I keep a piece of maple cutoff beside my computer so I can just enjoy feeling the smooth cut a few times each day! One side from my jointer, one side from my planer, the end grain from the Freud Fusion. The saw blade beats my other machines for quality of cut by a mile. I'd say that 320 grit sandpaper would roughen the saw cut. Go ahead and spend the money on a high end blade - every project you do will benefit from it.

[mreza Salav]

both blades I had/have were full kerf (the think kerf Fusion is new).
If I was still using my contractor saw I'd get the think kerf Fusion over the full kerf.
Usually, the problem with low power saws is the feed rate. In ripping it causes some marks/burning on the sides.
With thin kerf you can feed the stock faster.

[scott spencer]

Hi Jeremy - Your saw is definitely worth putting a good blade on. Whether or not the Forrest blades are the answer to your needs or are worth the money is really a matter of opinion....they make some excellent blades, but are not the only blades that perform at that level. It's equally important to match the blade to your saw and the cutting task. Your 60T TK406 is actually a fairly clean cutting blade that'll rip very cleanly to ~ 1.5", which makes it pretty versatile. The TK406 is very similar to Freud's Industrial LU88. It's quite possible that the TK406 will give cleaner cuts than the WWII 40T, though the WWII will rip more efficiently in thick material. Your current weaknesses would appear to be with very thick ripping, and ultra fine ply or crosscuts....consider addressing those weaknesses if you'll be needing those type cuts.

What blade is "best" depends on what you cut, your saw, and your preferences. A blade with better performance in one aspect of cutting doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better choice for your needs overall. Your saw will have an easier time spinning thin kerf blades, especially in thicker material, but it's also capable of spinning a full kerf blade if that's what you prefer. Full kerf blades are 33% thicker than a thin kerf, and require proportionately more power to spin. They are inherently more stable due to the thicker body, but that doesn't mean that a high quality thin kerf blade will pose deflection problems for you. Deflection issues with a good TK blade were rare to non-existent for me when I was using TK's on a smaller saw, even without using a stabilizer. Are you currently having deflection issues? IME, a good TK blade will leave a comparable cut as an identical full kerf blade.

One important decision to make is whether to choose separate task-specific blades or use a general purpose blade for most tasks. 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 to achieve optimum results. A high quality general purpose blade will neither rip as efficiently in thick material as a quality dedicated rip blade, nor cut as cleanly as a dedicated crosscut blade, but you may find that it’s more than acceptable at doing both tasks for most situations. However, a good general purpose blade will leave a cleaner edge than a dedicated rip blade, will crosscut faster than a crosscut blade, and will do so with the convenience and cost of using one blade.

Before spending the cash on a high priced blade, I'd decide which type suits your needs best, then buy the best blade(s) to suit your needs.

[Andy Pedler]

I'm the last person whose opinion you should listen to due to my lack of experience, but I've been using my Sawstop for 2 years with the stock blade and never had any complaints.

However, last weekend, in preparing for doing a lot of ripping of 2x lumber to make my workbench, I picked up the Freud Diablo 24T thin kerf rip blade at the BORG for under $30. All I can say is, Wow...so that's how the saw is supposed to cut. :eek: :) :rolleyes: And this isn't exactly a high-end blade. I can only imagine what a really nice Forrest blade would be like.

Now I'm really thinking of searching for deals on a 50T or 80T thin kerf blade for cross-cuts, and probably upgrading the stock blade on my CMS as well. Sheesh...the more you learn in this hobby the lighter your wallet gets.

Andy - Newark, CA

[Van Huskey]

but I've been using my Sawstop for 2 years with the stock blade and never had any complaints.




I have said it before and I will say it again the stock SS blade is designed for two purposes, taking small bites out of hotdogs and taking big bites out of aluminum. :D

[Gary Muto]

I recently tried a Freud P410 and Forrest WWII. I got better results with the P410, absolutely no swirl marks. Both blades cut excellent. I bought a dedicated rip blade (Freud Glue line rip) and was not as impressed. It cuts well and faster, but the cut face had swirls, no burns though. All blades were tested with 3/4" hard maple. I have a 3 HP saw so I can't comment on thin kerf or really even the benefit of a dedicated ripping blade since I haven't cut anything to thick.

The only other dedicated blade I suggest would be one for plywood/veneer. I have a Freud but forget the model#. It works great, even on phenolic coated plywood which I would think is pretty brittle and prone to chip out. I haven't tried that on any melamine coated wood though.

[Erik Nilsson]

I'm still new to this hobby, but doesn't a stiffener partially defeat the purpose of a thin kerf blade - i.e. adding additional mass to a blade therefore requiring more power to spin it? Just my thought here...

[Anthony Scott]

I caved in and bought a Forrest WWII about a year ago from Amazon for about $85. It was a good price so I decided to splurge. I am glad I did, i can't believe the difference!
In regards to the kerf, you have to figure out how thick your splitter is. If you buy a thin kerf blade and your splitter is thicker than the kerf of the blade, the wood will not be able to push past the splitter. You could of course buy a thin kerf splitter but I don't think the differences justify the expense.

[scott spencer]

I'm still new to this hobby, but doesn't a stiffener partially defeat the purpose of a thin kerf blade - i.e. adding additional mass to a blade therefore requiring more power to spin it? Just my thought here...

The stiffener's mass is centered closer to the arbor so it doesn't require much more power to spin, and the teeth take a smaller bite. The stiffener does inhibit blade height, and usually isn't necessary with a good blade on saw that spins true with low runout.

[Glen Butler]

Forest definitely seems to be the most popular here and I have not tried on yet.

My favorite blade is a tenryu mel-pro. It works as advertised with absolutely zero tearout on melamine. But the thing I like about it is how true and rock solid it is. Many of my freud blades vibrate when they startup. I have a 5hp PM2000. But this tenryu tracks perfect with zero vibration. I am looking forward to trying some other tenryu blades.

[Van Huskey]

Forest definitely seems to be the most popular here and I have not tried on yet.

My favorite blade is a tenryu mel-pro. It works as advertised with absolutely zero tearout on melamine. But the thing I like about it is how true and rock solid it is. Many of my freud blades vibrate when they startup. I have a 5hp PM2000. But this tenryu tracks perfect with zero vibration. I am looking forward to trying some other tenryu blades.

The Tenryu Gold medal is an excellent blade. I use Forrest, Freud and Tenryu blades with excellent results, If I have to choose it is always Freud first (they have caught and surpassed Forrest but most have noticed yet) then either a Tenryu or Forrest which are about equal, in reality they are all quite close.

[Richard Dragin]

If you never have your blades sharpened by a good service then you probably wouldn't appreciate the better quality of the Forrest blades. I just got some blades back from Anderson Saw and remembered why I like my WWII so much.

I have a Delta contractor saw and run a thin kerf. If I am ripping and don't need the super clean cut I'll switch to a cheaper 24t rip blade. If I am cutting ply I use a Freud combo blade. I cut a lot of solid wood with a sled and assorted jigs and I save the WWII for that.

[Glen Butler]

If I have to choose it is always Freud first (they have caught and surpassed Forrest but most have noticed yet) then either a Tenryu or Forrest which are about equal, in reality they are all quite close.

From my experience with Freud and coming from the "You get what you pay for camp" I don't agree here. Freud does make a great blade . . . for the cost. But my experience with Tenryu is limited and I have no experience with Forrest. I go to Freud cause they are easy to get. But that is going to change now that I have enough blades to get by and I can aquire some nicer blades as needed.

[Harvey Pascoe]

I haven't found anything that beats the Forrest TK for all around work. I've used the same two blades for 15 years and the teeth are finally getting down to the nubs. Divide cost + sharpenings divided by years and its dirt cheap. Spring for the best. Cheap blades are no bargain.

[Van Huskey]

I haven't found anything that beats the Forrest TK for all around work. I've used the same two blades for 15 years and the teeth are finally getting down to the nubs. Divide cost + sharpenings divided by years and its dirt cheap. Spring for the best.


You need to try Freud's new offerings the P410 for instance, a lot has changed the difference in cost is pretty small but I get objectively better results new Freud's compared to Forrest and I have at least one of every blade in Freud's industrial line and Freud's line (sans a Dado master).