Saw blades

[Todd Crawford]

What the best value in table saw blades. Don't want the cheapest, just looking for the best bang for the buck. Forrest WWII? This is my first table saw, so I apologize if this is something that should be obvious. Thanks in advance.

[Paul Symchych]

Don't overlook Diablo blades. made by Freud and sold at the orange box for something like $30. I feel no need for the higher priced blades.

[Leo Vogel]

Freud sawblades. None better for the money. I have tried them all, and always reach for my freud blades.

[Todd Crawford]

Don't overlook Diablo blades. made by Freud and sold at the orange box for something like $30. I feel no need for the higher priced blades.

Thanks for the response. I've seen those there before and have used them on my circular saw.

[Neil Brooks]

If you have a Fine Woodworking subscription (or want to try them, on a trial basis), you might find this review (http://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolGuide/ToolGuidePDF.aspx?id=2777) helpful.

Otherwise, Scott Spencer is kind of like Dr. Saw Blade, around these parts :)

FWIW, I've been extremely happy with my Forrest WWII AND Dado King, but ... that doesn't mean that it's all things to everybody.

Good luck !

[Andrew Nemeth]

There are different quality levels for freud blades and cutters. The line carried by most of the big box hardware stores is usually their lower end. I have had some success with the diablo blade mentioned previously but I would only use it as a rough blade or a temporary blade while having my good blades sharpened. I have 2 WWII that are my go to combination blades. I have heard very good things about Freuds upper end blades too. You can find them at most of the woodworking specific stores such as woodcraft. The grade of carbide (stays sharp longer) and the thickness of the teeth (allowing for multiple sharpenings) make premium blades a better value for me than anything I can buy at a big boxstore.

[David Helm]

There are different quality levels for freud blades and cutters. The line carried by most of the big box hardware stores is usually their lower end. I have had some success with the diablo blade mentioned previously but I would only use it as a rough blade or a temporary blade while having my good blades sharpened. I have 2 WWII that are my go to combination blades. I have heard very good things about Freuds upper end blades too. You can find them at most of the woodworking specific stores such as woodcraft. The grade of carbide (stays sharp longer) and the thickness of the teeth (allowing for multiple sharpenings) make premium blades a better value for me than anything I can buy at a big boxstore.

+1 on this post. While I don't use Freud blades I fully agree with getting better blades which allow for more sharpenings. Generally the low end blades are throw away which, in my opinion, is a waist of limited resources.

[glenn bradley]

After buying and trying many, Freud industrials are my go-to blades for 90% of my work. It would be good to know the HP and configuration of your saw. Full or thin kerf can make a difference for some folks.

[Tom Walz]

Those are all good saw blades.

However, If you want a real deal we have two 10” by 40 tooth saw blades we built for Saw Stop. They have a 5/8” bore and an ATB (alternate top bevel grind). Saw Stop wanted to inspect and test our saw blades since they have unique saw tips.

These were built with our Cermet 2 saw tips that give somewhere between 2 and 10 times the life of carbide depending on the material being cut.

These are built to industrial specifications, which means a total runout of 0.002” instead of the more common 0.004”.

Basically these saw blades are like the stock cars in NASCAR compared to what you buy retail.

Anyway, Saw stop requested a couple blades for testing. These blades passed in inspection so they didn’t need to run them. In spite of the fact they have never been run they have been out do we don’t consider them new.

They retail for $99.99 and are yours for $49.00. There are only two blades. Saw Stop is just sending them back so it will be a couple days.

They can be sharpened by any good saw shop with automatic equipment. They both come with our standard, unlimited 100% guarantee.

Don’t know if you really want a blade this good but we have them and are looking for something to do with them.

If you don’t want them we’ll offer them to Keith for a contest or drawing.

Tom Walz
Carbide Processors
800 346-8274

[Erik Christensen]

I like my Ridge Carbide blades. 100% US made and as good as anything I have seen. I have 10" plywood & rip blades for my TS and a 12" cross cut on my RAS. Used a fair amount for a year or more and have yet to need a sharpening.

[Alex Horvath]

Can the Forrest blades be sharpened adequately by a competent sharpening shop?

Forrest implies that they are only ones that can sharpen them but the turnaround time can be long and shipping is a PITA.

[Rod Sheridan]

Todd, a good blade is a good investment over your woodworking lifetime.

I've never been a fan of combination blades alone.

If you only own a combo blade you'll have problems ripping thicker stock, or getting extremely smooth cross cuts.

A 24 tooth rip blade (chip limitation) and a 60 or 80 tooth ATB (Alternate Top Bevel) blade will cover most of your needs.

Add a TCG (Triple Chip Grind) blade for melamine or particle board at a later date, and keep a junk blade around for when the neighbourhood kid shows up with his prized piece of wood he found in a ditch.

I use FS Tools blades, fantastic cutting tools made in North America, and a sharpening service that's one of the best. They can sharpen any blade or cutter.

Invest in good blades, expect to pay between $70 and $130 per blade ( cost may be a bit lower in the USA), and keep them for a lifetime.

Regards, Rod.

[jmike montgomery]

This is a topic I've wondered about over the past few months. In both my miter and table saw, I've been of the school that more teeth = better results. So I've typically used thin kerf 80T ATB blades in both. For crosscutting, they give glass smooth cuts. But for ripping, I've noticed in oak that I can get some burning even if I take my time cutting the wood and don't shove it through the saw.

Would I get better results using a different type of blade in my table saw?

Looking at an old Freud catalog, they had one blade that they said was the "ultimate" combination blade, which if I recall correctly was in the 60T category.

[Bob Rossi]

I have 2 Forest WWII blades, a thin kerf and a thick kerf. I purchased the thick kerf when my thin kerf had to go in for sharpening due to carelessness on my part. (Yes they do take a few weeks).

My thick blade is the new design that gives incredible crosscut results by not so good rip results, (it leaves witness marks).

[Alex Horvath]

I do a lot of miter work on the 12" miter saw and I splurged on the Forrest thick kerf miter saw blade. I think it's worth it because I could see the original thin kerf blade deflect to the side if I was adjusting a cut. It is a little harder on the saw motor - takes perhaps a second longer to spin up fully.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ripping requires a blade with few teeth and deep gullets to carry away the long stringy fibres of the wood.

You want a 24 tooth blade with a flat grind.

You can buy a 24 tooth rip blade with chip limitation to reduce the risk of kickback.

Buy one, you'll be amazed how well it rips..........Rod.

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I like my CMT blades.

[Bruce Wrenn]

For a 10" blade, go over to Cripe Distributing's web site and order a couple of Delta 7657 for $17 each, plus shipping (about $12.) For less than $50 you will have two very nice blades. I own a couple of Forrest WWII's, but keep a 7657 on my saw most of the time. Recently I did an exterior handrail replacement. I used PT 2 X 8's to make my stock. (I could get it clear this way.) The sawn sides looked like they had been through the planer.

[Jim O'Dell]

I recently purchased an Infinity Combo Max blade. It is amazing!! 50 tooth combo blade. The Super General is supposed to be even nicer. Jim.

[Paul McGaha]

I use Freud blades. Seem to be reasonably priced and I've found them to cut well.

Also seem to be available at all the places I tend to shop at.

Like the Freud Super Dado set also.

PHM

[Matt Meiser]

10" 40 tooth blades are a great value. I have a thin kerf WWII and had picked up an Amana Prestige as a backup. While rearranging the Prestige rolled out on the concrete and damaged several teeth--too many to make it worth getting fixed. I couldn't find another Amana so I picked up a full kerf Ridge Carbide which is what is on my saw now. And I just picked up a freshly sharpened used full kerf WWII from another member here. The TK WWII is going on my portable saw.

Manufacturers seem to be constantly changing their designs. What's good now might not have been the case 2 years ago--see Bob Rossi's comment above. I didn't know Forrest changed their design? Kind of a bummer to me as I liked it the way it was.

[scott spencer]

Todd - The best blade for you depends on your saw, your preferences, and what you'll be cutting. It's a question that you're really best suited to answer once you get some basic info sorted out. Forrest makes some great blades, but are usually among the more expensive options. Infinity also offers some of the best blades I've tried to date. Freud, CMT, Leitz, DeWalt/Delta, Tenryu, Ridge Carbide, Amana, and others also have some great choices, but it's important recognize that each offers many models from multiple series, and not all are a great choice for your needs.

While not the best performers on the market, the Freud Diablo series are generally considered an excellent bang for the buck if thin kerf blades will suit your needs....the Ridgid Titanium series is similar (also by Freud AFAIK). The Delta 7657 suggested by Bruce is among the hottest deals going if a full kerf (0.118") general purpose blade will suit your needs. The Oshlun line is another good value line if full kerf suits you.

Tips for picking a saw blade (http://lumberjocks.com/knotscott/blog/12395)

I would avoid the Irwin Marathon, Classic, and Sprint lines, the DeWalt construction series, Oldham construction series, Skil, Workforce, Vermont American, the new "Avanti" and "Avanti Pro" line from HD (no longer made by Freud), most Ryobi, and many of the other poorly made disposable construction grade blades commonly found at the big box stores that aren't well suited for fine woodworking.
.

[Alexei Perelet]

I've been a fan of Freud blades. I have their combination, glue line rip and one of their ultimate crosscut blades. They all perform flawlessly. The combination gets used on projects where I'm either dealing with pine or don't need super clean cuts.

All of my Freud blades are thin kerf and I've never had any problem with it. I have the Grizzly G0715P, at 2HP i figured I might as well keep my thin kerf blades instead of buying full kerf blades.

[Todd Crawford]

My saw is the 1 1/2 HP JET contractor saw. Most of my work is in hardwood.

[scott spencer]

My saw is the 1 1/2 HP JET contractor saw. Most of my work is in hardwood.

Your motor will have an easier time spinning a good thin kerf blade (~ 3/32").

[ian maybury]

One of the issues that makes comparisons between numbers of teeth and grinds difficult is precisely the issue of just how bad some blades are.

Another big variable is the quality of sharpening you get - I've had one or two over here that were abysmal.

A complicating factor over here in Ireland is that many of the professional quality blades (e.g. some of those coming from Germany) are brands that you wouldn't recognise from reading the mags - they tend to be sold within the trade by sales guys representing specialist suppliers that often offer a collection and return service for sharpening as well.

There's probably a lot to be said for identifying a good quality maker and sharpening service, and after that not moving too far away from their line - although I can't be sure at my level of experience and blade use that there aren't bum models within maker's lines too....

ian

[Tom Walz]

Think of saw blades like knives. You can do everything with a Swiss army knife. However a machete makes cutting brush easier. A chef knife, boning knife and paring knife make cooking easier. And so on.

A combination saw blade is like a Swiss army knife. If you are serious about the quality of your cuts you will be much happier with a specific blade. A rip blade is faster, for example. A plywood blade will typically give cleaner cuts and so on.

A combination blade may have an ATB (alternate top bevel) grind. You may get a cleaner cut with an ATBR (added Raker), a High ATB, or an ATAF (Alternate Top, Alternate Face).

There are maybe two dozen classes of saw blades divided by type of machine, material being cut and other application specific functions. There are maybe ten types of saw tip grinds. There are maybe a eight or ten types of carbide and advanced material tips (Cermet 2 and Super C for example) used. That is over a thousand kinds of blades

We sell Tenryu saw blades and here are their major classes:

Alumi-Cut (Non-ferrous), Brushcutter, Cord Free, Diamond Grit Saw Blades, Fiber-Cement Board, Gold Medal all purpose, Gold Medal Dado Set, Industrial Saw Blades, Melamine and Veneer Plywood, Miter and Sliding Miter, Non-Ferrous, Panel Saw Blades, Plastic Cutting, Plunge cutting, Power Tool Series, Pro Series - Non-Ferrous,
Pro Series - Plastic, Pro Series - Solid Surface, Pro Series - Wood, Rapid Cut Saw Blades, Rescue Blades, Silencer & Ultra Trim Silencer, Sliding Table and Vertical Panel,
Steel Cutting, Stainless Steel Cutting,

There is an article on kinds of saw blades at:
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/Saw-Blades.html (http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/Saw-Blades.html)

[Warren Street]

Thank you, thank you for the recommendation regarding the deal at Cripe. Bought 2 blades and the Delta blade is very nice. I got 2 top quality blades for 44$ including shipping.

[Van Huskey]

Tenryu, Freud Industrial and Forrest blades are my go to blades, I think they all represent long term value. There are a ton of other high mid-range blades like these that also have great value. I also want to try the Cermet blades but I have a couple of dozen blades so it may be a long time before I need any new ones.

If I had to distill my choice down to one it would be the Freud Industrial line, they are maybe 10% cheaper than the Forrest blades and are every bit as good and have plenty of carbide on the teeth. The P410 Fusion is probably my favorite combo blade just slightly better than the 40T WWII.

[Don Bullock]

Todd, you can't go wrong with the Forrest WWII. I've used them on an old Craftsman 1970s vintage saw and a 5hp SawStop. I have to say that I was very impressed with the cuts I got using a Forrest WWII on both saws.

[Stew Hagerty]

I just bought a Freud 52-tooth Combo and man am I impressed!!! Best blade I have ever used. Of course I've never had a Forrest. I like the Combo blades because there is much less changing involved. I do switch to a Plywood blade if I want particularly fine cuts or a Rip blade if I'm going to be ripping a lot of stock. Other than that, my Combo does everything else.

I Highly Recommend!!:D