Blade Selection

[Dave Shaffer]

I got a compound miter saw for christmas. I am considering replacing the blade that came with it. I heard someone say miter saws can be dangerous if you put the wrong blade on them. Is this true? If it is, what do I need to be looking for? I was wanting to put a 60-80 tooth blade on it.

Thanks
Dave

[Scott Banbury]

Just make sure the teeth have a negative tooth angle.

[Jim Becker]

Just use a blade made for use on a CMS...Scott is correct about the hook angle which prevents "climbing" of the material when the blade engages it. Table saw blades have a zero or positive hook angle to the teeth and that makes them too agressive for safe CMS use.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Dave. I have not heard of putting the "wrong blade" on a miter saw. However, it seems that by the nature of the work it does you would not want a coarse, low tooth count, blade.

First off, why do you need a new blade? My Mikita LS1013 came with a Mikita branded blade. It worked quite well for me for several years of light use. I have recently replaced it with a Forrest ChopMaster, and have the original for backup. My limited experience recommendation is if the blade appears to be balanced and making smooth cuts, leave it alone. Look at your completed cut, is suitable for gluing? Look at partial cut, is the kerf 1/8" wide, if so the blade does not wobble.

Just my 2 cents :)

[Jamie Buxton]

When you're shopping, I recommend a full-kerf blade, not a thin-kerf. My SCMS came with a thin-kerf blade. It would deflect a little if it hit a knot, or when it entered hardwood at an angle. I changed it to a blade which cuts a full eighth inch kerf, and the cuts are now straighter.
It is a little difficult to find a blade which is both full kerf and designed for SCMS work. Mine is an Everlast, and I believe Forrest has one. Most others are thin-kerf.

[Bill Arnold]

I second what Jamie said about a full kerf blade. My DeWalt miter saw came with a thin kerf blade that seemed to wobble just enough to throw off a miter a tad. I replaced it with a DeWalt 80-tooth 12" blade and have had no problems with it.

[Michael Perata]

I got a compound miter saw for christmas. I am considering replacing the blade that came with it. I heard someone say miter saws can be dangerous if you put the wrong blade on them. Is this true? If it is, what do I need to be looking for? I was wanting to put a 60-80 tooth blade on it.

Thanks
Dave
Dave

If you have a CMS (not sliding CMS) then a negative hook blade is not necessary.

If you have a sliding CMS, or Radial Arm Saw, then a negative hook is essential to keep the blade from pulling itself through the wood stock, in your direction!

I have been using CMT blades with very good experience, but may try switchiing to Tenryu.

[Larry Copas]

Hey Dave used to live in Sedalia...SE of town out on M highway. Great place to live.

Jamie called it right when he said “full-kerf”. Thin kerf works fine until you have a project where your chopping lengths fast and then you get deflection.

Michael also called it right about the negative hook blade. The negative hook prevents climb cutting....which is the tendency for the saw to run over you. If your saw is a sliding CMS or a RAS you can use a blade with positive hook with a push stroke instead of the normal pull stroke. Not recommended as it is hard to learn.

[Dave Wright #2]

Yea, the negative hook blades are important for RAS and SCMS. A regular CMS works fine with a wider range of blades.

[Dave Shaffer]

Thanks for clarifying guys. It is a non-sliding compound miter saw. Not quite what I would have bought (10" GMC), but my wife had her heart in it and it will do till I can upgrade. So if I understand everyone, because it is not a sliding CMS, it can take any 10" blade. Any suggestions on what would be a good blade to put on it? I dont want to put an expensive blade on a low end saw because that would be like...well like...putting an expensive blade on a low end saw :rolleyes:

[Jason Sanko]

Hey Dave used to live in Sedalia...SE of town out on M highway. Great place to live.

Jamie called it right when he said “full-kerf”. Thin kerf works fine until you have a project where your chopping lengths fast and then you get deflection.

Michael also called it right about the negative hook blade. The negative hook prevents climb cutting....which is the tendency for the saw to run over you. If your saw is a sliding CMS or a RAS you can use a blade with positive hook with a push stroke instead of the normal pull stroke. Not recommended as it is hard to learn.
I thought you were supposed to use a SCMS with a push stroke cut (extend out to you, plunge down into work piece and then push away from body), and with a RAS a pull cut. I know I have never done anything but use a push stroke cut on mine anyhow. I may very well be dead wrong and doing something dangerous the whole time though.

[Bill Arnold]

Thanks for clarifying guys. It is a non-sliding compound miter saw. Not quite what I would have bought (10" GMC), but my wife had her heart in it and it will do till I can upgrade. So if I understand everyone, because it is not a sliding CMS, it can take any 10" blade. Any suggestions on what would be a good blade to put on it? I dont want to put an expensive blade on a low end saw because that would be like...well like...putting an expensive blade on a low end saw :rolleyes:
Dave,

You can get a decent blade for anywhere from $30-$60. As stated earlier in this thread, be sure it is not a 'thin kerf' blade. For a 10" saw, 60 teeth would make a good finished cut for miters. I have a DeWalt 12", 80-tooth blade on my saw and it does a fine job. As with any other tool, you have to 'let the tool do the work' and not force it to get good results.

Regards,