Craftsman Professional saw blades.

[Dave Lehnert]

Anyone have experence with sears Craftsman Professional saw blades. I had one that was a good blade but been 20 years ago. I am looking for a blade to cut 2x4's etc.. I have a good finish blade that cuts as smooth as glass. Too smooth for just general construction stuff around the house. This one is $26 bucks right now.

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00932860000P?keyword=12%27+saw+blade&prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=L3

http://s.shld.net/is/image/Sears/00932860000?hei=400&wid=400&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

[Larry Edgerton]

I bought a Craftsmen Pro rip blade last years when I was working out of town and needed something quick. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the blade performed.

I try to buy from Sears as I like their policy reguarding how they treat their employees that get called up from the reserves. They not just hold their job, but hold their position, their rate of pay, and their family health benifits. They also kick in the extra to make their army pay match what they were making at Sears. Impressive.

Larry

[Joseph Tarantino]

good experience here with c-man blades. i had a 40 tooth combination blade that wood magazine rated as a top value in one of their saw blade tests and i liked it very much. good performance at a terrific price on clearance. i'd still be using it if i hadn't accidently dropped it and broke off 2 teeth. really disappointed me. now, it's my "gee, i know i checked this material for metal, but jjuusstt in case ......." blade. sears' professional series of tools and accessories are usually pretty reliable (IMHO) and when purchased at a clearance price, are usually good values.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I try to buy from Sears as I like their policy reguarding how they treat their employees that get called up from the reserves. They not just hold their job, but hold their position, their rate of pay, and their family health benifits. They also kick in the extra to make their army pay match what they were making at Sears. Impressive.

Larry

Impressive indeed. I like that store. I will support them more now. I need a new blade.

[Bill White]

Though I appreciate the Sears employee policy, I don't even go into a Sears store. There may be some good stuff, but the general quality of Craftsman branded products have gotten so questionable that I've just lost confidence.

OK! Start the flamin'. I DO have a bunch of old C'man power tools that are beasts, and they'll stay with me.
Bill

[Bruce Wrenn]

good experience here with c-man blades. i had a 40 tooth combination blade that wood magazine rated as a top value in one of their saw blade tests and i liked it very much. good performance at a terrific price on clearance. i'd still be using it if i hadn't accidently dropped it and broke off 2 teeth. really disappointed me. now, it's my "gee, i know i checked this material for metal, but jjuusstt in case ......." blade. sears' professional series of tools and accessories are usually pretty reliable (IMHO) and when purchased at a clearance price, are usually good values.Send your blade to Dynamic Saw in Buffalo, and have them fix it.

[Troy Turner]

I've got the 10" version of that one and really enjoy it. What I like about mine is it's made in Italy and not somewhere else. I belive there's another blade made in Italy ;) I know it's not the same quality...but it's quality on my budget :) I slowly progressed from the craftsman 3-pack to these single blades and I'm glad I did. I may be missing something with the higher end blades, but again, this is a hobby so I can justify the $45 price tag.

[Dennis Puskar]

You can still use that blade with 2 teeth missing it will not make any difference in the cut.

[Rick Potter]

Dave,

Keep an inexpensive skil saw blade for use in cutting 2x4's and particle board. Then you could save the more expensive blades for cuts that you want to be nice.

Rick Potter

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave,

Keep an inexpensive skil saw blade for use in cutting 2x4's and particle board. Then you could save the more expensive blades for cuts that you want to be nice.

Rick Potter

That's what I am kinda after. The Sears blade above seems to be the best price going. For 2x4 and such I don't care if it is carbide tip or not. But have not been able to locate anything cheaper.

[scott spencer]

As with many of the better Craftsman products, the quality largely depends on who's making the tool, and the market level it's aimed at. In this particular case, the Cman Professional saw blade appears to be made by Freud, which may not always be the case even with their "Professional" line. Always best to buy the tool in question, and not the name.

FWIW, the Cman Pro model 32808 was rated as a Best Buy by Wood Mag a couple of years ago, and is very similar to the Freud LU86, Freud Diablo D1040, and former Freud Avanti TK306 (no longer made by Freud, and is now best avoided IMHO).

[Kevin W Johnson]

Last time i looked at the saw blades in Sears, there were quite a few that were Freud blades. "Made In Italy" is a giveaway. I have Ridgid branded blades that are rebranded Freuds, paid $30 for a couple 40T, and got a 90T for not much more. Really nice blades, cut very quiet. Sadly the stores around here no longer carry them.

[jerry nazard]

Though I appreciate the Sears employee policy, I don't even go into a Sears store. There may be some good stuff, but the general quality of Craftsman branded products have gotten so questionable that I've just lost confidence.

OK! Start the flamin'. I DO have a bunch of old C'man power tools that are beasts, and they'll stay with me.
Bill

Bill,

I'm with you on this.

-Jerry

[Chris Kennedy]

I have the dedicated rip and the dedicated cross-cut and they are nice blades. I have some lower quality Craftsman blades that came with my saw, and there is no comparison between them. Unfortunately, I don't really have any high-end blades to compare them to (can't quite justify the cost with how little shop time I get . . . .) But, I really like them -- nice smooth cuts, little tearout.

Cheers,

Chris

[Jay Jeffery]

I think this is the blade that came in a 2 pack that I bought a few years ago for about $60. They were clearly rebranded Freud. Sears in fact carried several of the Avanti line (pre HD sellout) and they were essentially identical in appearance down the the fonts silk screened on the blade. The package came with this 40 tooth and a 90 tooth blade. I did not see much diffidence as both left a glassy smooth cut in the materials I was cutting (mostly pine). They are really table saw blades, but I don't think many companies or individuals with a 12" table saws would be buying blades at Sears. I leave this blade in my SCMS and love it. Perhaps I am saving the finer tooth blade for something special, but I don't know what.

So is this blade on clearance then?