Best TS blades. Freud vs. Diablo - any difference

[Mike Muehlbauer]

Anyone notice or know of performance differences between the straight Freud TS blades and their Diablo brand blades? They have similar features and construction and as they're from the same company, I'm wondering if the difference in price is justified.

248202248203Opinions??

[Jim Riseborough]

Sharp...go with the sharpest.

Not sure how you can tell without getting both :)

[Howard Acheson]

Here is a responce provided by a Freud tech guy a number of years ago.

QUOTE

All Freud blades come from the same machines in the same manufacturing plant. We make our own micrograin carbide in numerous formulations that represent various degrees of hardness. The carbide is selected depending on the intended application (the hardest is used for laminates the softest for ripping) as are the tooth angles and tooth quantity. The steel for the blade plates is all the same grade. The brazing is all the same. The key differences between the 3 main lines of Freud blades are:

The LU/LM Industrial blades have the thickest tips for the most resharpenings and are generally full kerf. We also offer the most selection of specialty blades in this line. These have the most appeal to professionals who need to get a lot of sharpenings out of a blade and to artisans who need specialty blades for their projects.

The TK and Diablo lines are very similar. Both are thin kerf blades and the tip thickness is the same. The key difference is in the way we market these blades. The Diablo line has blades intended for purposes like framing, siding, decking and general home improvement and is packaged and promoted in ways that appeal to contractors and DIYers. The TK line has blades for similar purposes (as well as laminate blades) but is sold with different or no coating and different packaging and POP material to appeal more to woodworkers.

Do professional woodworkers shop for blades at Home Depot? Probably some do and they can get excellent performance from a Diablo blade for a lot of their uses but with a shorter overall life (and lower cost) due to the tip thickness. Same with the TK blades at Lowe's.

Why not compare a TK or Diablo blade to Forrest? Consider this analogy: Toyota cars and Lexus cars share a lot of the same components and are made by the same company. Would you compare a Camry with a BMW?

We make a fourth line of blades (F400 Premier series) that is very similar to the WWII and is priced similarly. The difference between ours and Forrest's is that ours is made by computer controlled, super modern equipment and theirs is made by hand. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages but I leave the final verdict to the consumer.

Charles M
Freud, Inc.

CLOSE QOUTE

[John TenEyck]

Of course there are differences, the most obvious being the Freud blades are mostly full kerf and the Diablo are always thin kerf. But they are both plenty sharp and both cut well. For an underpowered saw the Diablo blades are a better choice, IMO. And for the price, the Diablo blades are hard to beat. I haven't been able to discern any real difference in how long each run before needing to be sharpened.

John

[Jamie Buxton]

Didn't I read recently that the Diablo blades at Home Depot are no longer made by Freud?

[Jeff Duncan]

I think the response from Freud sums it up pretty well, but I still feel as though the Diablo's just don't hold an edge well. I've only had a couple that came with saws so not a lot of experience with them. The industrial line on the other hand are quality blades I'd recommend. I think the Forrest blades are probably the cleanest cutting, (depending on type of cut), and the carbide seems to retain its edge the longest......just my opinion based on use though;)

good luck,
JeffD

[scott spencer]

Didn't I read recently that the Diablo blades at Home Depot are no longer made by Freud?

Someone probably confused the story with the former Freud Avanti blades, which no longer carry the Freud name.

[Jim O'Dell]

Scott, didn't you have a chart a few years back on blades you had personally tested? Is that chart still around?
I've been buying Infinity blades lately. I have 3 so far and love them!!! The nickle armor coating is beautiful and seems to work very well. Want a Dadonator too. We'll see when I get to get it.
I do have a Forrest thin kerf I bought for the contractor saw, used it a couple times and was pleased with it. Then went out and bought a cabinet saw! Also my oldest blade is a Systimatic for laminate and solid surface. I've had it sharpened once and is is like new. I consider all to have been excellent purchases. Jim.

[scott spencer]

Scott, didn't you have a chart a few years back on blades you had personally tested? Is that chart still around?
I've been buying Infinity blades lately. I have 3 so far and love them!!! ...

I did do a chart (http://lumberjocks.com/knotscott/blog/12807) some years back, but no Diablo blades were among them, and it's becoming outdated. I'm loving my Infinity blades too....all that I've tried have been outstanding.

[Mike Muehlbauer]

Thank you all. Lots of good info and feedback on here, especially from actual users.

[Mel Fulks]

Interesting that the factory response did not mention any thing about C3 or C4 carbide .There are some tooth numbers and configurations available in both .Sometimes a saw that seems especially good turns out to be C4. For those who don't allow anyone to put a blade down on a metal surface and are not cutting staples and rocks ,they are worth the extra money.Especially for corion and laminates.

[Michael W. Clark]

I have the Diablo rip blade from HD and have been very pleased with it. It doesn't have a lot of BF run through it yet, but I do have to look pretty closely to determine which side was cut with the TS and which was jointed. I have the industrial Freud 80T plywood blade which has far exceeded my expectations. I have a Forest WWII 40T that probably needs sharpening/cleaning. The Diablo beats it on rip cuts, both speed vs. force and cleanliness of cut (the WWII is not really a rip blade). When the Forrest was new, it was most excellent as well and still does fantastic cross-cuts. I use the WWII primarily for joinery and cross-cuts, most ripping is with the Diablo.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Interesting that the factory response did not mention any thing about C3 or C4 carbide

As I recall Freud had responded one time to this issue. They use whichever carbide hardness is appropriate for the application. As I recall their blades that are used on hard materials like laminates, use a harder carbide to minimize blade tip damage.

[Robert Payne]

I have a Freud LU85R012 (96 tooth, ATB "Ultimate") blade on my 12" Compound Miter Saw that has made thousands of cuts and it is still sharp after 6 years of use... While it was expensive, it was well worth the investment (I actually got it for $70 instead of the current $117). I also have a Forrest WWI on my cabinet saw which cost more yet it still cuts very well after two resharpenings. In my experience, buying quality begets long-term quality performance. I have purchased smaller diameter Freud Diablo blades for my corded portable circular saw and they work fine but have a shorter life span. My two cents.

[Bryan Cramer]

Let me tell you a story about my experience with Diablo blades. I love their 24 tooth riping blade, it is a good preformer, with some scoring, but its thin kerf makes it cut well in my smaller saws. I recently took a slightly used new blade and ripped 1200 linear feet of 2X pine with it and a 1.5 hp 120 volt table saw. I ran non-stop all morning (with a helper) only shutting down once to let the motor cool and clean the pitch off the blade. I still used the blade to finish off the project. These blades do last along time. I have no problem with the Diablo blades. I have sharpened the 60 and 80 tooth blades three times before they were shot, where as the 24 tooth blades only can be sharpend once. Why should I pay more for this kind of preformance?