budget general purpose 10" RAS blade ?

[jim hedgpeth]

My dad has an old Craftsman RAS he uses for projects maybe 3-4 times a year. I was recently out there to help him on one project, and noticed it has the wrong blade in it (pos. hook). As we all have heard it causes problems.

So here is my question, for occasional use who makes a "budget priced" (under $40??) 10" slider/RAS blade?
He is the kind of guy who will grumble and complain if I buy one for him, ("you shouldn't be spending your money on me"). But I also know he wont spend $65 for a Freud LU91 or similar.

I have looked for a Dewalt or Irwin blade, but it seems they only do negative hook on 12" blades.


Any recomendations for an inexpensive 10" RAS blade??

Thanks,
Jim

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Makita makes some great blades, not too expensive. Not sure if the one I use in my scms is a negative hook or not, but its in the $40 range. They have a bunch of options, I posted the one I use.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-A-93681-10-Inch-Polished-Mitersaw/dp/B000MQOOGI/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1391362128&sr=1-11&keywords=makita+blades

Hank Metz posted that you don't need negative hook on a ras. He would know, so I'll defer to the experts on that one.

[Lee Reep]

Right before Christmas I bought an Amana AGE blade for my RAS. My local specialty wood store had them on sale for $45. It is a very nice blade for the money, and it was somewhat of a "test buy" to see just how good a $45 blade could be. I have a Forrest rip blade on my table saw, and it was about $109, plus $25 for a blade stiffener, and it is the finest blade I've ever used.

The old adage you get what you pay for certainly applies to saw blades, but I feel the Amana blade was money well spent. I will tend to keep several blades around for my saws, and use one for aluminum, one for composites, and one for cutting hardwoods where I want the best I can buy, to get the best cut possible.

[jim hedgpeth]

That Makita blade may be just the ticket. Not negative hook, but a lot less hook than what he has. And the price is right.
They have them in 40 and 60 tooth also.

Thanks for the help guys.

Jim

[HANK METZ]

Jim, tooth configuration is just as important as hook angle and tooth count. Try to find a triple chip grind with a positive hook not more than 10 degrees, that should work very well for both crosscutting and ripping. Don't be of the mindset that bigger is better when it comes to sawblades, use the size that is just sufficient for the work at hand, and for the typical shop an 8" diameter will be just fine. Think of it this way, the ol' F-86 Sabre jet had a top end of 685 M.P.H., but cruising was just 540. You're only gonna need that 685 for a few minutes in an attack, but most time in the air will be at cruising, same relative thing in woodworking- swap it out for a 10" only when you need it.

I have used this blade for years and consider it my daily driver:
http://www.routerbitworld.com/Freud-LU83R008-8-Diameter-X-40T-Comb-Coated-Thin-p/freud%20lu83r008.htm

[John McClanahan]

I bought a new Craftsman RAS in 1980. It came with a 40 tooth table saw blade. I used that saw for many years before I learned about desired tooth angle.


John

[Dan Schrecongost]

I would NOT recommend the blade I bought last year at Sears: 9 17032. 10" 80 tooth thin kerf, negative hook, made in Germany. Cuts great but makes a painful high-pitched whine/ring. Hearing protection is a must with this blade.