Another blade question from a newbie...

[Jimmy Anthony]

Just got my first table saw. It's a 1.5hp Jet 10" contractor/hybrid, belt driven. I'm thinking about upgrading the blade. It has the original 40T Jet blade. So what is a good cost/quality general blade I could start with until I have a need for something more specialized? I suspect most of my upcoming projects will be with medium density woods, small stuff too. I've looked at some of the Freud general use blades, though it seems if I need to do any cross cutting I will need a higher tooth count.

Will the 40T it has on it (is sharp and straight) work well enough that I should step on up to a 60T or 80T?

Mostly asking because I scored an Amazon gift card that is burning a hole in my wallet... :D

[scott spencer]

In general, stock blades are fairly poor. A decent 40T or 50T 3/32" thin kerf blade should do pretty well for most common tasks, and should run in the $30-$40 range. You can add a 24T ripper and a nice 60T to 80T fine crosscut/ply blade when the need arises. Some of the better bargain lines are the Irwin Marples, Freud Diablo, CMT ITK Plus, or DeWalt Precision Trim series. For more money, Infinity, Forrest, Ridge Carbide, Tenryu Gold Medal, Freud Premier, Freud Industrial, CMT Industrial, Popular Tools, Guhdo, or Amana Tool offer top shelf performance with ample carbide so you get several sharpenings out of them. Everyone has their favorites...pick whichever suits your needs and your budget.

Tips for Picking Saw Blades (http://lumberjocks.com/knotscott/blog/12395)
Bargain Saw Blades (http://lumberjocks.com/knotscott/blog/36699)

[Dave Haughs]

You're going to get a LOT of opinions here. Including mine :) I've never been happy with any of the blades I've gotten with a saw. They generally perform well for making rough cuts. I am a big fan of Tenryu blades:

http://www.amazon.com/Tenryu-GM-25540-Carbide-Tipped-Blade/dp/B000FXY38M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428348857&sr=8-1&keywords=tenryu

I have two so I always have a sharp one. It's a great combination blade. Unless I have a dado set on my table saw, this is what you will find. Except for now since I let them both get dull and sent them both out at the same time for sharpening. Right now I'd stuck with a couple other 40 tooth blades that have renewed my appreciation for the Tenryu. I have no complaints with the Tenryu and can get ready to glue cuts with it.

Do you have any complaints with the blade you have now? I've found even a cheap blade (Makita, Dewalt - cheap compared to Tenryu) sharpened properly out performs most blades I've gotten with saws (not all). I'm very interested to see what other info you get here. You'll surely get votes for Forrest WWII as well, though I have no first hand experience.

Here are some more threads on this matter:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?179545-Table-Saw-Blade-Suggestions
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?187683-What-s-the-table-saw-blade-that-ll-give-me-the-smoothest-finished-cut
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?135978-Best-10-quot-table-saw-blades

[Jimmy Anthony]

Thank you both, more reading material - I like! :D I'm finding it is just as fun learning about all this stuff as it is actually doing it, for me anyway. I geek out on it so to speak.

The current blade needs sharpening but works ok for general ripping. Not sure it will do much more than become sacrificial should I ever need it for something.

I'm curious to see what this turns up too...

[Dave Haughs]

I'm curious to see what this turns up too...

Does it ever end? I spend more time reading and coming up with ideas than I ever have the time (or money to accomplish. But it's fun.

[Jim Dwight]

I have a "under powered" table saw, a Ryobi BT3100 and I find that it works well for most things regardless of the blade as long as it is sharp and clean. But if I want to do a deep rip, anything over an inch or so, a dedicated ripping blade helps a lot. I like Freud blades. I don't find thin kerf makes nearly as much difference as using ripping blades for deep rips and keeping the blade sharp and clean. I use a full kerf 24 tooth Freud ripper for 3 1/2 inch cuts in hardwood, for instance. Works fine. But even a sharp 40 or 50 tooth all around blade would require much slower feed and would still want to burn and act up.

For all around use, I like a 50 tooth with 4 ATB teeth and I flat top ripping tooth - 10 sets. I have a Freud and a DeWalt in this grind and they work well. All ATB teeth is more for the CMS or RAS - the cross cutting tools. But my 50 tooth blades are fine when I want to crosscut on the table saw.

[Jimmy Anthony]

Does it ever end? I spend more time reading and coming up with ideas than I ever have the time (or money to accomplish. But it's fun.
Never ends... that is the fun!

[Kent A Bathurst]

Jim D is onto it:

A gen-purpose 40t combo blade. But, for thick stock, get a rip blade with fewer teeth - 30 or 20 or sumpin'.

You don't want greater than 40t combo, unless you decide you need to process $$$ panels, or get excellent crosscuts - then you need a specialised blade. More than 40t would, in general, have a hard time ripping.

I don't like the thin-kerf blades for one reason: I have a good set of blades, and many of them would not be available in thin-kerf - which means my blade changeover now includes resetting the lens on the fence for calibration. No thanks.

And brand - - yep - everyone has their faves - mine is Forrest - across the deck. Period.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought some blades from Carbide Processors.com, better price than Amazon, and free shipping if you buy 3 blades. The Tenryu blades I got for my Hammer saw are amazing. I also got a dado blade from them. The rip blade will come in really handy, as using a 24 tooth rip blade will make your saw rip like a saw with more hp.

[Lee Schierer]

For a low investment to get really good cuts, try Freud blades. I run a 1.5 Hp Craftsman and they give great cuts without bogging down. I'm and advocate of dedicated rip and cross cut blades. I just purchased a Freud 30 tooth glue line rip LM72 ($57 at amazon) and it gives jointer quality rip cuts on a well aligned saw. I also have a 60 tooth LU82 that gives exceptional crosscuts ($40 at amazon).

[Jimmy Anthony]

For a low investment to get really good cuts, try Freud blades. I run a 1.5 Hp Craftsman and they give great cuts without bogging down. I'm and advocate of dedicated rip and cross cut blades. I just purchased a Freud 30 tooth glue line rip LM72 ($57 at amazon) and it gives jointer quality rip cuts on a well aligned saw. I also have a 60 tooth LU82 that gives exceptional crosscuts ($40 at amazon).Appreciate the info I will look into both of these.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, the last good quality combination blade I bought was about $100 (FS Tools).

Pay lots of money for blades, they're the part that actually does the cutting, high quality blades work better, and last much longer. They're a prudent investment.

You will also need something around 24 teeth for ripping and someday an 80 tooth perhaps TCG grind for abrasive stuff like melamine/particle board/MDF.

Regards, Rod.

[Chris Padilla]

Combo blades will get you by for a while. The good ones will rip and crosscut pretty good. What you'll find out eventually is that good dedicated rip and cross cut blades perform exceptionally well. Leave the combo blades for MDF and sub-grade plywood or cuts you don't care too much about. There are lots of good vendors out there: Freud and Forrest are popular ones but CMT (orange) and Tenyru are also very good. Any of these on sale or for a good price should be snapped up.

The thin-kerf vs. regular kerf goes like this, IMO: thin is for underpowered saws but I think for most saws, the standard 1/8" kerf is the way to go. Blade bodies in the thin-kerf area have been known to wobble and warp and thus cut poorly.

And FWIW, finding a guy or company who KNOWS how to properly sharpen a blade can take a crappy, stock blade and have it cutting almost like a high-end Forrest blade. I now spend the time and money to ship my blades from the west coast to the east coast to Forrest to sharpen my blades for me. They know what they're doing.

[roger wiegand]

I've been very happy with my SystiMatic blades, but I just found out they stopped production three years ago :confused:. I guess they made too good a product, I haven't tried to buy a new blade from them in a long time, just keep sharpening the old ones.

I think a dedicated 20-24 tooth rip blade is worth the small hassle involved in changing blades (and they tend to be cheap, having many fewer teeth) and if you work a lot with sheet gods or melamine a dedicated blade can make all the difference in giving a good finished edge. Those do then to be costly, as they are frequently 80 tooth or more with a more complicated (and fragile) grind.

[Myk Rian]

All my blades are Freud. A combo will do most of what you need.

[Rich Riddle]

I purchase good blades like FS, Infinity, and Forrest. It really depends on the blade purpose to which seems to cut best. It's best to avoid the "middle ground" blades that are slightly better than stock blades but not the top tier performers.

[Don Sundberg]

My Bosch 4100 either has a thin kerf Freud industrial or a cheap Irwin (cheapest I could find) for doing rough work ie laminate flooring. My Unisaw has either a Forrest WWII or a Onsrud blade. I like the Onsrud blade a little better than the Forrest. When I first bought the Forrest I was kind of let down by the cut quality compared to the full kerf Freud that I had in the saw prior. After running a deck screw through the WWII I put the Onsrud in that I picked up for a song on the Bay along with a rip blade I haven't used yet. Looks like my deal must have been a close out but I guess my point is that some of the other top tier industrial brands cut just as well or better that the highly acclaimed in the amateur woodworking circles Forrest WWII. It is a very good blade and if you can find it on sale and have the $$ get it. It just doesn't walk on water. :D