Quality rip blade for table saw and separate crosscut

[John Sayen]

Hi all

Reading through my other post about quality combination blades many people recommended quality rip and crosscut blades.

Looking at the big players like Forrest and Freud there seem to be options out there.

As with all things analysis paralysis is kicking in and I'm seeking recommendations on a quality rip blade and a quality crosscut blade that will operate well with the sawstop PCS 3HP.

I do have a TS55 and MFT/3 that I will likely use for cross cutting, but I may experiment with the sawstop too.

Materials will be hard and softwoods and I suspect occasional plywood.

Thank you.

[scott spencer]

For heavy ripping, I'd go with a good 24T FTG rip blade, but IIRC your saw needs a blade without the anti-kickback shoulders which limits selection. If you don't do a lot of heavy thick ripping, the WWII 30T (ATB grind) is an expensive, but excellent choice for up to 2" or so....no anti-kickback shoulders. The Ridge Carbide RSH10241 is an excellent example for materials over 2", but is also on the expensive side. Carbide Processors might have some good rip blade choices that are compatible with your saw. Amana Tools also has some good options. The Tenryu RS-25524CBN is a pretty affordable example of a 24T ripper with an ATB grind.

For fine crosscutting and ply, I'd look to a good 80T Hi-ATB for lowest tearout....Infinity 010-080, Ridge Carbide MC10802, Freud LU80, Freud LU85, CMT 210.080.10, etc.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Carbide processors World's best saw blades. I have had nothing but pleasure and satisfaction using their glue line rip blade. However know that, since they make each blade to order, two to three weeks pass before the saw blade is in your hands.

[Ben Rivel]

I have gone with all Forrest Blades for my SawStop PCS 3HP table saw blades. They made everything I was looking for.

[John Sayen]

Thanks guys

[Rod Sheridan]

I have an FS Tools 24 tooth rip blade and a 60 tooth crosscut blade.

Very well made blades................Regards, Rod.

[Mark Dodson]

In my opinion, as price/performance goes Frued can't be beat. Forrest no doubt has quality products but I dont see it worth the extra cost. Frueds LU series always performs great - day in and day out.

[Darcy Warner]

Everlast, (....)

[Andy Giddings]

Amana, World's Best and Ridge are all good brands if you're looking for an alternative to the "big" brands and their marketing

[Jim Becker]

While I agree that "optimal results" can come from dedicated crosscut and ripping blades, for the average woodworker, a great quality combination blade from one of the notable manufacturers will still be a solid performer and somewhat more practical. I do have a dedicated 20T Forrest ripping blade for thick and gnarly materials, but otherwise have been using the same two Forrest WW-II 40T combos for about 15 years, getting them sharpened as needed. A sharp combo with a good tooth design will make pretty much any cut cleanly and efficiently. Now for production work, a dedicated blade for the type of work being done would certainly be my choice...

This is, of course, my opinion from my own experience...your milage may vary. :)

[Jon Nuckles]

As a Sawstop owner, be aware that Freud blades are a "metric 10 inch" and are closer to 9 7/8" IIRC. They work on a Sawstop, but blade changes between a Freud and a true 10" blade or dado set require extra cranking to adjust the brake setting. A minor pain, but might be a factor if you are on the fence between two options. I like my Freud Fusion cut quality, but won't buy another for my Sawstop. I also wonder if repeated sharpenings of an undersized blade might take it out of the range that will work with the Sawstop brake, though I have no idea if that is an issue.

[Eric Commarato]

Like I mentioned in an adjacent post, I just buy the Italian made Freud Combination 50 Tooth blades at Home Depot. They have worked great for me. In my General 350, they produce an almost glue-line cut. Not bad for $30.00

[Matthew Springer]

I had a bunch of 12/4 maple to rip up on a contractor saw and got great results from a CMT FTG rip blade. I used one of the forest blade stabilizers because I already had one. Good results, not much burning.

I have a Forrest WW2 combo blade for general table saw use (in a PM64a) (and a freud crosscut in the mitre saw)

[Roger Feeley]

Amending Jon's comment: If you have a SS, it's best to pick a brand and stick with it. I have nearly all Amana blades and I don't have to adjust the brake much.

More generally, I try to get the very best blades I can afford. After all, the blade is really the only thing that's touching the wood. To be sure, other aspects of the saw are also very important but if the blade is bad, none of that matters. I used to teach photography back in the day and I always told my students to concentrate on the lenses because, in the end, the only thing between the film (yes, film) and the subject is glass.

[Roy Turbett]

As a Sawstop owner, be aware that Freud blades are a "metric 10 inch" and are closer to 9 7/8" IIRC. They work on a Sawstop, but blade changes between a Freud and a true 10" blade or dado set require extra cranking to adjust the brake setting. A minor pain, but might be a factor if you are on the fence between two options. I like my Freud Fusion cut quality, but won't buy another for my Sawstop. I also wonder if repeated sharpenings of an undersized blade might take it out of the range that will work with the Sawstop brake, though I have no idea if that is an issue.

The diameter of the blade does make a difference on a Sawstop. I had an unintended trip when I failed to readjust the cartridge clearance after changing blades. I was out $70 for a new cartridge and $55 for a new blade.

[Ray Newman]

I've been a "Forrest man" for the last 25+ years and have no reason to change.

[lowell holmes]

I've been a "Forrest man" for the last 25+ years and have no reason to change.

I agree with Ray.

On the matter of ripping, I have a 10" rip blade, but I never use it. I rip on the band saw and joint the edge of the board after the rip.

[scott spencer]

I've been a "Forrest man" for the last 25+ years and have no reason to change.

25 years ago Forrest was the best game in town with little competition. They offered a performance level few others could match at one time, and I was pretty darn impressed with them myself for a while....I still am to some degree, but the market has changed. Forrest really hasn't changed the WWII much in those 25 years, and no longer offers something few others can match, yet they charge a premium because they can. Meanwhile competitors now offer comparable or better performance, thicker carbide, finer grinding, more precise manufacturing, and/or protective coatings for upwards of 50% less. Why wouldn't you want to buy the best current blades for your money, as opposed to giving someone extra money because they were the best 25 years ago?

[sebastian phillips]

25 years ago Forrest was the best game in town with little competition. They offered a performance level few others could match at one time, and I was pretty darn impressed with them myself for a while....I still am to some degree, but the market has changed. Forrest really hasn't changed the WWII much in those 25 years, and no longer offers something few others can match, yet they charge a premium because they can. Meanwhile competitors now offer comparable or better performance, thicker carbide, finer grinding, more precise manufacturing, and/or protective coatings for upwards of 50% less. Why wouldn't you want to buy the best current blades for your money, as opposed to giving someone extra money because they were the best 25 years ago?

100% agree.
Additionally, Forrest blades don't keep their edge as long as Ridge or Freud.
More money, less service life..

[Van Huskey]

There was indeed a time where Forrest enjoyed a distinct advantage over most other carbide blades but that advantage no longer exists. You can buy a Freud Industrial blade for often 1/2 what a similar Forrest blade will cost.

While I own quite a few Forrest blades there are a lot of them I doubt I will replace with Forrest when the time comes.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought 3 new blades for my Hammer slider from Carbide Processors. A rip blade, a solid wood crosscut, and a plywood blade. Tenryu brand, best blades I have. I clean them occasionally.