Help in TS blade selection

[t peterson]

Just purchased a PM66 and now I need to purchase blade(s). The selection is a bit overwhelming. This is the first TS I've owned and will be doing general cabinetry. Tool crib has a Freud 3 blade (cutoff, combo & rip) deal w/ red perma-shield $149. Lee Valley has Forrest blades that looked good but considerably more expensive. Two questions:
1. Is one brand that much different from the other?
2. Don't know a thing about preference for Kerf width (1/8 or 3/32) and/or tooth number (30 or 40).
Thanks for helping. t peteson

[Roy Wall]

The Forrest WWII is probably the best blade out there...

its 40 tooth....which is a combination blade....CC's and rips beautifully

And worth the price, IMHO....

60-80 tooth blades are pretty much dedicated Crosscuts...

20-30 tooth blades are Rip blades...

[Gary Herrmann]

Another vote for the WWII. The amount of carbide on the blade is amazing.

[Tom Jones III]

I've been using the Freud $50 combo blade and was very satisfied with it. I decided to get the best blades I could to see what the difference was. I got the Freud glue line rip and Freud Ultimate Cut-off blades. I don't see the slightest difference with either blade as compared to the combo blade. I wish I had simply bought a second combo blade and swapped them out whenever they needed sharpening.

[Andrew Ault]

I use a 40 tooth Forrest Woodworker II for almost everything I make with hardwood. Mine is a thin kerf (3/32") because when I bought it I had a Bosch portable tablesaw and a thin kerf blade requires less power. Now I have a Delta Unisaw and the next time I buy a WW II is will probably be a 1/8" blade. I use a blade stiffener whenever possible. The truth is, though, I haven't experienced any vibration even without the stiffener. When I need to get it sharpened, I will send it to Forrest and buy another one to use in the meantime.

The WW II has worked well for everything I've used it for. It rips and crosscuts very cleanly. I think that a good dedicated rip blade would probably rip faster, but the WW II cuts cleanly. I think that a good dedicated rip blade might be less prone to burning cherry. I'd like to learn more about that (I have to rip at a very constant rate or cherry will burn).

I like Forrest because they are straightforward blade makers/servicers. They've developed good products and talk about them in plain terms.

That Freud deal looks great and I've heard good things about their blades. I doubt you would regret the purchase. I have no brand loyalty. I just like equipment that works well and lasts. My Freud dado set works well and I've got some Feud router bits that are prefectly fine.

I use CMT blade cleaner because I bought it on special. It works perfectly. After cleaning I use Dricote.

- Andy

[scott spencer]

I had the Freud LU84 prior to getting the Forrest 40T WWII. The LU84 is very good....the WWII is outstanding. For me, the Forrest cuts cleaner on everything than the LU84, as it should for the price. It'll do a good job on a broad range of materials. It even rips pretty well, but I'd still get a dedicated rip blade for really heavy stuff. Freud does make a blade comparable to the Forrest called an F-410.

Were I in your shoes, I'd get a Forrest and a 24T dedicated rip blade....should run about the same $ as the 3 blade combo, and IMO you'd be better off.

http://www.epinions.com/content_145552674436
http://www.epinions.com/content_147387551364

[Allen Bookout]

I am also using a Forrest Woodworker ll and it is great for all cuts. I am only going to use it on good wood to save the blade so I ordered a Freud lu82m10 (10x60) to use on MDF and other not so good wood. For laminated MDF lu97r010 (10x80). This was suggested by a Freud rep on another forum when ask about a dedicated blade to cut MDF. They have a good price on Amazon for the Freud blade--- about $32 I think (free shipping). I have used some other Freud bades and think that they are pretty good.

Some say that Ridge Carbide makes as good a blade or better than any. I looked into it a while back and the cost was even more than Forrest. Haven't looked into it recently but you may want to research it.

I saw a test recently and their conclusion was to buy two quality combination blades and use them as Andrew said. Use one and keep the other for backup. Send the dull one in to be resharpned and use the fresh one in the meantime.

With one or two blades such as the Woodworker ll and a rip blade if you are going to rip really heavy duty wood (as Scott suggested) and one blade for MDF and not so good wood should have you covered no matter what. That is except for special blades such as a dado blade, box joint blade and on and on. Those can always come later if you really need them.

This is what I think so far. Who knows what my answer will be next year.

Allen

[Dave Falkenstein]

You have purchased a first class saw. My advice, after buying "less expensive" blades for years, is to buy yourself a Forrest Woodworker II, 40 tooth, combination blade. The Forrest blade will be on your saw almost all of the time. You might find the need down the road for a ripping blade to use on hardwoods over an inch thick - I like the Freud ripping blades. When you get around to buying a dado blade, the Freud Super Dado is an excellent choice. There are lots of good blades available - but don't be tempted to buy based on cost - after all, the blades do the cutting.

[Mike Hedges]

go with the forrest woodworker 11 best blades I have ever used.

[Bruce Volden]

I've no experience with Forrest blades! Had several Freuds and like them alot. I recently purchased a Tenryu blade and will give these blades 2 thumbs up. Bruce

[Ray Petri]

Another vote for the Woodworker II. Have Forrest baldes on both the table saw and the compound miter saw. Recently sent the table saw blade back to Forrest for sharpening and came back like new.

[Doug Jones from Oregon]

I too would go for the Forrest blades on the table saw...but, get 2 of them so when one is in getting sharpened you can still be working! And go with the 1/8" kerf and I like the blade stiffners.

I also use Forrest on my dbl mitre 14" machine, awesome blade but I like my Tenryu's on my chop saw.

[Lee Schierer]

I've never tried the Forrest blades, but always hear good things about them.

I use Frued blades and have been extremely happy with the cuts, and the life of the blades. Frued also stands behind their blades if there is a problem, even going above and beyond being fair. Their blades cut so cleanly on a well tuned saw that a jointer is really not needed for glue joints. Usually you can buy two Frued blades for the price of one Forrest blade.

I also recommend two blades, one for ripping and one for crosscutting. The performance of a dedicated blade can't be matched by any "combination" blade by the same manufacturer.

[Mike Vermeil]

Wwii. Wwii. Wwii.

[Brian Hale]

I'll be the one to go against the trend here.

I have a WWII 40 tooth and several Freud blades and the WWII stays in the rack 95% of the time. I bought the WWII based on the comments in this forum and others thinking I'd see some dramatic improvement. The cut is OK but only slightly ( barely noticeable) better than the Freud 50 tooth combo. Certainly not worth double the price IMHO. I keep trying it, hoping it'll impress me but......

Don't get me wrong, if you get a WWII you'll be pleased with it, but if you compare it to other quality blades you'll be a bit disappointed.

Anything we can buy that "does everything well" isn't excellent at anything, It's all about comprises.

OK, let the beatings begin... :)

Brian :)

[Steve Clardy]

I run the thin-kerf 24 tooth blades. Does everything I need them to do.

[Todd Davidson]

I don't own any Forrest blades and I shop at Sears :eek: .
(I'll be in line behind Brian for the beatings :D ).

Sears is having a HUGE clearance sale on all sorts of router bits, drill bits and...... SAW BLADES......and not just Craftsman brand.........Freud, Signature Woodworking, and Dewalt Woodworking are also in the bins (10", all full kerf) and marked down to between $10 and $16 a blade (now I'm sure some Sears/C'man basher will interject and say that these blades being sold at Sears are manufactured to different specifications :cool: ). I spent just over $100 and purchased: 2 24T Freuds, 1 40T Signature WW, 2 50T Signature WW, 1 60T Freud, 1 60T Dewalt WW, and 1 80T Dewalt WW. Not bad for 8 blades (have no experience with the Signatures other than one of my Dado sets is a Signature and performs well - the signatures each came with a coupon for a free sharpening).

So...my suggestion is go over to Sears and pick up a blade or two, try 'em out and see if the results are to your liking.

In peace, Todd

[Richard Wolf]

I must be old school. I use Freud blades. I use 3. Rip, crosscut and plywood. I leave the rip in the PM66 because that is what I use most of the time and I change the blades as needed. Surprisingly for me, I never get lazy about putting the right blade in.

Richard

[scott spencer]

I'll be the one to go against the trend here.

I have a WWII 40 tooth and several Freud blades and the WWII stays in the rack 95% of the time. I bought the WWII based on the comments in this forum and others thinking I'd see some dramatic improvement. The cut is OK but only slightly ( barely noticeable) better than the Freud 50 tooth combo. Certainly not worth double the price IMHO. I keep trying it, hoping it'll impress me but......

Don't get me wrong, if you get a WWII you'll be pleased with it, but if you compare it to other quality blades you'll be a bit disappointed.

Anything we can buy that "does everything well" isn't excellent at anything, It's all about comprises.

OK, let the beatings begin... :)

Brian :)
...you must have gotten one of the bad Forrests and one of the good Freuds.... :D "Womp!", "Pow!", "Boof!", "Thwap!" Take that you scoundrel! ;)

[Chris Giles]

I've converted over to a company called Everlast. It was suggested to me by my sharpening man, so I tried a 12" with 60T. He said it was as good or better than the WWII, which I also have in the 12". Out of the box, they were both so good the end grain of the cut feels like silk. These are the only two blades where I have seen this level of precision consistantly. I can't tell them apart by judging their cuts. The Everlast is about 25-30% cheaper, so I've since got a dado head and three other sawblades. I believe these blades are available through blade sharpening companies or from a website. I highly recommend them.

[Brian Hale]

...you must have gotten one of the bad Forrests and one of the good Freuds.... :D "Womp!", "Pow!", "Boof!", "Thwap!" Take that you scoundrel! ;)

ROFLMBO :eek: :D :D

[Allen Bookout]

Chris, Did a Google search for Everlast blades and am having a hard time finding a retailer. To bad as I would be interested. They must deal mostly with commerical accounts or they would not be so hard to find. Do you have the web site where purchases can be made? Allen

[Andrew Ault]

Alan,

You can find a distributor from their website:

http://www.everlastsaw.com/

- Andy

[Roy Wall]

Anybody have experience with

"Amana" (sp) blades???

[Allen Bookout]

Thanks Andy!

I saw that site but no link to find a retailer. I suppose that I can call their 800 number and find out more or get a catalog. I did notice this time that their Home Office is only about fifty miles from me. Usually everything is at least fifteen hundred miles from me.

Allen

[Andrew Ault]

The way the site comes up in Google, the header with the site links does not appear.

It might be fun to just show up at their facility if you are in the neighborhood are any reason.

A

[Scott Donley]

I have been using the Freuds for a long time and always been happy with them. Have a thin kerf on the old RAS for the last 10 years or so and it has been used a lot, although not cutting like it use to.
If anyone would like to send me a Woodworker II I would be glad to put it on the new TS and give you all a unbiased opinion. PM me for my address :)

[Doug Shepard]

I've got a PM66 and 90% of the time, one of two Freud blades is on the saw. I've got the 80 tooth red for crosscutting and sheet stuff, and a 24 tooth red (or is it 20? - cant remember at the moment) for ripping. I've been pretty happy with both. On occasions when I need something in between, I've just been using the combo blade that came with the PM66 or a Craftsman combo I've had for quite a while. I've often thought about picking up the WWII to see if it can help me cut down on the number of blade changes I have to do, but I always seem to find something else to spend my money on. I've got Forest's Dado set and have been real happy with that. Definitely pick yourself up a zero-clearance insert or two. They'll make a noticable difference in cut quality no matter what blades you end up with.

[Walt Pater]

I'm going to keep touting the virtues of the blades made by FS Tool until somebody else out there agrees with me. www.FStoolcorp.com.

[Russ Massery]

I bought a Forrest WW II after I got my cabinet saw I use it you everything but ripping thick stock. I have a 24 tooth for that.I found it does everything else real well. crosscut,plywood etc......

[Juan Rivera]

I've been using the Amana Prestige 10" 40T saw blade ($49.95) and it performs beautifully. I believe is the best bang for the money.

[George Moore]

www.carbide.com (http://www.carbide.com) sells the Everlast blades as well as the FS Tools blades. They are both excellent.

[CPeter James]

I have two WWIIs. One is a 1/8" and one is an thin kerf. I bought the thinn kerf when I had my old saw. They are great. Now the kicker, I also have two blades from Ridge Carbide Tool. These are very underrated. I think they are as good as the WWIIs. I have a 40 tooth on my PM66 and a 80 tooth on my DW 708 slider. As with all "super" blades, they must go back to the manufacturer for sharpening or all bets are off.

http://www.ridgecarbidetool.com/

CPeter

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I have used both, the WWII and Freud. I really like the Freuds--left the rip blade on the TS, combo blade on RAS and CC blade on CMS. Then I got a WWII. Use it on the TS for everything I do. Love that WWII.:)

[Corey Hallagan]

I have never owned a Forrest blade so I can't comment. I have a LU84 Full Kerf, LU 83 Thin Kerf, Another Freud TK model I can't remember. I am very very happy with my Freud blades. All of them. I also have had excellent service from Freud and they have been happy to answer any question and fix any problems. I have no doubt Forrest is the same way... I just prefer to spend less than that. I buy all Frued router bits when I can and Forstener bits as well. I prefer them. Good luck!
Corey
P.S. nice saw!!

[J.R. Rutter]

I find that I rip 95% of the time on my saw. I had a WWII on my saw for years, switching between a 30T 1/8 kerf and 40T 3/32 kerf for sharpening. These are nice blades, but then I started working with Jatoba for kitchens. The high ATB grind is vulnerable to chipping teeth tips off in very hard woods. In fact, I tried a Matsushita rip blade and destroyed it within 3 rips in Jatoba - shattered carbide on multiple teeth. Anyways, the Forrest blades now have chipped teeth and I haven't yet sent them to get repaired. I then tried a Systimatic glue line rip, which is fine, but very aggressive, with a tendency to grab offrips and throw them back to you. Now I've got the Freud glue line rip, which cuts every bit as smooth as the Forrest on rip cuts. It has very little side clkearance on the teeth (like the Forrest), so needs cleaning more often, but this combined with the anti-kickback gullets makes it much more comfortable feeling...

[Kevin Post]

I've used both Freud and Forrest blades. I like the Freud blades but I LOVE the WWII.

[t peterson]

Folks, I cannot begin to thank you all for your invaluable comments and expertise. I've printed the thread and will refer to it again on many of the important decisions I'll need to make as I enter the next phase of my life as a retired woodworker. Just as important (to me) is that no one called me out for a stupid question. Great forum, I plan to visit often and hopefully, from time to time, make a contribution. Again, thanks. TP

[Allen Bookout]

Tom,

I agree with you.

I am relative new also but really feel at home here. I have never seen someone say "Boy-----that was a dumb question". Makes you feel good when you know that you are not going to be attacked but only offered help. I think that is why so many people jumped in and donated to save the forum.

You sound like "our kind of guy". Come back soon.

Allen

[Greg Narozniak]

I have Both of the main blades in question that I run on my unisaw. a Forrest WW2 and a LU84 and I can honestly say that the cut different cannot be seen by me. I have a Freud rip blade that runs great wehen ripping a lot of hardwood but when the combo blade is on there I cannot tell the difference between the WW2 and the LU84.

If I was going to buy another combo blade it would be a freud and I would pocket the extra $50 (Well Actually I would buy more tools with it :) )

Greg