Forrest Woodworker blades - worth the money?

[Tyler Bancroft]

I'm looking at buying a Forrest Woodworker II blade to handle nothing but ripping – they're obviously quite pricey (~$175), but I'm willing to spend that if they're worth the money. Is there a better-performing blade in the same price range?

[Edwin Santos]

If I were doing nothing but ripping like you say, I would be buying a Freud Glue Line Rip blade for about $65.

Over the years, combination blades have lost their appeal for me. A good ripping blade and a good 60 tooth crosscut blade fill 95% of my needs. I have had good experience with Tenryu in addition to Freud.

[Jay Gargiulo]

If you’re only doing ripping, buy a rip blade. The WWII is a combo blade and you’ll end up paying a premium for a feature (made for both rip and crosscut) you won’t use. Ridge Carbide makes nice blade ($120) with chunky teeth that can be resharpened many times, something that is not the case with Freuds. Infinity cutting tools also sells a rip blade for $50 that performs very well,

[Doug Colombo]

I have had a WWII for many years and love the blade. Forrest does a great job sharpening their blades returning them to just like the day you bought it. If all you are going to do is rip, then as others have said, a good rip blade may be the better way to go. With that said, I do more ripping than cross cutting and have not been disappointed with the quality of the cut from the WWII - no issues with glue ups at all.

[Tyler Bancroft]

The Woodworker II with 30 teeth is listed as a ripping blade, not a combo blade - are they overexaggerating its ripping ability? The ability to resharpen is part of why I'm looking at something other than Freud. I hadn't heard of Ridge Carbide, thanks for that. There seems to be a supply issue, though, and I'm in a bit of a time crunch.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have the Forrest Thin Kerf 20T 10" rip blade ($105). I use it on my Sawstop 3Hp and love it.

https://www.forrestblades.com/woodworker-ii-thin-kerf/10-woodworker-ii-saw-blade-20-teeth-thin-kerf/

You didn't state the size of the blade you were looking for.

The 1/8" kerf Forrest 20T 10" rip blade is also ($105).

https://www.forrestblades.com/woodworker-ii-ripping-saw-blade-for-table-saws/10-woodworker-ii-saw-blade-20-teeth-fast-feed/

[Matt Day]

Forrest does indeed make excellent blades. Others have closed the gap however in recent years.

[Cary Falk]

I bought a Forrest WWII years ago when they were around $120 i think. It is a great blade but....There are so many more choices now that are cheaper. No way would I spend $175. I like Freud but also have Kemper, Onsrud, Delta/Dewalt, etc.

[Andrew Hughes]

I like Forrest blades so that’s what I use. I think they are quieter then Freud blades .
It could be I’m losing my hearing some so that helps. :)

[Alex Zeller]

I have a CMT 50 tooth combination blade and while it's fine for crosscutting you can tell it's really not great for ripping. I can't see the WWII 48 tooth being any better. I think 30 tooth is not going to make for a very good cross cut blade. If you're going to do this for any amount of time then you're best served getting a blade for ripping and a second blade for cross cuts that you could use for plywood. I went with the CMT simply because my neighbor (who does woodworking professionally) said the dealer he buys his blade from felt the CMT was a better buy. He has several WW blades and a few CMT and agreed. I figure someone who has at least a dozen blades he uses on a regular basis was probably someone to trust. That being said I would have no problems buying any of the other brands people have suggested.

[Marc Fenneuff]

I have a WW II, I like it a lot but I don’t rip with it unless it’s a one-off operation. I use a Freud glue-line rip blade instead. I believe I paid $90 for the Freud and $140 for the WW II, both from Rockler last year.

[Matthew Hills]

Woodworker II 30t is a decent blade for a 110V saw. It is a low tooth count combination blade, so it does reasonably well with thicker wood. It was my primary blade for 8 years and is due resharpening. I picked up a Freud fusion (thin-kerf) in the meantime, and I've also been quite happy with that. Neither of these is flat tooth grind, so the shoulders of the kerf are not perfectly flat.

I haven't used the Freud glue-line rip blades. I was about to pick one up last week based on my memory of some favorable reviews. But Freud does not recommend them for very thick rips, which is what I was interested in.

Matt

[Bob Jones 5443]

These table saw blade threads always make me feel like I’m missing out on something fabulous.

I use Diablo blades, which — as far as I can tell — are a budget line made by Freud. They’re cheap at Home Depot. I have a 24-tooth rip and an 80-tooth crosscut. I’ve had them sharpened and I keep them clean. They cut everything well.

Noise comparison? The saw doesn’t go on unless I’m wearing major ear protection, so sorry, what?

Am I naïve, or is it acceptable to use these pedestrian blades? Tell me now, because I’m on my 20th year with them. Or do I need to spend four times as much?

[Ed Edwards]

Tyler,
Give these guys a look for Forrest blades www.sliversmill.com

Ed

[Ed Edwards]

Tyler,
I certainly like my Forrest blades even if they are at a premium, both price wise and an availability concern. Earlier I used an Amana rip blade and had no problems with that one either.
While you're blade shopping make sure you check out Forrest 10" 20T WWII Rip Blade at Sliver's www.sliversmill.com
Ed

[Rob Luter]

I'm sure Forrest makes a fine blade, but I'm cheap. I live in an area that's full of commercial wood shops that support the RV and Manufactured Housing industry. I was at one of the local sharpening shops having a hand saw retoothed and noticed they sold used blades. I picked up a pair of freshly sharpened commercial grade blades, one CC and one RIP, for about $40/ea. The carbide teeth were about three times the size of the ones on the Rigid OEM blade that came with my saw. The balance was perfect. They still go through oak like a hot knife through butter, and it's been 8 years. I'm a hobbyist and my table saw doesn't see daily use, but they've still cut a whole bunch of lumber and retained their edge.

[Earl McLain]

I'm sure Forrest makes a fine blade, but I'm cheap. I live in an area that's full of commercial wood shops that support the RV and Manufactured Housing industry. I was at one of the local sharpening shops having a hand saw retoothed and noticed they sold used blades. I picked up a pair of freshly sharpened commercial grade blades, one CC and one RIP, for about $40/ea. The carbide teeth were about three times the size of the ones on the Rigid OEM blade that came with my saw. The balance was perfect. They still go through oak like a hot knife through butter, and it's been 8 years. I'm a hobbyist and my table saw doesn't see daily use, but they've still cut a whole bunch of lumber and retained their edge.

I'd agree with the "buy a rip blade" comments, from Forrest or otherwise.

@Rob Luter...are you talking about the place in Elkhart, on Nappanee St? I've wondered about that one., figured they must do good sharpening as they've been there since i was in high school (decades ago!!) Don't get over that way as often as i used to, but only a 45 minute drive and still family to visit there.
earl

[Curt Harms]

The Woodworker II with 30 teeth is listed as a ripping blade, not a combo blade - are they overexaggerating its ripping ability? The ability to resharpen is part of why I'm looking at something other than Freud. I hadn't heard of Ridge Carbide, thanks for that. There seems to be a supply issue, though, and I'm in a bit of a time crunch.

??? I've had Freud blades resharpened. I've also learned that sometimes a blade that feels dull really just needs to be cleaned with a suitable solvent.

[Scott Bernstein]

Not a pro, but tried lots of blades over the past couple years . On a budget, the Infinity Cutting Tools blades are really quite good. Best blade I have used are Ridge Carbide - any of them - combo, cross cutting, ripping, dado stack, etc.... They are expensive, but in my direct comparison to Forrest WWII, the Ridge Carbide blades are superior.

[Carroll Courtney]

Don't the Forrest blades have the better carbide teeth, thinking C4 or something like that? Due to C4 carbide not all sharpening shops can sharpen Forrest blades. Which is why sending them back to Forrest to get them sharpen when needed if you ever need to. Thinking out loud here, not knowing 100% sure of my statement

[roger wiegand]

I've never actually worn out a blade, some of mine have been with me for pushing 40 years now. At that point the difference between $50 and $150 spent originally becomes pretty trivial on a cost per year of use basis. I have, I think, five blades that I use routinely, plus a dado set. The more recent ones are Forrest, the older ones a industrial blade company since gone out of business. The Forrest blades work very well, provide a nice clean cut, and have enough carbide to provide a near lifetime of use in a hobby shop. Over the years I discarded some blades branded Sears and Delta, as I recall, that never gave smooth cuts, despite resharpening at a good saw shop. I had one that lost teeth on a regular basis, it too went to the bin.

Are the Forrest blades magical? No, I suspect most other high end and many cheaper blades are just fine. Do they let you get on with your work without experimenting and worrying about (or even thinking about) your blade? Yes.

I'm also a big fan of dedicated rip blades.

[Jon Endres]

I use a Freud LM74R010, which is their coated 30-tooth glue line rip blade, on a 3-hp Unisaw. It does produce glass-smooth cuts and it has some serious carbide teeth, big enough for a bunch of resharpenings. Lot cheaper than a Forrest. I do have a Ridge Carbide TS2000 which I picked up at a woodworking show, it's a general purpose blade and honestly I don't like it. I much prefer my Freud Industrial blades.

[Rob Luter]

I'd agree with the "buy a rip blade" comments, from Forrest or otherwise.

@Rob Luter...are you talking about the place in Elkhart, on Nappanee St? I've wondered about that one., figured they must do good sharpening as they've been there since i was in high school (decades ago!!) Don't get over that way as often as i used to, but only a 45 minute drive and still family to visit there.
earl

Yup. The red building. It's been a while since I was there.

[Julie Moriarty]

If I were doing nothing but ripping like you say, I would be buying a Freud Glue Line Rip blade for about $65.

Agree 100%. I own two WWII blades and both the thin and standard kerf Freud GLP blades. The latter works just as well as or better than the WWII. I've found using blades specifically designed for the task (rip, crosscut, plywood, laminate, etc) always produce better results than multi-tasking blades.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Forrest has never let me down, so I keep buying them. My company uses lots of blades, we've tried most, and I still keep Forrest in my personal saw. Freuds have taken over pretty much everything else, with a mix of several other brands.

One thing I do disagree with is "get two blades, one rip and one crosscut". I think that's hooey in most real world work. If I stopped and switched blades on my slider for example, every time I switched cuts, it would add hours of just blade changes. Nonsense, if your blade won't do both perfectly fine, you have the wrong blade. Forrest does make several combo blades that will cross and rip just fine. In my opinion a dedicated rip blade is half a grind, and I have never seen one preform better than a good Forrest WW2 combo. Now if you enjoy changing blades, go for it, but I prefer to just make stuff.

[Jim Reffner]

Check out the Ridge Carbide Tool Company. Great service and I've also used them for sharpening. I have 2 blades - the rip and combo.

[Jim Becker]

Worth the money is a very subjective thing. But many competitors are similarly priced, too. I pretty much only use Forrest blades...I'm happy with the performance, the cut quality the long life because of many sharpenings and the consistent kerf width that matches my scoring blade. I buy from Silver's Mill which has about the best prices going for Forrest. That said, there are many quality blades to choose from.

To your specific question, I have a Woodworker II 20T 10" ripping blade. It's a beast and cuts nasty stuff like butter. I rarely use it because the 12" WW-II 48T blades perform well for most of the ripping I do, but do pull out the "beast" if conditions dictate.

[Patrick Kane]

I struggle with this one, because i recently had a similar thread 2ish years ago. I ended up buying a 12" ridge carbide ripping blade for $175+. That blade looked fantastic, and just felt like quality in my hands. However, it still left slight scallops and tooth marks on the edge of my rips. I dont think ive ever experienced a perfect "glue line" rip in my life. Ive glued stuff off my saw with minimally visible glue joint, but nothing is as good as a jointer. With that in mind, think about how you currently handle work flow in your shop. In my shop, i rip to a certain width, and then i either plane that edge to final size--rails, stiles, table legs etc--or that edge is profiled on the shaper, or that edge is jointed at the jointer and glued in a panel. Its very unusual for a ripped edge to be a final step for a work piece. Because of my work flow, i looked at that ridge carbide blade as a waste for a year of owning it. I dont know that i would spend big money on a premium blade, especially for ripping. Moving forward, i try to buy used premium blades and resharpen them. They arent crazy common, but i own all Felder and Forrest blades of various bores and diameters that were all purchased used. If i needed a ripping blade right this second, i would buy a freud industrial.

[Julie Moriarty]

Worth the money is a very subjective thing. But many competitors are similarly priced, too. I pretty much only use Forrest blades...I'm happy with the performance, the cut quality the long life because of many sharpenings and the consistent kerf width that matches my scoring blade.

Jim, I recently bought a Makita 12" SCMS. With it I bought a 12" Forrest Chopmaster. I have two of 10" from my old SCMS and was always impressed how they cut silky smooth, with no chipout at the end of the cut. But right out of the box, the 12" Chopmaster was leaving substantial chipout at the end of the cut.

The other day I had to cut some wood that's hard on the cutters so I switched to the Makita blade that came with the saw. I was very surprised to see it cut smoother than the Chopmaster and with almost no chipout. I'm still scratching my head on that one.

[Richard Coers]

They aren't exaggerating as a lot of times the Woodworker II is great for ripping. But absolutely not for 8/4 hard maple and 8/4 white oak, 8/4 hickory. 8/4 osage. The WW II doesn't have a lot of set in the teeth to give a smooth cut. You don't want the extra friction on the side for thick stock!

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I recently bought a Makita 12" SCMS. With it I bought a 12" Forrest Chopmaster. I have two of 10" from my old SCMS and was always impressed how they cut silky smooth, with no chipout at the end of the cut. But right out of the box, the 12" Chopmaster was leaving substantial chipout at the end of the cut.

The other day I had to cut some wood that's hard on the cutters so I switched to the Makita blade that came with the saw. I was very surprised to see it cut smoother than the Chopmaster and with almost no chipout. I'm still scratching my head on that one.

Strange...my ChopMaster...which is probably 20 years old, never been sharpened and even pressed into cutting aluminum doesn't chip out at all. Perhaps you have a defective tooth?

[Tyler Bancroft]

Strange...my ChopMaster...which is probably 20 years old, never been sharpened and even pressed into cutting aluminum doesn't chip out at all. Perhaps you have a defective tooth?

Makita blades are surprisingly good, though. I like them for circular saws – the 24-tooth framing blade leaves a surprisingly smooth cut, and the 40-tooth is nice as well. They're not top of the line, but they're a cut (ha!) above the competition.

[Jim Becker]

I don't disagree, Tyler. There are many good blades. I was responding to Julie's concern about cut quality...with the Chopmaster, the finishi is normally glass-smooth, even after it's been in use for awhile. Something was amiss with her blade.

[Phil Gaudio]

For the $$ is hard to beat Freud blades.

[Erik Loza]

No expert on blades here, but since this has sorted of turned into a "what type of blade do I need"-thread, I can share the following observations:

-Pretty much any of the premium brands (Forrest/Amana/Tenryu/etc.) will all give the finish you want. In other words, I've never seen a case where Brand-A gives some awesomely superior cut to Brand-B, assuming we are talking about the same grind.
-90% of cut quality complaints are from either using a dull blade or using the wrong grind for the job. i.e, trying to rip solid stock with that 60T TCT blade.
-I never cease to be shocked at how long someone either holds onto a dull blade or refuses to purchase new/correct ones. I walked into a shop last week while they were running the table saw and it sounded like someone dragging a tin can full of coins down the highway. Yeah, no wonder you have chip-out problem.

Erik

[Bruce Wrenn]

Not a fan of Forrest blades. I think they are over, as in over rated.and over priced. In all my working years, never saw one in a commercial production shop. If ripping is all you are doing, and the height will allow it, try a Diablo 7 1/4 24 tooth blade from HD. Cripe Distributing still has the Delta 7657's. Cuts amazingly well for the price. Just checked, and they are $20 each, plus shipping. Order two to cut down on shipping cost per blade. I own several, along with a couple of WWII"'s. The 7657's go on the saw, while the WWII's rest in the box they came in.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Bruce, send them to me, I'll pay shipping. Glad to take them off your hands.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Bruce, send them to me, I'll pay shipping. Glad to take them off your hands.




Just like Ebay, shipping is $120 per blade. How many did you say you wanted?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jim, I recently bought a Makita 12" SCMS. With it I bought a 12" Forrest Chopmaster. I have two of 10" from my old SCMS and was always impressed how they cut silky smooth, with no chipout at the end of the cut. But right out of the box, the 12" Chopmaster was leaving substantial chipout at the end of the cut.

The other day I had to cut some wood that's hard on the cutters so I switched to the Makita blade that came with the saw. I was very surprised to see it cut smoother than the Chopmaster and with almost no chipout. I'm still scratching my head on that one.

Julie, some Makita crosscut blades are fantastic. They even go on sale for $30 or so occasionally. I do not own a chopmaster because the Makita crosscuts are so good.

[Dwayne Watt]

I have been riding the Forrest train for a long while and believe it was money well spent (WWII). I have several used in rotation with a couple needing sharpening again. I also have a Ridge Carbide specialty blade (flat top grind) that cuts very very well so by extension I suspect their ATB combo blades would not disappoint.
All that said, these sort of threads tend to be much the same line of thought as oil brand / oil change topics on automotive forums. Nobody's right and everybody's wrong (gee, that sounds like a 1960's song).

[Julie Moriarty]

Strange...my ChopMaster...which is probably 20 years old, never been sharpened and even pressed into cutting aluminum doesn't chip out at all. Perhaps you have a defective tooth?

Same experience I had with the two 10" I bought 10-15 years ago. But maybe there's something faulty with the new 12". I'll have to look into it.

[Rob Luter]

I have been riding the Forrest train for a long while and believe it was money well spent (WWII). I have several used in rotation with a couple needing sharpening again. I also have a Ridge Carbide specialty blade (flat top grind) that cuts very very well so by extension I suspect their ATB combo blades would not disappoint.
All that said, these sort of threads tend to be much the same line of thought as oil brand / oil change topics on automotive forums. Nobody's right and everybody's wrong (gee, that sounds like a 1960's song).

I think in this case everyone is right. Needs are subjective. We are all looking for something a little different. A hobbyist like myself doesn't have the same needs as a guy running a production operation. As long as you're getting the results you want at an expense level you're happy with, it's a win.

[Jim Becker]

Same experience I had with the two 10" I bought 10-15 years ago. But maybe there's something faulty with the new 12". I'll have to look into it.
There have been a few reports over the years where someone had a blade that just didn't cut to expectations. If memory serves it was often a bad tooth or something like that. As I mentioned, I've beat the you-know-what out of my Chopmaster over nearly 20 years and it's never been sharpened. (I don't use my miter saw much, but I have done things with it like cut aluminum, also as mentioned) I do hope you can get it figured out because it's generally a really nice blade to have in a miter saw.

[Joe Hendershott]

My dad used Forrest blades for years and so I did as well. I have had good results with them and cannot complain, although they do seem to dull quickly.

With my cabinet saw I always swapped blades out when ripping and then cross cutting. As stated though, if all you do is rip then get a blade made for that job.

Now with my slider, which takes a little more effort, I hardly ever change blades. After another member here suggested Tenryu blades I tried one and have been very impressed. Made in Japan. I think if the blades are sharp you have cut just about anything. It's how long they keep an edge that matters. I've ripped hundreds of feet of 8/4 cherry with that 60 tooth Tenryu and then went right to cutting up 20 sheets of cherry ply and it's all perfect. I do use the scoring blade on sheet material which helps but that blade has held up well.

[Randy Heinemann]

The Woodworker II with 30 teeth is listed as a ripping blade, not a combo blade - are they overexaggerating its ripping ability? The ability to resharpen is part of why I'm looking at something other than Freud. I hadn't heard of Ridge Carbide, thanks for that. There seems to be a supply issue, though, and I'm in a bit of a time crunch.

Seems like the implication from your comment is that Freud blades can't be resharpened. Freud blades certainly can be resharpened just like Forrest or any other premium blade. As for number of resharpenings I don't know that number but I'm sure it's multiple times for the Freud blade. Freud blades are economical (compared to Forrest) and they work well. I have used the Sawstop blade that cam with my Sawstop saw for years and even replaced it with a new Sawstop when I tripped the brake because it was even less expensive than a Freud blade and I get about the same quality cut.

[Mike Kees]

For anyone in commercial shops looking for blades check out Dimar or even better FS Tool. Both have solid true plates and massive carbide teeth that can be re-sharpened many times. FS Tool seem to last longer between sharpenings . I plan on replacing any blades that wear out with FS Tool from here on out. I have a Forrest WW 2 in my Contractor saw that has been cutting Cedar on high end decks/exterior finish work for the last few years. I had to see what all the Forrest hype was about. It is a good blade but I have many others that are just as good from other brands. Almost all of my blades are Industrial lines with a few freud's sprinkled in.

[Jim Dwight]

Popular thread. I'll add my 2 cents worth. I have never owned a Forest blade and probably never will. I have Infinity, CMT, DeWalt, and Freud blades. The biggest dud of the group is an Infinity ripping blade with 24 teeth. It doesn't have a flat top design and doesn't rip wood with problematic grain as well as a less sharp Freud. The Infinity 50 tooth all around full kerf blade is on the saw at the moment and has been doing great in 3/4 and 1 inch hardwood for the dresser I'm making. If it starts to struggle on my 1.75hp PCS, a thin kerf Freud will go on.

I had a freud 50 tooth sharpened by Ridge carbide and it came back better than new. All the reviews I've seen on them were very positive. But I'll probably never buy one of them either. A Freud at half the price does what I need so why spend twice as much?

I have never purchased a Freud blade that I was unhappy with and I've owned a lot of Freud blades. I hope they come up with a 165mm blade for my DeWalt track saw and I'll probably add another one. The 160mm works but I loose a little depth capability. Their Diablo brand is their cheap line but they cut well and seem to require less hp than most. The teeth are small and seem inconsistent with resharpening but if you do it early before they get damaged you probably could. But resharpening may cost as much as a new Diablo. I've mostly used their professional line blades that cost $50-75 and can be resharpened. But I rarely resharpen them either. It's too easy to just buy another. I have both thin kerf and full kerf blades. Thin kerf in general (like the Diablo but also the thin kerf professional blades) do not cut as long as a full kerf and have smaller teeth less consistent with sharpening (at least in my mind). But saws with little motors like my PCS cut a lot better in problematic wood with a thin kerf. I keep one in both 50 tooth and 24 teeth available. But I've been really happy with a thin kerf 40 tooth Fusion blade too.

My bottom line is lots of people make good blades but for the money it is hard to beat a Freud. Their line is so large you can find one for just about any need and all the ones I've used have been good blades. I'm not saying that a Ridge or possibly a Forest won't be sharper out of the box but the Freud will cut well and do a lot of work at a high quality level.

[Ron Selzer]

I liked the Freud blades back in the 80's then tried a Forrest blade and never looked back. All Forrest now. As a hobby shop I can afford to run the blade I am comfortable with with out worrying about what it costs. The blade is cheapest part of the tool.
Wood, finish materials are way more part of the cost than the saw blades
Ron

[Rod Sheridan]

I suggest an FSTools rip blade if you’re ripping stock thicker than 4/4 or doing a lot of ripping.

They have thick plate and large carbide teeth, they work very well......Rod

[Warren Lake]

have blades from most companies and they all work. Main thing dont use anyones combo blade if you are ripping, pick the right blade for what you are doing. No time to read this now but Kanafusa should be in some of these pages if it is not.

Ill trust a full time guy running tons of material on a constant basis for years for his opinion. Andrew used to post all the time on the canadian site and maybe here a bit. He was very impressed with their blades and I know i had been told years before. I asked an older guy top company once and his answer was no one company makes the best blade but rather each have ones that shine. I had asked him about Kanafusa and ill still have to digest that answer as he did not sell them. Everyone salesman is a salesman. If he had a shop or been in the trenches for 30 of 40 years id trust the answer more.

If they are not in the pages here id look them up for some reviews.

[Julie Moriarty]

For anyone in commercial shops looking for blades check out Dimar or even better FS Tool. Both have solid true plates and massive carbide teeth that can be re-sharpened many times. FS Tool seem to last longer between sharpenings . I plan on replacing any blades that wear out with FS Tool from here on out.

One caveat about full kerf or thick plate blades is it's best to have a cabinet saw with 3 HP or higher motor. Years ago I switched to thin kerf blades for my contractor saw and noticed the saw didn't strain so much.

[Andrew Gibson]

...The biggest dud of the group is an Infinity ripping blade with 24 teeth. It doesn't have a flat top design and doesn't rip wood with problematic grain as well as a less sharp Freud...

Hi Jim. That is odd to hear. I have been with Infinity 7 years now and both of our ripping blades should have had a true flat top grind in that time. Feel free to reach out to our customer service team if you are inclined.

[Curt Harms]

One caveat about full kerf or thick plate blades is it's best to have a cabinet saw with 3 HP or higher motor. Years ago I switched to thin kerf blades for my contractor saw and noticed the saw didn't strain so much.

I think it depends a little on what material. I had a Craftsman 113.xxxxx before my current G1023. The Craftsman was OK with full kerf blades cutting sheet goods and 3/4 solid. The only thicker material I cut with that saw was construction 2X. I'm sure if I were sawing 8/4 oak it would have been a different story.

[David Dalzell]

I'm looking at buying a Forrest Woodworker II blade to handle nothing but ripping – they're obviously quite pricey (~$175), but I'm willing to spend that if they're worth the money. Is there a better-performing blade in the same price range?
For general purpose work I use the Forrest Woodworker II blade. For ripping I use the Freud Glue Line Rip blade.

[lowell holmes]

I changed my saw to 240 volt. I don`t have issues. I have a WWII on my saw.

[Michael Drew]

I have a WW2 46T blade, and their 80T blade for sheet goods. They do a great job. I also have a Ridge Carbide 46T blade, and it is equally as good as the WW2. I have too many blades because it takes so long to get one sharpened, so while one gets shipped out, the other goes on the saw..... I was planning to do a bunch of ripping - 8/4 hard woods, so I ordered a Forest 24T ripping blade, thin kerf. That was last Dec from Silvers Mill. It was on back order (still is, with no idea when Forrest will start making blades again), so I picked up a Freud Glue Line rip blade, regular kerf. The thing works as advertised. Rips super clean, and fast... It does make an irritating humming noise that none of my other blade make though. But based on the Freud's performance, I'm wondering why I've spent so much more on the "premium" blades......

[Rich Aldrich]

I use all Freud blades. I haven't seen the need to pay more for a blade when these cut so well.

I agree with Edwin and Julie on the glue line rip - just got one a month ago. After using this blade I have much less use for a combo blade. I use the rip blade for ripping and the fine cross cut blades for cross cutting. Not sure if I will use the combo blades again.

[Kevin Jenness]

There are many good manufacturers not previously mentioned including Leitz, Leuco, Stehle, Popular, Matsushita, etc. and they all make good blades. It's important to use the appropriate design for the material and have tooling maintained by a competent sharpening shop. Sometimes the appropriate blade is a general purpose one - I usually keep a 40 tooth blade on my slider because I cut a variety of materials and don't want to be changing it out constantly, but if I'm ripping a batch of solid wood I will put on a rip blade, veneer gets a high alternate bevel crosscut blade and so on.

[Meryl Logue]

To your specific question, I have a Woodworker II 20T 10" ripping blade. It's a beast and cuts nasty stuff like butter. I rarely use it because the 12" WW-II 48T blades perform well for most of the ripping I do, but do pull out the "beast" if conditions dictate.

Wait... a 12” rip blade? How are you doing that? Can I actually it on my TS????

The post below yours indicates the same. I’m a newbie here, so be kind please! 😲 .

[Meryl Logue]

Tracking ........

[Jim Becker]

Wait... a 12” rip blade? How are you doing that? Can I actually it on my TS????

The post below yours indicates the same. I’m a newbie here, so be kind please!  .
My saw, an SCM/Minimas S315WS slider, is designed to use a 12" blade. You cannot use a 12" blade on a saw designed for a 10" blade if that's what you have. I chose to continue to use the 10" version of the ripping blade (20T) because I so rarely need something that aggressive for the kind of work I do. The 10" blade on my saw has a slower tip speed than a 12" balde does, but it works just fine.

[Brian Gumpper]

I walked into a shop last week while they were running the table saw and it sounded like someone dragging a tin can full of coins down the highway. Yeah, no wonder you have chip-out problem.

Erik

I experience the same thing. Amazing how many people running various machines don't know what anything is called nor do they care for the equipment/tooling properly. I think they were just taught the function they need to perform.

As for blades, sell many types so will not comment but do believe Forrest will price themselves out of business eventually.

[Brian Holcombe]

I use Tenryu, Stehle and Amana, all pretty decent but the Tenryu miter pro plus are really nice for cross cutting.

[Michael J Evans]

I experience the same thing. Amazing how many people running various machines don't know what anything is called nor do they care for the equipment/tooling properly. I think they were just taught the function they need to perform.

As for blades, sell many types so will not comment but do believe Forrest will price themselves out of business eventually.

This is so true and my employee do it. Went to use a saw in our shop today and it just wasn't cutting. Taking wayyy to long.

I joking said something like "how the hell are you guys still using this thing" to which I got a response of "why?, It's still cuts"

I just had to shake my head and walk away for a few.

[Mel Fulks]

Try POPULAR (brand) saws ,low cost high quality.

[Prashun Patel]

I am a fan of the Freud glue line ripping blades. I rip and cross cut with a ripping blade. Finish quality of the cut is the least of the problems (for me) on a table saw or bandsaw. I am way more concerned with square and straight. That's why I only use ripping blades for everything now on the table saw. Even on cross cuts, the show face comes out perfectly. I cross cut with a sled or fenced miter gauge so tear out on the trailing edge can be controlled.

For my money, it's just easier to get a new Freud than to have to worry about sharpening a precious blade. That would also require down time which would annoy me.

[Earl McLain]

Try POPULAR (brand) saws ,low cost high quality.

I've got a couple (a 10" cross-cut and a 7 1/4" x 40 or so that i use in my 10" table saw for segmenting). Small sampling, but both excellent blades.
earl

[Rob Luter]

I was on Amazon ordering a Wixey and noticed they had Freud blades on sale. I needed a version for flat bottom kerfs so I ordered their 24T HD Rip Blade. The price was right and anything I've ever bought from Freud has been exceptional. We'll see how it works.

[Curt Harms]

Don't the Forrest blades have the better carbide teeth, thinking C4 or something like that? Due to C4 carbide not all sharpening shops can sharpen Forrest blades. Which is why sending them back to Forrest to get them sharpen when needed if you ever need to. Thinking out loud here, not knowing 100% sure of my statement

I kinda remember that Forrest WWII (and the high end Freud) have a side grind on the teeth that not every sharpener can duplicate. That side grind is responsible for the polished cut.

[johnny means]

These table saw blade threads always make me feel like I’m missing out on something fabulous.

I use Diablo blades, which — as far as I can tell — are a budget line made by Freud. They’re cheap at Home Depot. I have a 24-tooth rip and an 80-tooth crosscut. I’ve had them sharpened and I keep them clean. They cut everything well.

Noise comparison? The saw doesn’t go on unless I’m wearing major ear protection, so sorry, what?

Am I naïve, or is it acceptable to use these pedestrian blades? Tell me now, because I’m on my 20th year with them. Or do I need to spend four times as much?
Noise? It's how I tell the condition of a blade. If you heard a thumping from your car's rear wheel you would know it wasn't in optimal condition. If you bought four new tires and the buzzed like chain saws, you'd recognize that as resistance. Likewise, any energy from a saw going into soundwaves is energy being lost for pne reason or another. Particular sounds can indicate particular causes. A flutter from a drive belt is not caused by the same issue as a squeal. A quiet cutting blade indicates clean slicing and little vibration.

[Mel Fulks]

The “triple chip” saws are the loudest I’ve heard , but they do work well for laminate. I’ve seen them used for wood ,and they are loud
for that too.

[Jeff Bartley]

Try POPULAR (brand) saws ,low cost high quality.

I have a 16” 36 tooth rip blade from Popular Tools and I’ll second the endorsement. Interestingly enough the other blade on that saw is a WW2, same kerf width (3/16”), saw is an Oliver 260D so no blade changes just spin the handle till the other blade comes up.

The Popular Tools blade is definitely better at the rip cuts and the WW2 is definitely better at the cross cuts.
On another saw I have both thin kerf and 1/8” kerf rip blades from Freud and Amana. The Amana is the 20T Euro rip blade, it’s the fastest but the glue line from Freud leaves a better finish.

All the rip blades see as much use in ripping as they do in cutting joinery: for a lot of joinery cuts I prefer a flat top grind. For joinery cuts on the small saw I would be more likely to use the Freud. For joinery cuts on the big saw it almost doesn’t matter, it’s so smooth it just leaves a perfect surface regardless which blade is in use.

[Jeff Bartley]

One other note: I wish we could go back to calling blades ‘saws’, it’s more fun to say. You’ll get instant respect from the old sharpening shops if you call them ‘saws’!

[Warren Lake]

Never had an issue running a 12 inch blade on either of the General cabinet saws. I ground the castings to fit back in early 80's and used them with 12" blades many times. Blade wont retract flush to the table top, had work that had to get done and it worked well.