standard kerf or thin kerf?

[Brent Beelby]

Hello,
I have to buy a new blade for my 12" chop saw. I was wondering what you prefer? standard kerf or thin kerf or does it even matter since I'm not using it to rip.
Thanks, Brent

[Joe Chritz]

This seems to come up every so often.

That being said I use a thin kerf on my chop saw because it was all I could find locally and I needed one that day. I have not had any flex problems with it.

I have heard with some compound bevel cuts flex of the blade can be a problem and standard kerf is recommended. If you have the choice of both my vote is standard even though I'm using a thin kerf with no problems.

Joe

[tod evans]

i only bought one thin-kerf blade and that was quite a few years ago. i`ll never buy another, nor will i use a saw that has one installed. i don`t like the flex......02 tod

[Russ Massery]

Don't like the thin kerf for the same reason. I recommend the forrest chopmaster. Here a link to a good sale on them.http://www.forrestsawbladesonline.com/index.html

[John Keane]

I have both thin kerf and regular kerf. Thin kerf doesn't get much use. I just feel better about using a regular kerf blade.

[Jim Becker]

I used to use a thin kerf on my CMS. No longer. I get much better results with the "standard" kerf blade with less wandering/deflection under load.

[Byron Trantham]

Here, here. Standard kerf only!:p

[Kent Cori]

Another vote for the standard kerf blade. The only real reason for the thinner kerf is that they will take a little less power due to the narrower cross section. However, your saw should have plenty of power to drive a normal width blade.

[Jerry White]

I still am using the original blade that came with my 10" Compound Miter Saw, which is a thin kerf (3/32"). When I replace it, it is my intention to go to a full kerf blade. However, it seems that all the blades that I find that are recommended for CMS's and chop saws are at least a little shy of full kerf. This includes the Forrest Chopmaster, which is a 7/64 kerf.

To those of you who use full kerf blades in your Compound Miter Saws and Chopsaws....are you classifiying this as a full kerf?

Thanks

[tod evans]

I still am using the original blade that came with my 10" Compound Miter Saw, which is a thin kerf (3/32"). When I replace it, it is my intention to go to a full kerf blade. However, it seems that all the blades that I find that are recommended for CMS's and chop saws are at least a little shy of full kerf. This includes the Forrest Chopmaster, which is a 7/64 kerf.

To those of you who use full kerf blades in your Compound Miter Saws and Chopsaws....are you classifiying this as a full kerf?

Thanks

i`m not, try amana......02 tod

[john tomljenovic]

I vote standerd kerf, I used a thin kerf on my scms and always had weird accuracy problems. put a standerd width blade and now it cuts angles to the minute.

thin kerfs flex too much IMHO.

[Jim Becker]

I find that are recommended for CMS's and chop saws are at least a little shy of full kerf. This includes the Forrest Chopmaster, which is a 7/64 kerf.

"Full Kerf" is what it is...one cannot assume it's the same as the table saw blade or "standard" at 1/8". I have noticed a substantial difference in performance since switching to the Chopmaster from the "thin kerf" major brand blade I previously used in the area of stablity...the body of the blade is heavier and thicker. Being 1/64" shy of 1/8" on the carbide is less of a concern in that respect.

[Jerry White]

Thanks Tod and Jim. Your comments are very helpfull.

Jerry<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->