Table Saw Blades, do you need to spend a fortune?

[Ian Scott]

I have never paid more than $30 for a blade. I notice the Forrest blades start at around $100. Are they worth it? (first question) I am a weekend warrior well every other weekend if you get my drift.
I have spent the last two weeks looking at a new saw but realized I would have to spend far to much to improve on my present table saw.
So would a blade or two (cross cut and rip) from Forrest range at around $275 for the pair make that big a difference? (second question). Last question are these overrated?

[Matt Day]

Freud is a very good alternative. Very good performance that won’t break the bank. I suggest a glue line rip blade and a crosscut blade. The general purpose blades yield acceptable performance at both operations, but I would rather have to change a blade and get very good performance.

Edit: Forrest makes very good blades by the way. These days they have more competitors and I did 20 years ago so there are more choices.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ian, I also am a hobby user and my answer is yes, buy good blades.

I normally buy FS Tools blades, they cut very well, have thick carbide teeth and can be sharpened many times.

I also have a $30 blade for when the neighbourhood kid comes over with his prized piece of wood he found in a ditch

I would suggest that a minimum set would include something like a 24 tooth rip blade, an 80 tooth ATB for crosscuts, perhaps a combo blade for general use on 1" or less stock and a an 80 tooth TCG blade for melamine or MDF.......Regards, Rod.

[Nick Lazz]

I would agree with Rod. Good blades are important but you don’t need a bunch. I have two I use regularly: a glue line rip and a combi crosscut. Neither are as high as 80 tooth but I crosscut a lot with a RAS and when I use my crosscut sled for wider boards the 40 tooth meets my needs. I am not an expert, just saying what works for me.
I would suggest you stay away from thin kerf. I tried these several years ago and learned they are not ideal. If you want to save material on a cut, use your bandsaw when appropriate.

[Cary Falk]

What is your current saw and what saw are you looking to upgrade to? You don't have to spend a fortune. I have a Forrest WWII. I also have a stack of Dewalt/Delta 7657 combination blades that I use most. They are $30 from Cripe Dist. on Ebay. I also have a 80 tooth combination blade from Onsrud and a ripping blade from them also. Those 3 blades were probably $100 total. Freud makes a great blade also which are cheaper then Forrest. I saw a post in a similar thread some time ago from professionals that used anything but Forrest. Tenryu has also been mentioned. I also have a CMT combination that works fine also.

[Ray Newman]

If your current saw is underpowered, vibration prone, poorly designed fence, etc., a "premium" blade probably will not improve its performance....

[Darcy Warner]

Yes, Forrest blades are a waste of money.
Never had one I ever liked.

Good blades last longer, can be sharpened for years, retoothed, etc. basically cheaper over the life span.

[Lee Schierer]

I use Freud blades almost exclusively. They cut well and have good carbide size so they can be resharpened when needed. I recently purchased a full kerf glue line rip blade for my 1-1/2 Hp Craftsman saw and it walks right through 3/4" hickory leaving a very smooth cut. I also own a Freud LU73M10 ($55 at Router bit world) and LU82M10 ($69 at Rockler) blades both are full kerf blades and give excellent cuts in hardwood or softwood. With a well tuned saw you have to look very close to see which side of a board was jointed and which side was cut.

[Joe Spear]

Yes, Forrest blades are a waste of money.
Never had one I ever liked.

I've had 4 Forrest blades and a dado set for years and have loved every one, each for its own cutting purpose. Having said that, there are many other fine blades available.

[Mike Cutler]

I have Forrest's, CMT's and Freud's. All of them work well.
I don't see enough difference between the Forrest's and the others to exclusively use only Forrest blades. That's just me though.
I don't think they're overrated. Good blades are somewhat expensive all by themselves.
A well tuned saw, and fence, and the right blade for the task, and all should go well.
I think too many folks over rely on a single combination blade for all of the tasks. A dedicated rip and crosscut blade is better in my opinion.

Just for a little perspective, Amana has blades that are almost three times the cost of a Forrest.

[Frederick Skelly]

Another satisfied Forrest user here.

With that said, I get acceptable performance from Freud's Diablo brand.

Fred

[Simon MacGowen]

I have never paid more than $30 for a blade. I notice the Forrest blades start at around $100. Are they worth it? (first question) I am a weekend warrior well every other weekend if you get my drift.
I have spent the last two weeks looking at a new saw but realized I would have to spend far to much to improve on my present table saw.
So would a blade or two (cross cut and rip) from Forrest range at around $275 for the pair make that big a difference? (second question). Last question are these overrated?

Question: Do you have a mitre saw?

If so, all you need is a quality combination blade as you can do most cross cuts on the mitre saw with a dedicated cross cut blade there.

I have the SawStop premium blade for normal cutting and plywood/MDF; the WWII (40t) combo blade for fine cuts and stock 1" thick and above hardwood. Unless the cross cut sled is used (short pieces are hard to cut on a mitre saw), most cross cuts are done on the mitre saw.

I like to switch the two saw blades to have even wear on them and they both can be sharpened. I have done that two times on the SS pre. blade and one time on the WWII since the SS saw was bought. There has been more wear on the premium blade because I edge joint with the SS instead of a jointer.

if you are fuzzy, you would also need sanding or a longer plane to remove machine marks. I recommend the Veritas LAJ.

No matter what blade you use, clean them often to prevent unnecessary burn marks.

Simon

[Ron Citerone]

Better blades are better for sure. Now if you are just starting out or could use the extra money on something else you really need then the smart play might be to go with the $30 blade. I also agree with Don. save you good blade for your fine work and have a cheap one around for the "ditch wood."

[Simon MacGowen]

Yes, Forrest blades are a waste of money.

Could you elaborate a bit on the bad experiences you had with them?

Simon

[Simon MacGowen]

If your current saw is underpowered, vibration prone, poorly designed fence, etc., a "premium" blade probably will not improve its performance....

+1

Try a thin kerf blade if you saw is underpowered and you are struggling with your rip cuts.

But better save the money towards a future upgrade of your saw.

Simon