I picked up an older SC3 slider a few months ago and have taken it apart and put it back together a few times and I finally am beginning to understand the nuances of the slider mechanism. I thought maybe some of the parts were worn (which didn't make a lot of sense to me, as the machine appears to be pretty unused), but it turns out that everything just needed adjustment. I switched out all of the bearings (which were really cheap, BTW) and I have the machine really dialed in and I am happy.
Now, I am looking for a new blade. The machine is designed for a 12" blade, and has a 5/8" arbor. The choices that I see out there are Forrest and Ridge. The Woodworker II and the 2000 are their respective combo blades. I think that these would fit the bill, though I expect that I will use the machine more for crosscutting than for ripping. I still have a PM66 set up and I actually tend to rip on my bandsaw. In 25 years, Ive launched 2 pieces, and both were panels that were nearly square, but still, I like that the SC3 has a very nice riving knife. What I don't like is to have to remove the crosscut table to rip.
I am leaning towards the 48 tooth Forrest blade. It'll cost me nearly $200, though, so I am wondering if there are any other ideas out there. Is a bushing a bad idea, or a non-issue? Any other 12"/5/8" blades out there that my internet fu is not finding? I see Amana may have some offerings, but they all look like sheet good blades and are in the same ballpark. I'd happily buy a Feud, but it doesn't look like they offer anything.