Page 1 of 5 12345 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 74

Thread: Forrest Woodworker blades - worth the money?

  1. #1

    Forrest Woodworker blades - worth the money?

    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?

  2. #2
    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.

  3. #3
    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,

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    291
    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.
    Last edited by Doug Colombo; 03-17-2021 at 10:44 PM.

  5. #5
    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.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
    Posts
    1,719
    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/woodwo...eth-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/woodwo...eth-fast-feed/
    Last edited by ChrisA Edwards; 03-17-2021 at 11:06 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    Forrest does indeed make excellent blades. Others have closed the gap however in recent years.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Camas, Wa
    Posts
    3,855
    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    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.
    Aj

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
    Posts
    2,282
    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.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Mid-Michigan
    Posts
    269
    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.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Silicon Valley, CA
    Posts
    989
    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

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Lafayette, CA
    Posts
    832
    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?

  14. #14
    Tyler,
    Give these guys a look for Forrest blades www.sliversmill.com

    Ed

  15. #15
    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

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •