I have a Ryobi BT3000 saw (go ahead and laugh) and primarily use thin kerf blades. I've been able to fine-tune the setup to the point where I have +/- .001" of runout right under the gullets on most all of my blades.
Still, I have noticed that some of the blades vibrate a little bit. The WWII blade to a lesser degree, the somewhat thinner Dewalt blades seem a little more prone.
I can see signs in my cut edges. Now, I know I'm nitpicking, but every once in a while when ripping plywood (so no wood tension issues) I'll hear a little "zing." And when I inspect the cut edge, you can see some swirling blade marks in that spot. It is almost the same as if I had stopped pushing the stock so I could adjust my hand placement. However, I never stopped even pressure on the stock.
I finally decided to purchase a blade stabilizer from Forrest. I purchased the 5" version, which still provides 2.5" of cutting height (plenty for 99% of what I do).
I mentioned on another forum that I could hear the difference. Someone asked if I could see the difference (a fair question).
So I created a little test: I used my sled to cut a piece of BB plywood that is approx. 7 or 8" wide. I then used a black marker to color the cut edge.
Next, I placed the wood back on the sled, and ran it into the blade five times. On the fifth pull back to the front of the saw, I paused for five seconds.
The top is the piece w/ no stabilizer in place, the bottom piece had the stabilizer in place.
Besides seeing that the piece cut w/ the stabilizer in place is "more black," I can also tell you that it is straighter, with fewer light gaps than the piece cut w/o the stabilizer.
I know the topic (whether a stabilizer is worth it or not) comes up here from time to time. I just thought this pic was a good demonstration of what one may expect should someone be on the fence.
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