Saw blades

[Todd Crawford]

What the best value in table saw blades. Don't want the cheapest, just looking for the best bang for the buck. Forrest WWII? This is my first table saw, so I apologize if this is something that should be obvious. Thanks in advance.

[Paul Symchych]

Don't overlook Diablo blades. made by Freud and sold at the orange box for something like $30. I feel no need for the higher priced blades.

[Leo Vogel]

Freud sawblades. None better for the money. I have tried them all, and always reach for my freud blades.

[Todd Crawford]

Don't overlook Diablo blades. made by Freud and sold at the orange box for something like $30. I feel no need for the higher priced blades.

Thanks for the response. I've seen those there before and have used them on my circular saw.

[Neil Brooks]

If you have a Fine Woodworking subscription (or want to try them, on a trial basis), you might find this review helpful.

Otherwise, Scott Spencer is kind of like Dr. Saw Blade, around these parts

FWIW, I've been extremely happy with my Forrest WWII AND Dado King, but ... that doesn't mean that it's all things to everybody.

Good luck !

[Andrew Nemeth]

There are different quality levels for freud blades and cutters. The line carried by most of the big box hardware stores is usually their lower end. I have had some success with the diablo blade mentioned previously but I would only use it as a rough blade or a temporary blade while having my good blades sharpened. I have 2 WWII that are my go to combination blades. I have heard very good things about Freuds upper end blades too. You can find them at most of the woodworking specific stores such as woodcraft. The grade of carbide (stays sharp longer) and the thickness of the teeth (allowing for multiple sharpenings) make premium blades a better value for me than anything I can buy at a big boxstore.

[David Helm]

There are different quality levels for freud blades and cutters. The line carried by most of the big box hardware stores is usually their lower end. I have had some success with the diablo blade mentioned previously but I would only use it as a rough blade or a temporary blade while having my good blades sharpened. I have 2 WWII that are my go to combination blades. I have heard very good things about Freuds upper end blades too. You can find them at most of the woodworking specific stores such as woodcraft. The grade of carbide (stays sharp longer) and the thickness of the teeth (allowing for multiple sharpenings) make premium blades a better value for me than anything I can buy at a big boxstore.

+1 on this post. While I don't use Freud blades I fully agree with getting better blades which allow for more sharpenings. Generally the low end blades are throw away which, in my opinion, is a waist of limited resources.

[glenn bradley]

After buying and trying many, Freud industrials are my go-to blades for 90% of my work. It would be good to know the HP and configuration of your saw. Full or thin kerf can make a difference for some folks.

[Tom Walz]

Those are all good saw blades.

However, If you want a real deal we have two 10” by 40 tooth saw blades we built for Saw Stop. They have a 5/8” bore and an ATB (alternate top bevel grind). Saw Stop wanted to inspect and test our saw blades since they have unique saw tips.

These were built with our Cermet 2 saw tips that give somewhere between 2 and 10 times the life of carbide depending on the material being cut.

These are built to industrial specifications, which means a total runout of 0.002” instead of the more common 0.004”.

Basically these saw blades are like the stock cars in NASCAR compared to what you buy retail.

Anyway, Saw stop requested a couple blades for testing. These blades passed in inspection so they didn’t need to run them. In spite of the fact they have never been run they have been out do we don’t consider them new.

They retail for $99.99 and are yours for $49.00. There are only two blades. Saw Stop is just sending them back so it will be a couple days.

They can be sharpened by any good saw shop with automatic equipment. They both come with our standard, unlimited 100% guarantee.

Don’t know if you really want a blade this good but we have them and are looking for something to do with them.

If you don’t want them we’ll offer them to Keith for a contest or drawing.

Tom Walz
Carbide Processors
800 346-8274

[Erik Christensen]

I like my Ridge Carbide blades. 100% US made and as good as anything I have seen. I have 10" plywood & rip blades for my TS and a 12" cross cut on my RAS. Used a fair amount for a year or more and have yet to need a sharpening.

[Alex Horvath]

Can the Forrest blades be sharpened adequately by a competent sharpening shop?

Forrest implies that they are only ones that can sharpen them but the turnaround time can be long and shipping is a PITA.

[Rod Sheridan]

Todd, a good blade is a good investment over your woodworking lifetime.

I've never been a fan of combination blades alone.

If you only own a combo blade you'll have problems ripping thicker stock, or getting extremely smooth cross cuts.

A 24 tooth rip blade (chip limitation) and a 60 or 80 tooth ATB (Alternate Top Bevel) blade will cover most of your needs.

Add a TCG (Triple Chip Grind) blade for melamine or particle board at a later date, and keep a junk blade around for when the neighbourhood kid shows up with his prized piece of wood he found in a ditch.

I use FS Tools blades, fantastic cutting tools made in North America, and a sharpening service that's one of the best. They can sharpen any blade or cutter.

Invest in good blades, expect to pay between $70 and $130 per blade ( cost may be a bit lower in the USA), and keep them for a lifetime.

Regards, Rod.

[jmike montgomery]

This is a topic I've wondered about over the past few months. In both my miter and table saw, I've been of the school that more teeth = better results. So I've typically used thin kerf 80T ATB blades in both. For crosscutting, they give glass smooth cuts. But for ripping, I've noticed in oak that I can get some burning even if I take my time cutting the wood and don't shove it through the saw.

Would I get better results using a different type of blade in my table saw?

Looking at an old Freud catalog, they had one blade that they said was the "ultimate" combination blade, which if I recall correctly was in the 60T category.

[Bob Rossi]

I have 2 Forest WWII blades, a thin kerf and a thick kerf. I purchased the thick kerf when my thin kerf had to go in for sharpening due to carelessness on my part. (Yes they do take a few weeks).

My thick blade is the new design that gives incredible crosscut results by not so good rip results, (it leaves witness marks).

[Alex Horvath]

I do a lot of miter work on the 12" miter saw and I splurged on the Forrest thick kerf miter saw blade. I think it's worth it because I could see the original thin kerf blade deflect to the side if I was adjusting a cut. It is a little harder on the saw motor - takes perhaps a second longer to spin up fully.