Is there any advantage of carbide tipped band saw blades other than lasting longer?

[Michael Yadfar]

On my bandsaw I've just been using the standard 3/8" 6TPI blade it came with which has worked well for what I've needed it for. However, I'm going to be getting into some resawing and cross cutting of thick stock, so I'm going to buy a 3/4" hooked 3TPI blade. However, in the selection of this blade, there is the regular steel blade and then there's carbide tipped. The price difference is pretty significant, $52 vs $18, so I'm wondering what the significance is and how important it is. I assume the only advantage of the carbon tipped would be that it lasts longer, which wouldn't really be too significant to me because I'm only using this for my personal home shop.

[Matt Day]

Off the top of my head I'll say carbide tipped will cut easier and leave a smoother cut.

A $58 carbide tipped blade would be for a pretty small machine right? What size and what blade were you considering? Might not be worth the cost of you're not resawing that much height.

[Erik Loza]

In my opinion, the big pros of carbide blades are finish quality and of course, longevity against abrasive species of wood. The cons of carbide are that not every owner can benefit from them (or at least if they are more than 1/2" wide, since they require a really sturdy saw to tension properly...), they are much more sensitive to feed rate and pressure than skip-tooth blades, and should never be used on green wood. I look at carbides like a special knife in the butcher block: What they do, no other blade can but you wouldn't use a paring knife for bread, meat, and everything else. You really should have an assortment of blades for your bandsaw.



Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Michael Yadfar]

Off the top of my head I'll say carbide tipped will cut easier and leave a smoother cut.

A $58 carbide tipped blade would be for a pretty small machine right? What size and what blade were you considering? Might not be worth the cost of you're not resawing that much height.

39 1/2" blade. It's actually $58 but close enough. My band saw is only a 14" and I only have 6" resaw capacity without the riser block which I don't have and don't plan to have. I'm using it more for rough cutting stock 1-2" thick, which isn't much height at all

[Michael Yadfar]

You really should have an assortment of blades for your bandsaw.



Erik Loza
Minimax USA

I have a decent assortment for different purposes, like a 1/8" fine tooth blade for sharp curves and now the wider one for heavier work. I learned about the uses for the different blade widths, TPI, and tooth type, but never learned anything about the difference between steel and carbide tip

[Bruce Page]

I used to run Timber Wolf & Wood Slicer blades on my 14" Delta. I never saw a need for a carbide tipped blade on it.
I do have a Lenox Tri-Master carbide for my MiniMax but only use it for re-sawing.

[Peter Quinn]

39 1/2" blade. It's actually $58 but close enough. My band saw is only a 14" and I only have 6" resaw capacity without the riser block which I don't have and don't plan to have. I'm using it more for rough cutting stock 1-2" thick, which isn't much height at all

Is that possible? 39 1/2" blade on a 14" saw? The diameter 2X is 28"' add 2x6 for the height and that's 40" if the wheels were at table height, which typically they are not. I'm thinking your blade is more like 93" IIR on a 14" saw.

[Michael Yadfar]

Is that possible? 39 1/2" blade on a 14" saw? The diameter 2X is 28"' add 2x6 for the height and that's 40" if the wheels were at table height, which typically they are not. I'm thinking your blade is more like 93" IIR on a 14" saw.

Sorry, I got the number reversed. *93 1/2

[Matt Day]

It would be nice to have a carbide blade, but to me you don't need one on a 14" saw. Those saws aren't designed for much resawing to begin with and I think you could spend the money better elsewhere.

[Myk Rian]

A 14" band saw will not tension a carbide blade adequately. I don't care what anyone says. They won't do it.
Especially a 3/4" blade.
Get a 1/2" 3-4tpi bi-metal.

[Michael Yadfar]

A 14" band saw will not tension a carbide blade adequately. I don't care what anyone says. They won't do it.
Especially a 3/4" blade.
Get a 1/2" 3-4tpi bi-metal.

How about a 3/4" that's not carbide?

[Myk Rian]

Max 1/2" blade. That's all you need.

[James Nugnes]

I believe in going the multiple blade route as well. Where it gets a little dicey in the decision making process for some of us is the amount we might use our bandsaws. I am a carver. I love having a bandsaw to knock down larger blocks of wood to something more manageable and then that into blanks. But I will use the bandsaw and then be off to carve for a week before I am back at the bandsaw again.

In my case I decided it was best to have multiples of lower cost but good quality blades instead of getting the carbide tip blades and worrying about all the particulars that relate to them. For example I would rather a good quality value priced blade go dull on me than have a really expensive carbide tip blade break on me suddenly because I was not doing enough bandsaw work to recognize that the carbide tip blade was about to go.

Plus if you have multiple blades and a bandsaw that makes blade changes pretty easy, then you are more likely to use the right blade for a specific job. That alone will help the blades last. Then when it is time for replacement, if you are using blades that are not costing your first born child, it is much easier to decide that the time for a new blade or blades is sooner rather than later. I don't think the ability to send off carbide tip blades to be resharpened is much of an advantage to those of us that are not constantly at the bandsaw either. Usually that seems to e a $45.00 charge. So you spent $250 or so...maybe less down to $150 or so for the blade and $45 every time you sharpen.

My newest addition to the shop is a bandsaw upgrade. Just got a Laguna 14/twelve. That is more than enough bandsaw for the kinds of work I do on a bandsaw. Bought an assortment of blades from the guys in Ohio, Spectrum Supply and got one Laguna blade that I bought with the saw. That way I will have one blade that was really made for the saw.

I can definitely see where the carbide tip blades are an advantage for people that are throwing a bunch of work at their bandsaws all the time, especially work that would really eat "standard" blades. Just don't think they make sense for me and might actually pose more of a safety hazard in my case as i will never have one of them on my saw enough to really learn the ins and outs of that blade style.

[Jim Finn]

I have a 14" band saw with a riser so I can re-saw 12 1/2" stock. I resaw mostly with this saw and use 1/2" carbide 3 TPI blades and they work well. I pay about $25 for these 105" blades. Out last woodslicer blades by about 500%. I get them here: http://supercutbandsaw.com/

[ian maybury]

For sure reports suggest that smaller saws seem to run into problems with bending/stressing the thicker gauge bands on most (not necessarily all - but check the thickness/gauge and dig out the maker's recommended min wheel diameter) carbide tipped blades enough to potentially if not run into at least sail close to the wind in respect of fatigue problems. Likewise they may struggle to tension blades up near their width capability - for the same sorts of reasons. The higher camber typically put on the wheels of smaller saws probably doesn't help either.

Against that as others have said a well tensioned caride tipped blade does seem to have the ability to deliver a significantly better cut finish than a steel toothed blade. My guess on this is that it's because the side of each carbide tooth is ground flat, with the result that it probably has a planing action, and more regular/less pointed tips than the set variety. The teeth on most steel blades are set (bent to each side) to deliver reasonable clearance within the kerf/cut. Trouble is that this method of manufacturing creates outward leaning pointed tip teeth - which presumably with an increased possibility of some teeth being set high causes the more 'scratched' cut surface they produce...