saw kerf

[Aaron Kline]

Can you use a full kerf saw blade on a contractor saw? Its 1-1/2 horsepower.

[Steven Peters]

Most table saw blades have a 1/8th inch kerf. That's what I use on my Delta contractor's saw.

[Hoa Dinh]

Yes. I used contractors' TS for 5 years before getting the current Unisaw. I never bought a TK blade.

If you rip lumber thicker than 1", however, you need a dedicated rip blade (24T). A 40T combo or general-purpose blade will burn the wood and may even stall the motor.

For ripping lumber thicker than 1.5", I recommend a TK rip blade.

[Aaron Kline]

Most of what I work with is 3/4" thick wood. So it should be ok then.

[Scott Thornton]

You shouldn't have any problems, thicker material will just make your saw work a little harder.

If you opt for a thin kerf, I would suggest getting some stabalizers to go with them on your contractor saw.

You can usually get the Thin Kerf Forrest WW 2 on sale on Amazon or elsewhere...

[Frank Pellow]

You can and I expect that most folks do.

I never used anything bt a "full kerf" blade on my contractor's saw -and I had the saw for about 35 years. I'm not even sure that thin kerf blades existed back when I bought that saw.

[scott spencer]

Yes you can. I've used both TK's and full kerfs on similar size saws as yours, and get good cut quality with both. The feedrate is better with the TK's and the motor doesn't work as hard, especially with thick hardwoods. I get great cuts with a high quality TK like the better Freuds, Forrest, better DW's, Ridge Carbide, or Leitz, and have never had an issue. I'd suggest avoiding a cheap TK from names like Skil, B&D, Irwin/Marathon, etc., if you choose a TK.

[Bob Childress]

Full kerf blades work just fine on my contractor saw. I prefer them for the rigidity and have never had any problems (yet!). I use a Freud Industrial blade and get very nice, smooth cuts.

[Richard Wolf]

If you have alot of straight line ripping to do, a thin kerf rip blade is the way to go. It works 25% less than a 1/8" blade and will make you saw cut smoother.

Richard

[Aaron Kline]

I've been trying different blades lately and they all seem to be junk. The best so far have been freud industrial series but I decided to switch to full kerf. I think Im going with a full kerf 40 tooth. I rarely rip hardwoods like oak or that. Mostly poplar, sassafras, some oak,ash,etc and walnut. So I'm looking at the bosch pro1040gp blade from amazon.

[scott spencer]

I've been trying different blades lately and they all seem to be junk. The best so far have been freud industrial series but I decided to switch to full kerf. I think Im going with a full kerf 40 tooth. I rarely rip hardwoods like oak or that. Mostly poplar, sassafras, some oak,ash,etc and walnut. So I'm looking at the bosch pro1040gp blade from amazon.

Hi Aaron - If you get the Bosch, I fear you'd be taking a significant step backward from the quality of the Freud Industrial line. Typically to do better than the Industrial series, you'd need to go to the elite offerings from Forrest, Ridge Carbide, Tenryu, and Freud's Premier series. If you're looking for the best bang for the buck in a full kerf 40T general purpose blade, I think the DeWalt DW7657 is tough to beat for $55 delivered from Amazon. It's similar in design and performance to the WWII, Ridge Carbide, Tenryu Gold Medal, Freud F410 high end types. If you're not set on a full kerf, I can heartily recommend the Freud LU88R010 60T for the size of material you describe, or even the 40T LU86R010 for < $40.

DW7657 - http://www.epinions.com/content_220309917316
LU88 - http://www.epinions.com/content_226312687236
LU86 - http://www.epinions.com/content_227985493636
WWII - http://www.epinions.com/content_145552674436

[Aaron Kline]

I already had the lu88 and lu87 and they're fine blades but I changed my mind. Im also looking at the amana prestige.

[Dennis Peacock]

Amana and Everlast make some very fine homeline and commercial sawblades. I use an Amana 24T rip and I also use an Everlast 60T Crosscut blade and an Everlast 90T mitersaw blade. I'm sold on Amana and Everlast. Best blades I've ever bought.

[Mike Null]

I've always used 1/8" kerf blades on my Delta Contractor Saw. Never a hint of a problem with a Forrest WWII.

[glenn bradley]

Well I guess I might as well chime in:

Freud 80 tooth TK - Rocks.
Freud 60 tooth TK - Rocks.
Leitz 40 tooth TK - Rocks.
WWII 40 tooth TK - Very good now that I have more than 1HP, below average with 1HP.
Leitz 24 tooth TK - Very good.

Haven't tried the full kerf on the new saw. I use stabilizers but notice no difference with a well tuned saw and a proper feed rate.

That's it for me. With all this input, you're either totally confused or have a good base of real world experience to draw from.

Enjoy