I am looking to start a more current bandsaw blade discussion for more recent information, recommendations and answers to some questions.

Specifically I have a circa 2004 MM16 Bandsaw with a 149 inch blade and the Euro Guides. It is time to order some more blades and I figured it would be a great time to update my knowledge of blades with the experiences of the users here before ordering.

I have 3 general blade use cases: Resawing, circle cutting, and general purpose.

1) Resawing:

For resawing I have mostly used The Highland Wood Slicer (1/2"), but now considering the KERFmaster that Spectrum sells. The Wood Slicer is now available in 3/4" also (.022" thickness). Based on reviews and feedback, it appears that the KERFmaster makes similar cuts to the Wood Slicer and a lot of people are satisfied with it at a much lower cost than the Wood Slicer. I do not extensively resaw, so a Lenox Woodmaster CT is not a good option for me. For the KERFmaster, I am looking at the 3/4" x .022' x 3/4T (vari-tooth) as opposed to the 1/2" x .022" x 3/4T version. The MM16 should have no problems tensioning the 3/4" model and THEORETICALLY should give an easier cut. IF ANYONE HERE HAS opinions/experience of the 1/2" and 3/4" models, I'd like to hear them. I am aware that the Wood Slicer and KERFmaster both wear out much faster than the Woodmaster CT.

2) Circle Cutting:

After 18 years I finally made a circle cutter. I had the Wood Slicer on the saw at the time and can 100% verify that a 1/2" resaw blade does a POOR job with a circle cutting jig. :-) The minimum radius I could cut was about 9 inches without the saw protesting, which is to be expected with a resaw blade. I put an older, fatter kerf 1/2" blade on the saw and the circle cutting markedly improved, but still had room for improvement (ie., much smaller diameter circles.) Since I don't have a 3/8" blade, I will be purchasing one for use with the jig. I'd rather not go smaller with the Euro Guides. For this blade I am considering The Lenox Diemaster 2. This bi-metal blade in 3/8" only comes in .035" thickness (in a 4 or 6 TPI hook flavor -- the other TPIs are too fine for wood use), Since i want the 3/8" blade I will need to go with the .035" thickness. I am considering the 4 hook variety as opposed to the 6 TPI hook flavor, BUT looking for a recommendation here. Most of my circles should be less than 2 inches in thickness. The other option in 3/8" is the Flex Back in .025" thickness. Tooth patterns are 10 or 14 TPI Raker, 3, 4 or 6 TPI Raker Hook and 3 TPI Alt Hook. I am completely unsure of which tooth pattern is best here.

3) General Purpose:

For general purpose usage I am looking at a NON RESAWING 1/2" blade since I already will have the above 3/8" Diemaster 2 that I will use for circle cutting. For this blade I can get another Diemaster 2 in 1/2". The 1/2" comes in both .025" thickness (4 or 6T Hook) and .035" thickness (3, 4 or 6T Hook) unless I go with a 6/10 or similar vari-tooth in .025" thickness. I am not sure which TPI model is best here. The other option is the 1/2" Lenox Flex Back (.025") in 6, 10, or 14T Raker or 3, 4, or 6T Raker Hook. Again, not sure which Tooth Pattern is best here or even the best TPI for a general purpose blade.

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So, looking for feedback on the KERFmaster in 1/2" or 3/4" resaw applications, the Diemaster 2 or the Flex Back in 3/8" for circle cutting, and for a general purpose blade, is the 1/2 Diemaster 2 or Flex Back better and in which tooth configuration. I have read that the .035" blades have more metal fatigue than the .025" blades, but no practical experience on this. For the circle cutting I am inclined to go with the .035" blade since it may enable tighter circle diameters, but open to suggestions. The Diemaster 2 since it is bi-metal will have a far greater life than the Flex Back blades, but there is a 2.5x price difference.

Thanks again for feedback and recommendations.

George