I would like to get suggestions on an excellent table saw blade. I’m looking for a combo blade that will give me a perfectly smooth rip and crosscut in most hardwoods. I know the forrest woodworker II is excellent. Are there any others without spending the $100+ dollars.
thanks in advance,
sammer
Replies
No. Slainte.
That wasn't helpful. Would you please explain. Also, what does "slainte" mean?
Dead simple Sammer. The question was analogous to which car will perform like a Ferrari Formula One car on the F1 circuit, and also perform like a Land Rover on the hilly and muddy tracks. Which kind of Buick, Peugot, Citroen, Chevrolet, Pontiac should I buy?
A Buick (etc.) will neither keep up with an F1 car on the race circuit, nor will it keep up with a Land Rover up the muddy, and mountainous tracks. General purpose blades are like Buick's. They'll get you to from A to B most of the time but they are not really suited to F1 racing, nor at muddy hill climbs.
If I want to rip timber effectively for extended periods, I fit an FT rip blade. If I want to cross cut timber to fine tolerances without spelch and other faults, I fit a many toothed ATB cross cut blade. If I want to just kind of muddle along doing a bit of this and a bit of that, none of it especially well, I'll fit a combination blade, such as as a 4&1 or TCG blade-- that's what they're good at, muddling along. All the blade types mentioned can be got from Freud, Amana, Systimatic, etc..
Slainte translates roughly into cheers from gaelic, Slainte. Some stuff I've made.
The FWWII certainly has that reputation, but keep in mind, it's not going to do absolutely everything. For vitually the same amount of money, you may be able to get two blades that will do their respective jobs even better than the FWWII.
Perhaps you could give us some more info here: What type of saw are you using? What's the maximum thickness you might be expecting to cut, especially rip-cuts?
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have a 10" Jet contractors saw. Not to often, but I would say a maximum of about 2" of hardwood is what I will rip. I'm aware that I can get a dedicated rip blade, and a crosscut blade, combined for about the same price. But I like the idea of not having to change blades. When working on a project, I'm constantly going back and forth from ripping to crosscutting. I also like the idea of having perfect glue line rip edges right off the table saw. I was at the woodworking show the other day, and the Forrest rep convinced me that the FWWII could do that by showing me a 2" thick maple ripped before my eyes. It was perfect.
What do you think? Should I just deal with switching blades? Is there no combo blade out there that can perform both superbly? Is the FWW II an exception?
While doing some research on this subject, I discovered the long thread about table saw blades where "Dano" lost it with his profanity. I read all the 75 replys. That was pretty funny. How long ago was that?
Well, I look forward to your reply, and your wisdom. Thanks for trying to help.
sammer
p.s. My wife and I will be moving to Bellingham soon, and sailing the San Juans.
As good as the WWII is, even Forrest will tell you to get their 30 rip blade if you plan on ripping hardwoods over 1" thick. As an all round blade for 1" and less boards the 40 tooth WWII is fine.
Other blade manufacturers make comparable 40 tooth ATB general purpose blades and most of the tests I have seen find little practical differences between them. They will all give "glueline quality" cuts. I happen to like the Freud F410 but I find their LU84 50 tooth combination blade more versatile.
Keep in mind that any "combo" or "general purpose" blade has to be a compromise that performs best in the average usage. Once you move away from the most common usage, the proper blade outperforms the generalist blade. Can't have it both ways.
Edited 11/26/2002 6:32:29 PM ET by Howie
Hi Sammer -- moving to Bellingham, eh? You're going to be tantalizingly close to Lee Valley/Veritas up in Canada, you lucky dog!!!
OK, first, I'm going to translate a couple of Sgian's abbreviations: TCG=Triple Chip Grind. FT=(I think)Flat Top.
If most of your work is going to be done in <1" wood, the FWWII should do you fine. Freud produces a comparable blade, I think at a lower price. I've not used it, but I have 2 other Freud blades that I consider superb and a much better value per dollar.
The fact that you're using a Jet contractor's saw (as am I) means that you're going to have to give the smaller motor (compared to a 3HP cabinet saw) some help on occasion when ripping hard and thick stock. You get too many teeth running through a thick piece of hardwood, and you're gonna have problems.
I use a combo blade for most of my work, because I too don't like taking time out for changing blades every 10 or 15 minutes. That being said, though, when I need a precise and ultra-smooth cross-cut, I have a blade for that. Soon, I will have a dedicated ripping blade for those occasions when I'm ripping thick walnut or oak.
I'll try to get Charles from Freud to pitch in here and give model recommendations for their blades, as I'm short on time today to be doing research. If you buy Freud, you're better off, IMHO, ordering the LU series blades rather than picking up the Diablo in the big box stores. My guess is you could be well-stocked with 3 blades: a combo blade, a rip blade and, if you plan to work alot with sheet goods, a plywood blade. Freud has a cross-cut blade that I'm told does excellent work with plywood also.
One other thing to keep in mind: if you get the Forrest Blade, you're eventually going to need another one, for when you send #1 out for sharpening. So, what's that, about $260? Ouch.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
You should also know that Forrest blades are special ground, and should only be resharpened by Forrest, which costs more than most other local places. You can buy (3) good Freud blades for about the same price as a WWII.
Any sharpener with the latest equipment can sharpen Forrest blades or for that matter, can put the same grind on another manufacturer's blade. Almost all the newer 40 tooth ATB blades have tooth grind similar to that used on the Forrest. It's no magic or secret that only Forrest has.
Thanks Howie! :-)
Scott
Scott's Sharpening Service
Glendale, Az.
Jamie,
The Freud blades you are using are the LU84 Combination and the LU85 Ultimate Crosscut. The plywood blade is the F810. I think your philosophy for blade selection is ideal for many woodworkers: use the combo blade for most work and change when you need an especially clean crosscut. the LU84 does crosscut and rip and (knowing that all multipurpose blades have a tradeoff somewhere) it's emphasis is on ripping. It will also give beautiful crosscuts but the LU85 is necessary for the occasional need for a glass smooth cut. Likewise, if sheet goods are cut, the combo will do okay but nothing is as smooth as a dedicated blade like the F810. There isn't a blade made, not by Forrest or Freud or anyone that does EVERYTHING perfectly but the combination and multipurpose blades are able to do a respectable job in a lot of applications and save a lot of blade changes. For my own use I stay with dedicated blades for each purpose but that insn't suitable to everyone's needs/budget/style.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Hi Charles,
This is somewhat off-topic but what would you suggest for a radial arm saw? Looking for safety as well as smooth, almost splinter free crosscuts.
Thanks
IF the saw is 10" and the material is 3/4" on average I would recommend the F810 (HiATB 80 tooth). It has a mild hook angle for safety and a steep bevel angle for superior shearing. If other please advise and I'll make a new recommendation.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Thanks for the response, that is one I didn't consider. I had been looking at the LU91M010 based on general product literature. The H-ATBs are typically for melamine are they not?
HiATB does do an excellent job on laminates and veneers but also does a great job crosscutting solid stock. The only advantage the LU91 would have is that it will cut thicker stock.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Edited 12/1/2002 3:24:27 PM ET by CHARLES_MC
Charles, I just want to quickly compliment your products. On a whim, and still undecided on a blade for the RAS, I pulled out my seldom used CMS and robbed it of its blade (out of sight, out of mind). It had a 5 year old, much used, thin kerf Freud finishing blade, 40 tooth, that I had picked up at Home Depot several years ago. I doubt I paid much for it since back then, I wasn't into woodworking and the required tools and gadgets. At any rate, I put it on the RAS and did a few test cuts. Hands down, it performed better than my previous two Systimatics ($60 and $85) - both 60 tooth. There was a little tear out but the end was smooth, smooth, smooth. I'll be looking in the Freud direction for my next blade.
Just refound this thread so I could find your name. I just purchased 2 of the Freud Diablo blades w/ a HD gift certificate yesterday. Can't use them until after Christmas, but am looking forward to trying them out.
I purchased the 80 tooth ultra fine finish for fine crosscuts, and the 24 tooth ripping blade. I'll let you know what I think.
Curious what you think of the selection for general woodworking. Should I have maybe gone w/ the 60 tooth fine finish instead? Sorry, poorly worded. Rephrase, what factors should I use when deciding between a 60 tooth and an 80 tooth. What limitations do these blades have? Which is better for what applications? This will be my only cross-cut blade, good or poor choice? Ditto for the ripping blade, currently using a combo, good or poor choice?
Couple suggestions: Your packaging needs work. Your blades were falling out of the packages. Had to make sure I got one that hadn't fallen off the hook onto the concrete. The snap together package is a good idea, but yours sucks. You'll certainly lose some loyalty from customers who just grab one and don't notice a chipped tooth. HD doesn't seem to care, at least one blade on their rack had obviously been used. The Irwin blades next to yours had a much better display package. A plastic molded case w/ a screw nut to keep the blade in. After you buy it you have a storage case that helps protect the blade. Imitation being the best form of flattery, I'd suggest you flatter them some.
Also, while listing fine finish, or ultra-fine finish on the package is useful, listing whether it's a cross-cut, ripping, or combo blade would also be useful. A blade selection chart on the back would be very helpful to people trying to decide what the best blade is for their intended use.
I've heard many good things about Freud, but this will be my first time trying any of your products. I certainly hope they live up to the reputation.
I am late on this thread as well but is the Diablo blade a Home Depot special? I can't find it listed in any of the woodworking catalogs under Freud blades; they list blades but the use of "Diablo" is not there.
Thanks for the feedback on your purchasing experience. This is valuable information for the marketing guys. The two blades you selected should be excellent choices. The only advantage gained with a 60 tooth over an 80 is that it will cut thicker stock. The 80 tooth will produce cleaner cuts in general use. I think you should keep your current combo blade for the thick stock cuts and use the two new ones for everything else.
The Diablo series was originally developed for Home Depot but is now available through a lot of different outlets.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Thanks for the response. I'll try these out and see what I think. Perhaps in the future I'll add a 40 tooth cross-cut for thick stuff, usually not an issue I just take 2 cuts on thick stuff.
Charles
What would you recommend for clean cuts of crown molding with a SCMS.
TIA
Scott T.
It depends a little on the saw. Which one do you have?
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Sorry, I should have put that info in the other message. I have the Makita LS 1013. Would like something with ultra smooth cross cut for crown and other moldings. My present blade, although good, is not great it is the 64T that comes with the LS 1013 and has been sharpen a number of times, so is on its last legs.
Scott T.
Scott,
I have several that you could use with slight variances in results. For average moulding cuts the LU91M010/LU91R010 (10"X60T) would be the best and the TK606/TKR606 (10"X60T) or Diablo D1060S (10"X60T) would both serve as a close second. I personally view the Makita as one of the best of the sliders so I would lean toward the LU91. If you intend to cut picture frame type mouldings or some species of crown that tends to splinter easily I would recommend the F810 (HiATB 10"X80T).
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Thought I ought to let you know my thoughts after using the Diablo blades. Awesome.
I hadn't used the 80 tooth crosscut until Saturday, so I waited to give an opinion. Very very clean cut. I ripped some 1x6's and cut some particle board with it. Very clean cuts, no splintering except very minor when it exited the board, which is what I needed. Had to go slow on the 1 x lumber.
I know, should have switched blades for the ripping.
As far as the rip blade, works great. Cut a bunch of 3/4 ply with it. I'm used to a fair amount of splintering on the bottom of the cut. I saw almost zero splintering, and that was with the rip blade, not the cross-cutting blade.
My old combo blade is officially relegated to the drawer. I'll pull it out if I need to cut really rough stuff, or something that might have a nail in it.
Thanks for the comments. I appreciate any feedback, negative or positive, but of course I prefer to hear the positive.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles
The company I work for just purchased your 60 tooth laminate blade for a 40' counter they ask me to build. So, you're looking for negative feed-back, huh... !
Sorry, the blade preforms like a champion. I just switched to Freud blades exclusively. Oh yeah, I did that 3 years ago. Guess I'm getting a little forgetful in my declining years. ha..
Have a great day...
sarge..jt
Sarge,
Thanks. I did say I prefer the positives. The negatives are good because they help us improve but the positives make us feel good about what we do.
Charles M
Freud,cInc.
Spoken like an ISO9000 certified company.
BTW, congratulations on that. I took the company I ran in Asheville to That certification in the mid 90's.
Howie,
Actually we're now ISO9002 and, as you know, it's a he__ of a lot of work to get it. It's amazing how few people in the US are even aware of the certification and what it means.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles, please enlighten those of us who don't know. I just saw this designation for the first time in Grizzly's new catalog -- some of their products are now marked with a note about ISO9002 factory. Got my attention!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
ISO 9002 certification is earned by instituting incredibly rigid quality controls throughout the manufacturing process. The description of the processes would be pretty lengthy but a good overview can be found here:
http://praxiom.com/iso-9002-1994a.htm
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles
Been buried with a dead-line project I'm doing for my company. Thanks for the calarification on ISO and I have two questions as follows:
(1) I just purchased a Hitachi Sliding compound mitre saw Lowe's was clearing. Does Freud have any special blades for a mitre, or can I just use the knowledge I have of your TS blades and it will apply to the mitre also. BTW, mainly will use for cross-cutting wide stock. Plan to drop a Freud 60 tooth on it. I also have the Freud 80 tooth. Or their any draw-backs to using the 80 tooth for finish end cuts.
(2) Was looking at your Freud router ( FT2000EP ). Who makes this for you. It looks similar to Elu. The price at Toolcrib interested me.
Thanks in advance if you can answer these questions that have just arisen for me.
Regards....
sarge..jt
Sarge,
I think the LU91 series is the best choice for the SCMS you purchased. While you can get a slightly finer cut with 80T, the 60T is a much more versatile blade for these saws while still producing an excellent crosscut and the LU91 series has negative hook to minimize the lifting effect of the saw as it is pushed through the material.
In regards to the router, we purchased a well established (over 100 years old) power tool manufacturer in Spain about 16 years ago and all of our power tools are made at the factories there. Elu is owned by the B&D corporation and any similarities are coincidental.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles
Thanks for the instant reply. I was looking at the LU91R and noticed it had a 5* negative hook. I have got the best results on the old clunker mitre I had with a 60 tooth.
That's the plan. I will pick up the LU91R at Highland Hardware tomorrow and take it for a spin. Have a feel'in I won't be dsiappointed.
Interesting about the router. I had wondered where Freud was having them made. Will check them out and ask for a little feed-back from combatants.
You are a gentleman and a scholar, sir... Thanks
sarge..jt
Sammer, I just received my copy of this month's Wood Magazine. If you can pick one up, or have a subscription, check out the Freud poster in the middle of the mag. It's an oversized color chart that explains the work being done, and the type of blade needed to do it. I have another version of this chart, which I picked up at the WWing Show, that has the LU and F Series blades listed at the bottom.
My "glass-surface" crosscut (or cutoff) blade is probably overkill, but I was indulging myself. Wood makes a recommendation for a "Starter Set" of blades that makes perfect sense to me. Here are the configurations, with the LM or F series models in parentheses:
I got great prices on my two blades at the WWing show. You can do a google.com search and find various vendors. I like Ballew Tools, because they carry just about every Freud blade.
http://www.ballewtools.com
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie
What's this, you think the Diablo from the box would do fine for you and save money. Whoa, I never thought I'd see the day! Ha....
So many down-grade it without giving it an opportunity, I bought a 60 tooth TK with the alum oxide coating. I cut a lot of MDF for jigs, tool tables, etc. and I wanted to test it. Getting perfectly smooth cuts in the 3/4" MDF and it cruises through like cutting warm butter with a sharp knife. I tryed it on 1 1/2" yellow pine (16% moisture content) on ripping short 18" to 20" pieces to see what happened. You could feel resistence as you won't with my Freud rip blade. But moved it through carefully and slowly and got glue up rips on the soft-wood.
The Diablo is now my dedicated MDF blade. That alum oxide is tough enough. I will stick to my other Freud rip and cross-cuts in TK for furniture projects. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But for the price, you can afford to find out if it's a miss. You might find out it's a hit as I did for certain things and pocket the difference. She might be a light-weight for hard-wood, but she's a heavy-weight champ in the MDF and construction grade woods.
DIABLO, uno senorita of the forest..grin<>
sarge..jt
I'm just full of surprises, eh? My reasoning is that for this particular rip blade, I'm aiming for something that's designed for relatively fast cuts through 1"+ hardwood. Since I have a jointer, I don't need to worry about any kind of finished surface, and I wouldn't be working in huge quantities, so top-of-the-line isn't necessary at this point in time.
You have a good Thanksgiving, hear?!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie
Your reasoning is usually good. I bet what you find out is that the rip is faster, safer and going to be a lot smoother on rips than you might have originally thought. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Post as to how the Diablo rip rates. That would prove to be useful to me, whatever you find.
Happy Thanksgiving..
sarge..jt
I was reading this thread yesterday and got all fired up about some new blades so I got on Amazon and ordered two Freud blades. Then today I got this confirmation message: (paraphrasing)
We have shipped your LU84R011 10X50 tooth blade.. and we will ship your LU 85R011 10X80 as soon as it is in stock again.
NOW GUESS WHICH ONE I REALLY WANTED!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Thanks, I feel better now.
bill
You may want to check the diablo rip blade, I think it is 24T ATB with 15 degree hook. I like the LM72 better as it is a true ripping blade, 24T FTG with 20 degree hook.
Garth
Thanks for the tip, Scott (hmmmmm, "Garth"?). I hadn't compared the actual specs, so will consider carefully before plunging in.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Tenryu Pro Series, simply a great blade at about 70 bucks. I have 5 Forrest WW11 blades, excellent blade but pricey a friend of mind turned me on to the Tenryu and I get about 14 months worth of full time use before sharpening.
I sharpen blades for a living. I will not push any one blade, but if you are not using a rip blade for ripping and a cross cut for crosscutting you are making a mistake. I have a jet 10 inch saw. I can change the blade from one to the other in less than a minute. Most people waste more time than that jawing with the neighbors. Like the man said if yhou need a Ferrarri and a Land Rover than you have to buy one of each. Also, I can sharpen Forrest as good as they can. There is no secret to the angle and I have the right diamond wheel. And I don't need a CNC machine to do it.
If you can afford one $150 blade than you can affod two $75.00 and you will be better off.
I agree 100 percent, as most of my table saw work is ripping a 24T FTG ripping blade is on my saw about 80 percent of the time. When I do use the table saw for cross cutting I change to a 60T ATB blade. I don't even own a combo type blade.
Garth
I was reminded of an important lesson earlier in another forum where essentially the same question came up. The respondent I'm refering to made a very simple but instructive point. It was something like this.
Get two handsaws, both the backless type, one a rip saw (chisel like teeth, or FT) and the other a panel saw with crosscut teeth (essentially the same as ATB.)
Scribe two independent cross cut lines across a piece of timber with a square and knife. Scribe two independent width lines for ripping along the length of another piece of timber with a marking gauge. Now use each saw to cut one of each line, i.e., use both the rip saw and the panel saw to cross cut your lines, and then use both the rip saw and panel saw to rip one example each of you width lines.
After the exercise is complete, evaluate your experience and decide for yourself if a combination blade will ever really successfully rip or cross cut. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
Truer words were never uttered Sgian, however for most of us woodworking blokes the combo blades like ForrestWW11 work good enough. The only time I switch to a rip blade is when I'm ripping 2 inch or thicker stock which is not that often. Prosit.
Ah, but Armin, you've obviously got the point, and many people don't. Using hand tools gets you up all close and personal with what's going on. If anyone's ever tried much in the way of ripping with a hand powered panel saw (ATB) and then compared the difficulty of that with hand ripping using a hand powered rip saw (FT) then there would never be a question asked in forums about which general purpose table saw blade will give perfect results in all situations.
Hand powered panel saws (ATB) are hopeless at ripping requiring much effort for one, and great difficulty in control. Powered machinery has just as much difficulty as a human doing the same job, but the difficulty is masked by brute power. At the coal face, hands on, down and dirty hand tool experience is a great teacher. What works for hand tools almost always transfers directly to power tools, but seldom the other way around-- with all that power being the masking agent. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
I agree that you need both a rip and a crosscut blade. I use my rip blade almost all the time. You should use the crosscut blade ONLY when you need that close-to-perfect edge. In all other cases, it will just slow you down.
When I first got my PW66, I tested a handful of blades (ripping). CMT's 24t came out ahead by far.
It would be interesting to see a test performed ripping 2 inch oak with a Forrest WW11 against a rip blade of the same price range. A powerfeeder and amp meter would give a good indication of the amount of energy it takes to work each blade. Granted the test would have to be performed on a smaller hp saw as anything bigger than 3 hp, the difference may not show up. Maybe Fine Woodworking could be interested in performing such a comparison.
For me the glue line issue is moot since I joint every saw cut before glue up anyway.
". . .against a rip blade of the same price range" -- are there any rip blades in that price range ($120+)? Checking only Freud and Systimatic in the Ballew catalog, the most expensive 10" rip blade is $55.
Not to say your proposal isn't a good one though <g>.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Oh, definitely fg. I expect to pay at least $100 for a rip blade, but the ones I buy are a minimum of 12" diameter, but more commonly I buy 14" diameter blades and both these sizes come with a 1" diameter arbor requirement. You lose a lot of cutting depth because of the arbor if you step up to 1" as opposed to a 5/8" inch bore, which is the US standard on the smaller machines, such as the PM 66. I fit the blades I buy on a 9 hp machine-- I don't bother much with the 16" diameter blades I could fit if I chose to-- even I get a bit wary of ripping 5" + thick timber without a power feeder.
There's a huge jump in price from the common or garden 10" diameter blades to the next level. I expect to pay about $125 for a cross cut blade, and also about the same for a 4&1 or TCG blade-- most of the blades I buy come in at about $125- $150 each. This partly explains why I have no qualms switching from one blade to another to match the teeth of the blade to the job. Resharpening (and re-toothing) can, and does, cost me anywhere between $20, and $30+ a blade. I've never found cause to complain to my saw doctor for his service-- a good saw doctor is worth his weight in gold. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
That's why I specified 10" blades, Sgian. I know, I know, s/he who has the bigger tool wins, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I knew fine that you specified 10" blades, fg, and their ubiquity defines a price point that all blade makers meet-- about $50 maximum, with the odd exception-- the makers sell oodles of these blades, and hopefully make good enough money from thin profits. However, one point I was to trying to illustrate is that once you step above the small saws, you get into a whole new game, where buyers (like me) aren't driven perhaps only by price, but are driven by business and profit. I'm truly not very interested in the cost of a saw blade as long as it performs as described by the maker, but I'm very interested in how it cuts for hours on end, how often it can be repeatedly sharpened, and how much profit I can make on a job-- of which a first rate saw blade is really a quite minor cost and consideration. I know this doesn't really fit into the weekend woodworkers' perspective, but even at this level, it probably is worth thinking about. Slainte. Some stuff I've made.
Sgian, I suspect the big difference between top of the line commericial blades and the WW11 $100 blades is longevity and not quality of cut. I mentioned eariler I use a Tenyru $70 blade. lasts about 14 months then I give it to an artist thats paints blades for crafts shows. To me it's not worth resharpening since the blade only cost me about .15 cents a day and I cut lots of material, more lumber in a year than most hobby woodworkers cut in a lifetime. Besides a $150 blade on a contractors type saw would be a waste since the blade is only as good as the saw it's on and the saw is only as good as the operator. I have a DeWalt 10 in jobsite saw that I use during installations. It came with a thin kerf 24 tooth bargin basement rip blade. Mediocre cut on hardwood but ok for most site work. Last week I tried a new forrest WW11 for some finer cuts, total waste, cut was not much better than the cheapo blade.
Armin, I agree. About $50 or $80 is about the maximum I'd pay for a 10" diameter blade with a 5/8" arbor. They are ubiquitous, the market is flooded with suppliers, and therefore competitive. The $150 blade would be way out of the league. Perhaps I failed to mention it, but I normally buy 14" diameter blades with a 1" arbor, so $100 plus is fairly common. I haven't bought a 10" diameter blade, in about a decade. Quality of cut is also affected by the amount of power a blade is subjected to, and what power the blade can handle. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
Scott,
Funny you should mention the Diablo. Visited a friend's shop yesterday, and he has nothing but Diablo blades. He used to have Forrest, but claims these cut just as well and cost so little that he doesn't even bother to have them sharpened. I have to admit that both the rip and cross cuts were smooth as can be. (Think he was using a 40 tooth ATB.)
Jeff
Sammer,
Just in case you weren't aware, the April 2002 of FWW evaluated about 12 combination blades. They included the retail prices of the blades also. If you buy there criteria, Forrest WWII was best @ $120. However, some that pretty close and ranged form $60 and up.
US saw oldham 100W40 $60
Jesada 110-440 $90
Everlast APG 1040.. $70
I was at the wood show about a month ago and a in-line was selling a blade made by ridged carbide. they had a few magazine test which showed the ridged comparable to the forest wwll. It was about 70 bucks and cut a flat bottem which is a plus. Now I cant tell you personally if it does all that but it sure looked like a nice blade. It'll be the next one I get.
I use a Systimatic combination blade, budke is what it is referred to as, great blade. I've also heard very good things about the Dewalt Series 40 woodworking blades from my local WoodCraft.
Sammer,
I use Oldham (US Saw) blades. Nothing else. The difference in their cut is virtually zero and the cost about half the price. I use the Oldham dado sets as well and their is no better blade on the market at twice the price. Fine woodworking compared saw blades in their April 2002 issue. Good comparison and good information provided. The Oldham blades are available through The Woodworkers Choice in NC. You can spend a ton on blades but wouldn't you rather have some material to use them on. Spend less and get more with these great blades.
JB
I bought a Forrest blade about 2 years ago for my Unisaw. A friend recommended it highly, money back guarantee, can't lose. I have several Freud blades on my 8 " chop saw, my Delta Sawbuck, my Delta 12" chop saw and they are very good blades but they don't perform as well as the Forrest blade. Personally I feel like the Forrest is the benchmark. Everybody is trying to be as good but don't quite make it. They cost more and if money is a problem Freud makes a good blade.
Good Luck count your Fingers and Your Blessing Often
les
Les, what models Freud blades are on those various saws? Can we be sure we're comparing apples to apples?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes, we must be sure Les isn't really more.
LOLforestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I haven't had an opportunity to check which blade I was using when I got my Forrest blade but I will as soon as Santa gets off my back.
I'm home today cooking a "Turducken" , we are having our employees over for our Christmas party tonight.
Before you ask it is a chicken stuffed into a duck,and then stuffed into a turkey. All three are deboned before stuffing also the chicken is stuffed with cajun sausage.
God Bless and Happy Holidays
Les sometimes More
les,
sounds good...do I take a left at the light or a right? Also, where is the light?
Sammer, recently purchased a table saw that included some 60 tooth blade meant for melamine. I am not 100% positive who made it, as most of the paint including the name was missing. It worked decently on crosscuts but always left a fuzzy surface when ripping and it left a splintered surface when used on harder melamine. A friend said that while most blades will make all the cuts you need, they only work well on the one they are designed for. The rip cut in particular needs the deep gullets to clear wood shavings properly, given the volume of wood removed. Melamine needs LOTS of sharp teeth, closely spaced to reduce splintering. Cross cuts work well with the widest range of blades, providing you feed the wood in slowly.
On a trip into Lee Valley Tools, my memory was jogged by a table saw blade clock (Aside: Am I the only one who thinks these things are ugly?) Anyhow, I recalled that they used to sell a boxed set of blades. It included a 80 tooth melamine blade, a 40 tooth crosscut and a 24 tooth safety rip blade. I inquired at the desk and after she made a few calls back east (I was at the Vancouver B.C. store), it turned out while they were not carrying them any more, there were some left.
I got them a few days later and was suitably impressed by them. They were made by Dimar in Israel, and came in a plywood box with slotted supports inside and enough room for 6 or 7 blades. At $210 Canadian, I got three blades for $75 more than my friend paid for one melamine blade. I have seen the Forrester blades, and while they seem of good quality, I don't think they are worth the price.
I don't know where you live, or if Lee Valley has any left of these boxed sets, but Dimar is carried widely, if not in large quantities. I plan to see if they make a dado blade.
Cheerio and may the grain be with you.
Boy, sammer, I think I'm treading on thin ice here (w/ so many posts about something so basic), get a reasonably priced blade, make sure it's alligned properly & finish w/ a pass on the jointer & be done with it! For what it's worth, I've used both the Forrest & Freud - the Freud actually produced better results. I usually trust the axiom You get what you pay for, but in THIS case I'd go w/ the Freud.
Although, it coulda' been a whale's tail.
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