It's getting time to get another blade. It used to be that Forrest had only one or two ten inch blades but now there seem to be a variety. So, any consensus on the best all around blade for a ten inch contracters saw?
contractors saw? go with a 10x50T atb+r combination blade. Don't spend a dime over 40$
What makes you say that? I have a contractor saw with a $100 Ridge Carbide blade and it can make a clean cut just like a cabinet saw. Even when I had a cheap benchtop saw, I used decent blades.
There are many very good blades available. Forrest, Ridge Carbide, Infinity are just a few. There is a new Freud combination that looks interesting also.
And, of course, it mostly depends on what kind of work OP wants/needs to do (assuming the saw is adequate for that kind of work which is probably true).
W/O that point of reference it's a shot in the dark...
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20 years as a professional saw sharpener makes me say that.
You can buy a very good quality 10x50atb+r for 40$ most of the time and unless you are cutting melamine, metal or have specific application issues it is a good all around choice. Most contractors saws I encounter could use a decent alignment blade to slots, fence to blade, etc. And another after you horse it between jobsites.
Can the one you have not be resharpened?
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Yes and I'll have that done as soon as I get a new blade.
I have the new WII model. What I like about it is that it cuts so clean that it requires no sanding.
We have different translations of the term "contractor" saw. Sure the ones carried to job sites get beat up, mis-aligned, and are often used for rough cutting of plywood or ripping some framing lumber.
For may of us, the so called "contractors" saw is a stationary saw that is much too large to be carried around and is never moved from its spot in the shop. It is used for cabinet and fine furniture making more than typical job site uses. We use quality blades for quality finished cuts from quality woods. Far different application than ripping a 2 x.
Most contractor saws I encounter have never been moved, never been to a jobsite.
OK, just asking... :)
My recommendations would still hinge on what kind of work you do...
One can hardly go wrong w/ most any of the reasonable-quality combination blades for general use. The really high-quality blades are really only noticeable in difference for high-precision work. (IMO, ymmv, $0.02, etc., etc., ...)
There was a review of quite a number in FWW a few(?) issues ago. As I recall, the best overall blades weren't the highest-priced in their evaluation of cut quality, but I don't recall the precise brand/models that came out as "best". Perhaps a search at the FWW site might find the review article although they seem to have put most of the archives behind the "pay" portal... :(
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I love my CMT combination blade:
My Ridgid 3612 is called a "contractor saw" because it has exposed legs rather than an enclosed base and motor hangs out the back. But a Forrest WW II blade work wonderfully for me. It produces very smooth cuts with less effort several combination blades that I have tried.
I have carefully aligned the bald to the miter slots and then aligned the fence to the blade. I do re-check the alignment periodically but it s quite stable.
Of course, I don't "horse" the saw around from site to site. It has been in my workshop since the day that I bought it.
Contractor saw is not the same a a saw used by contractors.
Sat, Jun 9, 2007, 8:58am snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com doth query: It's getting time to get another blade. It used to be that Forrest had only one or two ten inch blades but now there seem to be a variety. So, any consensus on the best all around blade for a ten inch contracters saw?
Not a brand, but I've got a carbide tip blade that makes a cut right at 1/8". Makes figuring measurements simpler.
JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?
- General George S. Patton
I just KNEW it, another guy ashamed to say that he doesn't NEED a new blade, he just WANTS one!
Confront your inner demons, son. Just stand up and say aloud, "I'm a tool junky and I WANT that!"
Amen! Just about ANY table saw that's properly aligned will do a decent job with just about any blade. An excellent blade (thinking some of the Freud's and Forrest blades, here) won't do squat in a poorly set up saw whether it's a Unisaur or ...
I have a Freud that I bought some 25 years ago and used to rip down 2x's in a early 70's vintage Craftsman RAS. I had that RAS aligned dead-on and kept it that way. The cut edges looked like they'd been run through a jointer. Break the edges and you were ready to finish. I didn't believe it the first time I saw it but it truly cut that well in a properly aligned RAS.
On Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:57:55 -0500, Say What?
And an excellent blade in an excellently setup saw will do a fantastic job. For a LONG time! Time is the difference.
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IMHO the Forrest is very hard to beat. WWII 40 tooth for 2" and thinner stock with REGULAR KERF.
There are a few that cut as good, several that cut almost as good and maybe more than you can count that are decent.
A good quality blade that has been taken care of, read that as resharpened before the teeth have been dull for a long period of time, can be resharpened 10-15 times. Keeping that in mind, If you resharpen and flatten 10 times, a new Forrest will cost you about $500 for the blade and to be brought to new condition 10 times, including initial investment, sharpening, flattening, and S&H. While many of the cheaper bladed cut really well, how many times can they be resharpened and how long do they stay sharp?
I suggest avoiding thin kerf blades to achieve the flattest cuts. I finally quit using thin kerf about 18 years ago when I was shown that a good quality regular kerf blade would cut better than a thin kerf with a marginally slower feed rate on a 1 hp saw. I went to my resharpener/dealer and asked about a good quality combo blade. He sent me home with a Systematic combo regular kerf with the understanding that I could bring the blade back within a couple of weeks if I was not happy with the performance and quality of cut.
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