consensus on 'best' 10" finish TS blade?

[Anonymoose]

Getting back into WWing after a few years and trying to get my abandoned shop back up-to-speed. So, I'm looking for recommendations for 10" TS blades - what's the best blade that rips (speed not too terrible a concern) and crosscuts with the cleanest cut.

[DarylRos]

Forrest Woodworker II for all arouhd work. If you do a lot of ripping, then get the Amana 20T Euro Rip wiht cooling slots, and either the Amana 60T ATB crosscut blade, or the equivalent Freud. However, the Forrest is really the best all around blade by a lot.

[Gary]

For a combo blade to both rip and crosscut - my choice is the Woodworker II from Forrest. Just had my several year old blade resharpened and amazed at the quality of cuts I get now through some pretty tough woods (working with Bubinga on a current project and getting good rips and perfect crosscuts on a really dense and hard wood).

gary

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Do a Google search on the group and you will find many threads on this subject. One of the favorites is the Forrest WWII for about $105, but others will tell you how good their Oldham, Freud and a few other brands are. Figure on spending at least $50 for a good blade. Ed

[Anonymoose]

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:3pDMb.690$M33.60 @nwrdny03.gnilink.net:

Thanks all for replies - You're right, I probably should have deja-news'd first. Does seem like a common request.

[John Crea]

Forrest WWII gets my vote

John

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Forrest WWII

DeWalt _60_ series (NOT the cheaper ones)

Systematic

CMT

Freud Industrial (The expensive Freuds, not the $20 versions)

Barry

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

One more thing, a local guy sells WWII's for $89 most of the time, occasionally $84.

Barry

[Anonymoose]

B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Darn, wish I'd have seen this just an hour or so earlier. Just ordered one from forrest for $94 - better than amazon's price, but could have saved $5 by going here.

[John Crea]

But you would most likely NOT get the 3 coupons for $5 off blade sharpening.

Forrest does NOT offer the coupons offically unless you buy DIRECT from them

So, you spent $5 more than the good deal, but you are getting $15 off on blade resharpening

John

[Unisaw A100]

As you have seen "everyone" races to the Forrest. Probably because of their ready availability to the hobbyist wooddorker. I have an FS Tools blade that has done very well for me. I have a couple/few Matsushita thin-kerf blades I've been setting aside for when I "need" a thin kerf. I suppose I should give them a whirl one of these days?

UA100

[Daniel Martin]

Best choice of blade, it depends also where you are from and what's available in your area. I have been using Freud blades and I'm very satisfied. I have recently purchased a Delta blade from Costco, 10"

80 tooth very inexpensive. Have not tried it yet so can't comment for now.

Daniel

[Bridger]

I have a couple of FS tools blades. they work well. I also have a matshushita thin kerf blade. I don't know if I got a bad one or what, but it doesn't cut as cleanly as some of my other blades. other people seem to like them a lot. I'd be interested to hear how they work for you. Bridger

[Frank J. Vitale]

I am very happy with the Ridge Carbide blade I picked up at a woodworkers show a few years ago. They only sell direct or at shows. It is heavier then the Forrest and does not need stabilizers as the they recommend for the Forrest.

[patriarch]

Bridger wrote in news: [e-mail]:

This FS Tools blade is the type that the sharpening service recommended. Bay Area Carbide, in Concord, CA. I have two of them, 50 or 60 tooth combination blades. One is flat-top ground for cutting kerfs for box splines. I have been very pleased with their performance in my Unisaw. (An '02 vintage left tilt. Sorry, Keeter. I don't have the time, space or skills to redo a vintage beast.) These blades cost maybe $65? I don't exactly recall.

I also bought a couple of Oldham Signature series blades, a 40T combo, and an 80T crosscut, thin kerf, when I was using the previous underpowered miserable predecessor to a real table saw. They cut a LOT better after Bay Area did their magic on them. I seldom see the need to put the 80T in, except for the most delicate of miters...

Patriarch

[Greg G.]

Forrest recommends stabilizers on thin-kerf blades, not standards. FWIW,

Greg G.

[Unisaw A100]

Patriarch

I bought a cheapo deluxe (made by Chinese children) Avenger dado set and was told that out of the box it weren't much but a good sharpening service could do wonders with it.

Hey! There's a thought, a "good" sharpening service.

UA100

[Jon Endres, PE]

I like Freud blades, and despite the rave reviews that the Forrest blades get, I'm more likely to go out and spend my money on another Freud than buy a Forrest.

McFeely's has a three blade set of the Freud Industrial blades available - just under $200, it has the 30T glue-line rip, the 50T combination (new blade, I think) and the 80(?) tooth ultrafine crosscut. If you only want one, I'd go for Freud's 40 tooth thin kerf blade.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Me too, but I gotta add something.

I recently trashed a _nice_ 50T Freud Industrial blade that cost me $65. I grabbed an $89 WWII, as I can no longer get Freud locally.

I feel the extra $24 was well worth it.

Barry