With all the talk lately about the Forrest WWII blade I started to question my Amazon wishlist item for the Freud 3-blade combo pack. This may be as dangerous a question as left-tilt vs. right-tilt, but what are the opinions of Forrest vs. Freud?
Freud combo pack - $134.99 @
Jeremy wrote:>With all the talk lately about the Forrest WWII blade I started to question
Looks like a heckuva deal. I'd get it all, Freud first, then Forrest. Tom Work at your leisure!
It's a Good Deal. These blades generally run $50-$60 each.
You get a rip blade, a crosscut blade and the LU84R011 with a raker tooth for trimming tenons and flat bottomed grooves. All for a price slightly more than one Forrest. They are good blades, but just not quite as good as the Forrest blades - but that extra 10-20% of performance comes at a price.
If you're a hobbyist, and tune your saw well, these should provide quality cuts for quite a while.
If you're an anal perfectionist like me, you might want to pick up a Forrest in addition. ;-)
FWIW,
Greg G.
I have two of the three blades in the Freud combo and a WWII.
The Freud blades are excellent, but I feel like the WWII holds a sharpening longer. I have no actual data to support that, it's a subjective observation. The WWII is on the saw way more often than the others, and is my first choice blade.
FWIW, I got my standard kerf, 10" 40T WWII for something like $80 at Coastal Tool as a walk-in customer.
Systematic also makes really nice blades.
Barry
I own and use both Freud and Forrest (1 year use). The Freud is a 50 tooth combo. The Forrest is a WWII. The Freud does well and is on its 3rd resharpening. The Forrest has never been to the sharpener. In the future I'll buy Forrest blades at the annual Houston WW show. They are discounted below $100 at the show and come with a $15 resharpening coupon.
I've never used either for much beyond 5/4 maple and oak.
Regardless of cost, I'd ask if you even consider the Forrest, then why do you need three different blades from Freud? Maybe your best value is one Freud combination blade. If you expect to do any further work on an edge after sawing, then the Forrest is a waste of money.
Bob
I have that same 3 blade kit.
As they say, "Good enough for government work".
Get some 1/4" & 3/8" plywood and make some saw blade holders to protect the blades when you are storing them.
Makes a good router project for learning how to cut inside circles.
Cut a 10-1/4" dia circle in the 3/8" piece, then laminate a 1/4" piece to it.
Add a 1/4"-20 NC, flat head bolt, a fender washer and a wing nut and you are good to go.
HTH
Lew
Well, you may not have actual data, Barry, but I suspect there's many who will agree with you. I ended up using my Freud when I send the WWII for sharpening. GerryG
well-tuned saw, the quality of cuts is very good, with a slight edge going to the WWII. IMO, you won't lose with either choice.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.