Don't Buy This Blade

[DerbyDad03]

I have a lot of plywood to cut for my bookcase project, so I thought I'd try this blade. For $10, I didn't really expect much, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Never tried a 200 tooth blade before. More is better, right?

I had a fairly new 40 tooth Diablo on the table saw so I made a few test cuts on a piece of 3/4 plywood to have something to compare the Avanti to. An easy push through the blade and nice clean cut.

Then I tried the Avanti. Within the first couple of inches, it was apparent that I'll have to take numerous breaks and even maybe a nap or two once I start my project. The amount of effort required to get through 12" of 3/4" plywood was astounding. I've got over 100' to finish cut on the table saw. I'm tired just thinking about using that blade.

What about the quality of the cut, you ask? It sucks.

I don't know if this image is clear enough, but the top piece is the Diablo cut, the bottom is the Avanti.

I've got an 84 tooth laminate/non-ferrous metal Diablo blade that I've used on my miter saw to cut a small amount of aluminum. I haven't tried that yet...don't have time tonight. Thoughts?

[Puckdropper]

DerbyDad03 wrote in news: [e-mail]:

*snip*

The image quality is plenty clear. You can see the effects of the 200 tooth blade and the tear out on the bottom.

*snip*

Puckdropper

[-MIKE-]

I wish you would've asked about that blade, first! Good news is you can return pretty much anything to home depot.

I tried one of those a while back and may even have posted a warning about it. For me, it wasn't so much the quality of cut but because the blade is so thin, it bends and starts to curve, giving you a crooked cut that is very hard to control.

In any case, that second blade you showed will probably do fine. I use a thin-kerf cross cut blade that I got on sale for 40 bucks.

I got it to cut bamboo plywood which is notoriously difficult to cross cut. This blade did the best on it and makes perfect cuts in plywood. It looks similar to yours.

[krw]

I've never had good luck with those really fine-toothed plywood blades, either for the table saw or circular saws. I have an Avante

80T carbide blade for my TS that isn't terrible. It's no WWII but it works. I'm not sure what you expect from a $10 blade, though.

BTW, it wasn't in backwards, was it? DAMHIKT ;-)

[DerbyDad03]

I ended up having a chance to try the 84 tooth non-ferrous blade. (Dinner wasn't ready yet.)

The 40 tooth General Purpose Diablo still beat it quality wise. Cut effort was similar. Just to be sure it wasn't some other factor, I put the 40 tooth back on and did one last cut. It's definitely the best of the three.

Should I trust this $40 deal?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Well, everything is relative. It is better than say, a steak knife. Makes you wonder how a product like that gets on the store shelf. I guess the manufacturer has no shame.

[-MIKE-]

I had a fairly new 40 tooth Diablo on the table saw so I made a few test cuts

I wish you would've asked about that blade, first!

If it's new, probably. One caveat I forgot to mention, though. I used blade stabilizers, as I do with any thin kerf blade. Thin kerf blades can and do bend enough to adversely affect the accuracy of cuts.

I would normally never buy a thin kerf blade since my table saw has plenty of horse power. But in this case, as I mentioned, I was looking for a blade with very sharp, very pointy outer teeth. The Marples fit the bill.

I still use it for the occasional crosscutting on the TS. I has a job where I needed to cut up about 22 sheets of plywood and didn't want to use a $100 blade to do it, so I threw the Marples on and was very pleased with the ease and cleanness of the cut. It was effortless and didn't have a lot of chip out.

[DerbyDad03]

I found a better deal on eBay. New, $38, free shipping. Ordered

Any suggestions on what to buy?

Are they going to screw up my zero clearance inserts by moving the blade?

[-MIKE-]

I had a fairly new 40 tooth Diablo on the table saw so I made a few test

I wish you would've asked about that blade, first!

Whatever's cheap. They're not rocket science.

Yes. But, you'll need a new ZCI for the different kerf anyway. They are easy to make and you should have one for each thickness blade if you really want to take advantage of what a ZCI can do (prevent tearout).

While we're on the subject, the blade stabilizers will help to keep the slot in the ZCI tight against the blade. When the blade can wobble, it will widen the slot allowing tearout.

[Spalted Walt]

I've got an old set of Dewalt stabilizers that I don't like.

It might widen it a smidgen.

[-MIKE-]

It's going to do a lot more than widen it. It's going to move it over the width of the stabilizer, which is probably 1/8". So you now have a slot 1/8" wider than your blade which negates the benefits of a ZCI on the motor side. If you do all your cutting on the blade side it won't make a difference to the quality of the cut. But if you cut on the motor side, you'll get some tearout.

[Electric Comet]

another sign of the degradation of the supply chain to the consumer

instead of the buyer for home depot insisting on quality they buy from some pre approved supplier

[Electric Comet]

put a 8 inch diablo on my 10 inch table saw and it is amazing

bought the blade for my mitre saw but thought why not try it

thinking about it the 8 inch may be a little stiffer since it is shorter span from spindle to blade tip and it is slower too

it is very quiet

those diablo blades for my skilsaw make it feel like a different saw

it is the thin kerf the tip design and spacing and the stress relievers in the blade face

make sure you make a new zero clearance insert for your ts

[Spalted Walt]

Clarification: If the blade stiffener is 1/8" and the Irwin is 3/32" then the afore mentioned "smidgen" = ~ 3/32" wider.

Another consideration when switching to a thin kerf:

[krw]

Home Depot just sells what people want to buy. They're not a high-end woodworking store, like say, Highland. I'd be surprised if HW sold such (but even their customers may want to buy such) but the likes of HD, Sears, and HF sell what the greatest (common denominator) number of people want. If you want to blame someone, blame the (generic) customer. You may not always get what you pay for but you're certainly not going to get something you didn't pay for.

[russellseaton1]

Getting back to the topic. I wonder if the worse cut from the 200 tooth bl ade is due to it being steel, while your other blades are carbide. All of my blades are carbide. Table saws and circular saws and miter saws. About the only steel blades I have are for the reciprocating saw. And its not k nown for making a smooth cut.

e-A10200X/202021698

[DerbyDad03]

On Monday, November 20, 2017 at 1:50:42 PM UTC-5, [e-mail] wrot e:

blade is due to it being steel, while your other blades are carbide. All o f my blades are carbide. Table saws and circular saws and miter saws. Abo ut the only steel blades I have are for the reciprocating saw. And its not known for making a smooth cut.

ade-A10200X/202021698

That could be it. I knew it was steel when I bought it, and I knew not to e xpect much for $10.

Here's what happened. I was recently perusing an article on cutting sheet g oods on a table saw. They mentioned picking up an inexpensive, high tooth count plywood blade fo r the best cuts. So I get to HD and see an inexpensive, high tooth count plywood blade. I sa id myself "I'm sure this won't be any good, but it's worth a quick test.

It's already packaged back up and ready to be returned.

[-MIKE-]

They don't even make good clocks.

[DerbyDad03]

th blade is due to it being steel, while your other blades are carbide. Al l of my blades are carbide. Table saws and circular saws and miter saws. About the only steel blades I have are for the reciprocating saw. And its not known for making a smooth cut.

Blade-A10200X/202021698

to expect much for $10.

et goods on a table saw.

e for the best cuts.

I said myself "I'm

It would probably give me a rough time.

[Doug Miller]

-MIKE- wrote in news:outnr6$np8$ [e-mail]:

Only if you put the stabilizer on the wrong side of the blade -- and if you do, you've *also* changed the distance from the blade to the rip fence.

If you put the stabilizer where it belongs, between the blade and the arbor nut, there's no impact on the ZCI as long as you continue to use thin-kerf blades.