Saw blades

Al killian

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Floydada, Tx
I am looking at getting a few new blaeds. One of mine is doa and the others are cheap throw aways. I know many Like the Frued blades and others the Forrest blades. What I am after is something in the $50 range if possible. I found a Tenryu Rapid Cut 10" 50T Combination Blade with Raker for $50, which sounds god but was not sure of this brand. Any other lower priced blades worth looking into? Oh, my main need at this time is a ripping blade for mostly hard wood 5/4 thick.
 
I'm a huge fan of Tenryu blades. I use the Silencer and the Gold Medal blades all the time. They compare favorably to any cuts i've seen come off of forrest blades. :)
 
You mention blades, plural. You may want to consider skipping the 40 - 50T blade and split the cost into a better 24T and 80T. 90-odd percent of my cuts are done with a rip or crosscut blade. Don't get me wrong, I have 40T blades but if I was re-stocking as you are, and looking to save a bit, I would skip the 40T.

P.s. I have never run one but Tenryu's get good to fabulous reviews depending on the blade
 
Thanks for the help. I just ordered on of there ripping blades and should have it on monday or tuesday. Yes, I plan on getting a few more soon, but for now the ripping blade is needed. I have around 20 8" x 12' boards that need to get cut into 2-1/2 strips for molding and my other blade is burning more then cutting. In a few weeks I plan on getting a new combo blade, then a crosscut saw for trimming after that.
 
I had a production shop for about 18 years and even now making my street organs I never used a rip or cross cut blade only a combo blade. I had one rip blade and used it to cut 2 x 12 pine in 1/4" strips because I didn't care if the cut was rough at that time I was cutting up about 2500 bf at a time. It still hangs and the wall and I will never us it again because the combo blades work better and I don't have to keep changing blades.

I use 40 and 60 tooth blades and have never had a problem ripping or cross cutting (with a sharp blade of course).

Jay
 
Hi Al - Each of these blade manufacturers makes multiple models, and many make multiple lines with different quality objectives. Since most models of high quality blades have strengths and weaknesses in a specific area, it's difficult to effectively make brand comparisons without knowing the model and the circumstances the blades were used in. General purpose/combo blades and even specialty blades have an effective operating range that varies relative to others within the same class depending on their design variations. There are pros and cons for every design parameter, and the more similar the design, the more similar the results tend to be. Which you like best is always a matter of preference and how well it meets your particular objectives. (For example, the Infinity Super General 40T Hi-ATB blade (similar to the Freud Fusion) leaves the cleanest edge and lowest tearout in crosscuts of any of the general purpose/combo blades I've tried...it's also super in ply and melamine, but it rips a bit less efficiently than blades that are comparable to my 40T WWII or 30T WWII in thick wood. Those sharp points probably wouldn't hold up well in a commercial environment either. It's an amazing blade in many applications but, it's not necessarily a "slam dunk" best choice depending on what you want to accomplish.)

Even if you pursue separate blades, a decent general purpose or combo blade is still a must have IMO. I tend to cut a lot of hardwoods and very few sheet goods, so I rarely need the services of a my high toothcount crosscut or plywood blades...even though those blades make slightly cleaner crosscuts, the edge still has minor saw marks that need to be cleaned up prior to receiving a finish on an exposed edge, so I find that most of the premium general purpose or combo blades do an acceptable job without needing to change blades....by "acceptable", I mean that for an exposed edge they still need to be cleaned up prior to finish, just like the cut from an 80T blade would, but don't tearout badly enough to ruin anything, and still offer the benefit of glueable edges from ripping and a great deal of versatility.

The Tenryu you mentioned is the RS25550. I've had one for a couple of years now and have found it to be an excellent value that'll hold it's own against many more expensive blades. It's a full kerf combo blade that's comparable to a Freud LU84R011 & DeWalt DW7640, and fairly comparable to the Infinity Combomax which offers a slightly different configuration. If that's a blade you're interested in, Holbren carries them...he offers 10% to many forum members...not sure of the code for FWW (FWW10?), but woodnet10, BT310, and SMC10 will work. If you're really looking for bang for the buck, Holbren also has the Oshlun blades. I've got a 40T Oshlun that's surprisingly well made for the price....not quite to the level of a WWII, Infinity Super General, Fusion, Gold Medal, or TS2000, but is very capable of glue ready cuts, has large carbide teeth, copper silencers, and happens to sell for about ~$25....it made cleaner cuts than my CMT 213.040.10.

If you opt for an 80T, I'd be inclined to lean toward a Hi-ATB 80T like the Freud LU80, Infinity Ultrasmooth 010-080, or Forrest Duraline...all are great crosscutters and are super in ply, but none rip very effectively without a tendency to burn and will be a bit more prone to dulling than a standard ATB grind. You might find that a good 60T will provide a happy medium and will be a nice compliment to your ripper. I've got a Delta Industrial 60T by Leitz, Infinity 010-060, and an Amana 610600 60T that do a nice job crosscutting and still handle general use rip cuts up to ~ 1-1/2" without burning. The Delta and Amana are ATB grinds with a ~ 10° positive hook, the Infinity is a Hi-ATB with ~ 5° hook and is what I tend to use in situations where an 80T Hi-ATB is desirable but has the added benefit of much more versatility so I can leave it in the saw for many other applications.

Good luck and be safe!
 
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