New TS now what blade?

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52
Location
Miami, FL
OK all, thanks to the recommendations in a previous post, I picked up the DW745 TS. I got it on through Craigslist brand new for a good price.

Now, what blade should I get for it. I will play with the blade it comes with but when I get serious and want to cut better woods (maple, walnut, etc.), what should I get?

I was looking at the Diablo blades at HD. I think they were 60, 80, and 90 teeth.


Thanks again guys.
 
The first and the primary question is, "What are you going to cut?"
MDF?
Rough plywood?
Fine plywood like Baltic Birch?
Cross cut lumber?
Rip lumber?
Are you making construction type things (framing, outside stairs, lemon aid stand for kids, etc.)?
Are you making fine furniture (Like Glenns chest of drawers or end table)?
Are you working with small things (Like jewelry boxes)?
Etc.?

Just tell us what you plan to do and we can help you much more than flying blind.

Enjoy,
JimB
 
I use the Diablo blades and have been very happy with them. I recently purchased a Forrest thin kerf blade. Nothing has convinced me it is worth twice the price of the Diabo so far. Time will tell.
 
You will probably want to go with thin kerf on that saw. Saw alignment is critical to success with a TK blade so take your time during setup. I had better results from a well tuned saw as opposed to trying to make up for it with stabilizers. When I was using a contractor saw, task specific blades really upped my results; 24T for ripping, 80T for crosscutting. I also kept a Forrest WWII 40T handy for roughing out blanks for parts to be cut to size later. I can't speak to the current Diablos but, Freud blades in TK are generally available and well priced. In the end, your satisfaction with the results will depend on what result you are after. Wow, that was philosophical, weren't it? :rolleyes:
 
I love my Forrest blades. wood worker 1 for cross cutting, a couple variations on the woodworker 2 for ripping, duraline hi at for clean chip free cutting of plywoods and not having the cross cut parts of the veneer sticking out all fuzzy and hairy to mess up a glue joint. and an 8 inch dado king for the same reason. Perfect clean dados every time. And an inexpensive combination blade for sizing rough lumber before its milled.

When building cabinets I use my table saw exclusive to a chopsaw for cutting my face frames and door stiles and rails. I have a sliding table attachment that gives me a square cut every time.
 
Save the stock blade for junk cuts. Your saw will benefit from a good 3/32" thin kerf blade....be sure the blade kerf is at least as wide as the riving knife. The Diablo blades are a good bang for the buck, as are the new Irwin Marples series (not be confused with the Irwin Marathon series). The CMT ITK Plus and DeWalt Precision Trim series (not be confused with the DW "Construction" series) are also really good value blades. Infinity, Ridge Carbide, Forrest, Freud Industrial, and Tenryu are other excellent choices for more money.

40T to 50T should be good for convenience and most operations. A good 24T ripper will help your saw make easy work of thicker ripping (easier on the motor), while a 60T or 80T blade will excel at fine crosscuts and ply. A good 60T with a positive hook will also actually rip very cleanly to ~ 1" to 5/4", so it can make for a very clean cutting general purpose blade....you'll still need a need rip blade for thicker stock though.
 
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