Saw blade choice: Voice of Reason or Problem Enablers?

David Agnew

Member
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285
Guys, I have a choice problem. I have a 12" compound sliding miter saw which needs a new blade. I want to use it tonight. I'm going out of town next week and am busy all day Sunday. I really want to bang this project out tonight and tomorrow night, rather than Friday and Saturday.

I generally always use Freud Industrial blades. So my choice here is the LU91R012.
Product Page: http://www.freudtools.com/index.php/products/product/LU91R012
It's 72 teeth, which is not too many, negative hook angle (-5*) which is perfect for a sliding saw.
I can get it locally, TODAY, for $90.99 + tax, so call it $100.
I can get it on Amazon Prime (ie, FRIDAY) for $77.99, no tax, no shipping.

However, I really do rarely use my miter saw. The blade on it now is the original factory blade and 5 years old. It's not like my table saw which gets run every week.

So I have a low cost option. Dewalt dw3126
Product Page: http://www.dewalt.com/tool-parts/ci...onstruction-blades-large-diameter-dw3126.aspx
Only 60 teeth (I really feel 72 is the sweet spot), hook angle is 0* which is decent for a sliding saw.
I can get it locally, TODAY, for $44.97 + tax from BigBlue, so call it $50.


So what says the family? Get exactly what I want for a seldom used saw for $100 today? Or get a good enough for $50 today? Or get exactly what I want for $80 in two days?

Thanks for being the voice of reason - or being enablers. :eek: :D
 
It's a tough call, but I think the question is will all the blades do the job you need. Being a big fan of the LU91 blade, I know they really cut smooth. But I would bet that Dewalt blade may well be really close, and would be worth a shot. I also think the blue box has a satisfaction guarantee, so if it turns out to be absolutely awful you could probably return it...though I doubt that will be the case.
 
I've used a DeWalt 12" 80T blade in my dual compund DeWalt miter saw for years - very satisfied with it. I watch for the blue box to have a markdown.
 
Depends on what you're cutting, if its that special piece of trim that you only have one shot at, then get the known blade. If its cross cutting 2x4s then chance it and worst case you have a spare blade for cutting other 2x4's (hows that for enablement, now you can get both :D)
 
I would be cautious with the rushing. Does the project NEED to be done before your trip? Can it wait till you get back without much impact? If it can wait, I'd be inclined to save the money and get the one i wanted. Too much focus is given to rushing stuff these days, i'm more intent on the process and journey so I'm never keen to rush that. I'm also cheap. So I'd be glad to wait a few days for a quality blade for a good value.
 
Hmm, 2 for cheapness, 1 against, and one for both. :D

Well, it's not life or death that I get it done this weekend, but it's really convenient to do it sooner rather than later. I don't really have a whole lot going on this week. But I'm out next week, then I've got family in for a few days around the 4th, then I'm out of town again for a week. If I don't do it now, it (probably) won't get done until the week of 13-July. Almost a month away...

But I really DON'T use my miter saw all that much. I simply don't do much woodworking that involves cutting long, narrow pieces. It would be nice to have a premium quality blade on the saw, but maybe the DeWalt will be good enough for how little I use it?

Other but is that, while this material isn't the "one perfect stick of trim" I AM doing some precision beveling stuff on some nice wood. Beveling both ends, so it really needs to be right or the entire project is gonna get shorter. :)

I'm gonna pull the trigger on the cheaper blade. It's easier to cut more off than to cut moron.

If everything goes to plan, I should have some photos of a shelving unit made from some very nice ambrosia maple.

Thanks for the input guys!
 
WOW

That's about all I have to say. I hadn't realized just how destroyed the old blade was. Compared to the new one, anyway. I'm setting up the saw w/ the simple 2-cut method. Getting inconsistent results w/ the old blade. New blade.... I'm using MDF as the material.... I literally can't tell I'm cutting it. Zero resistance. None. And it looks like the saw is less than 1/64" off in 5" (I'm testing w/ 5" stock b/c I'll be cutting 5" stock). 0.0110 error in 5" according to the 2-cut method.

Just... wow.

Time to make some sawdust!
 
:D sounds like the cheap one might be good enough.

One thing to consider on the old blade is how gummed up it is. I've had a few blades that were just about new once I cleaned them. The difference was amazing. Helps your new blades last longer to.
 
I've had the dewalt on my scms for quite some time and have used it on many furniture projects. It's been a great blade. For my table saw I use freud only. I gave away my WWll blade to Larry. Hated it.
 
:D sounds like the cheap one might be good enough.

One thing to consider on the old blade is how gummed up it is. I've had a few blades that were just about new once I cleaned them. The difference was amazing. Helps your new blades last longer to.

I agree with Ryan cleaning a blade can make an amazing difference to the performance. I never believed it until i tried it.


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That DW blade is from their construction series....their poorest performing line with the smallest carbide, and not generally something I'd consider for woodworking. $45 for a disposable construction blade doesn't seem like much of a deal.
 
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