Rating of saw blade manufacturers

[rdewinter]

Looking for ratings (10=best 1=junk) based on "quality" and "value" for saw blade manufacturers.
Forrest
Frued
Oldham
Delta
Porter Cable
Shopsmith
Marathon
Irwin
Mikita
DeWalt
Milwaukee
Oshlund
etc.

[dusty]

I can't do this!

I don't think you will find many who really can. I don't cut enough wood with 90% of that list to give you anything but what I hear and read.

That amounts to hear say opinion; not allowed.

I have Forrest, Freud, Shopsmith and Systematic.

I tend to use carbide tipped for nearly everything though I have steel rip and crosscut blades that I keep for "plywood" or junk wood.

I've heard that the Shopsmith blades are made for Shopsmith by Freud. Again, "hear say" and "not allowed". Fact, somebody makes them for Shopsmith.

The Sysmatic needs to be sharpened and I don't use it anymore. The Shopsmith carbide combination is mounted and gets a daily workout. The Freud is there for when I need a really clean cut in good wood. The Forrest was a gift and I'm saving it for when I really need it.

[manvelar]

I use Oldham and am very happy with the quality of the cuts - however, I've never used any of the others so I can't rate them. Oldham makes a blade with the 1 1/8 inch arbor hole for SS machines which is what attracted me to them.

[scottss]

My favorite blade is my porter cable razor varible toothed blade. It has cut everything I have put through it without a problem. I have cut oak, elm, maple, pine and all kinds of plywood with it and it still isn't burning. I used to use a freud narrow kerf and it was good but didn't hold up. I have a finish blade in my chop saw thats a b&d 60t piranha that does a very nice job for under $20. My worst blade is a dewalt 40t and the sears blades are not much better. All my blades are carbide tipped. I do have a ss combo blade unused though.

[Ed in Tampa]

RDEWinter
Sorry but I have to go with Dusty on this, I don't think anyone can really answer that question. Short of some kind of magazine blade test (which I think we all agree usually favors the manufactures that advertise) there is no one that could have tested all the latest blades of each manufacture reliably enough to offer a true objective opinion.

With the competition and everyone trying to get their share of your saw blade buying money it is fairly safe to say you get what you pay for. Also it is nearly impossible to tell who really made the blade. A blade labeled as brand X may have been made by company A while another blade labeled brand X may have been made by company B. I might like A blades but not B blades and it just happens that brand X blade I used was made by company B.

There are also many factors, quality and quantity of carbide used, blade tip grind, number of teeth, blade material, tempering, relief cuts, design, blade coating, blade thickness, tip welding, manufacture handling of blanks and finished product, packaging, manufactures stated purpose of the blade, etc.

Also I have taken blades to be sharpened and when I got them back they had changed, instead of mediocre cuts they now produced excellent cuts.

Buy only blades that will allow you return them if you don't like them and that offer some sort of warrantee.

I think Shopsmith blades give you an excellent value for the dollar.

Know this I have seen people swear at the blade another will swear by.
Ed

[charlese]

Looking for ratings (10=best 1=junk) based on "quality" and "value" for saw blade manufacturers....
....

Sorry - I'm also with Dusty and Ed from Tampa here! I know of no test, other than those made by the manufacturer that will give such a comparison.

I have used Shopsmith blades with great success. All of my circle blades are SS carbide, both 1/8" and narrow (I think 3/32").

[paulmcohen]

My comment is Carbide, I use Shopsmith, Infinity and Freud but don't have two blades used for the same purpose so I can't even compare blades I have. I prefer Shopsmith for the larger arbor hold which I feel makes the blade stable since I can't add a stabilizer.

[Ed in Tampa]

My favorite blade is my porter cable razor varible toothed blade. It has cut everything I have put through it without a problem. I have cut oak, elm, maple, pine and all kinds of plywood with it and it still isn't burning. I used to use a freud narrow kerf and it was good but didn't hold up. I have a finish blade in my chop saw thats a b&d 60t piranha that does a very nice job for under $20. My worst blade is a dewalt 40t and the sears blades are not much better. All my blades are carbide tipped. I do have a ss combo blade unused though.

Now here is just my point. I bought a Porter Cable Razor blade and tried it. I didn't like it at all. I produced two samples one using my old, "really in need of sharpening", Shopsmith blade and one on PC Razor. I took the razor and my samples back to the shop where I bought the Razor and the manager took one look at my samples and gave me my money back.

Yet I have some Sears blades I like. And Dewalt blades are getting high ratings all over the industry. I don't think there is one bad or good blade. Like I said you get what you pay for and before you do pay make sure you can return the blade if it doesn't cut right for you.

Personally I don't think you can go too far wrong with Shopsmith blades.
Ed

[scottss]

You know Ed, my brother has tried blades I like and on his grizzly ts they don't preform very well. So I would agree with you, there are good blades for everyone of us. One thing I have stayed away from is buying a really expensive blade like a forrest, I would hate to be disapointed spending that much money. I guess its time to try out my shopsmith blade since there is a sawing and drilling sale going on now.
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/SawingPromo/

[charlese]

....I guess its time to try out my shopsmith blade since there is a sawing and drilling sale going on now.
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/SawingPromo/

When you try out your Shopsmith saw blades, I am sure you will be very satisfied. Would like to hear how they work for you! Mine (all 5) are excellent for my work.