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I just got the e-mail from SS with a 4pack sale on bandsaw blades. I am curious if anyone can tell me if the premium blades are worth the difference in price over the standard blades. Also does anyone use other brands and if so what they are.

neal560sl wrote:I just got the e-mail from SS with a 4pack sale on bandsaw blades. I am curious if anyone can tell me if the premium blades are worth the difference in price over the standard blades. Also does anyone use other brands and if so what they are.

I have heard favorable comments about the Premium Quality Blades but I have no experience using them.

I don't know what makes them "Premium" and the Shopsmith provided hype does little to clarify. They have a "special tooth set and rake angle" to provide a more aggressive cutting while applying less pressure.

That sounds great but what does it all mean.

Frankly, I have been very satisfied with the "plain old bandsaw blades" that Shopsmith has been feeding me for years. What makes these different? More specifically, what makes them nearly twice as expensive?

A substantially prolonged blade life. That is what the hype says. I don't know how to evaluate that statement. The blades that are mounted on my two band saws right now are blades that I bought years ago. I could tell you when if I dug out all the old receipts but suffice it to say - so many years ago that I don't remember when.

If I buy a new blade and it lasts substantially longer than what I have been using - I'll die before it needs to be changed out. Why pay twice as much to get to that point.

You know, the only band saw blades that I have discarded were discarded because I cut aluminum with them. If I had not done that, I might be using all the same blades that I bought when I bought the Mark V.

I did buy one blade for resawing that I consider superior but only that one and the "hype" tells me that it will fail soon because it does not retain its sharpness. I have not experienced that yet but this is what others have reported. I heard that, of course, after I bought.

Bottom Line: Decisions, Decisions. For me, that is easy. I am "cheap".

Thanks for the reply dusty.

I too am with you on the I am cheap. I would like to try one of the 1/8 inch blades but the don't have them in the standard blades, and I'm having a very difficult time to spend $28.00 for it and then have to pay shipping on top of that.

You would think they could give the 30% off wether you bought 1 or 4 or 20. It sure seems to me they would be better off to sell 1 than none.

See, I told you I was cheap too!

neal560sl wrote:Thanks for the reply dusty.

I too am with you on the I am cheap. I would like to try one of the 1/8 inch blades but the don't have them in the standard blades, and I'm having a very difficult time to spend $28.00 for it and then have to pay shipping on top of that.

You would think they could give the 30% off wether you bought 1 or 4 or 20. It sure seems to me they would be better off to sell 1 than none.

See, I told you I was cheap too!

Shipping is another discussion. You will pay shipping whether you buy the Premium Blade or the Standard Blade. You will probably pay shipping whether you purchase from Shopsmith or from Amazon.

I just ordered a computer case fan that cost me $6.85 until they added the shipping and the cost then more than doubled.

I did wear out a 1/2" blade cutting logs for my 90 bowl project last year. It finally broke when it overheated while cutting my last log last week. I didn't realize how dull it had become until I replaced it and continued cutting the same log. There was a big difference. Not sure what kind of blade broke, but the replacement was the premium blade from SS.

fredsheldon wrote:I did wear out a 1/2" blade cutting logs for my 90 bowl project last year. It finally broke when it overheated while cutting my last log last week. I didn't realize how dull it had become until I replaced it and continued cutting the same log. There was a big difference. Not sure what kind of blade broke, but the replacement was the premium blade from SS.

When you have finally cut twice as many logs using the premium blade as you did using the blade that broke, you'll have proof positive that the premium blade is worth twice the cost of the standard blade.

Until then, you have proof that a sharp blade cuts better than a dull blade.

Let us not forget that "what we cut" also determines how long the blades will continue to cut properly.

Make a few band saw boxes using Mesquite and I guarantee your blades will not be sharp anymore.

What kind of logs are you harvesting?

I noticed their e-mail says that they must be either 4 standard or 4 premium blades and not a mix of both to get the discount, but I just added 1 premium and 3 regular to the cart and it took off the 30%.

I wonder if I would make it through the whole check out process or if it would catch the mix before the end.

I may try it when I get home tonight from work and see what I realy need for blades

dusty wrote:When you have finally cut twice as many logs using the premium blade as you did using the blade that broke, you'll have proof positive that the premium blade is worth twice the cost of the standard blade.

Until then, you have proof that a sharp blade cuts better than a dull blade.

Let us not forget that "what we cut" also determines how long the blades will continue to cut properly.

Make a few band saw boxes using Mesquite and I guarantee your blades will not be sharp anymore.

What kind of logs are you harvesting?

All my logs are various types of Oak and all have been wet.

neal560sl wrote:I just got the e-mail from SS with a 4pack sale on bandsaw blades. I am curious if anyone can tell me if the premium blades are worth the difference in price over the standard blades. Also does anyone use other brands and if so what they are.

I can answer that question in three words - YES! YES! YES! Here is a copy of the thread I posted last night in the General Woodworking forum. Maybe should have used this Tool forum. http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... ostcount=1

The only drawback I have found with the premium blades is they are harder and therefore don't bend as easily as the regular blades. However they are sharper and hold their sharpness a long time. Also need to be particular with the tension on these blades. I have snapped two of them over time. Probably because they had been given a sharp bend. (They don't kink good).

Last night I ordered 4 blades. 3 of the 3/8" and one of the 1/4" premiums. The cost when ordering 4 is $20.28. I had put three into my shopping cart and when ordering the fourth, it only cost the equivalent of $3 more, while the original three decreased in price.

Hi,

I have only limited experience with the shopsmith bandsaw but have owned a bandsaw since the early 1970's.

I get the wood slicer and the wood turners blade from Highland hardware. I've used these for years and keep buying them because I like them. I'm in the process of ordering the turners blade for the shopsmith bandsaw for some summer projects using the carter circle cutter.

For all other blades I normally go with timber wolf blades. There are many places that sell them so I shop the net to find the best prices.

I do have one cheap blade, don't recall the brand that I use for mdf and other such materials. I don't expect a long life but then it was cheap so I can cut what I want and throw it away with out feeling bad.

On a band saw I often find the dullness sneaks up on me. It is like it seems to be working fine and then next cut it makes me wonder what happen to my blade. When I replace it, well it is another situation all together and I wonder why I waited so long to change it.

BTW always compare the cost including shipping, like if you buy a blade for $10 and the shipping is $10 the blade is really costing you $20.

Ed