Which Saw Blade Should I Buy?

This week’s question comes from Pat who asks: “Marc, sorry for writing a book here. I am shopping for a blade for my used TS-3650 I just bought and will be buying a Dado blade also. I’m on a budget but good blades and safety are a must. Any light you can shed will be appreciated. I am still confused as to why some blades have fewer or more teeth than others. To which, the DeWalt #DW7647 has 80 teeth; the DW7646 has 60 albeit with the same Hook Angle. Wherein lies the advantage of one over the other?”

“As I write, I have five new blades in front of me, purchased this evening. Welcome to ‘Blade City’! Four will be returned unopened but I wanted all specs in front of me. The differences astound me. All are 10″:

(1) FREUD Woodworking, 80T, Thin Kerf, “Ultra Fine Crosscut”
(2) FREUD Combination, 50T, C4 Carbide
(3) CRAFTSMAN Carbide C300, 80T, “Fine Finish Trim”
(4) DEWALT WOODWORKING SERIES, DW7647, 80T, ATB, “Recommended Applications: Crosscuts”
(5) Oldham WOODWORKERS SIGNATURE SERIES, 40T, Combination/Table Saw Premium Carbide. (Note that Pentair purchased Oldham).”

“But why the variance in quantity of teeth? What I am gradually picking up here is that some blades are better at Crosscutting, others at Ripping. My needs will be both. I am not a professional Woodworker by any means but in due time I’d like to get into Cabinet making, etc. For now though until my skills are honed, it’s going to be lots of pine boxes, plywood, small items such as outdoor planters, indoor planters, Jewelry boxes…bookcases…bookshelves…you get the idea.”

“I may find myself having to crosscut anything from 1×4 to 2×4 to 2×6′s. Or ripping 1×4′s. Maybe just having one blade isn’t going to suffice for what I need to do. And on top of it, I want a clean, neat cut. (I.e, the Woodworker-II claims to essentially cut a finish where sanding isn’t required. How much I believe that…well, common sense tells me it’s probably cleaner than most but also a bit of advertising embellishment in there. Or is it actually THAT good?). Am I trying to mix too many Worlds into one blade?”

And here is my response:
“Hey Pat. Like most things in woodworking, too many options can simply muddy the water and do more harm than good in terms of confusion. So let’s simplify. More teeth equates to a smoother cut with less tearout. Less teeth equates to a more aggressive cut with potentially more tearout. Having less teeth means less heat buildup and more room between teeth for exiting sawdust, which makes this scenario idea for really plowing through wood.”

“So a dedicated ripping blade should have a relatively low tooth number, because most rips are long and the cut is with the grain. So tearout is kept to a minimum and we can afford to use a more aggressive blade here. Cross-cuts, on the other hand, are usually shorter in duration and because you are cutting across the grain, they are more likely to tearout. So we like a higher tooth number for cross-cuts. Mitersaws, for instance, usually do best with a higher tooth number since every cut is a cross cut. But if you use a cross-cut blade (like an 80-tooth) for ripping operations on a tablesaw, you are likely to have lots of burning and a tougher time pushing the wood through. And likewise, using a ripping blade on cross-cuts isn’t exactly a good idea either. The cut will be fast and easy, but the quality will be bad. You’ll have a good bit of tearout to contend with.”

“Now in most shops, we have one other issue to consider, and that is plywood. We always want a smooth crisp edge, and a cross-cut blade with a high tooth count will do that for you. So ideally, you would have both a ripping and a cross-cut blade in your shop. But if you ask me, its a real pain in the butt switching back and forth from one blade to another. I am just too lazy for that. So what I opt for is a combination blade (usually 40-50 tooth). A high quality combo blade is capable of giving you excellent results in both rips and crosscuts. Is it as good as using high quality separate blades? No. But for the convenience and savings in time, I will deal with what little tearout I experience, if any at all. And after about 5 years of working with a Forrest WWII, I can honestly say I have never once thought, ‘Boy that cut would have better with an 80 tooth blade.’”

“Is it capable of producing finish-ready cuts? Well, in my opinion, no. The cut might be super smooth on its best day, but I will always prep my materials by hand before finishing. So mill marks never really bother me.”

“In summary, 30 tooth and below for rips, 40-50 tooth for combo, and 60 tooth plus for cross-cuts. My favorite? A 40T Forrest WWII. “Hope that helps!”

“Oh and by the way, if you want to try a blade that actually does produce nicely sanded edges, check out the Final Cut blade. I am reviewing it as we speak. http://www.finalcutblade.com/ ”