New blade for 21829, need opinions

[MikeR]

I'm at the point where I believe that a new, good quality blade is in order.

Considering the following:

Freud F410 .126 kerf 40 tooth

Forrest WWII 10407100 .094 kerf 40 tooth

Both of these are advertised as being good 'combination' blades and can be purchased for around $90.

Preferences? or something else I haven't stumbled on?

TIA

Cheers,

MikeR

[Knottscott]

Both of those are good general purpose blades that'll do a great job in a wide variety of materials and cuts.

The WWII you listed is a thin kerf which will remove less material and cause less drag on your saw, which will help extend your motor's life and create less sawdust.

The F410 is very similar in design to the WWII but is only available in a full kerf. However, the F410 has recently been replaced with the new P410 Fusion which offers a few innovations and advantages. For starters it's also a TK. Secondly it uses a Hi-ATB grind for the cleanest cut possible. It also features a double side angle to reduce burning, and it uses the finest grain carbide Freud has ever offerd, which will help it hold an edge better. Since it's in the same price range, I'd lean heavily in favor of this one if I were in your shoes.

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-P410-40-Tooth-Perma-shield-Circular/dp/B000JNTG76/sr=1-1/qid=1168793760/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0666017-4028638?ie=UTF8&s=hi

[Cheeky]

for a rip specefic blade, i have the freud LU87R010 on my ridgid ts2400....it's saaaweeeet.http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU87R010...7?ie=UTF8&s=hi

it can be had for under 30 bucks when Amazon has a sale.

[LCHIEN]

I'm at the point where I believe that a new, good quality blade is in order.

...
Cheers,

MikeR

Just exactly what blade comes from the factory on the 21829?
how many teeth?
What's the label say? (e.g. Craftsman, Ryobi, or what???)
what is the country of origin (printed on the blade, e.g. made in xxx)
does it have laser cut relief holes?
Picture would be entertaining.

Curious, to update the FAQ.
Thanks.

[Black wallnut]

My blade that gets the most use is a Frued 80 tooth TK. I've also used Frued's 60 tooth TK.

Both work great for everything other than long or thick rips.
The combo blade that came with my saw was a Frued 36 tooth IIRC and it proved to be in the same usefullness range. Great for everything other than long or thick rips. YMMV

[cgallery]

I have a WWII TK, but while it was out being sharpened I picked-up a Diablo 10" combo for about $25 or $30 at HD. It works great, and was highly rated in that last blade review done in Wood Magazine or whatever that was.

[Curly Qsawn]

The Ridge 2000 from Holbren has gotten good reviews. I'm waiting for the next sale.

[MikeR]

Not very happy with the blade that was supplied. Will post a pic and specs later today.

Cheers,

MikeR

[Knottscott]

The Ridge Carbide 2000 from Holbren has gotten good reviews. I'm waiting for the next sale.

I'll second the plug for the Ridge Carbide TS2000 from Holbren...it's easily the equivalent of the WWII but with more carbide. It's also available in thin or full kerf like the WWII.

[MikeR]

Not very happy with the blade that was supplied. Will post a pic and specs later today.

Cheers,

MikeR

Pic attached. Note that teeth are there but dark. In case the photo doesn't show, 36 tooth Carbide tipped, Made in China. Also warped so I'm returning to Sears.

The warping was the seeming cause of the initial squareness problems. I don't understand why, but as soon as I changed blades, problem disappeared.

Cheers,

MikeR

[LCHIEN]

I managed to enhance the pic a little.
The "manufacturer's part number" is 422010044 (got that off the Sears parts site)
rated for 6000 rpm
I'll have to check what the old Ryobi p/n was for the 36-T blade.

But interestingly, I note these facts:
1) on the 22811 Craftsman saw which was a BT3000 basically, the blade was labelled Craftsman
2) on the 21829, the blade is different than the Freud OEM blade shipped for many years with the BT3x AND also different from the later China-made blade shipped with late model BT3100s. The Frued-made blade was actually a very nice all-around blade and made very good cuts.

3) this blade isn't even as nice as the Chinese blade on the late-model BT3100s, which was made in china but was a very close copy of the Freud, including the bite-limiting fingers on the top trailing edge of the teeth and the laser-cut tension reliefs/expansion (some J-hook and S-shaped reliefs) joints. The blade pictured here is a pretty much featureless run of the mill no-name 36-tooth blade.


BTW, a blade can be warped if the arbor nut is overtightened. I generally tighten mine finger snug, then turn the wrench about 1/8-1/4 turn more. Fairly low torque.

[Holbren]

The Ridge 2000 from Holbren has gotten good reviews. I'm waiting for the next sale.

I'll probably run the blades on sale next week.

[rlah]

Good saw blades (and resharpening)

3) this blade isn't even as nice as the Chinese blade on the late-model BT3100s, which was made in china but was a very close copy of the Freud, including the bite-limiting fingers on the top trailing edge of the teeth and the laser-cut tension reliefs/expansion (some J-hook and S-shaped reliefs) joints. The blade pictured here is a pretty much featureless run of the mill no-name 36-tooth blade.

LCHEIN - Thx for in-depth research on these blades!
I didn't know a good blade was made in China... seems the only good quality blades are made in USA and European group. I just bought an Hitachi 40T blade at Lowes - used a $10 coupon and got it down to $17 final cost. Although it looked a lot like my Freud 60T, the package said made in France.

Can anybody point to published review(s) of Ridge TS2000 10" TK blade? Is it in the same league as WWII and new Freud Fusion?

I'm *may* be willing to spend the money on these high-dollar blades but I need to research the resharpening cost with my local sharpener... haven't used him yet. Maybe this is stretching this thread too far but how often do you all resharpen? And how much do you spend?

Us new Craftsmen saw buyers are all in this boat - can't use factory blade at all - piece of junk.

rlah

[LCHIEN]

LCHEIN - Thx for in-depth research on these blades!
I didn't know a good blade was made in China... seems the only good quality blades are made in USA and European group. ...rlah

I didn't say the china-made blade coming with late model BT3s was up to snuff with the original Italian-made BT3 blades.

For probably obvious reasons not too many people had both in new condition and could make a side-by-side comparison but there were as many complaints about the chinese blade as there were compliments about the Italian blade so I suspect the blade, though a nearly exact copy with reliefs and anti-kickback and hook angles, was not the same in terms of less obvious quality control items - e.g. flatness, balance, sharpness etc.

[Knottscott]

Can anybody point to published review(s) of Ridge TS2000 10" TK blade? Is it in the same league as WWII and new Freud Fusion?

And how much do you spend?

Us new Craftsmen saw buyers are all in this boat - can't use factory blade at all - piece of junk.

rlah

I've owned both the Ridge Carbide TS2000 and the Forrest WWII. They're quite similar in design and cut quality. The TS2000 has thicker carbide and is honed with a finer grit. Both are very capable of glue line cuts, and both do a fine job in alot of materials. I had a tough time telling which blade made which cuts. Both are made in the US, both come in two kerf widths. Holben may be having a sale soon of the RC blades...I believe he offers 10% to BT members but I'm not certain.

I've not yet tried the new Fusion, though the concept has some merit IMO. Brian pointed out that the downside of the Hi-ATB is more rapid dulling than most other grinds. They claim their new carbide is finer and more wear resistant than any they've used previously...time will time!

I sharpen my blades every 12-24 months depending. Buying a dedicated 24T rip blade for really heavy ripping will extend the time between sharpenings on your good blade. Even though the TS2000 and WWII will both rip well to 2" or so, it definitely dulls them faster than routine cutting. Sharpening is fraction of the cost of a new blade ~ $15-$30 depending on where you take it and what they need to do. I'd suggest sending the Forrest or RC back to the manufacturer for sharpening.

Sears is currently offering the Freud TK306 for $17...it's not quite on par with with the WWII level, but $17 it should be very good, and should be a step up from the Hitachi. If you haven't used the Hitachi blade yet, I'd consider returning it and picking up the TK306. You could even return it, and take the jump to the top shelf blades...few people have regrets with that decision.