Blade Preference

[SARGE..g-47]

Hi ya Sarge - I've got a Tenryu RS25540. Nice blade for the price. It has an unusual "mid kerf" at ~ 0.118", and also uses an unusual ATAF tooth configuration (alternating top alternating face)....kind of an ATB that alternates the angle of the faces, which is an interesting idea. It's not at the level of WWII, Ridge Carbide, or even their Gold Medal, but is a well spent $30 from Holbren. The RS25550 50T is a step up IMHO but also costs a bit more.

I was responding to Uncle Cracker and almost missed your post, DM. Thanks for replying as you seem to use a variety of different blades.

Another question I pondered and if you can make the comparison (I realize you probably have not used all the blades) is how does the comparison of the Ridge TS2000 compare to the Tenryu (I finally spelled it correct I believe) Gold metal.

I'm not sure I need that much blade (and price) on either of those two as my main TS blades are 24 T for ripping. I take cross-cut to the SCMS with a 72 T. So.. the only thing I would use it for is just an after the fact rip that doesn't have to look like it came off the jointer.. and I do cut tenons on the TS if the component is longer than will fit in my 18" throat on my BS.

I keep 4 24T rip blades on hand of good quality. I like sharp as I run a lot of stock ripping. By rotating every 2-3 weeks, I have sharp as my local sharpner charges me $6.50 for sharpening a 24 T. I guess what I am trying to determine is.. Would I be better off going top shelf or grab one from the bargain rack as a 40 T blade would cost me $12.00 to have sharpend.

One of the premium 40 T would probably last me a life-time by sharpening as it won't see the high mileage the 24 T's get. But... with a middle of the road 40 T and limited usage... would it give desirable results and with sharpening last about as long?

Not a big deal.. but when I start thinking it becomes somewhat dangerous as I don't miss my angles.

If ya can assist.. thanks.. If ya can't.. thanks anyway. ha.. ha...

Regards...

[Knottscott]

Hi Sarge - Nope, I sure haven't tried them all.....yet! But I have tried the Tenru Gold Medal and the Ridge Carbide TS2000....both are excellent, as in very comparable to the Forrest WWII performance. It's really tough to determine if one is better than the other. Quality of the cut is very good and is hard to distinguish between the two. Both crosscut well enough to be suitable for most jobs, and obviously the rips give glue ready edges. They won't do either task quite as well as a good example of a dedicated ripper or crosscut blade, but they're both "good nuff" that you might be inclined to just leave the blade in place. The GM has a slightly thinner kerf, so may tend to feel as though it feeds a bit faster. The TS2000 is made in the US and has huge carbide, whereas the GM is made in Japan, if that matters to you.

If all else is equal, a 40T blade should hold up a bit better than a 24T blade b/c the workload is shared by more teeth. Variables like wood thickness and moisture content come into play though....a 24T will handle the thickest woods better and will build up less heat. A constant diet of 8/4" maple on a 40T blade is likely to dull it a little quicker than 5/4" would, but for routine use in average wood a good 40T should go a long way.

Only you can really make the end decision as to whether or not any of them are worth it....they're all a bit of a compromise, but those are the types I tend to leave in most of the time and get suitable results. The DeWalt DW7657 40T was one of the better bargains for top shelf performers, but it's getting hard to come by...it is available as a Delta 35-7657 now, and it appears to be identical, but I haven't used it, plus I've read a couple of quality complaints about it...could just be isolated problems though. The Amana Prestige is supposed to be pretty darn good, but I haven't tried that one either. I have tried Holbren's Tenryu RS25550 50T, and found that one to be really good @ ~ $40 shipped with the "BT310" code...that one nears the performance level of the TS2000, WWII, and Gold Medal IMHO. He's also got the Oshlun 40T for ~ $22 shipped....I've only run a couple of test cuts, but it looks fairly promising as a great bargain. It's too soon for any final conclusions, and I don't think it's gonna give the $100 blades a serious challenge, but dollar for dollar it's looking awfully good and is easily worth that price. Those are all the better bargains in full kerf that I can think of right now, but the scene is ever changing.

Take care and keep me posted!

[reddog552]

Porter Cable

I just picked up Porter Cable Riptide 40T& 60T at a local discount stote $60 for the two. They look to be GOOD blades,does anyone have any exprence with these blades. A quick look around says I saved about $40. These are part No. 12911 &12912.

[SARGE..g-47]

"If all else is equal, a 40T blade should hold up a bit better than a 24T blade b/c the workload is shared by more teeth. Variables like wood thickness and moisture content come into play though....a 24T will handle the thickest woods better and will build up less heat. A constant diet of 8/4" maple on a 40T blade is likely to dull it a little quicker than 5/4" would, but for routine use in average wood a good 40T should go a long way"... Dustmight

*********

I cannot say that a 40 T will hold up longer under all circumstances as it just doesn't have the amount of gullet space needed to carry away waste in heavy ripping as I do. I work with about all solid hard-wood and prefer to bring 8/4 and up in the shop. That allows me to re-saw into working thicknesses latter for book match if that becomes a requirement on a given piece.

And... not having the gullet space wtih a 40 T is going to lead to over-heat and burn when you are runniing a lot of linear feet through being ripped if you attempt to do it at the same speed as a rip blade. More teeth.. slower feed which is OK as long as you understand that and don't have large quantities to do.

It's just that I do have large quantities often and I don't think that a 40 T dedicated can do the job of 20 T or 24 T ripping. I don't have to have glue line rips as I cut 1/8" wider than needed and take it to the jointer for a 1/16" pass in each side giving me a "butt kiss" if glue-up is required. Or if not required, I have a finished edge that NO blade can duplicate.

But.. for most I think (and that's why I want to satisfy the curiousity) that if one uses one blade for all.. the 40 T is a better over-all ticket for both than a 50 T. I have used a 50 T combo and it is just not suitable for ripping in my opinion. Too slow.. to much burn.. to much resistance and takes forever when you have a lot of feet to run.

But... I do want to try a 40 T to see if there is a place in my shop for it as "all" my cross-cuts get done on a SCMS with a 72 T blade. The only exception is I will switch to a 40 T on the SCMS when I bring in 100' + to be sized down to project size and latter jointer and planer work prep.

Occasionally I size down a sheet of ply on the TS after being cut down to 4' X 4' on the circular saw. Now.. that's where the 40 T may shine over the 24 T and definitely would over a 20 or 18 Tooth ripper.

Interestingly.. I get decent cross-cuts on a 24 T ripper as I have never understood the need for glass smooth cross-cuts unless end grain will be exposed as on a table. Miters would be an exception, but I go to the SCMS for that also. I suppose it depends on individual needs and what machines we have individually to work with. Whatever.. it's all good!

Regards...

[tbarn]

A couple of qestions for anyone... What is Holgren's web-site address. I have searched here and don't find it!

Has anyone had any experience with the Amana Premier PR 1040 40 T combo now priced at $52?

Anyone had experiecne with the Tenyru RS-25536 DBN (36 T) @ $40 or..

Tenyru RS 25540 40 T @ $39...

And general experience with FS blades...

.... ??? ....

Any help would be most appreciative.. even if you have used Amana or Tenyru as those tow lines are two that I have little experience with..

Off to build a base for a chest....

I just received the Amana Premier PR 1040 40 T to replace the stock blade on my BT3100. It has held up for 4 yrs but is really chipped. I did not install the new blade yet but my first impression is that the amana is really heavy compared to the stock blade. How will that work in a BT? I typically only cut 4/4 or 3/4 thick stock.
I will add to my review once I get a chance to use the blade. My power switch just went out so I have have to fix that first.

[Holbren]

If anyone is looking for some blade deals I have some extras that I'll offer some great deals on to the folks here. Quantities are limited though to only 1 in some cases. These are not as good as the Ridge Carbide, Gold Medal or Amana Prestige but nice blades at a good price.

Prices include standard shipping.

1 Tenryu RS25540 40T 10" $25
3 Tenruu RS25524CBN 24T 10" $25
8 Amana AGE MD14-400 40T 10"

I have a bunch of other Tenryu blades for miter saws but don't have the numbers handy.

If you want a real value, look at the Oshlun blades I'm selling now. They are the old Avenger blades and I'm waiting photo's for the website but they are up and you can look at prices.

Please don't post this anywhere else.

Thanks

[SARGE..g-47]

[QUOTE=Holbren;329412]If anyone is looking for some blade deals I have some extras that I'll offer some great deals on to the folks here. Quantities are limited though to only 1 in some cases. These are not as good as the Ridge Carbide, Gold Medal or Amana Prestige but nice blades at a good price.

If you happen to see this Holbren, could you give your opinion of the Amana 20 T rip blade as opposed to the Amana 20 T Euro rip blade with the anti-kick back do hickeys behind the tooth!

And I appreciate your input on the Ridge.. Gold Medal and Amana Prestige. From what I see of your site.. you don't carry FS do you?

And yep.. I'm shopping for another rip blade. I only have 4 and satisfied with only 2 of those. ha.. ha... ha..ha..

Thanks...

[Holbren]

I haven't used either of those rip blades so I can't give you firsthand experience. The standard 20T you mentioned has the cooling slots which I would think make it lighter and may be a good feature for the BT3. I would assume either one works well.

Out of the three premier blades you mentioned I'm partial to the Ridge. It's an ATB+R where the Gold Medal is a standard ATB. Both cut very well but the Ridge is sharper out of the box and you can send it back to them for sharpening returning it to factory new. The Prestige is a Hi-ATB design which should work better than all of the others on sheet goods but i use a scoring knife so I can't give any testimonial there either.

So, I didn't answer any of your questions. They are all good blades and if you tell us what you don't like about the ripping blades you have, maybe I can narrow it down a little.

I do have one Tenryu IW-25524CDB1 which is their industrial series blade. I would put my money on that one but based on what I hear about their industrial series products. I would cut it loose for $40.

I don't sell FS Tool but they make a good blade. If you look at what the saw shops are selling it's mostly FS Tool, Tenryu and Amana from my perspective. Companies like Ridge Carbide just don't have the exposure.

[SARGE..g-47]

Thanks Holbren... I purchased an Amana Euro rip blade last week from my local sharpening shop. I really like the 20 T design and the heat slots. The welds were very good and I was looking forward to taking it for a test run.

But.. ran into a problem. Attempted to put it on last night and the 5/8" bore is not 5/8". It is slightly smaller and won't slide on my Uni-saw arbor.. or any arbor that is American design. That is the first time in 36 years I have ever seen a blade with the arbor hole not correct.

It just wouldn't fit and I was not going to attempt to screw it on to avoid stripping the arbor threads. I could bore it.. but not going to do that either as anything short of dead center will throw balance off and I'm not going there with a new blade. I'll take it back Monday and compare to see if maybe it's just a fluke. If not... return..

But.. I really like that Amana Euro design and would love to have it. And I am going to try either a FS.. Systematic.. regular Amana.. I noticed that Ridge and Tenyru didn't have a 20 T design. The Tenny was thin kerf and I run full. I just didn't see a listing for Ridge in the rip department.

I'm going to get 2 new rip blades as I run an average of 100,000 linear feet a year through my Uni-saw. I don't mind paying the price of quality and prefer Industrial grade as a 20 or 24 T sharpening cost me only $6.50.

Just wondered if you had sold any Amana Euro 20 T rippers and have you had any problem as I encountered?

Take care....

[Holbren]

I have sold the Euro rippers and assume you refer to the RB1020. Never had a complaint but so many of them today are going on Taiwanese saws so that could be part of it.

Ridge does have a ripping blade that is 24T and it's a standard ripper. Nothing fancy except a solid performer with good quality, thick, sharp carbide.

Tenryu only has the 24T and I can see a 20T being a nice blade for as much ripping as you do.

I've never used FS but they are popular and are supposed to make a nice blade. Can't say anything about Systimatic, have no experience.

If you're using a power feeder to rip with, might want to check out a thicker kerf blade like .145" or thereabouts.

[SARGE..g-47]

Tge RB 1020 indeed.. I just back up as I'm neck deep in a chest of drawers. When I go back down after coffee, I'm going to check the arbor hole to make sure they did not put some kind of a punch out in it. I have never seen any manufacturer that did, but I am not going to leave any stone unturned as I really like the blade's design and construction quality.

No power feeder.. just me. I do have a good set-up though where I can safely rip 14' stock alone. I do a lot of rough stock prep for friends that don't have the equipment to do it. Trade-off of part of the stock for time and labor.

I'll do some googling on the Ridge rip as I didn't see it. I have seen a few rip blades that are 24 tooth with ATB. I think that is a major mistake on a ripping blade. I want Flat tooth as the ATB might give a slightly smoother cut in 1 1/2" and under, but it would be major slow feed and I believe a mis-match altogether in 8/4 and up hardwood.

May give you a call Monday if you have a ph# on your web-site. You may work out of your home and not be available. If so and I have a question I will ask here or E-mail..

Thanks a bunch for the info, sir...

John Thompson

[Holbren]

I don't think the RB1020 has a knockout.

Many of the 24T blades are ATB because "glue line rip" is a big thing these days. Most of them are 30T TCG though.

Give me a call at the 800# on the website, x21.

You'll be hard pressed to find the Ridge with google but if you go to their website at www. ridgecarbidetool.com and download the catalog, it's in there.

[SARGE..g-47]

I don't think the RB1020 has a knockout.

Many of the 24T blades are ATB because "glue line rip" is a big thing these days. Most of them are 30T TCG though.

Give me a call at the 800# on the website, x21.

You'll be hard pressed to find the Ridge with google but if you go to their website at www. ridgecarbidetool.com and download the catalog, it's in there.

I just back up from the shop and guess what.. yeah, you guessed it! The RB 1020 is on the saw. I matched it with other arbor holes and it basically was 5/8"... but a very tight 5/8". I put a piece of 180 grit on a dowel and lightly rimmed the inside diameter. Then I lightly rimmed the outside of the arbor shaft threads with wet dry 400 using oil as a lube.

It fit on the saw.. it was tight, but it fit. The good news is once on, it has little possibility of any movement which relates to no vibration from slop on the shaft.

I ran about 40' of rough 2" oak through and the blade is a dream. It ate the wood with a steady feed rate. I have never used a 20 T before as all my rip blades have been 24 T flats and this Euro was giving as smooth a cut as I get with the 24 T. Maybe even better in that thickness. So far.. I'm very happy with this blade. Time will tell!

I will still call as I want to try another brand for comparison. I keep several rips on hand and one at my sharpner as I change blade every 2-3 weeks to keep sharp teeth on board.

Regards...

[Holbren]

Glad you got it mounted and are making dust already. Amana makes an nice product so I wouldn't have expected anything less than good performance.

If you wanted to try another ripper, I would go with the Tenryu I listed a couple posts up. It's their industrial series and the price I gave is basically cost after shipping and credit card fees are paid.

Give me a ring and we can chat.

[SARGE..g-47]

Glad you got it mounted and are making dust already. Amana makes an nice product so I wouldn't have expected anything less than good performance.

If you wanted to try another ripper, I would go with the Tenryu I listed a couple posts up. It's their industrial series and the price I gave is basically cost after shipping and credit card fees are paid.

Give me a ring and we can chat.

I will call tomorrow as I just put your site on my favorites list in case I forget the site name. At my age, that can happen in the blink of an eye. I think I remember being young once..

I will be running about 100 + feet of soft maple through today for drawer sides before they see the jointer. Than should give me a better take on the Amana RB 1020 Euro Rip. If all is well, I may order another from you as a back-up and possibly purchase the Tenryu Industrial rip blades also at that price. Rio blades for me are kinda like routers to some... can't have enough of them as they get heavy usuage

I will do some checking on the Tenryu specs to see if they are in line with what I have found to the be best rip designs over the years. Again.. if so, I may just buy both. We can discuss it tomorrow and looking forward to speaking to you as I see your name often on several WW forums.

Regards..