TS blade rec.

[ufg8r85]

I'm looking to upgrade the stock blade that came with my 3100. Any suggestions for a good all purpose blade, and source.

Thanks,
Steve

[ragswl4]

Here is a recent poll of what folks on this forum are using in their saws. I personally use Freud Industrial blades and have purchased them through Amazon.com when on sale for around $30-$40. They have served me well.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=30731

[ragswl4]

Another source of good info on TS blades.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ighlight=leitz

[Knottscott]

Another source of good info on TS blades.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ighlight=leitz

I've tried a couple more blades that are worth mentioning that do not show up on the chart. The Infinity 010-150 is a 50T TK combo blade that I've given a pretty good spin over the past couple months. This is an excellent blade that's a pretty reasonable bargain too. Very versatile, very clean cutting, very well made....great crosscutter and rips well too.

The other new one is the Forrest WWII 30T TK, which I've only spun for a few days. What I can say so far is that it's like having a 40T WWII with a motor upgrade. The increased ease of feedrate is very noticeable, but there's very, very little decrease in cut quality....perfect for smaller saws and thicker materials. I'm kind of excited about the 30T.

The Freud LU88R010 is one of my favorites...it's only ~ $45, cuts a bit cleaner than the other 40 and 50 toofers, and rips well to ~ 6/4". It's a crosscut blade but is an excellent choice for general purpose work, especially if you're anal about cut quality, use alot of ply, and/or don't do much with 2"+ material. An excellent compromise to avoid using separate dedicated blades. It's also an excellent compliment to a decent 24T TK ripper which will pick up where the other blades don't operate well. not much you couldnt' do with the LU88 and decent 24 toofer like the LU87, Infinity TK, DW7124TK, or Leitz/Irwin ripper.

The WWII 40T TK is a great choice but is pricey...consider the 30T if you're willing to spend this much. It's clean enough for glue ups, rips beautifully, crosscuts well, and just loafs through thick materials...very easy on the saw.

The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is every bit the equal of the WWII but has thicker carbide. ~ $80 shipped from Holbren with "BT310" discount.

If you're looking for bargains, the LU86 for ~ $35 is a nice blade, as is the Tenryu RS25540 from Holbren for ~ $27 shipped....note that the Tenryu has a kerf of 0.111", which makes it more "mid-kerf".

There are lots of great choices, so keep your eyes peeled for a bargain. Any of the top 40 or 50T TK blades are a good choice for a replacement to your stock blade, and so is the 30T Forrest and the 60T LU88 IMHO. A decent 24T TK ripper is a good blade to have on hand regardless of which primary blade you choose.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is every bit the equal of the WWII but has thicker carbide. ~ $80 shipped from Holbren with "BT310" discount.

The Tenryu RS25540 from Holbren for ~ $27 shipped....note that the Tenryu has a kerf of 0.111", which makes it more "mid-kerf".

I highly second these recommendations. Both have ATB-R tooth patterns resulting in flat dados when making multiple passes, where as ATB pattern has "bat-wing" bottoms. The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is an incredible blade that will cut you pretty darn good when you take it out of the box. DAMHIKT.

[cgallery]

I've tried a couple more blades that are worth mentioning that do not show up on the chart.

I dub thee "Walking Blade Encyclopedia."

Honestly, I get more good information from your posts than any magazine article I've ever read. Keep it up!

[movnup]

Great comparison and explanation !!! Also you can take a look at this link from Sawmill Creek, there is a comparison of 30 different blades ....

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46517

[scorrpio]

TS2000 has been my TS blade ever since I stole it from Holbren for $65. Ousted the WWII, which is also a very fine blade, but has smaller gullets than TS2000, which makes it less effective on ripping large pieces.

[Holbren]

I highly second these recommendations. Both have ATB-R tooth patterns resulting in flat dados when making multiple passes, where as ATB pattern has "bat-wing" bottoms. The Ridge Carbide TS2000 is an incredible blade that will cut you pretty darn good when you take it out of the box. DAMHIKT.

RS-25540 is actually an ATB, the RS-25550 is ATB-R.