Look at any blade maker’s catalog, and you’ll see dozens of blade designs to choose from. Combination, plywood, crosscut, rip, glue-line rip… the average woodworker could go well into debt buying just one portion of the offerings – and that’s just from one manufacturer!
Since there are dozens of designs, tooth shapes and other features out there, in this week’s poll, we want to know if you are a blade changer, or have you settled on a favorite that never leaves your saw.
Just for the record, don’t count dado blades, molding cutter heads, those new box joint blade setups or any other kind of blade that cuts wider than a regular (1/8″) or a thin kerf. We’re just looking for standard blades.
For the record, here is just a sampling of blade manufacturer’s websites so you can get an idea of what’s out there:
[poll id=”39″]
You didn’t have quite enough categories, Tom!!!
I have the blade that came with the saw that I’ll toss as soon as I finish the laminate flooring!! I have a Freud Glue Line Rip, a Freud Thin Kerf, and a Freud Box Joint Blade(s).
So, I don’t have many, many blades, just 4 blades, and I don’t mind changing to the appropriate one at all–it just takes a minute or two.
Verna
I use a combo for everything except I occasionally pull out a 80T for nicer ply and melamine.
Mud
My WW II does most of the work, but I’ll switch to my stacked dado if need be.
I started out as a “single blader” but I get better results using different blades for different jobs. I have a number of blades – some purchased new and some purchased used and re-sharpened. What is kind of funny… My late father was a good woodworker. He had a “thing” about cheap blades. He always told me that the $7.00 Harbor Freight blades he used were “just as good as anything.” I got a buy on some used blades and had them sharpened then gave them to him. The next time I saw him he wanted to know if I wanted any of the $7.00 cheapies before he through them out! Said his saw cut like a new machine (I could never get his saw to cut well at all).
Clay – That’s a funny story. It happened with my dad as well. He had a portable Craftsman table saw and ran the original blade on that thing all the time when he was doing his side jobs. One day, he came home and was cursing loudly that the saw didn’t work well anymore.
My older brother was doing some construction work and was given a lightly used carbide tipped sawblade. He went out to the garage, saw how covered in pitch the blade was and changed it immediately.
After that, the saw cut beautifully….
You left out dado sets. I have a Tenryu and Forrest combo blade, I use one while the other is sharpened, and a Forrest dado set. I also have one very fine one for melamine. SO maybe i’m part changer and part not. 🙂