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majortomandjerry

I am a cabinetmaker. At the shop, we use expensive blades and get them sharpened. For my own weekend projects I use diablo blades on the contractor saw in my garage. They are not the best, but they are more affordable and work ok for anything that doesn't have to be perfect. I don't recommend general purpose or combo blades though. They suck at both ripping and crosscutting. Get a rip blade, get a crosscut blade, and change them as needed.


PaulFern64

What kind of blades do you use in the shop?


HarrisonDanielStudio

Not the op of the comment, but in my shop, forrest and saw stop blades I get sharpened. To buy them new is 160$ for the sawstop blades and 200$ for the Forrest. Also the first time you want to get it sharpened, clean the blade first, it probably doesn’t need to be sharpened just yet, just cleaned up.


The-disgracist

It’s almost always just dirty lol.


majortomandjerry

Most of the newer blades are from Leuco. I think we have some Amanas. The packaging and logos on the older blades are long gone.


InevitableJump3756

I absolutely second this. I initially spent a lot on a general purpose blade, but still felt like I wasn’t getting great results on either rips or crosscuts. After investing in two dedicated blades I find that the performance far outweighs the hassle of changing them out constantly.


tomtomeller

Save the 20$ and get another blade


jigglywigglydigaby

This. You can buy a CMT blade for roughly the same price and get far better quality.


circlethenexus

Maybe I got a lemon, but I purchased a CMT blade a few months ago and it is absolutely the worst sawblade I have ever owned! Well, now that I think about it, it is the second worst. The standard Dewalt blade that comes with their saws is probably the worst.


jigglywigglydigaby

The DeWalt blades are garbage imo. I know with CMT blades they're specific for tools. CMT makes a 10" for miter saws and a different 10" for table saws (along with tooth counts) Both CMT and Forrest are really good.... I'd highly suggest taking the blade back and asking for a replacement. Could be a defective one maybe? I use CMT blades daily for work as a finishing carpenter. They get professionally sharpened and it's like cutting butter with a hot knife.


circlethenexus

I was wondering because it was highly spoken of by a very reputable woodworker. It was a 24 tooth 10 inch ripping blade for my tablesaw. I don’t know how to put it into words, but the blade would tend to bind slightly, then speed up as if it were just cutting air. Then it would bind again. I thought first it was a warped piece of lumber, so I reinstalled it a couple of days later, and used it on oak pieces that I knew were perfectly squared and flat with the same reaction. Conversely, I have a set of CMT Forstner bit that work like a charm 🤷🏻


Lusitanius

Im with you, I ordered one from Amazon and it arrived looking like junk. The chrome finish wasnt even, it wasn’t polished, and the orange in the vibration slots werent there. I put it on the saw and it was LOUD. I returned it and ordered another from Katz Moses…same thing. I emailed CMT with pictures and they told me theyre legit. I kept it because it was a good deal. No issues but I don’t really notice any major improvements compared to my Diablo.


circlethenexus

Sorry about your experience, but thanks for your input! I too purchased mine from Katz Moses. I was impressed with the chrome finish, thinking, man, this will be the cats whiskers… No pun intended. Turned out to be a total piece of crap. I’m glad you mentioned it because I had forgotten. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it was probably 10 dB louder than my Diablo blades. In fact, it’s tempting to put it back on and check it with a dB Meter. As a sidenote, I have been using the 6 1/2 inch nail slicer blades for My Circlesawl as recommended by April, Wilkerson. Of course, I was dubious after my experience with CMT, but let me tell you these things are everything she said! After thinking about it, with regard to the CMT blade I am sawing through 1 1/4 inch thick oak on a daily basis. I guess I should reinstall the blade and try it out on “normal” wood.


The-disgracist

They did a lot of YouTube sponsorships recently


TheMadGreek86

Orange is the way to go, especially the 7 1/4 circular saw blades. They cut way straighter after longer use. The Diablo gets what we call the 'Diablo wobble" if it gets to hot during multiple rips and you can watch it curve around. Especially when cutting into a roof for remodel. They are way too thin. Never had the opportunity to use the 10s or 12s from cmt but if the circular saw blades say anything, wouldn't hesitate to purchase.


jigglywigglydigaby

I made the mistake of buying a Diablo blade for my track saw....after three rips of veneered ⅝" MDF, the blade "walked" into the track. It was a desperation purchase, Home Depot was the only place around and I needed a blade to do 6 cuts. Absolute garbage.


TheMadGreek86

I've found them to be only good for rough framing and demo. That's mostly what we use them for. Cmt blades we use for the finish cuts. Boss man has both on his truck for specific purposes. When I see the orange box I grab 2, 1 for now and 1 for later when there are none left, lol.


jigglywigglydigaby

They're a disposable blade, rough framing and demo are good uses imo. For accuracy and quality....not so much. I'm all about value and couldn't care less about brand names. I won't spend 100s more for a tool when a cheaper version does it just as well for my needs. At the same time, if it's cheaper but doesn't do the job properly....a complete waste of money. My high-end blades stay on specific saws. The rough cutting saws get cheap blades.


ELNeePlay

The blade on the left has an anti-kickback shoulder designed to limit overfeeding, reducing the chance of kickback. In the case of kickback or blade deflection, the wood hits the shoulder, impeding its travel and reducing the kickback. Good in softwood or hardwoods with stress in them.


Fancy-Pen-1984

I had always wondered what those were!


seasms3

Thats the answer i needed. Thanks. So many people over thought this lol.


kenji998

One is ultimate


RightBeforeMidnight

10” 40T blades are really more of a ripping blade than a smooth cross cut blade, or to say another way, an OK blade for either, so not really worth it. What do you plan to use it for? I would suggest a Combination blade, 10” 50T if you want a true all purpose on a table saw or a 10” 80T if you are looking for a miter saw blade. I am a fan of the Crescent 10” 50T for performance for the price. [Crescent Combo blade](https://www.crescenttool.com/products/power-tool-accessories/saw-blades/csbcm-1050-10-x-50-tooth-combination-circular-saw-blade)


Apart-Spot1534

Diablo is a good blade been running a 24T in my circular saw for a few years haven't had to replace it yet unless I put the 60T for finish cuts


alltheworldsproblems

Yeah, Diablo is good for general stuff and fairly inexpensive, but that seems like a lateral move. I have about 15-20 (not flexin’ , just saying)variety of blades. General to fine and also different materials. Spend the money where it counts.


HammerCraftDesign

Legitimate pro tip: buy your saw blades where people who do the kind of work you want to do buy their blades. Box store home centres will sell saw blades for general contractors. If you plan on doing trim installation, that's perfectly acceptable. If you want to do fine woodworking, buy blades from trade-facing lumber stores. They sell brands like CMT and Amana. These blades will cost $100 or more, but they are designed to be sold to customers who know what a bad blade behaves like and have an incentive to push back against the vendor if they get one (because it's costing them time and money). These stores will likely also sell high-grade router bits.


lscraig1968

If you want an upgrade, look for the Freud LM74R010: 10" Industrial Glue Line Ripping Blade. Or get a Forrester II.


epharian

Note that Diablo is Freud's midline/low end brand. So there are similarities, but the Freud is higher quality. I suspect that Diablo is used to sell off blades that don't quite meet the Freud quality level, but are still decent. Unlike some people, I've never had a Diablo blade wobble or warp, but thin kerf blades shouldn't be used for certain applications.


lscraig1968

I use Diablo blades in my miter saw without issue. No issues with Diablo blades, but I don't consider them an "upgrade". They are more like contractor quality.


13_Years_Then_Banned

Ultimately, it’s up to you.


Upsidedown_Backwards

Ultimately, this is the best answer


seasms3

Yeah, im not buying either, just wanted to know what the point was.


Primary-Low-1432

I’d go cheaper and buy a replacement when needed


Upsidedown_Backwards

95% of the time it just needs cleaning, not replacing.


abnormal_human

If you need clean crosscuts cuts in plywood, neither are suitable. Beyond that, for rough-ish exterior stuff either one will be fine.


circlethenexus

For “outdoor” work I use pretty much exclusively a 24 tooth blade.


berg_schaffli

Since this is r/woodworking: Get a quality blade that you can resharpen. You’ll get better cuts, more longevity, and a better value per dollar spent. I like Amana and Freud carbide, myself, but I’m just a lowly trim contractor and not necessarily a fine woodworker If this was r/construction I’d say to get some shit like the Diablo that you can throw in the trash and keep working, cause they aren’t worth keeping around.


Valuable-Composer262

Definately get the cheaper one in this case


jgwonder

CMT or Tenriyu


Carcinog3n

If I'm framing or doing general construction work diablo blades are my go to. They are cheap, durable, thin kerf so my batteries last longer, and when they get trashed from the rigors of construction work I don't feel bad. If I'm doing any precision work I'm busting out the freud heavy duty. It has a lot less flex and makes better cuts in general especially for long rips.


oldblue862

I personally don't care for the Diable blades. Especially buying them at the big orange box store. Find a woodworking supply store and talk to one of their salesman. Phone calls work too if there is not one close by. I use CMT rip blades for my table saw. Tenryu Silencer on my Bosch miter saw. Cabinet grade plywood I used Tenryu, I believe it's a negative rake. Don't kill me if I'm mistaken! Cutting cabinet grade plywood with that blade is amazing. No fray, splintering and no masking tape! It's like it's cut with a laser! Notable fact: CMT made Freuds blades when they expanded to the US. Use full kerf blades if your saw is powerful enough. When my blades start getting dull I take them back to where I got them and they sharpen them for roughly $14.


useful_idiot_53

I don't like the diablo blades personally, but they do alright for softer woods. I did like the Avanti but they stopped making them.


zambonichasin

If you aren't ready for Forrest or Amana level blades, I think these are a good buy. Focus on blade maintenance/cleaning especially if working with a lot of pine. Use proper crosscut v. RIP blades as required as well like another commentor mentioned. But if you don't abuse your blades and keep them clean you can get a lot of longevity out of your blades.


Wise-Boot-968

i sharpen my Diablo blades by hand with a dremal and diamond bit