The 10 Best Table Saw Blades

Editor's Notes

December 07, 2020:

When choosing a new blade for your table saw it's important that it is matched to the materials it will cut, and specific types of blade are needed to cut metal, wood, or stone. Not only that but the number of teeth, their size, and their angle all change how the blade behaves and the quality of the finished cut. In general, when working with wood, more teeth equals a finer cut and less chipping, whereas fewer and larger teeth are ideal for ripping, which is cutting with the grain.

In this update, we removed some items which were too similar and replaced them with blades that provide different functions, making the list more varied. We removed the Freud LU83R010 as the list already contains the Freud Diablo D1050X. Both of these blades have 50 teeth and are designed for ripping and general use, however, the latter is capable of clean crosscuts due to its thin kerf. In place of the former, we added the Makita A-94910, a 24-tooth blade with a 10 1/4 inch diameter. Its size and low tooth count make it ideal for fast cuts and thick material, however, it will leave a rough edge. We also removed the Forrest WW10407100 as it's part of the same range as the Forrest WW10407125 and all sizes and tooth options are available for purchase. Instead, we selected the heavy-duty Bosch DCB1080 Daredevil, an 80-tooth blade that produces extra fine cuts, and is particularly suited to laminate, melamine, and finished plywood, as it shouldn't chip the finished edge.

We removed the twin pack DeWalt DW3106 due to availability issues and replaced it with the DeWalt DW3106P5, which is also a twin pack that is made up of a 60-tooth blade for crosscuts and a general-purpose 32-tooth blade for ripping and framing. For cutting materials other than wood, the list includes the Irwin Tools 11870, for cutting plastics and veneers, the Irwin 372614, which is specifically designed for cutting through sheet metal and tubing, and the final addition, the Whirlwind USA LSS is a diamond blade that is designed for cutting a variety of materials, such as brick, concrete, stone, and tile.

August 01, 2019:

One of the key differences between table saw blades is the thickness of their carbide teeth, referred to as the kerf width. Determining whether you should buy a full-kerf or a thin-kerf blade largely depends on how much power your table saw can churn out.

A full-kerf blade, like the Amana Tool PR1040C, is 0.125 inches thick and requires more horsepower to run. It is more durable and able to be re-sharpened more times throughout its lifespan than its thin-kerf counterparts.

However, a thin-kerf blade, like the Forrest WW10407125, requires less power to run and is an especially good option for portable table saws. Because their teeth take less of a bite out of your workpiece, you can also expect less sawdust to be produced. A downside of the thin-kerf models is that because they are less robust, they tend to vibrate more. They are also more susceptible to warping over time.

Of course, if you don't have one yet, check out our selections of table saws to go along with your blade.