Look at Ridge Carbide, CMT, and Ammana along with Freud. IMHO, Forrest are not the end all anymore.
I verified my curved compound miters were due to a thin kerf Diablo blade. Put on the Ridge and they were strait. I no nothing about Infinity.

 

I have been happy with Freud blades and it is hard to beat the Forrest blades if you can justify the expense.

I agree, thin kerf blades in the 12" size blade can flex if pushed through a cut and give you fits on getting straight edges.

 

Comments FWIW:

1) If you are losing speed when you cut, then you are feeding the cut to fast. Slow Down!
Number one rookie mistake with miter saw. Feed your miter saw no faster than you feed your table saw. Challenge is when push wood on TS you can feel the comfortable cut rate. Pushing down a plastic handle makes it hard to feel the cut, but need to learn the proper feed rate for best cut quality.

2) Thin kerf blades on chop saw will create more blade flex than full kerf.
If you want more accurate cut, use only full kerf on miter saw. Cutting 45° picture frame stock with thin kerf blade is asking for trouble. I will ONLY use full kerf (~0.120"+) on my miter saw.

3) Cut technique, speed, and number of teeth has as much to do with cut quality as blade choice. Even the most expensive blade in world will burn ends of cuts when cut too slow, or board is not clamped properly. Best blades also leave rough edges on bottom with coarse grain woods if not using enough teeth.

For general miter saw work, see zero difference between cheap blade (Diablo, CMT, HF, etc) .vs. top of line Amana or Ridge Carbide. Even paying $100+ for Freud 12" full kerf cabinet cross cut is too much. Will never buy another expensive miter saw blade, as miter saw doesn't have same accuracy as TS. Dare you to try this $32 HF blade and not like the cut quality. At that price, it is cheaper to buy new one, than pay to have 96 teeth sharpened.

4) Don't forget to clean your saw blades. Softwoods and man made woods leave a lot pitch on blades. If you SEE residue and/or brown streaks, it should be cleaned for best performance.

YMMV

 

Thanks for all the good feedback, I'll give this some thought.

CaptainKlutz,

I currently don't have a table saw (saving up) and use the miter for anything I can fit on it. I'll do some more reading on applying appropriate cutting pressure/speed. As I just retired, I'm still learning quite a bit as I go with wood working and appreciate the advice.

I've been looking for a full kerf 12" with 7 degrees or less of hook angle but haven't been able to find much (lots of thin kerf stuff out there). I'll have to check out the HF but don't mind spending a bit more.

 

Update, looks like this model should work:

https://ridgecarbidetool.com/saw-blades/industrial-line/mitre-saw-blades/12-mitre-saw-blade-80-teeth-1-bore-122-kerf.html
12" Mitre Saw Blade 80 Teeth 1" Bore .122 Kerf
SKU: 15-01208012 $109.00
Blade Size: 12"
Blade Teeth: 80
Blade Bore: 1"
Blade Kerf: .122"
Blade Hook: 0°

 

Was the Dewalt blade cutting fine before it became dull?

I only use Dewalt blades on m Dewalt 708. They work great and it's been cheaper for me to buy a new one each time than to have it sharpened….

Remember…. New blades aren't warped,chipped teeth….

 

PS - more tips:

- Can usually find a blade sharpening service in any major city with significant numbers of commercial wood/metal cutting operations. If you have one, the local sharpener is great source of information. They see all kinds of blades from every mfg,. Mine sell commercial versions of Leitz, Ridge, and Amana blades at wholesale prices. Pretty sure they can offer more blade choices if you want them. Best ones will even custom grind old blades to get better performance.

If you don't have local service to call, might call Carbide Processors. They carry an extensive selection of 12" saw blades: http://www.carbideprocessors.com/saw-blades/saw-blades-by-diameter/12in-saw-blades/

Cheers!

 

You might also consider blades from Everlast Saw such as found here. Everlast Catalog.
They make industrial quality blades on par with Forrest blades. You could likely get better pricing that shown in their catalog through one of their distributor/dealers. Just a thought.

 

I swear by ridge. I have them on TS and kapex. Perfect cuts and hold edge for a long time im still on my first set

 

+1 on Ridge Carbide. I'm really hemming and hawing about getting a negative rake blade for my RAS. I've got a TS2000 on my table saw, it's an amazing blade.

 

I use a Guhdo full kerf on my 12" DeWalt miter saw to minimize blade flex at noted above.
https://www.guhdo.com/saw-blades
For dog houses and other non-furniture items, a basic blade will work great.
Trim and other furniture, then step up to higher quality can give smoother cuts and more life.
Infinity makes great blades, I have 2 for my table saw. But the 12" miter is thin kerf.

 

I replaced my stock miter saw blade with the Diablo D12100X and I've been really liking the blade. It's full kerf, 7° rake. I've never used any of the high end blades, but the Diablo suits my needs.

 

I really like the Makita 10" 80 tooth on my Makita miter saw, great value at ~$30. They make a 12" 100 tooth version, available on Amazon for ~$56.

 

I'm starting to like the Infinity line of blades more, and more. You might also want to consider Tenryu

The Ridge guy is not a nice person in the flesh, and I have walked away from his products.

The last time I saw him was at "Thee Woodworking Show" in Columbus 2 years ago, and I had 3 Ridge blades with me, I was gonna drop off for sharpening. 2 Younger guys walked up in front of me, and he glared at them. They had just walked over from the Forrest booth, which was literally right next to his, and I don't think he liked that placement. The guy looking asked, so why should I buy a Ridge carbide blade? The Ridge guy told him to get the flock out of his face…..... They just went back to the Forrest booth.

He looked at me and asked what the flock did I want? I held up his product, and just said "sharpening but not here," and I followed the kids over to the Forrest booth, where I was initially charged for sharpening, then when my blades came back, there was a refund check, and a Thanks for considering Forrest note. Since I have bought a few Forrest blades, and actually feel they are a better deal than Ridge, plus they appreciate your business.

BTW he didn't say flock.

Plus since then the local WoodCraft has engaged a sharpener, and I go through them now. One week turn around always, much better prices, and a fabulous job.

 

LOL Steven - If i refused to do business with every smuck owner that treated me badly or told me to leave, would have nothing to buy.

They all hate me. Being a mfg, process, and materials engineer; I can usually tell them 2-3 ways to produce the products they sell, which is cheapest, and domestic/overseas suppliers that sell the raw materials they use. Sometimes even the mfg tools in the factory to make the parts. The small company finish developers tell me to get the flock out every time I attempt to have meaningful discussion with owner/creator. The creators HATE it when a fellow chemist starts asking about polymer chain lengths, or sustainably sourcing nature made materials on their super secret recipe, that is no secret to another coatings/polymer developer.
Pretty sure I am black listed by Rubio Monocoat, Goodfilla, and General Finishes. If one of the principles sees me approach show table they turn and walk away, and/or tell the hired help to shoo me away.

My alias may be a Klutz, and I can be a Klutz in shop, but not in real world of making stuff. hehe

Bottom line - find a local retailer that wants your business, introduce yourself to start relationship, and might enjoy your hobby little more.

I m starting to like the Infinity line of blades more, and more. You might also want to consider Tenryu

The Ridge guy is not a nice person in the flesh, and I have walked away from his products.

The last time I saw him was at "Thee Woodworking Show" in Columbus 2 years ago, and I had 3 Ridge blades with me, I was gonna drop off for sharpening. 2 Younger guys walked up in front of me, and he glared at them. They had just walked over from the Forrest booth, which was literally right next to his, and I don t think he liked that placement. The guy looking asked, so why should I buy a Ridge carbide blade? The Ridge guy told him to get the flock out of his face…..... They just went back to the Forrest booth.

He looked at me and asked what the flock did I want? I held up his product, and just said "sharpening but not here," and I followed the kids over to the Forrest booth, where I was initially charged for sharpening, then when my blades came back, there was a refund check, and a Thanks for considering Forrest note. Since I have bought a few Forrest blades, and actually feel they are a better deal than Ridge, plus they appreciate your business.

BTW he didn t say flock.

Plus since then the local WoodCraft has engaged a sharpener, and I go through them now. One week turn around always, much better prices, and a fabulous job.

- therealSteveN

 

JackDuren - yes, the Dewalt was cutting OK before but I'd still like to upgrade to something with a better finish and a full kerf. I couldn't find any Dewalt blades other than thin kerf but agree they do make a decent blade.

CaptainKlutz - Thanks for the tips. I have a local sharpener and checked out the Carbide Processors site (lots of good blades and an excellent selection tool).

ramair02 - I looked closely at that blade but it's kerf is .098"
https://www.diablotools.com/products/D12100X

Picken5, d38 and shawnn - thanks, good info

them700project and MikeinSTL - thanks for the +1 on Ridge Carbide. I think that's the direction I'm headed. This model (mentioned earlier) checks all the boxes, is made in Germany and is $109: 12" Mitre Saw Blade 80 Teeth 1" Bore .122 Kerf