LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Woodcraft Table saw blade

6K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  xedos 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Has anyone tried these new TS blades from Woodcraft..made by Wood river ?? the 80 tooth is $99.99 I'm wondering if i should just put a little more with it and get the Forrest or freud blade… I love finding new products that are a great deal… but id like some feedback first if possible.

Woodriver 80Tooth
 
#3 ·
Not a fan of do-all blades at all. Of them, I would tag the Ridge Carbide 2000 the best.
But, a Diablo 60 or 80 tooth crosscut and 24 tooth rip will serve you better. Right blade for the right job. I mistakenly put up with them for years on both the RAS and TS. I now know better. I run thin kerf as I have a 1 3/4 HP in the TS, but am changing to a full width in the miter saw. When I get a 3 HP cabinet, I may change to full width on the TS. More stability especially doing things like glue line perfection.

As has been covered in this forum before.
Ridge Carbide, Freud, CMT, Amana, Forrest, etc. are the premium blades professionals prefer because the carbides are thick enough to be sharpened many times. I suggest you go read their WEB sites and glean the common use and advice. Obviously, they are all the best of the best, so put on your "Madison Av. filter" on first.

If you do not plan on resharpening more than a couple of times, then the second tier like Diablo, Mamba etc. Quality and performance is the same, just less carbide and half the price.

I used an expensive Freud Fusion on my TS. It may be great for a job-site where you are not going to be changing the blade, but it did not cut as well as the pair of Diablos for about the same total price. One size fits… one. Not all. Get used to changing the blade.

In the other side, really poor blades cost almost as much as a Diablo or equivalent. I made the mistake of thinking I should use a cheap blade where I know it is going to be harsh. But I found on a cement board blade, the cheap blade lasted a dozen cuts.( Avanti) The 4 tooth Diablo finished the house and still looks good. I had a cheap "hit a nail" blade. ( DeWalt) Lost a tooth first time it did. I now keep a Diablo demo blade.

I am just starting to play with 7 1/4 blades on the TS. I had not thought of that before. I need to make new ZCIs with splitters moved way forward. Not convinced yet but folks doing lots of small work seem to prefer them.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ok gotcha… Thanks for your input.

You consider this 80 tooth blade a do-all blade?

I am actually moving away from do-all blades also, this is why i was looking at the 80 tooth plywood blade, instead of a general purpose blade. Before I actually pulled the trigger on this 80 tooth Woodriver blade I wanted to get some feedback.

I use diablo and Leuco General purpose/combo blades for most of my work and it does fine… but here lately I've had a few oak plywood projects that need a dedicated crosscut/plywood blade IMO.
 
#5 ·
An 80 tooth is a crosscut blade. From the specs, it does look like a nice blade. Probably very good for plywood.

Please go to the saw blade makers WEB sites and read all about each of their blades, types of teeth and why each is designed for what it is. Amana, CMT, Ridge Carbide, Freud. Even the page you reference, they show their RIP and glue line rip blades.

Hmmm. mid priced, 10 degree ATB 1/8 kerf. Might be a good candidate for a miter saw. I have not tried a WoodRiver blade. I was thinking about the Amana 610800c for about the same price.

Have you tried a Diablo D1080x for plywood? I have had good luck. Then get a D1024x for rip. Both cost less than the Woodriver single blade. At $24 bucks, the rip disposable.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Before you buy, compare item for item of this plywood,. melamine cutting blade to this Freud.

https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Ultimate-Plywood-Melamine-LU80R010/dp/B0007WKBEQ

Consider anything labeled "Wood River" is WoodCrafts no name line of product, made by who knows. It's also 15 bux more than the Freud, a well known saw brand.

This was my Google search string. You could do it without adding Freud, could be many others. I just added Freud because I had seen them often talking about Certa something years ago in their advertising when talking about their carbide tips. I always thought, gee fresher breath too.

Freud, 10", 80 tooth. ATB, .126 kerf, 10 degree hook angle, Ceratizit™ carbide tips
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
At $100, it doesn't scream deal for an unproven blade to me. Similar money buys well knowns like the CMT 210.080.10, Freud LU80, Infinity 010-080, and even the Ridge Carbide MC10802 is only $20 more. IMHO, there are too many other great choices to go fishing for this one.
 
#8 ·
At $100, it doesn t scream deal for an unproven blade to me. Similar money buys well knowns like the CMT 210.080.10, Freud LU80, Infinity 010-080, and even the Ridge Carbide MC10802 is only $20 more. IMHO, there are too many other great choices to go fishing for this one.

- knotscott
I was thinking the same thing!!! you would think for a new unproven blade they would have a low initial price for it. I mean why would i pay 100 for an unproven blade when proven blades cost the same, less or slightly more.
 
#9 ·
At $100, it doesn t scream deal for an unproven blade to me. Similar money buys well knowns like the CMT 210.080.10, Freud LU80, Infinity 010-080, and even the Ridge Carbide MC10802 is only $20 more. IMHO, there are too many other great choices to go fishing for this one.

- knotscott
+1. There seems little reason to try the unknown blade when there are good blades with good history available at the same price.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
Take a look at these two photos of glue-line rip blades and tell me if you see any similarity:

Bottle cap Gear Poster Art Gas


Font Automotive wheel system Bottle cap Gas Circle


- Rich
They are charging more than Amana for their blade, LOL I wonder who is making the blade for who. Either way, I'll pass and go with a known brand for the price.. or I would go with the Amana blade. It
is cheaper.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
I would not think a Forrest is comparable to a Freud. Freud to me is a budget blade. Forrest even though I don t use them I would think there much better from what I hear.

- JackDuren
Freud budget ? I consider diablo budget.. even though Forrest might be better, i wouldn't call it budget. what blades are you using
 
#16 ·
Woodcrafts site is effed right now, but they look like the same blade for the most part? Never used either so I can't really blather on…
One thing I found interesting on the woodriver is the strange detentes(for a lack of a better term) in the expansion slots. I don't think I've ever noticed that before in other blades. Harmonics maybe? Dunno…
 
#17 ·
Clear difference in the cut going to the plugs.
Sorry, saw blades all look almost the same. Both you show are the older plug style expansion plugs. Nothing suprising. If looking for a difference, compare the carbide used and look at the quality of grind. Compare the tip geometry. Compare the runout.

Take a look at these two photos of glue-line rip blades and tell me if you see any similarity:

Bottle cap Gear Poster Art Gas


Font Automotive wheel system Bottle cap Gas Circle


- Rich
 

Attachments

#18 ·
Three categories:

Budget: The crap blades sold in big box stores, Horrible Freight, Home Despot etc. Irwin and worse.
Quality hobbyist: Diablo, Mamba etc. High quality, but not designed to be sharpened as many times as professional.
Professional: Freud, Ammana, CMT, Ridge Carbide etc. Add in the elite like Forrest. Not higher quality, not better materials, just much bigger carbides that can be sharpened a dozen times.

I would not think a Forrest is comparable to a Freud. Freud to me is a budget blade. Forrest even though I don t use them I would think there much better from what I hear.

- JackDuren

Freud budget ? I consider diablo budget.. even though Forrest might be better, i wouldn t call it budget. what blades are you using

- bluephi1914
 
#19 ·
Have no knowledge or opinion if WoodRiver TS blades are worth money, or better/worse than another blade.

But when I first saw the Woodcraft blades, got curious about who might be producing them?
Woodcraft ads for blades call out 3 major clues:
German steel
Ceratizit™ tips (German heritage)
Israel mfg

That same advertising 'footprint' is used by Dimar.
https://www.dimartooling.com
Dimar is also the only carbide tooling company I could find making TS blades in Israel?

At first I thought it was Amana tool? But I can not find any mention of Ceratizit™ tips. Ceratizit carbide name is hugely popular outside of US. They also do not claim to use German steel? But then Amana has always been vague about where tools are manufactured?

It is very hard to make any direct comparisons as WR lists blades as 10in with limited tooth geometry info, while the US Dimar web site (https://dimartoolingusa.com/) list all TS blades in metric dimensions?

Thanks for letting me share my mfg theory.
YMMV
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
Professional: Freud, Ammana, CMT, Ridge Carbide etc. Add in the elite like Forrest. Not higher quality, not better materials, just much bigger carbides that can be sharpened a dozen times.
- tvrgeek
It would be great if you actually researched before you speak.
'Premium' blades are higher quality in both manufacturing and materials.
Better quality steel allowing better, more consistant tensioning and a better heat tolerence.
Thicker plates depending on the blade…
Better quality carbide. All carbide is not created equaly. Some lower quality saw blades use recycled/remanufactured carbide. Premium manufacturers typically do not.
There's even quality differences in C2 micrograin carbide.
Higher quality grinding.
Higher quality, longer lasting edge retention
resharpening is typically 6-8 depending how you treat the blades….not 12.

Dimar is also the only carbide tooling company I could find making TS blades in Israel?
- CaptainKlutz
I have no true information on what specific products Amana brings out of Isreal, but there are some router bit's and router bit inserts at the very least. I doubt thats where it ends.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
Take a look at these two photos of glue-line rip blades and tell me if you see any similarity:

- Rich
It's so obvious,
You can tell the Amana Tips have a different blend of tungsten, graphite, and kobalt…..
(among other materials they didn't explain to me.)

It would be great if you actually researched before you speak. Premium blades are higher quality in both manufacturing and materials.
Better quality steel allowing better, more consistant tensioning and a better heat tolerence.
Thicker plates depending on the blade…
Better quality carbide. All carbide is not created equaly. Some lower quality saw blades use recycled/remanufactured carbide. Premium manufacturers typically do not.
There s even quality differences in C2 micrograin carbide.
Higher quality grinding.
Higher quality, longer lasting edge retention
resharpening is typically 6-8 depending how you treat the blades….not 12.

- Tony_S
+1
 
#22 · (Edited by Moderator)
Remember… because it looks the same doesn't mean it is.

As I stated before . I did an actual test of router bits with a Amana raised panal bit and a Freud raised panel bit.. I got double the cuts from the Amana . Maybe their table saw blade are different. I've used them in shops for years. I was never I'm pressed…...Charles from Freud on Woodnet said must nbe a defective blade. That's usually what he said about every bad thing said about Freud stuff when asked…
 
#23 ·
Just to clear up the price misinformation that's been posted, right now the WoodRiver glue line rip blade pictured is $75.99. The Amana blade is $91.76 on Amazon. At Woodcraft, there is a significant mark up on WoodRiver products, so it's probably a safe bet that there will be occasional sales on their line of blades.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top