Table saw blades - how much do you pay?

[Monkey Mark]

As some on here may know, I'm still new to this whole scene and finding my feet.

I've been looking at 10"/250mm table saw blades as mine has seen better days now and the prices vary greatly.
40t, 60t, 80t crosscut, fine cut, negative rake, thin kerf..... The list goes on. What to choose as a selection or get a couple of general purpose ones.
As with most tools, quality will differ and I presume the old adage of 'You get what you pay for' is true with these also. I don't want to buy cheap crap but then again I don't make money from this hobby so cant spend too much either.

So, out of curiosity and to get an idea of roughly where to aim for quality/price wise, how much do you normally spend on saw blades? Do you have a preferred brand/retailer or is there something in particular you look for when purchasing?

All comments/help appreciated.

 

[mikefab]

I'm new to table saws too.... Recently picked up a second hand axminster ts-200 and needed some blades. I have a general purpose blade and a fine x-cut. I decided that for such a small saw I don't need a dedicated rip blade as big stuff will be cut on the bandsaw and out through the thicknesser.

I started using some axminster contract blades (about £10ish). However careful I was I couldn't get a smooth cut. I got one Atkinson Walker general purpose blade which cost about £50, and the cut quality was just something else compared to the disposable blades. I then got a fine crosscut blade (64T) from Wealden for about £40 I think. I believe these are actually Atkinson walker blades rebranded. When I asked on the phone they said that some blades are AW and some come from a German supplier.

I also spoke to Cutting Solutions who are often recommended on here. The guy there was helpful about blade choice and his prices were very good (better than Wealden). You have to be prepared to wait a couple of weeks from delivery as he orders direct from a Czech factory.

Hope this helps.

 

[No skills]

Horses for courses really. Buy cheap and replace often or spend a lot more and have longer.

It's worth having a couple of good quality blades on the shelf for the times when your cutting something you want to be very careful withimo, once that jobs done swap the normal blade back in.

 

[Monkey Mark]

Something to think about here then.

I'll look for a decent blade for final cuts I think and maybe stick to the cheaper ones for rough cutting.

 

[RickN]

Another thing to consider is the type of materials your cutting, Apart from the obvious hidden nail which will make most grown woodworkers feel queesy when the "Ting Thwack!" sound happens, some materials will be harsh on blades,so choosing a suitable blade for the material to be cut is something to consider as said above , "horses for courses".

 

[siggy_7]

I use Freud blades, they are often recommended on this forum. For a 10" blade they are around £25 for a rip blade rising to around £45 for a cross-cut blade. Prices seem to scale roughly with the tooth count.

 

[Monkey Mark]

I use Freud blades, they are often recommended on this forum. For a 10" blade they are around £25 for a rip blade rising to around £45 for a cross-cut blade. Prices seem to scale roughly with the tooth count.

I had looked at them due to recommendations. Where did you buy yours from if you don't mind me asking?

 

[RogerP]

I stick with Freud blades. I bought from uktoolcentre http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/ and from eBay sellers.

 

[Monkey Mark]

I stick with Freud blades. I bought from uktoolcentre http://www.uktoolcentre.co.uk/ and from eBay sellers.

Seems a good price from there. Cheers.

 

[DennisCA]

I buy cheap blades and I don't like to swap them often either. I have a 12" all purpose blade in my saw I got from the local cheap hardware chain called Biltema for 26 euros. It's worked really well for all kinds of cutting and I don't have to baby it. I have some other blades but I hardly ever use them, I have one expensive 10" laminate blade that came with the saw, it gets used rarely.

I am satisfied with the quality of cut I get most of the time, if it's something that needs to show I will joint the surface nomatter how good a cut.

 

[dzj]

Between 50 and 100 Euros.
They're good blades and once or twice a year I have them sharpened/ balanced (about 5 E per saw blade).
If I'm cutting something 'suspicious' I use a cheap throwaway blade.

 

[siggy_7]

I had looked at them due to recommendations. Where did you buy yours from if you don't mind me asking?

I got a couple of blades from D&M (at their annual tool show) and the rest from my local saw shop (Tewkesbury Saw).

 

[clk230]

I use Atkinson Walker , they come up on ebay every now and then