# Best "Combination" 10" Table Saw Blade?



## 1SOW (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello.

I'm a home DIYer and woodworker. I have the basic table saw, router table, disc and several other sanders, scroll saw and hand tools. I've worked with wood since the 70's.

This is my first post, and I apologize for starting with a question.

I'm shopping for a new 10" tablesaw combination blade. My past experience has been with the traditional 50 tooth ATBR blades.

The Freud site lists a 10" 'combination' rip/crosscut that is a 40 tooth ATB. In addition to clean crosscuts, they claim it will rip deeper and give glue-ready joints. Cost is about $100 and more than the old style combo costs.

Is anyone familiar with this blade or have any recommendations for a good combo blade?

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

I


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## mwhals (Apr 13, 2010)

Check out a Forrest Woodworker II 10-Inch 40 Tooth ATB, which is one of the best.

Amazon.com: Forrest WW10407125 Woodworker II 10-Inch 40 Tooth ATB .125 Kerf Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor: Home Improvement

Mark


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## 1SOW (Apr 21, 2010)

mwhals: Thanks. That blade is configured similarly to the Freud.

Freud's teeth are advertised as shapened on the sides as well as the tips. They 'say' this prevents plywood splintering on cross-cuts and gives smooth glue-ready rips.

I'm hoping someone here has tried this blade and can pass on their experience.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

Diablo 40 tooth blade available from home depot.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Many of us have favorites, but when it comes to premium saw blades, there really is no definitive best. It usually boils down to which blade is best suited for your situation and cutting objectives. You don't need to spend $100 to get a good blade, but it can improve your chances of getting a really good one. 

I suspect that the blade you mentioned is the Freud P410 Fusion from their high end Premier line. If so, it's actually a Hi-ATB grind with a steep 30° bevel across the tips, which helps reduce tearout. It also features a dual sidegrind which helps create a more polished edge. This blade is very similar to the excellent Infinity Super General...these two are unique in having the Hi-ATB grind, plus the dual side grind, mated with a typical 40 tooth general purpose design. The Freud is availabe in a thin kerf (3/32" - P140T) and full kerf (1/8" - P410), while the Infinity is full kerf only. These blades give excellent all around rip cuts, crosscuts, and sheetgood cuts, but they're most notable advantage is with tasks like fine crosscuts, plywood, melamine, and laminates compared to more typical general purpose blade with a standard ATB grind like the Forrest WWII, Tenryu Gold Medal, or Ridge Carbide TS2000. There's never a free lunch though...every design parameter offers pros and cons. The downside of the Hi-ATB grind is shorter edge life between sharpenings, and less efficient thick ripping. Edge life shouldn't be much of a concern for a hobbyist unless you do high volumes....you'll likely get a year or two between sharpenings, and thick ripping of 1.5"+ is best done using a 24T FTG ripping blade anyway. You mentioned that you have a basic saw, so I assume it's less than 3hp, which means it'll spin a thin kerf blade more easily than a full kerf, so the Freud would be a good choice IMO. 

The Freud Fusion, Infinity Super General, Forrest WWII, Ridge Carbide TS2000, CMT General, and Tenryu Gold Medal are all excellent 40T general purpose blades, and should do a very good job of most of your cutting needs. It'll be tough to find one that cuts cleaner than the Fusion or Super General, but as mentioned above, your needs should really dictate which one to get. 

It's worth noting that the Forrest WWII is also available on a 30T version (TK and full kerf), which can also be an excellent choice if you need cleaner cuts on thick ripping than a typical 24T ripper can provide...it cuts nearly as cleanly as the 40T version, is much more efficient in thicker rips, and though it crosscuts reasonably well in many situations, its not as clean on crosscuts and ply as the 40T version.

There are some really good 50T ATB/R combination blades too, but overall my experience has been that the 40T blades leave fewer saw marks and rip more efficienty....Wood Mag's most recent 40T blade comparison mentioned similar findings. The Infinity 010-150/010-050 Combomax is the best of the 50T blades I've tried to date, but there are some very nice examples from Freud Industrial (LU83/LU84), CMT 215.050.10/216.050.10, Delta/DeWalt 7642, and the Tenryu RS25550. All run a bit less than the premium 40T blades (~ $40-$70)

Tips for picking a saw blade

P140T:


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I have the Freud Premier/Fusion and love it, but ripping over 1 1/2" thick hardwood is not recommended. So for thick wood (up to 2 3/4") I use the Freud Heavy Duty ripping blade.


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## 1SOW (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks guys,

I really appreciate the info and recomendations.

I was a littlle skeptical about an ATB blade's effectiveness (with no Raker tooth) for ripping. I guess I'm just behind the times. Freud says it will rip thicker cuts than the 'LU' rip blades. Both the thin kerf and the .126" kerf are rated for the same thicknesses.

I think I'll give the Freud Fusion .126 a shot. I found it for $100 delivered, TTL. I take pretty good care of my blades, so it should last a while.

P.S. I wonder if anyone here in South TX can sharpen the "3" cutting edges?.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

AFAIK, it's fairly common to just sharpen the top and/or face of the teeth, but it'd be best to ask Freud for suggestions.


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