WW05T407085 Woodworker II 5-3/8-Inch 40 Tooth 10mm Arbor 5/64-Inch Kerf Circular Saw Blade

Very smooth cut.

I have been building up my home shop for years and have purchased a good deal of the tools in it from Amazon. I depend on the reviews left here to determine whether I should buy a certain item or not. I read ALL the reviews before I buy. Sometimes there are radically different reviews on the same product from different people that all sound like they know what they are talking about, though, so you just have to trust the overall rating. Lately, I have noticed that my projects seem less perfect than I think they should so I started looking to nicer tools. Without doubt, those nicer tools have made a difference in my work and I just wanted to tell any other woodworkers out there moving past the novice level that its ok to skimp on certain things, the things you can modify or may not use that often, but on certain tools, you just shouldn't... I recently decided that I didn't like the tearout that I always get crosscutting plywood on the table saw and cutting ANYTHING on the compound miter, radial arm, or small circular saw. They were all the original blades that came with the tools and were long in the tooth - besides being junk in the first place. The radial arm blade I replaced with a Freud from Home Depot (I was there, it was impulse). I liked it very much and it was at that point that I decided that I should replace the table saw and miter saw and also my little 6" circular saw. Having had such good luck with the Freud, I was happy that I was not going to have to spend $100 on every blade. I replaced the 6" saw blade next with a Freud. As soon as it arrived, I ran it through a few cuts and although it was better than the stock blade, it was not at all what I was hoping for. That was one of those reviews where some people said they hated it and some loved it. Next I started looking at replacing the compound miter blade, also with a Freud, that again had the same mixed reviews sparking a feeling of unease. I was also looking to replace the table saw blade at the same time so ran across this model. I went back and forth between the WWII and a Freud combination blade, read the reviews, reread the reviews, trying to ken whether I could really justify spending this much more. How could they be that much different??? Well, I ordered the Freud LU91M010 (for the chop saw) and the Forrest WWII and now I understand. The Freud cuts and cuts smoothly. It's ok. It still does leave some tearout. The WWII, though. That is money well spent. I put it through its paces and it impressed me every time. It does everything that the other reviewers say. It is smooth. It is silent. It left no tearout in anything I ran through it (birch ply, mahog ply, maple, soft pine, red oak). I did not purchase the stabilizer. I am glad I decided to allow myself to spend the extra money. I will not be so quick to look at Freud blades now, as 2 out of 3 that I purchased did not perform as they should and $50 is still not nothing.

THE LOWDOWN: Considered the best combo blade on the market. Worth the price.THINGS TO CONSIDER:-- This blade has an alternating top bevel (ATB) tooth pattern. That means that the teeth stick up higher on the sides then in the middle -- which means it's NOT good for cutting spline slots or kerfs that you'll want to fit another piece of wood into (as in boxmaking). (Most rip blades have flat teeth, so buy a cheap ripper from the borg if you are looking to make those sort of kerf cuts.)-- This blade is thick. If you've got a larger cabinet saw, you're in the clear to use it. (With my 3hp Grizzly 1023, it's like butter.) With a smaller saw (contractors or benchtop) you may not have enough power to push this thing through thick hardwood, so it's worthwhile to ask around and plan ahead.-- Plan for the kerf size when purchasing wood. I know I more than once found that I'd forgotten to account for such a wide kerf in my material planning. If you rip a board into four sections with this blade, you're going to lose 3/8ths to the kerf! So, if you're conservation minded when it comes to pricey wood, you might want to opt for a thinner kerf blade.-- Heed Forrest's instructions for using this blade. In thick hardwoods, it's possible to "blue" the blade if you build up too much friction (which could happen with any blade for a zillion reasons if you're not careful.) It's not likely, but possible, and it will really make you angry to ruin such an expensive blade.-- Keep it clean. It, like most blades, cuts much better when it's clean. I recommend waxing the sides of it too.REPUTATION OF THE MAKER:-- The Forrest Woodworker II is the "gold standard" combination blade (combo=for both ripping and crosscutting) on the market for tablesaws.-- Most professionals doing fine woodworking will recommend this blade both for the quality it provides AND the convenience of not having to switch blades. The time it saves is money in your pocket in a production environment.-- The company stands behind their products. I had a warped blade which they replaced promptly ... WAY after the warranty had expired. I've heard only good things about their sharpening service as well. The best part? You can actually talk to a human, in America, on the phone.