Rating of saw blade manufacturers - Shopsmith Forums
Aug. 18, 2025
Rating of saw blade manufacturers - Shopsmith Forums
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Rating of saw blade manufacturers
Looking for ratings (10=best 1=junk) based on "quality" and "value" for saw blade manufacturers.Forrest
Frued
Oldham
Delta
Porter Cable
Shopsmith
Marathon
Irwin
Mikita
DeWalt
Milwaukee
Oshlund
etc. RDEWinter
Sorry but I have to go with Dusty on this, I don't think anyone can really answer that question. Short of some kind of magazine blade test (which I think we all agree usually favors the manufactures that advertise) there is no one that could have tested all the latest blades of each manufacture reliably enough to offer a true objective opinion.
With the competition and everyone trying to get their share of your saw blade buying money it is fairly safe to say you get what you pay for. Also it is nearly impossible to tell who really made the blade. A blade labeled as brand X may have been made by company A while another blade labeled brand X may have been made by company B. I might like A blades but not B blades and it just happens that brand X blade I used was made by company B.
There are also many factors, quality and quantity of carbide used, blade tip grind, number of teeth, blade material, tempering, relief cuts, design, blade coating, blade thickness, tip welding, manufacture handling of blanks and finished product, packaging, manufactures stated purpose of the blade, etc.
Also I have taken blades to be sharpened and when I got them back they had changed, instead of mediocre cuts they now produced excellent cuts.
Buy only blades that will allow you return them if you don't like them and that offer some sort of warrantee.
I think Shopsmith blades give you an excellent value for the dollar.
Know this I have seen people swear at the blade another will swear by.
Ed
The benefits of using a coated band saw blade
Manufacturers are always looking for ways to do things faster and more efficiently, with less tool use and downtime for tool replacement. The same is true for band saw operations.
There are many ways that fabricators can optimize the process, and one of those ways is by introducing coatings for band saw blades. Today’s saw blade coatings have advanced properties to meet the demands of high-speed, high-precision, and long-duration cuts in metal fabrication.
Some of the more popular coatings include titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), and diamond-like carbon (DLC).
TiN is highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation. It has a low coefficient of friction, which means that less heat is generated during cutting. These coatings offer a harder, more durable surface that increases blade life by reducing wear and edge rounding. TiN is best suited for cutting ferrous metals and non-ferrous alloys where burring must be kept to a minimum.
TiCN is both harder and more wear-resistant than TiN. It also has better heat resistance, making it best suited for higher-speed applications. TiCN-coated saw blades are effective on stainless steel and harder materials that would typically dull an uncoated blade quickly and in applications where abrasiveness is a concern.
DLC is both hard and slick, providing an extremely low-friction coefficient. These coatings offer similar properties to diamond, including high hardness and excellent resistance to abrasive wear. They are designed to excel in high-speed cutting operations and often are used for thin, heat-sensitive materials. The low friction reduces cutting forces and heat buildup, resulting in a cleaner, smoother edge.
Many saw blade manufacturers have developed and introduced proprietary coatings with additional benefits.
Regardless of the coating type, a coated blade offers significant advantages over non-coated counterparts.
Benefits of Advanced Coatings in Fabrication
Increased Blade Life. Most coatings are designed to enhance the hardness and durability of the blade. If used correctly, this will increase the blade life even in harsh cutting environments.
“Coatings protect the blade by reflecting the heat off the coating,” said Russell Chibe, territory manager, Midwest at Cosen Saws, Charlotte, N.C. “This is especially important because coatings often allow the operator to run higher speeds and heavier feeds, which tend to generate more heat, so the coating acts as a barrier for heat dissipation. Heat is a major destroyer of band saw blades.”
Coatings prevent the heat from penetrating too deep into the blade and creating wear, enhancing blade longevity.
Improved Performance. Coatings reduce friction, helping achieve smoother, cleaner cuts with fewer burrs or warping issues.
With low-friction characteristics, coatings help facilitate smoother chip flow during the cutting process. Efficient chip removal helps to prevent clogging and overheating, ensuring consistent cut performance.
“Coatings allow operators to cut faster and have a better experience in the cut,” said Stefan Dolipski, vice-president at Kasto Inc., Schaumburg, Ill. “By simply introducing a high-quality coated blade, fabricators can see anywhere from a 20 to 30 per cent increase in speeds and feed rate.”
Coatings often are used on heavy-duty machinery for the cutting of hard-to-chip materials. They can help shops hit performance goals and output levels without needing to add other machines to deal with the increased time it would take to cut with a non-coated blade.
Dolipski noted that it is important to remember that there will be an increase in heat generation when running higher speeds and feeds. Fabricators need to pay attention to the coolant flow and solution ratio to ensure they are suited for the application.
“The oil-to-water ratio will need to be adjusted along with coolant flow,” he said. “The machine needs to be set up properly to deal with that added heat.”
High-quality coatings help ensure uniform properties across the blade, leading to consistent cutting performance. This consistency reduces variability in cutting outcomes, allowing for more predictable production cycles and improved overall quality control.
“Fabricators can expect better cut quality but also increased production out of the blade,” said Chibe.
Reduced Maintenance. Because the blade stays sharper for longer, coatings are responsible for reducing the frequency of blade changes and maintenance downtime.
The combination of reduced friction, increased hardness, and thermal stability significantly lowers tool wear rates. This leads to longer intervals between tool replacements, decreasing operational costs and maintenance efforts.
A blade that maintains its sharpness for longer also can operate at a higher efficiency.
Chibe noted that some saw blade manufacturers have started incorporating coatings on the back edge of the blade rather than just the tooth tips. This provides additional protection where the blade rubs against the backup guides, limiting the need to change out the blade or guides.
Cost Efficiency. Coated blades may have a higher initial cost, but the longevity and reduced wear properties can lead to lower overall costs, particularly in high-production settings.
Not all applications will require a coated blade, and the upfront cost may not be balanced by operational improvements.
However, saw blade manufacturers are introducing popular blade types with coatings to expand the application range while keeping the upfront costs at a minimum.
With competitive price and timely delivery, XMF sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
“For example, coated bimetal blades are becoming increasingly popular,” said Dolipski. “You get the advantage of a lower-cost blade with the bimetal option, but the coating turns it into somewhat of a super blade on a discounted cost basis.”
Tips for Choosing the Right Coating
Not all blades are created equal, and determining the best blade and coating combination for a given application can be challenging.
Talk to a Blade Manufacturer. Speaking to a saw blade manufacturer is a great place to start for those looking to integrate saw blade coatings.
“Take the saw blade manufacturer along through your process so that they can best determine what the machinery can handle and if it can take advantage of the benefits of a coated blade,” said Dolipski.
For example, if a shop is cutting standard-strength steel with a regular non-coated carbide blade, the saw should be running somewhere between 400 and 450 RPMs. With a coated blade, the saw should be able to reach up to 600 to 650 RPMs. If the saw can’t reach that fast of a speed, then the operator won’t be able to get the most out of the blade and its benefits.
A band saw blade manufacturer, in conjunction with a saw manufacturer, can help determine the best approach to the application and production needs.
Assess Material Type. The workpiece material will dictate the type of coating needed to enhance the blade performance.“If you are cutting carbon steels or soft alloy steels, a coating may not be worth the investment,” said Chibe. “If you are cutting stainless steels, coatings can provide a significant reduction in cut time, making it a worthwhile investment. It really depends on the application.”
For example, structural steel can be very tough on band saw blades. A bimetal blade or a bigger set blade can help accommodate any deviations and cutting squeeze, where cuts are either imperfect or often interrupted. These are generally not applications where coatings make sense.
Chibe noted that it’s all about evaluating the cost per cut of a given application and how the addition of a coating will reduce that cost per part, while balancing that against the upfront cost.
"Blade manufacturers are able to dial down the coating to whatever applicable blade would be the best for the job at hand,” said Dolipski.
However, there are some applications where coatings offer significant benefits, including the cutting of high-strength steels, even in large series.
Also, as more superalloys enter the market, fabricators looking for better and faster ways to cut these tough materials could turn to coatings.
“There is a wide range of band saw blade coatings to keep up with the expanding material types being cut,” said Dolipski. “Some blade manufacturers offer specialty coating that they only use for certain applications, in conjunction usually with a special blade tooth type on the blade. It’s all important to have dialled in correctly.”
Evaluate Cutting Conditions. It is important for shops to look at cutting parameters like cutting speed, feed rate, and coolant availability. From there they can assess how a coating will apply and calculate what changes need to be made to adjust for better conditions.
The best place to start is with the saw itself, to ensure that it can handle the increased cutting parameters needed to get the most out of the blade.
“With a coated blade, because you're able to feed heavier and to run at a higher speed, you're going to start having issues with the drive of the saw,” said Chibe. “This is why it’s important to have a heavy-duty saw that can accommodate the process parameters.”
The machine needs to be very rigid and have a strong setup. It also needs to be able to pull the strength of the blade and cut straight without introducing any vibration into the blade and workpiece.
Without the proper technology in the machine, such as the feed rate and speed rate to match the material, fabricators cannot get the best performance out of the blade.
Coolant flow is another consideration. An increase in speeds and feeds means an increase in heat generation. Shops need to ensure that there is enough coolant flowing properly to dissipate the heat from the cut.
Prioritize Surface Finish Quality. If the surface finish is critical, coatings with low friction properties are best.
To create a high surface finish, a sharp edge is not always the best way of making a cut. It can put streaks into the workpiece.
Coatings can be used to apply a small radius in the corners of the tooth edge. This will provide better surface finish and reduce tooth breakage, leading to increased blade life.
Cost vs. Performance. While coated blades tend to have higher upfront costs, their longer lifespan and performance improvements can lead to overall cost savings.
“There is a misconception that using a coated blade will solve all your problems,” said Dolipski. “This is not the case. Everything else has to be right to make this work. If you think using a more expensive blade will lead to a better cut, you will probably be let down.”
Chibe noted that there are some applications where coated blades just don’t pay dividends. For example, if you are only gaining five seconds on a cut, is it worth the added cost of a coated blade? But, if it’s a large production run, that five seconds per part can make a difference.
For a long time, it was rare for a bimetal blade to be coated because it was a low-cost option. Advancements have led to the increasing popularity in coated bimetal blades, and at a reasonable price point.
A coated blade is a premium blade, and the price often reflects that. It is important to find out how the advantages of using a coated blade will offset the upfront costs to determine if it makes sense to invest in a premium product.
Senior Editor/Digital Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at [ protected].
Cosen Saws, www.cosensaws.com
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