Before you throw away a blade that you've cut a lot of wood with give it a bath with saw blade pitch/resin remover. I've noticed that whenever I take a wood cutting blade that was cutting just fine and I store it for a few months and don't use it, whenever I put the blade back on it suddenly cuts like its dull. I bought a bottle of that SawStop blade cleaner and gave my 7.25" Diablo fine tooth blade a bath and when it was done it was cutting like it was brand new. I knew I didn't put too much mileage on it and was wondering why it was suddenly not cutting so well. I think what happens is the sap/resin that is on your teeth bricks/hardens up when you store it a long time. When you're using a blade every day the resin is being constantly knocked off and new resin is on then its knocked off as you're cutting. But when you store a blade the resin that was last sitting on the teeth stays there and bricks up and so when you start using that blade again suddenly there's a lot of extra resistance on every tooth and it cuts like crap but if you dissolve that stuff off with a cleaner the blade is brand new again.
First you a got a 👍 for the internet ref. I too made an unauthorized green/black vacuum purchase. Once my wife used for helping clean up some remodeling, she liked it so much we retired our house Bosch canister vacuum and bought a second green/blac’ vauum for the house (all hard surface flooring). Anyways, Forrest Woodworker user here, for more decades than I care to remember. They’re an investment, the customer service/sharpening/repair service is fast & second to none. Started w a Forrest thin kerf on a 10” 110v saw a long time ago in a galaxy far away. When came time to sharpen I bought a 2nd regular kerf to try while waiting. Was a bit much for my saw at the time and 2+” maple. So bought a second thin kerf and the reg kerf went on a shelf. A few years back, upgraded to a PM2K saw. Dug out the regular kerf Forrest, like butter through 2+” maple, wenge, red oak you name it, on the PM. So the thin kerfs and the blade stiffener (which is worth the money BTW for the thin kerf blades) now sit on a shelf. And I alternate between two std kerfs. I’ve lost track of how many times the blades have been resharpened over the decades. I send em in, they come back repaired teeth as needed, cleaned and as sharp as day one, if not sharper. Cuts are as claimed (if your saw is tuned). Minimum blade marks, seldom any burn marks (almost always due to operator error sometimes wood stress relieving). I’m thinking these blades will outlast me and pass down to my boys. Not associated w Forrest (or any mfgs I might mention) in any other way than as a extremely satisfied customer. Not a tuber, so no free blades here, bought and paid for w my own money. We need more companies like Forrest, Timberwolf, LN, Whiteside, Amana, Jesse-em, Veritas etc. And yes, I do use CMT products, their cleaner and router bits. Disclaimer, I’ve never tried a CMT blade, just haven’t had a reason to…yet. Perhaps one day if I wear one of the Forrest out? As always, YMMV. Just sharing. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I love the cmt glue joint rip blade. People *REALLY* need to pay attention to the blade. If you set up your knife correctly, and you are running a rip blade and it isn't ripping very well, try cleaning it to get the pitch off and toothbrush for the teeth. If that don't work, then get a new blade or sharpen it. Personally, CMT are excellent. As far as storage goes, I just toss a 3" deck screw and then I wrap some painters tape around it and then just hang my blades on the wall. Rip, cross cut, for each size which I run 10", 6" and whatever 3/4" (track saw blade it's an odd size) and a 7 and 3/4 circular saw. Oh and a 12" miter blade. I keep a couple of each because I swear I think my blade is dull, then I clean it and suddenly it's back in biz. Right blade right job, on those harder woods like walnut, the 24T is my go to. People think "Framing blade bro, gonna tear out my dude get wrecked noob or I'll 360 no scope ur mom" I use a 24t ALOT, and when you have to rip 34 pieces of 8 foot walnut, you will want to to be quick. If you are smart, you are oversizing anyway if you are starting your milling process. I do a shallow skip plane, do a jig on the table saw to get a straight edge (or use a track saw depending on size) and let it hang out a day. Trust me, you need a 40" long piece? Do it 41", need a 8" wide piece, do it 8.5". Nothing worse than trying to fight with 16ths because you got it too thin and now have to panic to figure out how to make it work. Not that I know anything about that.
menards carries CMT blades in stock in their stores. so you dont even have to wait for shipping necessarily. if you dont need it in the next 5min the katz moses shop or taytools both sell them and you get to support a small business run by woodworkers i use a cmt 50t combination blade in my table saw almost exclusively. no complaints. an added benefit to the combination blade is the first of every 5 tooth set is a flat top grind. for anyone who doesnt know that means your first tooth isnt angled like the rest of them. this means you can use a cmt combi blade for dados and rabbits and get a flat bottom instead of one with ridges. especially useful if youre in the uk and dont have a long enough arbor on your saw for a dado stack. or for that one half lap you gotta do and cant be bothered to change to a dado stack. diablo 100t on the miter saw simply because it came with when i got it from someone. itll get replaced with a cmt when it wears out for sure. and yes, red has come off on my work pieces before when i used diablo blades on the table saw. its annoying.
You can resharpen the Diablo blades as well. I've done it a number of times. I plan on trying the CMT blades, but I'll wait until I can't resharpen the Diablo blades any more.
I really like CMT blades as well. I always spend more and get the industrial line as I find they stay sharper much longer. As for the colour remark, the nice thing of coloured blades is that they are visible when spinning. I have a silver blade that looks invisible when in motion which is dangerous.
I’ve had the red come off on my work before, but I always thought it was from my fence being off, or the wood being warped. Btw, this mans channel is about to take off! His editing skills are insane!
I used to have sharpening shop, and have been a Profesional woodworker for 35 years. All blades are resharpenable. Even the cheap blades even though its not cost effective. I still sharpen my blades and I sharpen Diablo blades all of the time. It's easy to figure angles with quality equipment. Thanks for the video.
Both can be sent so a sharpening service they will just determin the angle on the Diablo, sharpen it and send it back. You can probably sharpen the CMT once more because of the thicker teeth
@@oleschnorr3543 As for me, up to 80% for re-sharpened of the price of a new one makes the whole operation not worth of attention. Even if we go scale, and assume that blade will stand safely 3 re-sharpening, it will save us less then 1 blade. So, with regular level of blades (DeWalt, Diablo, ...) IMHO not worth of risks and inconveniences. And I was counting 0.5€ price. With 1€ it's not serious at all. But. If we're using Forest and better blades - it's another story.
I just stumbled across your video. I used to use Frued blades. But I used their industrial line with black lettering. A bit better than the Diablo that sold in the local depots. The thin kerf blades were great when using an underpowered saw. But I upgraded to a grizzly 240 volt 5 horsepower table saw. When using harder woods the thin blades wood deflect. I decided to try a Ridge Carbide blade… full kerf. I don’t look back now. The carbides on the ridge carbide are enormous. You can send them back to ridge carbide for sharpening. The carbides are big in fact, that they can be resharpened up to 25 times before replacing. I have a 24 tooth flat top grind for ripping. I have their 48 tooth alternating top bevel for cross cutting and ripping plywoods. I have their laminate/melamine blade which cuts double sided veneered sheet goods without chipping and tear out. And lastly, I have their super dado stack. It cuts perfect flat bottom dados with zero tear out or chipping no matter what I cut into. They are however, more expensive than the cmt and Diablo blades but are cheaper than Forrest. In my opinion they’re better better than Forrest as well. Check one out sometime. You won’t be disappointed! They also offer thin kerf blades for underpowered saws. They also will sharpen all of your router bits as well. Great American made blades!
I use a radial arm saw for all my ripping (they have 100% dust control for ripping, due to their blade guard design). And the only problem with the Ridge and Forrest blade is that the 40 tooth blades have no anti-kickback raker teeth. It's not a big deal, but when doing crosscuts on a radial arm saw, having anti-kickback raker teeth could prevent a stall or a climb of the blade, because the non-cutting raker teeth limit the "bite" so if you accidentally feed the blade too fast, it will be less likely of suddenly biting and binding. Almost all of the modern Diablo and similar blades have "anti-kickback rakers" on their blades.
I purchased one of Freud's industrial blades in 80T TCG to make a full kitchen's complement of melamine cabinets. It did a fantastic job. Hardly a chip to be found anywhere, even as the zero-clearance insert started to wear out a bit.
@@starseeddeluxeInteresting tip! I read the hook angle is also a consideration for RAS and Miter Saws, where a negative angle is less likely to climb. Is that true? It sounds like a positive hook is better for circular/track saws and table saw blades meant for ripping?
I have the cmt chrome combination 50t blade. I got it for the table saw, but I use it in the miter saw to great effect. Diablo blades get dull fast when used for construction and framing, like they don't hold up to instances of stress over that long of a period. I still use them when I don't want to damage more expensive blades. For 6.5"/165mm & 7.25"/185mm, I now use flourine coated blades. They're more expensive and have to be imported from Japan, but they're really something else. They cut like butter, last a long long time, and the graphics never rub off. You can use them daily and they'll look like new. The best ones are the Makita white flourine shark skin and Hitachi black flourine killer whale. There's some other brands that make them too, including some larger ones.
Funny thing you😂 mentioned here. Just two days ago at work we had our jobsite table saw dropped off for cutting 1/2" x 48"x108" felt acoustic sheets. It seemed nobody wanted to open the brand new 100 tooth diablo blade. Being the new guy I grabbed the package and carefully opened it. I think that was a test! I'm new to the company but have 30+ years experience. No cuts! I think I passed! Not gonna lie, it got a bit tricky to avoid a cut!
Been using CMT for over a year, I notice a big difference. Diablo is fine for my circular saw. Just had 2 of the 4 CMT's re-sharpened, lot cheaper than buying new blades
IMO, Diablo blades are thin and cup/wander on me and can cut well for half a day…if I use a Diablo blade doing kitchen crown, it makes my miter joints look terrible and have little contact..you use a real good blade like this CMT, you don’t want to use anything else..they cut perfectly and square and they will stay sharp longer than any Diablo and can be resharpened and are not basically disposable…if you have enough experience cutting and working wood, this is a no brainer. I can get free Diablo blades thru my job but I prefer to buy a better blade myself to make my job easier and a little more fun.
@@BigInjun05 don't take it to them, they'll mess up the hook angles and the bevel in the teeth, sure they cut nice in the beginning, but they will burn your wood and might even get more kickback.
Thanks for a great video. I just ordered 3 CMT 10" saw blades after watching your video. A 60- tooth for my miter saw, a 50-tooth for my radial arm saw and a 42-tooth general purpose for my table saw. Total order for all 3 with tax and shipping was only $108. Can't beat that price
It’s been a while since I’ve used a cmt, I remember it hanging in there for a while. I’m a self employed renovation/finish carpenter. Whatever saw I have, I have a blade for a specific purpose. So for my Bosch contractor table saw, has several different blades on it at all times. Mostly Diablo due to convenience. I think the best durability test I could do is ripping Ipe. When I build decks, it’s mainly with Ipe. Most the time the milling is little to be desired so I will rip each piece into a uniform dimension, reprofile them and sand the surface. The super straight lines this yields is undeniable. I’ve gotten so many jobs for going the extra mile from customers that want to pay for it. I’ll go through 2-3 blades per job. I could keep track of the linear ft on the blade till the working corner breaks off. That’s when I pitch them. It would be quite the real world direct comparison cutting one of the hardest materials out there.
Long time lurker, first time poster. As someone who does almost exclusively metalwork in my garage I laughed when you talked about the price of saw blades. If you try to spend too much under $100/blade for the smaller ones, they just chip teeth after only a few cuts and are dangerous to use in my experience. I've had so many problems with the Diablo blades leaving red on things I've cut up with them and I totally agree about the packaging. Thanks for helping a filthy casual like me find a better saw blade for cutting the occasional piece of plywood.
I use CMT, Festool and Forrest along with Freud saw blades, I stop using the Dewalt, Diablo and Avanti, Irwin blades, Will move to Amana for my next melamine/ plywood blade as my CMT is at the end of it's life cycle. Tools I currently use Compound Miter, Track Saw, Circular Worm Drive, PCS SawStop 10inch so from 5 1/2 inch all the way to 12 inch blades and I wont use a cheap blade on Hardwoods that are 9 plus dollars a board foot. Nor on Custom Core plywoods for cabinet building. Cut Quality is extremely important to me.
I was really surprised how much cutting power (and torque) this saw had out of the box. I've used other (10" saws) previously and was pretty surprised with the speed and cutting ability of this Dewalt saw.I have bolted mine to a table to minimize movement which I highly recommend.This is a Great saw ruclips.net/user/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe with a light to see your cutting line (not a laser line).I'd recommend this saw fro anyone looking to upgrade from a 10" miter saw.
Bought my first CMT blade the other day. The 50 tooth, P10050 ITK Plus. It was on sale on Amazon for cheaper than the comparable 'devil' blade at HD. In my short woodworking experience, I've bought two Diablo blades (both 50 tooth). I have a Ridgid R4512 and I never put the stock blade on it. I went straight to the Diablo. I used the first one for well over a year. Never cleaned it. I worked well. I used the second one for just about as long. No real problems to speak of with either blade. Then, I used it to cross-cut and rip some luxury vinyl flooring. Not the cheaper, bendy stuff. This was solid core. It took varying amounts of carbide off of virtually every tooth. I didn't notice at first until I wanted to cut some wood afterwards. I had saved the first Diablo blade I had purchased so I cleaned it up and put it back on the saw and it worked pretty well. However, I wasn't done with the vinyl flooring so I ended up sacrificing that older blade. Not having a "good" blade anymore, I decided to put on the stock 40 tooth blade that came with my saw. It certainly did the job I needed it to do, but man, what a difference. That's when I saw the deal on Amazon for the CMT blade. I couldn't pass it up. Granted, a 50 tooth CMT is like night and day compared to the stock 40 tooth blade from Ridgid (or whoever makes them), but jeez Louise. What I noticed most was the lack of dust on the saw table. Compared to the stock 40 tooth blade, it was if I had over-arm dust collection. I have been delivered from the 'devil'. CMT all the way, for me.
Had to jump in here - have been using a CMT Cabinet Blade (all purpose) on my old Grizzly 1023 for the last 30 years! Just cleaned it for the first time this week and the teeth still look good-to-go. Granted, only doing “hobby” frequency on projects, but still feel like I couldn’t have spent that money any better than when I bit the bullet back in the day and got that blade! I’m with you all the way, and don’t think I’ll ever be buying any other brand for my cabinet or miter saws. By the way, sorry for being a little slow to subscribe - your videos helped me sort out my track saw plans/choices, and I even bought most of the gadgets and equipment you recommended to make my new Makita track saw do it’s thing better! Super happy with how that all worked out. Just didn’t make the “click” back then - corrected that today! Looking forward to seeing your video on the square, and whatever else you have in your pipeline. Keep it coming!
I’m just like you. Buy the best until you find something that is equivalent, or at least gives you the best use for your money. Blade prices are about to go up along with all other steel. Buy now. Stock up. Thanks for your video. I could tell it was an honest review and that is appreciated.
Geez I wish I had seen this video sooner. I am a 69 year old hobby wood worker. You would laugh at my modular deer stand build! I bought the red blade and yes indeed although I knew the perils of plastic heat sealed merchandise and being as safe as I could be I still cut myself on several fingers trying to get it out of its plastic prison! That red company needs to smarten up. When I have to send the red one to the landfill I’ll give CMT blades a try. I’m getting a 24’x36’ garage built soon and I will be trying to build a good solid work bench. I’ve enjoyed your videos and subscribed awhile back. Keep up the great work you are an excellent teacher.
I just found a mention of CMT ITK blades. Had to be careful because some CMT blades on Amazon have 33mm arbor so won't work on our saws without special adapters. I got the 1" 80 tooth 👍🏻
you can sharpen the diablo by just sharpening the tips and not the sides if the edges are not that rounded over you can skim the sides as well as long as the sides stay over the kerf, and it will rejuvenate the blade and you can use it again instead of throw it out. think of the landfills.
Imo, the only major reason to buy a pricey blade, like a Freud, or Forrest, is if you have a cheap, quality resharpening service near by. If you don't then get the Diablo's or the cheaper CMTs, because they are basically disposable/consumables at that point. It's often more expensive to ship out a Diablo for a resharpening, especially on something like a 60 tooth, than to just buy a new one. I really love Freud, but I plan to try out a CMT sometime, after seeing Katz-Moses raving about them. I keep Diablos around for projects like shop furniture, or working with 2x4s and sap filled softwoods. I don't want to run my Freuds through a bunch of 2x4s when the cut quality doesn't matter a ton. At the end of the day, the best solution, imo, is to have a dedicated rip blade (I like Freud's 30 tooth Glue Line - it really does leave glue-line ready rips), a nice crosscut of at least 60 teeth (I have a Freud, but the Diablo ones work fine here), and then a 40 tooth cheaper Diablo for random projects. If you take the time to change blades, and only use them for their intended purposes, they will last a lot longer.
I recently picked up a CMT blade, not this line but all i can say is wow! Probably the only blades I’ll buy in future unless I’m a bind and need one asap.
Sharpening: I have a house just a ten minute walk from a sharpening service, so I take mine there when I go to Athens, but if you’re not close to a sharpening service you need to consider that by the time you add postage both ways to the sharpening cost of a table saw blade you can almost buy a new $30 blade. So is sharpening actually worth it?
A good secret for anything that can fit in a drop saw is that aluminium drop saws are way better than most wood drop saws. They are so rigid and the tip speed is so high that it's hard to get anything but a perfect cut in any material. A bit pricey and I'm not sure if you can get less than 2.5mm kerf at the large size and speed, in fact I think thinner blades wouldn't be that good since at that size they would probably flex and vibrate too much. With the big 350mm blades we tended to use 4mm 120tooth blades at 5200rpm, you could sharpen those things pretty much forever since the teeth are so thick. You often can't get more than 45deg mitre and tilt though, so it's not like they are just better or anything, but very nice if you can pick one up cheap.
I got a CMT 80T full kerf this summer. I've been very happy with it. I already have a good 24T blade but my 40T isn't the best so I'll be getting the CMT and see how that one works out. I'm sure I'll be happy with that one as well.
I don't know about their saw blades, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their router bits!!😍 I'll definitely use CMT, but any thoughts on Spider Tarantula blades...?
I just found your channel. Only took seconds to decide to subscribe. I appreciate your honest approach to teaching. Looking forward to more. Watch out for those former Troopers who now pack power tools!😊
I am just getting into woodwork and picked up an iron top table saw and refinished the top and was looking to get a new blade and this popped up in my tube feed… excellent video and great info to put me in the right direction! Thanks @Witt
So I tried two of those blades 1 12 inch for my DeWalt miter saw and 1. 10 inch for my tablesaw extremely disappointed with both the 12 inch one was actually to the point of being dangerous. It kept hooking and basically exploding the wood I have never in my life seen that happen before. the 10 inch one kept leaving orange stuff the stuff that’s in between the grooves all over the wood
Dimar blades made in Canada that Lee Valley sells are pretty nice, you don't hear about them on RUclips, It's almost like a secret. I worked for a cabinet shop that had their Dimar blades sharpened.
I tried the cmt full kerf rip blade . Came with one tooth broken off (package was fine). Also had two extra holes drilled in the plate, assume to balance it. Never had this with other quality blades.
Back in February I accidentally set off my sawstop with my miter fence, ruining my Freud flat grind blade. I had no replacement and needed to get work done, so I went to Menards and bought the only blade they had with flat grind...CMT. I had never heard of them and didn't expect much, just hoping to get through the weekend. But almost a year later, I'm still using CMT blades. I've had no reason to go buy my former brand.
What would you recommend for a miter saw? Cutting mostly pine and poplar. Sometimes, even though not meant for, but out of need, carbon fiber (hockey sticks) and pvc (misc projects). Thanks
Hey Joe! I just put the full kerf 80 count on my miter saw. Its cuts beautifully. My miter saw is cheap and I was surprised that the full kerf worked flawlessly. Either thin or full would work for you. The higher the counter, the better the finish - so pick what you can afford. Here's the video I did while swapping it out: ruclips.net/video/RWvxhSaI9nk/видео.html This is the exact blade I used: CMT Chrome 10/80: lddy.no/1239k (affiliate link). Use promo code CMT10 for 10% off. Of course, if you have a 12" saw, get the 12" version.
@@wittworks thanks a ton, much appreciated. Btw, great video. Loved the content as always. Will watch “this” video after dinner. Thanks for the video link and product link. I will definitely take advantage of the promo tonight as well thanks
You get what you pay for up to a point. Tooth design, run out, how well they cut deeper sections, and how long they stay sharp for. The sweet spot for me is in blades at around the £40 mark for 10 inch blades. My favourites are uk made Shark blades professional series at £35. Better than blades at £100 I previous bought and with similar runout at about 2 thou at the teeth which I consider excellent. Quiet to. My try cmt next time. Did you test deflection, runout or how well it mitre cuts deep sections?
Thank you! I tested runout after the video and it was in the same range as I get with Diablo (but I can’t remember what it was). Didn’t test depth, but I’ve cut 2” white oak and 2” walnut with no issues. Doesn’t bog my saw down like Diablo did. Also just put the full kerf on my cheap miter saw. Cuts like butter. I was sunrises my cheap miter would handle the full kerf.
@@wittworks Full kerf is always more precise as long as the saw can handle it (less deflection). Motors ideally need to be over 1.8HP for using full kerf blades (1.4KW). Anything under that needs thinner blades. I generally use 2.8 to 3.2mm kerf blades in a 3HP saw.
I have the General Purpose and the ripping blade that I bought off the “old testament cat” you mentioned when Jonathan first released them in his store. The General purpose cuts Melamine as well as any high tooth count blade I have ever used. With that said I always score the cut first and then cut through but I was shocked at how clean it comes off the saw for a material that notoriously chips.
Nice. I used both of those yesterday! Sometimes I use the filling blade to cross cut plywood because there’s no tear out. Crazy what a quality blade can do.
Ironic part of this is I have been using these for over a year, no problems until yesterday. Using a new CMT Heavy Duty Chrome blade , Crosscut, during a cut the Chrome started chipping off and hit me in the face (no damage) Sent an email with pictures Waiting to hear from customer service! Blade is just a little over 3 months old. Stuff happens... Will let you know how well they stand behind their product!
I've got s significant collection of table saw blades. I started with a couple cheap blades that came with tools, and you can easily detect the cut quality differences between those and better aftermarket blades. I keep a couple around though in case I need to cut garbage wood that may have a nail or something in it. Doesn't come up often, but it's nice to have something that I don't care about damaging. When I started buying blades I began with Freud, but that was before Diablo was a thing. I would characterize those older Freud blades as higher quality than the Diablo. The teeth where a little more substantial than Diablo, and the plates slightly thicker. I rarely had cut quality issues with them, but I would start to see issues when pushing them hard. I changed blades on my table saw pretty often because the multipurpose blade wasn't up for demanding rips or delicate crosscuts. When I used the right blade for the job, the cuts were good, but the 24T rip blade struggled with deep cuts in dense woods. I figured that just the way things were, so I lived with it. My first premium blade was the 40T WWII multipurpose blade. That was a game changer. I rarely changed blades after that. It produced good results on all but the most demanding cuts. Well worth the investment. After about 10 years of use, it needed sharpening, and I wanted a blade to use while waiting for it to come back. I heard good thing about Ridge Carbide, so I purchased their 40T. I won't say it was a huge difference, but It was detectably better than the Forest blade. The plate is stiffer, the carbide slightly thicker, and it was sharper out of the box. Furthermore, I sent the WWII to Ridge for sharpening, and it came back better than new. Still not quite as good as the Ridge version, though. Buoyed by that experience, I purchased a Ridge rip blade. Turns out demanding rips don't have to result in poor cut quality. Rips in 12/4 hard maple (Stair treads for a floating staircase, in case you're wondering why anybody would choose to work with 12/4 hard maple) were silky smooth and burn free with the Ridge blade. Despite having about 10 table saw blades on the shelf, until recently I didn't have a high tooth-count, high bevel angle crosscut blade. It's not a blade I use that often, so I wasn't eager to drop $160 on the Ridge Carbide version. JKM was talking up the CMT Orange blades, so about a year ago I ordered the 80T. I have mixed feeling about it. I noticed all the same positives you pointed out, and the cuts are fantastic. When crosscutting Mahogany, my 60T Freud would leave a very slight amount of the finely splinted tearout on the exit of the cut, but the CMT cuts are nearly perfect. However, it's the first saw blade I ever purchased that came with a defect. The arbor hole isn't round. It looks like a laser-cut hole, and it's as if the laser stopped in one area too long and extra material melted away. A small portion of the hole is oversized, and there are visible signs of burning there. I noticed it before I even opened the package, so I'm not sure how it could have been missed on inspection. I considered returning it, but the rest of the hole is round, it fits tight and centered on the arbor, and spins up with no noticeable vibration, so I'm using it anyway. I know it's an anecdote and not data, but it makes me wonder if they have quality control issues. That said, if I find myself in need of some odd specialty blade that's available in CMT Orange, I would consider buying again.
Been using the 24 tooth. I think I am going to buy a second one so I have one to use while I send the other out for sharpening. Then buy 2 of the 60 tooth for the same reason. Quick question, how many times can you send it out to be re-sharpened on average?
I have the 48t metal/stainless blade 4 my Milwaukee Worm Drive it is brand new and I plan to use plenty of cutting oil but I will be cutting 5/16 Steel if I use plenty of cutting oil and time will I be okay or am I overthinking this and should just use a little oil and cut away
Sharpening saw blades is pretty much a thing of the past for a lot of home shops. It's just a guess that the guy doing it knows what makes the blade preform best. And the cost per tooth can make new "exposable" blades more economical.
I also like CMT blades because they can be sharpened. I hate the idea of a one time blade. Also have had the red come off when I’ve used diablo blades at work. So annoying that I did anything I could to not use the diablo. Eventually bought some CMT blades and brought them to work 😆
@wittworks, GREAT video, very informative. I clicked a link to buy a blade and came across the CMT ORANGE CHROME COMBINATION BLADE 10" X T50 ATB+TCG (1/8" FULL KERF), where does this blade fall compared to the GP blade? Looking forward to your reply before purchasing.
Thank you! I would get the combo - but I’ve not used it yet. They said you can’t go wrong with either. I sometimes cross cut plywood with my 24t ripping blade and get no tear out. Don’t tell anyone.
Hey Witt great videos! Just a heads up…. I’m neeer to woodworking…3 years ish… I learned by watching some other RUclipsrs… you can actually clean up the blade with a degreaser type chemical and lightly scrub them… bam… I get double or triple the use from them. You can probably do that with the cmt before sharpening!
Really love the content. The best review on CMT blades out there. Plus, I would have to say that after doing this review, you are forgiven for using the Devil blades!!
Im curious if the burning you got from a new blade wasn't more from the fence being misaligned or pushing the wood through too slow because a new blade shouldn't burn like that
Just stumbled across your channel. Unreal and great work! Yesterday I was so close to stocking up with fully set of Forrest.... I ended up switching to CMT last minute. Feels great!
I doubt that the framing square is as accurate as the TSO GRS-16 Guide Rail Square. If yours is accurate, then you got lucky as most are not. A framing square is used when precision is not needed.
I just got a 12" grizzly extreme 7-1/2hp table saw. I wish Taylor tools offered a 12 inch blade with a lower tooth count. I'll have to check CMT to see if they even offer one. I just got a Diablo 80 tooth blade and wish I would've just bought a 10" CMT from Taylor tools. Great video!
Thank you! That’s a beast. What tooth count would be ideal? I’ll ask the owner and see if he can get anything. I know cmts catalog is larger than what they have in stock on the website.
@@wittworks Thanks for the reply! I would like to have a lower count for ripping. The saw is a used saw (only a year and a half old) and the blades it came with are a high tooth count. It has a 1" arbor so that really limits my blade selection.
I asked Taylor. Until he responds, check this one out: amzn.to/38a9rK2 What I found is 12” with a 1” bore is “industrial” so that is the class of blades you have to search in.
@@wittworks Thanks! I'll check the CMT website and see what I can find. I know my saw is way overkill but for the price I got it for, I couldn't pass it up. I also didn't want to spend a lot of money on a saw and then in a couple of year's have to step up to a little bigger one. I give God the glory for the deal I got. It's a year and a half old Grizzly G0606X1 saw with both optional toolboxes, Grizzly 3 hp G0562ZP dust collection system with a bunch of pipe and blast gates along with other collection pieces, a shop fox mortise machine and a bunch of other small tools for $3,500. The last we stopped adding up the cost new was a little over $8,000. Now I'm trying to come up with a three phase converter so I can use the saw. I'm glad Matt from 731 recommend your channel. You have another subscriber and look forward to your content!
I've had great experiences with the also Italian made Irwin Marples blades. They're right about the same price as the CMTs and Diablos, but they have a tonnn of carbide on them - very resharpenable, probably a lot like the CMTs.
I have used both of these on my bosch gts 10j, a somewhat under powered contractor saw for almost a decade now. CMTbis far superior than Diablo. Intially i did not know that to run a 5/8 blade i'd have to modify my flanges. Next i had to remove the riving knife to optimally use the diablo magic. And finally after a couple of visits to machinist the day came when i run some walnut on the these supposedly thin kerf glue lines and the forest whatever and i got burning on almost every cut and I had to push the walnut through with my home made push blocks or hands and had to spend a lot of force just keeping those walnut pieces on the table. At first i thought i had my riving knife on and since it was fatter than the kerf so it might be responsible. But no there was no riving knife. Next i decided to put in a zero clearance insert and made one from acrylic and this time i was certain that i'l get those clean fabled rip. But again i thought i was in battle field fighting with my saw, and when i put in a 40T general purpose forrest for a moment there was so much smoke that i thought i had lost motor on my saw. CMT was an altogether different story. I started with their router bits. They were magical. And then i thought about their orange line blades and since i had removed my riving knife i chose a seven and a quarter just to be on the safe side and man that day changed my relationship with my saw forever. It was as if we stopped fighting and made a lasting peace that continues to this day. Now I buy only CMT with a few exceptions where i buy bosch and makita specialty blades esp for my 12 makita sliding miter saw. CMT rocks.
A Big Hello from Boston!!!!! Love the few videos I have watched so far. My brother is a Graphic Artist as well. lol. But regarding the throw away Diablos, they can be resharpened! I just found out at a local high end Tool Store. They actually resharpen them for super cheap. Gave me some big explination on how and why and wow. Anyway, great job cant wait to indulge in some more of your work..........
I don't understand how anyone could use these disposable blades and claim they are good. I have Forrest blades on my table saw, trim saw and miter saw that are 20 years old. The Forrest service for retipping and sharpening. As for resharpening a CMT, you should send one out for $10 or $15 resharpening. That would be a great video.
If you have a Menard's in your area, they have CMT in the store. They are a lil bit more expensive but if you hate the ugly red on your project, then it is worth it.
Hi there Genuine question why can't the diablo be re-ground. They aren't avaliable in the uk but look very similar to our freud blades which can be sent of to be sharpened
They can be sharpened if you find someone who can copy the angles (shouldn’t be hard if they’re a pro). Usually the carbide is thin so your sharpening would be limited.
What is the little notch in the arbor hole in the CMT blade at the 5:38 time stamp? I noticed one of mine had that and I though it was just my blade due to the saw for maybe being not tight enough or something. The blade seemed to wobble before I noticed it. That specific blade wobbles now and my old Diablo doesn’t. Do all the CMT blades you have have that same little notch
Not a hater, but I've used the Diablo exclusively for years and have always had them sharpened with absolutely no problems. I have many on their 3rd life, but... great videos and if Menards now has them then I'll definitely try the CMT.
I'm not actually sure of their procedure. I use Accurate cutting technologies in indianapolis, IN. All I can say is that my blades come back with my name and tooth count laser engraved towards the center and the teeth are always dipped for protection and razor-sharp. I have had one that they called on and said that it had to little carbide to sharpen so I know that there's a line in the sand somewhere. As far as the carbide difference, I have no reason to doubt your measurements, I just hated the thought of someone tossing a pile of blades before their time. That being said, I'm not a Diablo loyalist... they have just been the best that I could drive down the road and buy; however, I've got a menards rebate sitting here with a couple of CMT blades in mind if they have them. Thanks and take care.
When tooth count is talked about why doesn't anyone mention the tooth spacing or density between a 60 tooth 7 1/4" , 10" and 12" blade. Theoretically a 60 tooth 10" blade should cut about the same as a 80tooth 12" blade. Correct me if I am wrong.
Yeah I hear ya I'm not beyond tryin to get the best of everything in any area of my shop, but I have a huge problem spending 150 on a blade..matt did suggest CMT to me soooooo I gotta get em maaaan...lol...thanks for upload...well done and fair....
I haven’t had to send them out yet to get sharpened. KatzMoses has a recommendation in the video I plugged at the very end of the video if you want to give them a try.
I don’t use thin kerf blades because they’re thinner than the riving knife on my machine and could cause serious safety problems. Stick with full kerf.
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
This video was so awesome 👏. Great job!!!
Aw shucks! Thank you! Means a lot coming from The Man.
Matt, thanks for highlighting other channels. This shows your character.
Matt is like Tina Turner. Simply The Best.
We agree!
This transition around 1:35 minute really drive me crazy. 🤯
Before you throw away a blade that you've cut a lot of wood with give it a bath with saw blade pitch/resin remover. I've noticed that whenever I take a wood cutting blade that was cutting just fine and I store it for a few months and don't use it, whenever I put the blade back on it suddenly cuts like its dull. I bought a bottle of that SawStop blade cleaner and gave my 7.25" Diablo fine tooth blade a bath and when it was done it was cutting like it was brand new. I knew I didn't put too much mileage on it and was wondering why it was suddenly not cutting so well. I think what happens is the sap/resin that is on your teeth bricks/hardens up when you store it a long time. When you're using a blade every day the resin is being constantly knocked off and new resin is on then its knocked off as you're cutting. But when you store a blade the resin that was last sitting on the teeth stays there and bricks up and so when you start using that blade again suddenly there's a lot of extra resistance on every tooth and it cuts like crap but if you dissolve that stuff off with a cleaner the blade is brand new again.
First you a got a 👍 for the internet ref. I too made an unauthorized green/black vacuum purchase. Once my wife used for helping clean up some remodeling, she liked it so much we retired our house Bosch canister vacuum and bought a second green/blac’ vauum for the house (all hard surface flooring).
Anyways, Forrest Woodworker user here, for more decades than I care to remember. They’re an investment, the customer service/sharpening/repair service is fast & second to none. Started w a Forrest thin kerf on a 10” 110v saw a long time ago in a galaxy far away. When came time to sharpen I bought a 2nd regular kerf to try while waiting. Was a bit much for my saw at the time and 2+” maple. So bought a second thin kerf and the reg kerf went on a shelf. A few years back, upgraded to a PM2K saw. Dug out the regular kerf Forrest, like butter through 2+” maple, wenge, red oak you name it, on the PM. So the thin kerfs and the blade stiffener (which is worth the money BTW for the thin kerf blades) now sit on a shelf. And I alternate between two std kerfs. I’ve lost track of how many times the blades have been resharpened over the decades. I send em in, they come back repaired teeth as needed, cleaned and as sharp as day one, if not sharper. Cuts are as claimed (if your saw is tuned). Minimum blade marks, seldom any burn marks (almost always due to operator error sometimes wood stress relieving). I’m thinking these blades will outlast me and pass down to my boys.
Not associated w Forrest (or any mfgs I might mention) in any other way than as a extremely satisfied customer. Not a tuber, so no free blades here, bought and paid for w my own money. We need more companies like Forrest, Timberwolf, LN, Whiteside, Amana, Jesse-em, Veritas etc. And yes, I do use CMT products, their cleaner and router bits.
Disclaimer, I’ve never tried a CMT blade, just haven’t had a reason to…yet. Perhaps one day if I wear one of the Forrest out?
As always, YMMV. Just sharing. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I love the cmt glue joint rip blade. People *REALLY* need to pay attention to the blade. If you set up your knife correctly, and you are running a rip blade and it isn't ripping very well, try cleaning it to get the pitch off and toothbrush for the teeth. If that don't work, then get a new blade or sharpen it. Personally, CMT are excellent. As far as storage goes, I just toss a 3" deck screw and then I wrap some painters tape around it and then just hang my blades on the wall. Rip, cross cut, for each size which I run 10", 6" and whatever 3/4" (track saw blade it's an odd size) and a 7 and 3/4 circular saw. Oh and a 12" miter blade. I keep a couple of each because I swear I think my blade is dull, then I clean it and suddenly it's back in biz.
Right blade right job, on those harder woods like walnut, the 24T is my go to. People think "Framing blade bro, gonna tear out my dude get wrecked noob or I'll 360 no scope ur mom" I use a 24t ALOT, and when you have to rip 34 pieces of 8 foot walnut, you will want to to be quick. If you are smart, you are oversizing anyway if you are starting your milling process. I do a shallow skip plane, do a jig on the table saw to get a straight edge (or use a track saw depending on size) and let it hang out a day. Trust me, you need a 40" long piece? Do it 41", need a 8" wide piece, do it 8.5". Nothing worse than trying to fight with 16ths because you got it too thin and now have to panic to figure out how to make it work. Not that I know anything about that.
menards carries CMT blades in stock in their stores. so you dont even have to wait for shipping necessarily. if you dont need it in the next 5min the katz moses shop or taytools both sell them and you get to support a small business run by woodworkers
i use a cmt 50t combination blade in my table saw almost exclusively. no complaints. an added benefit to the combination blade is the first of every 5 tooth set is a flat top grind. for anyone who doesnt know that means your first tooth isnt angled like the rest of them. this means you can use a cmt combi blade for dados and rabbits and get a flat bottom instead of one with ridges. especially useful if youre in the uk and dont have a long enough arbor on your saw for a dado stack. or for that one half lap you gotta do and cant be bothered to change to a dado stack.
diablo 100t on the miter saw simply because it came with when i got it from someone. itll get replaced with a cmt when it wears out for sure.
and yes, red has come off on my work pieces before when i used diablo blades on the table saw. its annoying.
Thank you for sharing. Good tip on the combo blade.
You can resharpen the Diablo blades as well. I've done it a number of times. I plan on trying the CMT blades, but I'll wait until I can't resharpen the Diablo blades any more.
I really like CMT blades as well. I always spend more and get the industrial line as I find they stay sharper much longer. As for the colour remark, the nice thing of coloured blades is that they are visible when spinning. I have a silver blade that looks invisible when in motion which is dangerous.
Thank you. Good point.
Ohh damn that's a good point
Mark your blades with magic marker. You can draw spokes on the blade of get dizzy with a spiral!!! LOL
I’ve had the red come off on my work before, but I always thought it was from my fence being off, or the wood being warped.
Btw, this mans channel is about to take off! His editing skills are insane!
Bro. You have to be more subtle. They’ll know I paid you to be my hype man. 🙃
@@wittworkslooks like it didn't matter how thick he laid it on, lol.
I used to have sharpening shop, and have been a Profesional woodworker for 35 years. All blades are resharpenable. Even the cheap blades even though its not cost effective. I still sharpen my blades and I sharpen Diablo blades all of the time. It's easy to figure angles with quality equipment. Thanks for the video.
Both can be sent so a sharpening service they will just determin the angle on the Diablo, sharpen it and send it back. You can probably sharpen the CMT once more because of the thicker teeth
Yeah I've had my Diablo blades both sharpened before and they were just as good as new if not better.
How much can it cost?
@@mykolashatkovskyi8817 you can probably expect 0.50€-1€ per tooth at least here in Germany
@@oleschnorr3543
As for me, up to 80% for re-sharpened of the price of a new one makes the whole operation not worth of attention.
Even if we go scale, and assume that blade will stand safely 3 re-sharpening, it will save us less then 1 blade.
So, with regular level of blades (DeWalt, Diablo, ...) IMHO not worth of risks and inconveniences.
And I was counting 0.5€ price. With 1€ it's not serious at all.
But. If we're using Forest and better blades - it's another story.
There are also catalogs with angles for Diablo for anyone interested.
I just stumbled across your video. I used to use Frued blades. But I used their industrial line with black lettering. A bit better than the Diablo that sold in the local depots. The thin kerf blades were great when using an underpowered saw. But I upgraded to a grizzly 240 volt 5 horsepower table saw. When using harder woods the thin blades wood deflect. I decided to try a Ridge Carbide blade… full kerf. I don’t look back now. The carbides on the ridge carbide are enormous. You can send them back to ridge carbide for sharpening. The carbides are big in fact, that they can be resharpened up to 25 times before replacing. I have a 24 tooth flat top grind for ripping. I have their 48 tooth alternating top bevel for cross cutting and ripping plywoods. I have their laminate/melamine blade which cuts double sided veneered sheet goods without chipping and tear out. And lastly, I have their super dado stack. It cuts perfect flat bottom dados with zero tear out or chipping no matter what I cut into. They are however, more expensive than the cmt and Diablo blades but are cheaper than Forrest. In my opinion they’re better better than Forrest as well. Check one out sometime. You won’t be disappointed! They also offer thin kerf blades for underpowered saws. They also will sharpen all of your router bits as well. Great American made blades!
I use a radial arm saw for all my ripping (they have 100% dust control for ripping, due to their blade guard design). And the only problem with the Ridge and Forrest blade is that the 40 tooth blades have no anti-kickback raker teeth. It's not a big deal, but when doing crosscuts on a radial arm saw, having anti-kickback raker teeth could prevent a stall or a climb of the blade, because the non-cutting raker teeth limit the "bite" so if you accidentally feed the blade too fast, it will be less likely of suddenly biting and binding. Almost all of the modern Diablo and similar blades have "anti-kickback rakers" on their blades.
I purchased one of Freud's industrial blades in 80T TCG to make a full kitchen's complement of melamine cabinets. It did a fantastic job. Hardly a chip to be found anywhere, even as the zero-clearance insert started to wear out a bit.
@@starseeddeluxeInteresting tip!
I read the hook angle is also a consideration for RAS and Miter Saws, where a negative angle is less likely to climb. Is that true?
It sounds like a positive hook is better for circular/track saws and table saw blades meant for ripping?
I have the cmt chrome combination 50t blade. I got it for the table saw, but I use it in the miter saw to great effect.
Diablo blades get dull fast when used for construction and framing, like they don't hold up to instances of stress over that long of a period. I still use them when I don't want to damage more expensive blades.
For 6.5"/165mm & 7.25"/185mm, I now use flourine coated blades. They're more expensive and have to be imported from Japan, but they're really something else. They cut like butter, last a long long time, and the graphics never rub off. You can use them daily and they'll look like new. The best ones are the Makita white flourine shark skin and Hitachi black flourine killer whale. There's some other brands that make them too, including some larger ones.
Would be nice if we could get those white makita ones in the UK they look really good and nice to hear you’ve had a good experience with them
Funny thing you😂 mentioned here. Just two days ago at work we had our jobsite table saw dropped off for cutting 1/2" x 48"x108" felt acoustic sheets. It seemed nobody wanted to open the brand new 100 tooth diablo blade. Being the new guy I grabbed the package and carefully opened it. I think that was a test! I'm new to the company but have 30+ years experience. No cuts! I think I passed!
Not gonna lie, it got a bit tricky to avoid a cut!
Been using CMT for over a year, I notice a big difference. Diablo is fine for my circular saw. Just had 2 of the 4 CMT's re-sharpened, lot cheaper than buying new blades
thats great!
What was the sharpening charge?? When I checked a long time ago, it was cheaper to buy a new blade.
@@nunnaurbzznzzz1734 I believe it was under $11. My blades are between $60 and $150 each.
@@jimdfwwoodworks37Was it a local sharpening service or something online?
@@TWC6724 Local here in Phx
10" diablo 40T is $47 at Home Depot for a pack of 2 ($23.50 per blade). Which is much less than getting a blade resharpened when you include shipping.
IMO, Diablo blades are thin and cup/wander on me and can cut well for half a day…if I use a Diablo blade doing kitchen crown, it makes my miter joints look terrible and have little contact..you use a real good blade like this CMT, you don’t want to use anything else..they cut perfectly and square and they will stay sharp longer than any Diablo and can be resharpened and are not basically disposable…if you have enough experience cutting and working wood, this is a no brainer. I can get free Diablo blades thru my job but I prefer to buy a better blade myself to make my job easier and a little more fun.
Box store blades are designed for rough framing not fine wood working.
A professionally resharpened blade will cut better than new.
I have a local shop that sharpens.
@@BigInjun05 don't take it to them, they'll mess up the hook angles and the bevel in the teeth, sure they cut nice in the beginning, but they will burn your wood and might even get more kickback.
Thanks for a great video. I just ordered 3 CMT 10" saw blades after watching your video. A 60- tooth for my miter saw, a 50-tooth for my radial arm saw and a 42-tooth general purpose for my table saw. Total order for all 3 with tax and shipping was only $108. Can't beat that price
It’s been a while since I’ve used a cmt, I remember it hanging in there for a while. I’m a self employed renovation/finish carpenter. Whatever saw I have, I have a blade for a specific purpose. So for my Bosch contractor table saw, has several different blades on it at all times. Mostly Diablo due to convenience. I think the best durability test I could do is ripping Ipe. When I build decks, it’s mainly with Ipe. Most the time the milling is little to be desired so I will rip each piece into a uniform dimension, reprofile them and sand the surface. The super straight lines this yields is undeniable. I’ve gotten so many jobs for going the extra mile from customers that want to pay for it. I’ll go through 2-3 blades per job. I could keep track of the linear ft on the blade till the working corner breaks off. That’s when I pitch them. It would be quite the real world direct comparison cutting one of the hardest materials out there.
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing.
I used to get Diablo blades but have now completely switched to CMT. They are the best blade for the money by a long shot.
BTW: The CMT blades do in fact cut easier. Butter!
Long time lurker, first time poster. As someone who does almost exclusively metalwork in my garage I laughed when you talked about the price of saw blades. If you try to spend too much under $100/blade for the smaller ones, they just chip teeth after only a few cuts and are dangerous to use in my experience.
I've had so many problems with the Diablo blades leaving red on things I've cut up with them and I totally agree about the packaging.
Thanks for helping a filthy casual like me find a better saw blade for cutting the occasional piece of plywood.
I use CMT, Festool and Forrest along with Freud saw blades, I stop using the Dewalt, Diablo and Avanti, Irwin blades, Will move to Amana for my next melamine/ plywood blade as my CMT is at the end of it's life cycle. Tools I currently use Compound Miter, Track Saw, Circular Worm Drive, PCS SawStop 10inch so from 5 1/2 inch all the way to 12 inch blades and I wont use a cheap blade on Hardwoods that are 9 plus dollars a board foot. Nor on Custom Core plywoods for cabinet building. Cut Quality is extremely important to me.
spot on. nothing cuts clean and smooth like CMT blades
I was really surprised how much cutting power (and torque) this saw had out of the box. I've used other (10" saws) previously and was pretty surprised with the speed and cutting ability of this Dewalt saw.I have bolted mine to a table to minimize movement which I highly recommend.This is a Great saw ruclips.net/user/postUgkxPeGkHOMe05FySypTOvYumxMn-xi39oRe with a light to see your cutting line (not a laser line).I'd recommend this saw fro anyone looking to upgrade from a 10" miter saw.
Bought my first CMT blade the other day. The 50 tooth, P10050 ITK Plus. It was on sale on Amazon for cheaper than the comparable 'devil' blade at HD.
In my short woodworking experience, I've bought two Diablo blades (both 50 tooth). I have a Ridgid R4512 and I never put the stock blade on it. I went straight to the Diablo. I used the first one for well over a year. Never cleaned it. I worked well. I used the second one for just about as long. No real problems to speak of with either blade. Then, I used it to cross-cut and rip some luxury vinyl flooring. Not the cheaper, bendy stuff. This was solid core. It took varying amounts of carbide off of virtually every tooth. I didn't notice at first until I wanted to cut some wood afterwards.
I had saved the first Diablo blade I had purchased so I cleaned it up and put it back on the saw and it worked pretty well. However, I wasn't done with the vinyl flooring so I ended up sacrificing that older blade.
Not having a "good" blade anymore, I decided to put on the stock 40 tooth blade that came with my saw. It certainly did the job I needed it to do, but man, what a difference. That's when I saw the deal on Amazon for the CMT blade. I couldn't pass it up.
Granted, a 50 tooth CMT is like night and day compared to the stock 40 tooth blade from Ridgid (or whoever makes them), but jeez Louise. What I noticed most was the lack of dust on the saw table. Compared to the stock 40 tooth blade, it was if I had over-arm dust collection.
I have been delivered from the 'devil'. CMT all the way, for me.
Tengo 3 CMT . Son mejores las diablos? Gracias.
Had to jump in here - have been using a CMT Cabinet Blade (all purpose) on my old Grizzly 1023 for the last 30 years! Just cleaned it for the first time this week and the teeth still look good-to-go. Granted, only doing “hobby” frequency on projects, but still feel like I couldn’t have spent that money any better than when I bit the bullet back in the day and got that blade! I’m with you all the way, and don’t think I’ll ever be buying any other brand for my cabinet or miter saws.
By the way, sorry for being a little slow to subscribe - your videos helped me sort out my track saw plans/choices, and I even bought most of the gadgets and equipment you recommended to make my new Makita track saw do it’s thing better! Super happy with how that all worked out. Just didn’t make the “click” back then - corrected that today! Looking forward to seeing your video on the square, and whatever else you have in your pipeline. Keep it coming!
Thanks! The square video was released a few months back. Check it out.
I’m just like you.
Buy the best until you find something that is equivalent, or at least gives you the best use for your money.
Blade prices are about to go up along with all other steel. Buy now. Stock up.
Thanks for your video. I could tell it was an honest review and that is appreciated.
One of the greatest marketing videos ever, but speaks the truth , and you learn !! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Geez I wish I had seen this video sooner. I am a 69 year old hobby wood worker. You would laugh at my modular deer stand build! I bought the red blade and yes indeed although I knew the perils of plastic heat sealed merchandise and being as safe as I could be I still cut myself on several fingers trying to get it out of its plastic prison! That red company needs to smarten up. When I have to send the red one to the landfill I’ll give CMT blades a try. I’m getting a 24’x36’ garage built soon and I will be trying to build a good solid work bench. I’ve enjoyed your videos and subscribed awhile back. Keep up the great work you are an excellent teacher.
I just found a mention of CMT ITK blades.
Had to be careful because some CMT blades on Amazon have 33mm arbor so won't work on our saws without special adapters. I got the 1" 80 tooth 👍🏻
you can sharpen the diablo by just sharpening the tips and not the sides
if the edges are not that rounded over you can skim the sides as well as long as the sides stay over the kerf, and it will rejuvenate the blade and you can use it again instead of throw it out.
think of the landfills.
Imo, the only major reason to buy a pricey blade, like a Freud, or Forrest, is if you have a cheap, quality resharpening service near by. If you don't then get the Diablo's or the cheaper CMTs, because they are basically disposable/consumables at that point. It's often more expensive to ship out a Diablo for a resharpening, especially on something like a 60 tooth, than to just buy a new one.
I really love Freud, but I plan to try out a CMT sometime, after seeing Katz-Moses raving about them. I keep Diablos around for projects like shop furniture, or working with 2x4s and sap filled softwoods. I don't want to run my Freuds through a bunch of 2x4s when the cut quality doesn't matter a ton.
At the end of the day, the best solution, imo, is to have a dedicated rip blade (I like Freud's 30 tooth Glue Line - it really does leave glue-line ready rips), a nice crosscut of at least 60 teeth (I have a Freud, but the Diablo ones work fine here), and then a 40 tooth cheaper Diablo for random projects.
If you take the time to change blades, and only use them for their intended purposes, they will last a lot longer.
Thank you for sharing. The cheaper CMTs are re sharpen-able.
I recently picked up a CMT blade, not this line but all i can say is wow! Probably the only blades I’ll buy in future unless I’m a bind and need one asap.
Sharpening:
I have a house just a ten minute walk from a sharpening service, so I take mine there when I go to Athens, but if you’re not close to a sharpening service you need to consider that by the time you add postage both ways to the sharpening cost of a table saw blade you can almost buy a new $30 blade. So is sharpening actually worth it?
A good secret for anything that can fit in a drop saw is that aluminium drop saws are way better than most wood drop saws. They are so rigid and the tip speed is so high that it's hard to get anything but a perfect cut in any material. A bit pricey and I'm not sure if you can get less than 2.5mm kerf at the large size and speed, in fact I think thinner blades wouldn't be that good since at that size they would probably flex and vibrate too much. With the big 350mm blades we tended to use 4mm 120tooth blades at 5200rpm, you could sharpen those things pretty much forever since the teeth are so thick. You often can't get more than 45deg mitre and tilt though, so it's not like they are just better or anything, but very nice if you can pick one up cheap.
I got a CMT 80T full kerf this summer. I've been very happy with it. I already have a good 24T blade but my 40T isn't the best so I'll be getting the CMT and see how that one works out. I'm sure I'll be happy with that one as well.
I don't know about their saw blades, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their router bits!!😍 I'll definitely use CMT, but any thoughts on Spider Tarantula blades...?
I love the labels on the wood, and you humor adds to each video.
Thank you! 🤩
I just found your channel. Only took seconds to decide to subscribe. I appreciate your honest approach to teaching.
Looking forward to more. Watch out for those former Troopers who now pack power tools!😊
Thank you Louis!
I am just getting into woodwork and picked up an iron top table saw and refinished the top and was looking to get a new blade and this popped up in my tube feed… excellent video and great info to put me in the right direction! Thanks @Witt
Congrats! You’ll love them. Thank you.
Switched to CMT , no regrets. Diablo was not cutting square, blade was warping in table saw
I run cmt in everything from saws to my routers. I don’t change blades much anymore and I build a lot of subwoofer enclosures!
Very cool!
So I tried two of those blades 1 12 inch for my DeWalt miter saw and 1. 10 inch for my tablesaw extremely disappointed with both the 12 inch one was actually to the point of being dangerous. It kept hooking and basically exploding the wood I have never in my life seen that happen before. the 10 inch one kept leaving orange stuff the stuff that’s in between the grooves all over the wood
Dimar blades made in Canada that Lee Valley sells are pretty nice, you don't hear about them on RUclips, It's almost like a secret. I worked for a cabinet shop that had their Dimar blades sharpened.
I’ll check them out!
I tried the cmt full kerf rip blade . Came with one tooth broken off (package was fine). Also had two extra holes drilled in the plate, assume to balance it. Never had this with other quality blades.
Amana MA10060 MITER 10"x60T ATBFT 5/8"BORE This is the one I use what do you think about it.
Back in February I accidentally set off my sawstop with my miter fence, ruining my Freud flat grind blade. I had no replacement and needed to get work done, so I went to Menards and bought the only blade they had with flat grind...CMT. I had never heard of them and didn't expect much, just hoping to get through the weekend. But almost a year later, I'm still using CMT blades. I've had no reason to go buy my former brand.
"And the most expensive wood out there, a pine 2x6 from a big box store" And now I am subscribed! 🤣
Thanks! I’ll take your subscription as the silver lining to the lumber prices.
I have been using the 24T for a while now they are without a doubt the best blade for the money no mater the application.
I cross cut with my 24t. Don’t tell anyone 🤫
@@wittworks hahaha no problem me too
What would you recommend for a miter saw? Cutting mostly pine and poplar. Sometimes, even though not meant for, but out of need, carbon fiber (hockey sticks) and pvc (misc projects). Thanks
Hey Joe! I just put the full kerf 80 count on my miter saw. Its cuts beautifully. My miter saw is cheap and I was surprised that the full kerf worked flawlessly. Either thin or full would work for you. The higher the counter, the better the finish - so pick what you can afford. Here's the video I did while swapping it out: ruclips.net/video/RWvxhSaI9nk/видео.html
This is the exact blade I used: CMT Chrome 10/80: lddy.no/1239k (affiliate link). Use promo code CMT10 for 10% off. Of course, if you have a 12" saw, get the 12" version.
@@wittworks thanks a ton, much appreciated. Btw, great video. Loved the content as always. Will watch “this” video after dinner. Thanks for the video link and product link. I will definitely take advantage of the promo tonight as well thanks
You’re welcome!
You get what you pay for up to a point. Tooth design, run out, how well they cut deeper sections, and how long they stay sharp for. The sweet spot for me is in blades at around the £40 mark for 10 inch blades. My favourites are uk made Shark blades professional series at £35. Better than blades at £100 I previous bought and with similar runout at about 2 thou at the teeth which I consider excellent. Quiet to. My try cmt next time. Did you test deflection, runout or how well it mitre cuts deep sections?
Thank you! I tested runout after the video and it was in the same range as I get with Diablo (but I can’t remember what it was). Didn’t test depth, but I’ve cut 2” white oak and 2” walnut with no issues. Doesn’t bog my saw down like Diablo did. Also just put the full kerf on my cheap miter saw. Cuts like butter. I was sunrises my cheap miter would handle the full kerf.
@@wittworks Full kerf is always more precise as long as the saw can handle it (less deflection). Motors ideally need to be over 1.8HP for using full kerf blades (1.4KW). Anything under that needs thinner blades. I generally use 2.8 to 3.2mm kerf blades in a 3HP saw.
I have the General Purpose and the ripping blade that I bought off the “old testament cat” you mentioned when Jonathan first released them in his store. The General purpose cuts Melamine as well as any high tooth count blade I have ever used. With that said I always score the cut first and then cut through but I was shocked at how clean it comes off the saw for a material that notoriously chips.
Nice. I used both of those yesterday! Sometimes I use the filling blade to cross cut plywood because there’s no tear out. Crazy what a quality blade can do.
Ironic part of this is I have been using these for over a year, no problems until yesterday. Using a new CMT Heavy Duty Chrome blade , Crosscut, during a cut the Chrome started chipping off and hit me in the face (no damage)
Sent an email with pictures Waiting to hear from customer service! Blade is just a little over 3 months old.
Stuff happens... Will let you know how well they stand behind their product!
Dang! Let me know. Where’d you buy it from?
@@wittworks Katz Mosses... Really bothers me, it puts a finish cut on that is perfect.
@@wittworks K-M
I've got s significant collection of table saw blades. I started with a couple cheap blades that came with tools, and you can easily detect the cut quality differences between those and better aftermarket blades. I keep a couple around though in case I need to cut garbage wood that may have a nail or something in it. Doesn't come up often, but it's nice to have something that I don't care about damaging.
When I started buying blades I began with Freud, but that was before Diablo was a thing. I would characterize those older Freud blades as higher quality than the Diablo. The teeth where a little more substantial than Diablo, and the plates slightly thicker. I rarely had cut quality issues with them, but I would start to see issues when pushing them hard. I changed blades on my table saw pretty often because the multipurpose blade wasn't up for demanding rips or delicate crosscuts. When I used the right blade for the job, the cuts were good, but the 24T rip blade struggled with deep cuts in dense woods. I figured that just the way things were, so I lived with it.
My first premium blade was the 40T WWII multipurpose blade. That was a game changer. I rarely changed blades after that. It produced good results on all but the most demanding cuts. Well worth the investment. After about 10 years of use, it needed sharpening, and I wanted a blade to use while waiting for it to come back. I heard good thing about Ridge Carbide, so I purchased their 40T. I won't say it was a huge difference, but It was detectably better than the Forest blade. The plate is stiffer, the carbide slightly thicker, and it was sharper out of the box. Furthermore, I sent the WWII to Ridge for sharpening, and it came back better than new. Still not quite as good as the Ridge version, though.
Buoyed by that experience, I purchased a Ridge rip blade. Turns out demanding rips don't have to result in poor cut quality. Rips in 12/4 hard maple (Stair treads for a floating staircase, in case you're wondering why anybody would choose to work with 12/4 hard maple) were silky smooth and burn free with the Ridge blade.
Despite having about 10 table saw blades on the shelf, until recently I didn't have a high tooth-count, high bevel angle crosscut blade. It's not a blade I use that often, so I wasn't eager to drop $160 on the Ridge Carbide version. JKM was talking up the CMT Orange blades, so about a year ago I ordered the 80T. I have mixed feeling about it. I noticed all the same positives you pointed out, and the cuts are fantastic. When crosscutting Mahogany, my 60T Freud would leave a very slight amount of the finely splinted tearout on the exit of the cut, but the CMT cuts are nearly perfect. However, it's the first saw blade I ever purchased that came with a defect. The arbor hole isn't round. It looks like a laser-cut hole, and it's as if the laser stopped in one area too long and extra material melted away. A small portion of the hole is oversized, and there are visible signs of burning there. I noticed it before I even opened the package, so I'm not sure how it could have been missed on inspection. I considered returning it, but the rest of the hole is round, it fits tight and centered on the arbor, and spins up with no noticeable vibration, so I'm using it anyway. I know it's an anecdote and not data, but it makes me wonder if they have quality control issues. That said, if I find myself in need of some odd specialty blade that's available in CMT Orange, I would consider buying again.
Been using the 24 tooth. I think I am going to buy a second one so I have one to use while I send the other out for sharpening. Then buy 2 of the 60 tooth for the same reason. Quick question, how many times can you send it out to be re-sharpened on average?
Just to add to your count ...yes...I get the red on my cuts. I have used CMT and have had no issues.
Thank you for sharing. Seems to be a common experience with the red blades
I wonder if the 48t blade would be any good. I ordered the 80 for my miter saw. But the price on that 48 seems nice
I have the 48t metal/stainless blade 4 my Milwaukee Worm Drive it is brand new and I plan to use plenty of cutting oil but I will be cutting 5/16 Steel if I use plenty of cutting oil and time will I be okay or am I overthinking this and should just use a little oil and cut away
Sharpening saw blades is pretty much a thing of the past for a lot of home shops. It's just a guess that the guy doing it knows what makes the blade preform best. And the cost per tooth can make new "exposable" blades more economical.
Just an FYI, Menards carries CMT accessories....I've bought a blade there and also a forester bit from CMT.
Thank you. I was looking into the CMT blades that I saw while looking at a new Miter.
I also like CMT blades because they can be sharpened. I hate the idea of a one time blade.
Also have had the red come off when I’ve used diablo blades at work. So annoying that I did anything I could to not use the diablo. Eventually bought some CMT blades and brought them to work 😆
That’s awesome!
I have used CMT for 15 years and I am getting up to 15 sharpenings on a single blade. They are just awesome.
Wow! That’s a great investment.
Why can't you sharpen a Diablo. Angles can't be measured?
@wittworks, GREAT video, very informative. I clicked a link to buy a blade and came across the CMT ORANGE CHROME COMBINATION BLADE 10" X T50 ATB+TCG (1/8" FULL KERF), where does this blade fall compared to the GP blade? Looking forward to your reply before purchasing.
Thank you! I would get the combo - but I’ve not used it yet. They said you can’t go wrong with either. I sometimes cross cut plywood with my 24t ripping blade and get no tear out. Don’t tell anyone.
Great advice. I’m shopping for a flat tooth joinery blade. I’m heading to Taylor tool works from here. Thanks
Thank you Dave! You’ll love them! I have 7 and will never go back to the devil. After a year they’re still very sharp.
Hey Witt great videos! Just a heads up…. I’m neeer to woodworking…3 years ish… I learned by watching some other RUclipsrs… you can actually clean up the blade with a degreaser type chemical and lightly scrub them… bam… I get double or triple the use from them. You can probably do that with the cmt before sharpening!
yep. ive cleaned them many times, but if they're dull....
Really love the content. The best review on CMT blades out there. Plus, I would have to say that after doing this review, you are forgiven for using the Devil blades!!
Thanks Mike. You’re funny! *makes sign of the cross*
Im curious if the burning you got from a new blade wasn't more from the fence being misaligned or pushing the wood through too slow because a new blade shouldn't burn like that
Just stumbled across your channel. Unreal and great work! Yesterday I was so close to stocking up with fully set of Forrest.... I ended up switching to CMT last minute. Feels great!
Thank you Blake! You'll love them! They're SO good.
This is not possible. You don’t go from shopping Forrest to these garbage blades. CMT is paying everyone a whole lot of money
I’m not aware of cmt paying anyone. Certainly not me.
@@wittworks what?! You have discount codes!
Doesn’t mean they pay me. Cmt doesn’t know who I am.
Are there replacement blades for tracksaws?
Thanks for making this video. We have been wondering if we should buy CMT blades or diablo blades.
Thank you! For business I think it’s an easy choice. Saves money in the long run.
I started buying cmt 10 years ago
They are amazing
You were ten years ahead of the curve!
I doubt that the framing square is as accurate as the TSO GRS-16 Guide Rail Square. If yours is accurate, then you got lucky as most are not. A framing square is used when precision is not needed.
You’re right. Most aren’t accurate. I took my woodpeckers square to the store and picked the best one 🤭
I just got a 12" grizzly extreme 7-1/2hp table saw. I wish Taylor tools offered a 12 inch blade with a lower tooth count. I'll have to check CMT to see if they even offer one. I just got a Diablo 80 tooth blade and wish I would've just bought a 10" CMT from Taylor tools. Great video!
Thank you! That’s a beast. What tooth count would be ideal? I’ll ask the owner and see if he can get anything. I know cmts catalog is larger than what they have in stock on the website.
@@wittworks Thanks for the reply! I would like to have a lower count for ripping. The saw is a used saw (only a year and a half old) and the blades it came with are a high tooth count. It has a 1" arbor so that really limits my blade selection.
I asked Taylor. Until he responds, check this one out: amzn.to/38a9rK2
What I found is 12” with a 1” bore is “industrial” so that is the class of blades you have to search in.
@@wittworks Thanks! I'll check the CMT website and see what I can find. I know my saw is way overkill but for the price I got it for, I couldn't pass it up. I also didn't want to spend a lot of money on a saw and then in a couple of year's have to step up to a little bigger one. I give God the glory for the deal I got. It's a year and a half old Grizzly G0606X1 saw with both optional toolboxes, Grizzly 3 hp G0562ZP dust collection system with a bunch of pipe and blast gates along with other collection pieces, a shop fox mortise machine and a bunch of other small tools for $3,500. The last we stopped adding up the cost new was a little over $8,000. Now I'm trying to come up with a three phase converter so I can use the saw. I'm glad Matt from 731 recommend your channel. You have another subscriber and look forward to your content!
Thank you! What a deal!
So true with that Diablo packaging. Nicking is almost assured.
🩸
Great video. Is there any benefit to the ripping blades that say they are "glue line" ripping blades versus the regular 24T ripping blades?
I've had great experiences with the also Italian made Irwin Marples blades. They're right about the same price as the CMTs and Diablos, but they have a tonnn of carbide on them - very resharpenable, probably a lot like the CMTs.
I sharpen Diablo blades all the time and don't have any issue
I have used both of these on my bosch gts 10j, a somewhat under powered contractor saw for almost a decade now. CMTbis far superior than Diablo. Intially i did not know that to run a 5/8 blade i'd have to modify my flanges. Next i had to remove the riving knife to optimally use the diablo magic. And finally after a couple of visits to machinist the day came when i run some walnut on the these supposedly thin kerf glue lines and the forest whatever and i got burning on almost every cut and I had to push the walnut through with my home made push blocks or hands and had to spend a lot of force just keeping those walnut pieces on the table. At first i thought i had my riving knife on and since it was fatter than the kerf so it might be responsible. But no there was no riving knife. Next i decided to put in a zero clearance insert and made one from acrylic and this time i was certain that i'l get those clean fabled rip. But again i thought i was in battle field fighting with my saw, and when i put in a 40T general purpose forrest for a moment there was so much smoke that i thought i had lost motor on my saw. CMT was an altogether different story. I started with their router bits. They were magical. And then i thought about their orange line blades and since i had removed my riving knife i chose a seven and a quarter just to be on the safe side and man that day changed my relationship with my saw forever. It was as if we stopped fighting and made a lasting peace that continues to this day. Now I buy only CMT with a few exceptions where i buy bosch and makita specialty blades esp for my 12 makita sliding miter saw. CMT rocks.
A Big Hello from Boston!!!!! Love the few videos I have watched so far. My brother is a Graphic Artist as well. lol. But regarding the throw away Diablos, they can be resharpened! I just found out at a local high end Tool Store. They actually resharpen them for super cheap. Gave me some big explination on how and why and wow. Anyway, great job cant wait to indulge in some more of your work..........
Very cool! Go Sox! My family grew up on Cape Cod in both New Bedford and Hyannis. Go to Friendly's for me....
I'm from New Bedford!!!!! That's so funny. I say Boston because who knows New Bedford. I will share as much as possible. Good luck!
NEW BEDFID is how my mom says it
Yes that is too funny We definitely "pahk the cah in the Yahd"
@@wittworks too funny! Yes we definitely "pahk the cah in the yard here in New Befid!!! Take care keep making these great videos
I don't understand how anyone could use these disposable blades and claim they are good. I have Forrest blades on my table saw, trim saw and miter saw that are 20 years old. The Forrest service for retipping and sharpening. As for resharpening a CMT, you should send one out for $10 or $15 resharpening. That would be a great video.
Good idea! And a crap Diablo to see if they can even sharpen it. Buy once cry once.
If you have a Menard's in your area, they have CMT in the store. They are a lil bit more expensive but if you hate the ugly red on your project, then it is worth it.
I agree with your 3 blade choice
😎
Kat moses has em on sale this weekend. Gonna try one out
I can’t find a CMT full Kerf blade with flat top grind and more than 24T for joinery on the table saw. Any ideas?
Hi there
Genuine question why can't the diablo be re-ground. They aren't avaliable in the uk but look very similar to our freud blades which can be sent of to be sharpened
They can be sharpened if you find someone who can copy the angles (shouldn’t be hard if they’re a pro). Usually the carbide is thin so your sharpening would be limited.
CMT blades are outstanding. I've tried out several different brands.
Still cutting great! The full kerf orange chromes are incredible.
@@wittworks I'm a new fan of your videos. Honestly I'm not how I hadn't already came across your page. Keep up the great work!
What is the little notch in the arbor hole in the CMT blade at the 5:38 time stamp? I noticed one of mine had that and I though it was just my blade due to the saw for maybe being not tight enough or something. The blade seemed to wobble before I noticed it. That specific blade wobbles now and my old Diablo doesn’t. Do all the CMT blades you have have that same little notch
All of them have that notch and I’m not sure why. Mine don’t wobble 🤷♂️
@@wittworks thanks. I think I’ll give them another go. Maybe the blade is actually fine. Thanks for the quick reply and I love your content.
I haven't tried anything from CMT yet. I've been using Diablo for a few years now, but I'm really curious about CMT
Thanks Tim! I was the same. Diablo is okay. Mine dulled quickly. I've been using the CMT for a year and haven't had to sharpen them yet.
Not a hater, but I've used the Diablo exclusively for years and have always had them sharpened with absolutely no problems. I have many on their 3rd life, but... great videos and if Menards now has them then I'll definitely try the CMT.
Cool. Your sharpener just copy the angle? I noticed on my Diablo the carbide was much less than the cmt.
I'm not actually sure of their procedure. I use Accurate cutting technologies in indianapolis, IN. All I can say is that my blades come back with my name and tooth count laser engraved towards the center and the teeth are always dipped for protection and razor-sharp. I have had one that they called on and said that it had to little carbide to sharpen so I know that there's a line in the sand somewhere. As far as the carbide difference, I have no reason to doubt your measurements, I just hated the thought of someone tossing a pile of blades before their time. That being said, I'm not a Diablo loyalist... they have just been the best that I could drive down the road and buy; however, I've got a menards rebate sitting here with a couple of CMT blades in mind if they have them. Thanks and take care.
Sweet
Great video! I've been considering the CMT blades...you just convinced me
Thank you! I might have 7 🫣
They are stunning.... used them for 15 years and they are stunning. And their 3.2mm blades can hold to 12-15 sharpenings witch is stunning.
I have my local machinist sharpen my Diablo blades and the cut quality is better than when it was new.
You can sharpen Diablo blades as well. Many times.
When tooth count is talked about why doesn't anyone mention the tooth spacing or density between a 60 tooth 7 1/4" , 10" and 12" blade. Theoretically a 60 tooth 10" blade should cut about the same as a 80tooth 12" blade. Correct me if I am wrong.
I was able to have the diablo saw blade sharpened at a local professional sharpner. It cost a bit, but seems pretty good.
Very nice! I’ve seen some with enough carbide on them to sharpen
Yeah I hear ya I'm not beyond tryin to get the best of everything in any area of my shop, but I have a huge problem spending 150 on a blade..matt did suggest CMT to me soooooo I gotta get em maaaan...lol...thanks for upload...well done and fair....
I’m sure big Al appreciates the Mention .
you can sharpen the diablo blades, but its generally not cost effective unless you own your own setup..
Good to see you back, I hope things are going ok!
Thanks bro
Forgot to ask, real "Work" outfit at the start?
😙 it was. Only wore it on very special occasions
What service or website do you use to get the CMT blades sharpened?
I haven’t had to send them out yet to get sharpened. KatzMoses has a recommendation in the video I plugged at the very end of the video if you want to give them a try.
@@wittworks Thanks, I am excited for your next video about the Etsy track saw DIY square. It seems like a fair price if it performs well.
Thanks. It’s pretty great. Doesn’t look or feel 3D printed.
bit.ly/CentralCitySawSharpening
freud industrial, ridge carbide, fstool, and some lobster butter to clean em with is how i roll
I don’t use thin kerf blades because they’re thinner than the riving knife on my machine and could cause serious safety problems. Stick with full kerf.
How about track saw blades?