Best Table Saw Blade for Woodworking
Best Table Saw Blade for Woodworking
I compare the $150 Forrest blade to the $65 CMT blade in this challenge video. The last video I made compared a Diablo blade to the Forrest and a lot of people thought it was an unfair comparison due to the tooth count and blade kept. Now we have two 40 tooth, full kerf blades for this blade vs blade challenge. Who will come out on top? Amazon and other affiliate links used in this description. Affiliate links help support our channel and cost you nothing extra.
*Videos To Watch Next*
Original Blade vs Blade Video: https://youtu.be/ULNK2mYb8zs
Cross Cut Sled Build Video: https://youtu.be/0jzCwjDzUg0
Katz-Moses Blade Sharpening Video: https://youtu.be/OSXacCeEZu4
PLANS and MERCH: https://www.731woodworks.com/store
*Products I Use and Recommend*
40 Tooth CMT Blade (USE CODE 731CMT10 to save 10%): https://lddy.no/10rm2
40 Tooth Forrest Blade: https://amzn.to/3jBrEDK
CMT Miter Saw Blade I Use: https://lddy.no/z1ts
Katz-Moses Stop Blocks: https://lddy.no/z1th
Diablo Blade Mentioned in Video: https://amzn.to/3gS5g6W
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0:00 Intro
0:59 Explanation of Woods Being Cut
1:49 Rip Cuts Using Both Blades
3:46 Cutting Explanation
4:04 Rip Cut Results
7:16 Cross Cuts Using Both Blades
7:54 Cross Cut Results
9:19 Final Results of the Challenge
9:56 Power Tip Time
10:48 How To Support 731 Woodworks
I have a Woodworker 2 only because it was reduced to $100 I have Ridge carbide I got for around $75 and an Amana A.G.E. that was on Clearance for $35 (normally $80ish) I like all of them, if I had to pay full price for all of these, I would have either Diablo, Bosch, CMT and actually the Saw Stop 40 tooth wasn’t all bad, Might have to change them out sooner but oh well. Great video!!! I’ve been wood working since I was 13 and now I’m getting dangerously close to 60 Better tools, but still kind of conservative when it comes to spending $$$ on expendables
My problem is Lowe’s doesn’t sell any decent blades. When I happened to be near a Home Depot I made a point of getting a new Diablo blade.
Get 10% OFF the 40 Tooth CMT Blade by using code 731CMT10 here: https://lddy.no/10rm2
Test them after 5000′ of cutting same product. That will give you a better comparison.
20yrs AND STILL GOING!!!
I’ve been using Leitz blades for over twenty years. I own two combination blades and one crosscut. They have been sharpened probably three times each and still have at least that many left. I clean them with oven cleaner about once a month. I think I have been using the combination blade that is in my General 350 for about two years and it’s getting close to sharpened time. I don’t know what it cost now but the last time I had one sharpened it was $7 for a flat rate padded envelope and $12 to sharpen it. No stamped out blade will last this long. Here is a link to how they are made.
https://youtu.be/pkIYJPHhC6Y
My concern is not the quality of the blades. They are rip blades and crosscutting should not be a factor plus they are not designed for plywood. As soon as my new shop is done I will do a test with a CMT and a World’s Best™ saw blades that are manufactured with a special Cermet II tip blade from Carbide Processors. I am not a fan of Forrest. I’ve been using blades for 50 years. The best blades ever were Systematic. (no longer around) but there is also Popular Tool blades. Look outside the highly publicized blades and you will find better blades and Industrial blades are not more expensive and are better.
This guy’s content is poor. I wasn’t going to comment on his videos, but since he framed others’ criticisms as people being ‘triggered,’ I changed my mind. In the video I watched before this he compared Diablo and CMT blades. On the crosscut the only thing he looked at was the cut at the back. He just looked at the tear-out and never considered the face of the cut, which is very important. That’s pretty basic. Worse, when discussing the carbide, he simply compared the carbide teeth by how they felt and looked. He couldn’t be bothered to do a little research and find out what carbide they were using. Not all carbide is the same. And the quality of his other videos is similar. This is just another lazy YouTuber trying to build his ego and his wallet
I don’t spend the money for the Forrest blades. I do spend the money for the Ridge Carbide saw blades. I thought your test was a very fair head to head comparison.
India available please blade
I also was given a forrest2 blade as a gift. since im not rich i tend to be stingy with money and am always looking for quality at a low price. for the past 6 yrs ive been in the construction/remodel feild as well as a small woodworking business on the side. i love me some diablo and cmt . in the cmt genre i have a 24t, 40t, 60t and 80t as well as a few diablos and i always buy the industrial ones as i just happen to own Matthias Wandel’s blade sharpening jig i don’t even have to send them out to be sharpened
I use and love cmt
Good Comparison Brother Matt – most high-end woodworker professionals may see the difference, the rest of us that love the sawdust glitter likely would not, and you nicely showed us that. I haven’t had my new SS table saw lone enough to dull a blade so I couldn’t compare the sharpening aspect, luckily I have a good sharpening professional locally in town. I like how you have Johnathan’s stop blocks on your sled, I have one guess I should pop over and get another before I build my sled.
Matt, first of all nice video. All your videos are both informative and entertaining. For us part time woodworkers getting the best value for our dollar is important. I think the test was fair. I have seen others recommend CMT. If I ever go full time as a woodworker I will probably buy the Forrest. Until then I will be getting a CMT. I have never sharpened a table saw blade. I don’t expect to. I would like you to post how long the CMT blade stays sharp. New blades should be about the same. How about after 6 months.
JKM said they are on sale for 50% off as of 12-26-21.
Thanks for the review, they are now a must buy.
Are these both new blades? Would the CMT stay as sharp as long? Just asking.
I missed the details of the comparison cause I was so distracted by the shirt. Im guessin you’re wearing your evangelical patch (on your chest)? Faith is belief without reason. Belief from hope is something else. Hope is what you have when you have nothing else left.
I would select Diablo in the first, and CMT in the Second. Never had a Contractor style saw, but I really would like to have one. I believe both were fair
Here’s a thought, what do you use when you send the Forrest blade out to be sharpened? Does that mean you buy two Forrest blades or a Forest and a CMT/Dablo blade to use while the Forrest its out being sharpened? Total cost of ownership may be an item to consider as well.
Also consider what type of woodworking you do. Mine is using mostly plywood, so a Fine or Ultrafine high tooth count blade works the best for the few cuts I make on the table saw with my cross cut sled. Everything else is usually done with my track saw.
I’m in the same camp that you and Jonathan Katz-Moses are in. I like CMT blades, and their router bits A LOT. I also like Spyder blades. Having said all that, I haven’t really spent a ton of time browsing my local hardwood store, so thank you for showing chechen in this video. I think I already have a few projects in mind for it.
CMT all the way. There comes a time when you’re just paying for a name.
Johnathon Katz-Moses agrees with your assessment that there’s essentially zero difference between the cut quality of the CMT and the Forrest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItaxJMBmsOg
731,
I wanted to let you know I enjoy watching your woodworking videos and they have even move me to purchase some items you recommend. so thank you. I recently took your advice and made a purchase with "Tayler Toolworks" One of the three blades I purchased broke on the first use. three or four teeth broke off while starting a cut on a new never used 2×4. There was a knot in the wood but I gave it no thought. The saw popped and the blade boke. When I reached out to Tayler Toolworks support I got a reply 5 days later stating this was an unusual issue and he pushed up the latter for a review. Two days later I got a reply from a Mike Tayler and in short he clamed this couldn’t happen and would not cover or replaced the blade. To me Mike Tayler call me a liar. So please review closely who you recommend. Because of your video and the trust I put in your word I ordered three blades totaling $154.17 of which $52.17 was wasted. Keep up the good work and I will continue to watch your videos but please watch who you recommend as many people haver trust in what you say. Stay away from Tayler Toolworks. They love your money and that’s were it stops.
Hello from Conway! Glad to find your channel.
Revisit this subject in a year. Use them both as equally as possible and see where they stand. I would love to see.
I do NOT see and cannot find a “ BELL” icon on your site .., I can only see the subscribe word to click on.
I have been using the OEM 40T blade on my saw for 2-1/2 years without any complaints. Now I’m using this 40T CMT blade and I am seeing cleaner cuts. I’m very happy with the CMT blades performance and Taylor Tools have on sale for about $45. Cant go wrong with this blade.
Will one last longer?
Very good test, thank you so much. I just bought a Grizzly G0623X and now I’m looking for some saw blades.
You just saved me a lot of dough sir. Thank you for the vid
This is basically the Sunk Cost Fallacy, aka Festool argument. "I spent 320% more then the peasants, it must be 320% better."
Sometime times it is, but many times it is not.
I was critical of your last video but didn’t think it necessary to comment. Good on you that you took it in stride and put together a solid comparison. Great video!
Just my 2c, but having tripped my SawStop 3 times in the 5 years I’ve had it I’d rather sacrifice a CMT or Diablo blade than an Forest that costs 2-3 times as much which helps the mental pain for being so stupid for doing so in the 1st place; love your honesty 🙂
The Forest makes sense for a commercial shop that is willing to re sharpen blades. There’s so much more carbide on the Forest for many more sharpenings. Please stop using the saw stop push stick and use the wooden one that presses the wood down to the table.
Great video Matt, thanks for the test. I hope your Sawstop PCS came with a decent miter gauge. I just bought a Sawstop Jobsite Pro and the miter gauge they included was a throw away item.
Been using the CMT blade thin kerf 50T on my Sawstop, cuts amazing. Also got the 8 inch CMT finger and joint blade set they also cut amazing and nice flat dados.
I’d like to see a comparison on CMT vs Freud blades.
You need to do a CMT vs Diablo video next. I’ve been using Diablo blade’s for several years now. Never used the CMT.
Great video. Maybe would’ve been nice to measure the amount of carbide on CMT vs Forrest.
I just got the CMT Orange blade from Taytools before I saw this video. They had a huge sale on them (60% off of memory serves). I have been extremely impressed how much nicer it is than my old budget blade. I didn’t expect to see that much of a difference. And with the sale, it was the same price!
Hmm, I use Forrest blades and have some Freud industrial blades also, got one CMT blade, they all cut wood! 😂🤷🏻♂️
I don’t really underatand the love for CMT blades. I bought a CMT 24 tooth, full kerf rip blade to use while my Freud 24 tooth full kerf rip was being sharpened. The CMT was dull after 1 project. I was going to get it sharpened, but it had less than half the Carbide as my Freud. So I paid more for half the carbide, and lower quality
What happens with a blade with more teeth?
Only hobby nerds get bent out of shape over this stuff.
Good test thank you. I have CMT Blades and have loved them. I liked them so much I bought the CMT forstner bits, and have loved them as well.
VERY FAIR
Thanks Matt for the review! I just found your channel recently and have enjoyed your videos. I also have the exact same SawStop TS and decided to purchase the CMT blade based on your video! Keep it up man✌🏻
Great review. Thanks Matt!!
You did not address the smoothness of the face of the cut on the edge of the board. We’re there any cut marks and how smooth was the surface?
Forrest is overpriced. Period
I love thick stiff blades…not thin kerf