Forrest WWII blade, is it really worth it?

[ryan.s]

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a new Forrest WWII TK Blade. I've read all the reviews and so far most everyone swears by this blade. The only thing of course is the cost. I could probably pick up 2 or 3 freud blades for the price. Is the blade really worth it? I'm a weekend woodworker and definitely don't make my living from my projects. Come to think of it my project as of late has been buying tools instead of making stuff out of wood. Anyhow I'd appreciate some feedback from those of who have tried Forrest blades as well as those who have not. Thanks.

[Lorax]

Amazon sells them for $81 but they are temporarily out of stock.:(



How's that compare to the prices you've seen?

[ryan.s]

That's where I saw them. I'm debating if I should pick up a couple of the Freud TK406 blades which are on sale for about $25.00 instead. Have you used either of these blades?

[Lorax]

I prefer a full kerf. This is the one I use. It really does make mirror smooth cuts.

https://secure5.nexternal.com/acetool/images/fre-LM72M010.gif

[ryan.s]

Well it looks like the Freud blades are back to their normal price. I had a couple in my amazon cart and they all went back up in price. I guess I should seriously consider the Forrest Blade instead now.

[ba-doyn]

I have two WWII blades and can't say enough good things about them. If you can snatch them up for $80+, do it.

Michael

[nobunaga-sama]

Being new to this and all, i have the same questions as Ryan.
Is the carbide THAT much better than other quality blades? What is it that justifies that cost? Will i purchase/have sharpened far fewer times with the WWII than other blades?
Longevity is the only attribute that i can see that would make me want to give up that much money.
Please someone educate me on this. :confused:

[Lorax]

Longevity is only part of it. There are different cutter angles (rake) for different applications (table saw, miter saw, radial arm saw, etc.) and different blades with different number of teeth for different cuts (crosscut, rips, plywood, laminate, etc.) For starters, a good quality carbide tipped combination blade will do a lot. Here is a start on our education.

http://www.taunton.com/FWN/ToolGuide/ToolGuideAllAbout.aspx?id=3015

http://www.taunton.com/FWN/ToolGuide/ToolguideDirectory.aspx?dir=Saw+Blades

A little more googling will probably find a lot more info.

Gary

[nobunaga-sama]

Thanks for the info L... :cool:

But, is the finish that the WWII creates twice and good as what your Freud?
And would i NEED the finish to be THAT good on my cuts?
Believe it or not, i'm not trying to be a smartalic about this :eek: (I know, but just this once)
I just don't understand the justification of that kind of cost.
When you have $100 in your hand to spend on anything woodworking... Why should i spend it on ONE 10" saw blade? :confused:

Come on - bring me the knowledge!

[VASandy]

As I can tell (WARNING: NEWBIE OPINION), the quality of the saw blade and the smoothness of the cut determines how much finish time you'll need. In other words, if you're cutting say a face frame for a cabinet, you'll want a nice smooth surface. Of course, you can use a jointer or a planer to achieve a very smooth surface on the cut, but that's an extra step. If the initial cut is really smooth and free of cut marks, you might be able to skip the planing step, or at least not have to plane so much off the board.

I may not have captured all of the reasons, but to me, that's the most important.

[hewood]

I was really fortunate to receive a Forrest WWII 40T TK as a gift a couple of years back. At the time I had a very good Freud LU84 50T combo blade. The Forrest simply cut cleaner on every type of cut and material, plus the it allowed a faster feedrate, and stayed sharp a long time. Had I not received it as a gift, I would have balked at spending that much money, but after using it I wouldn't hesitate to replace if needed. The blade is an absolute pleasure to use, and being that it's a hobby, it's nice to enjoy using something so much.

If you decide against the Forrest, I'd suggest getting something from Freud's "L" series as they're a step above the "TK/Avanti" and "Diablo" series. The LU86R010 40T is a good general purpose blade, and the LU88R010 is a 60T blade that should give some advantages over the TK406...it's only about $6 more, and the LU86 might be cheaper.

[nobunaga-sama]

Thanks for the "Warning" Sandy :p
And thanks hewood. That puts it in the light i was looking for.
There HAS to be more than JUST finish quality to justify over twice the cost.
Higher finish, longer life and faster cutting rates than the blades that are half the cost can justify the greater expense. At least as long as we are talking about a large enough increase in the above parameters... Boy, that sounded geeky :rolleyes:
Anyway, thanks guys (yeah, even you Lorax :p ) for the input.
hewood you put a pretty convincing sell on the WWII. I MAY even consider giving up my "Precious" (spoken in the voice of Gollum) woodworking cash for one.... "MUST... FIGHT... URGE... TO... BUY... 10... $10... BLADES!... :eek:
:p

[ryan.s]

Well I took the plunge. Ordered the WWII TK from amazon along with a new impact kit. Thanks for the comments guys. I definitely helped with the decision making process. It looks like the blade is on back order. I will be sure to post my personal opinions about the cut quality after using it. Not sure how valuable that will be since I've used nothing but he OEM on the 3650 and cheaper blades on my other craftsman TS. Thanks.

[woodslayer]

I have the WWII (full kerf) and the Freud LU84R010 and the Forest definitely produces a superior cut but not even close to twice as good, although that’s a rather difficult parameter to define. The one place that I have noticed that the WWII excels appreciably is the edge left on veneered plywood, absolutely no tear-out.

Woodslayer

[hewood]

Well I took the plunge. Ordered the WWII TK from amazon along with a new impact kit. Thanks for the comments guys. I definitely helped with the decision making process. It looks like the blade is on back order. I will be sure to post my personal opinions about the cut quality after using it. Not sure how valuable that will be since I've used nothing but he OEM on the 3650 and cheaper blades on my other craftsman TS. Thanks.

Hopefully you'll be as happy as most of us are. If not, I've read that Forrest will buy it back from you...not positive, and am not sure how it works. You'll find it money well spent if you're as pleased as I am.

[Criz]

I love mine - just a hobbyist myself. I talked to all the woodworkers I could find ( especially the older ones... ;) ) to see what the most cost effective tool purchases would be, this was at the top of their lists. Mine's been a joy. Just be sure to clean it regularly to keep the tear out in check - pine and cedar do tend to build up and mess with the cut.

[nobunaga-sama]

Then you talked to Lorax i take it?...;)

[Criz]

Then you talked to Lorax i take it?...;)

My criteria was: old enough to be retired, can still count to 10, and technology illiterate... ;)

[ironhat]

A bit of a lame post (yea, nothing's changed) but I bought a Freud combo at HD on sale for around $50 - sorry I don't have the # in mind. I *never* saw junk on my saw... *never*!! This blade has thrown 2 carbide teeth and several are chipped on the cutting tip. You would think that I ran some scrap with nails in it through the saw. I even asked the wife if one of the sons-in-law has stopped by to use it. Nope. Having never heard any complaints about Freuds blades I'm going to assume that I got a bum blade. My real point isn't to slam Freud but to say that it would be hard to imagine a smoother cut but, then again, I've never had a Forrester. It's kind of like the tool that you said you'd never bother to own but once used you can't imagine being without it. I'm in for a WWII when my next ship comes in.
Later,
Chiz

[Lorax]

Chiz,
If you contact Freud CS, I can just about guarantee they'll take care of you. Great folks.

[ironhat]

Really?!?! Worth a try. Thanks for that. I'll check the website for contact.

EDIT: E-mail sent to them.

[dieselgg]

I just want to be sure .... is the Forrest WWII blade fine for all table saws, more specifically for contractor saws under 2HP like the TS3650.

[skipsax]

I just want to be sure .... is the Forrest WWII blade fine for all table saws, more specifically for contractor saws under 2HP like the TS3650.

I purchased my WWII thin kerf for use with my 3650 and it was CLEARLY one of the best $80 I have spent on woodworking.

Like many, I have purchased or received my fair share of Black and Decker, Ryobi, Skill and other inexpensive tools. Even though my shop time is very intermittent and limited by work obligations, I am trying to discipline myself to only buying tools of genuine quality.

You will never regret buying something of quality, whether you use it everyday or just when you need it.
2¢

[dieselgg]

Out of curiosity, have you ever used the Freud LU84 or LU88 blades before and if so how did you like them?

[BadgerDave]

I've been running a Freud LU84R011 on my saw almost since the day I purchased it. I can truthfully say that the only times I've ever had any issues with the blade not performing flawlessly can be traced directly to operator error. I prefer a full kerf blade but many prefer thin kerf blades for saws with motors 1-1/2 HP and smaller. BTW, if it's still going on, Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU84R011-50-Tooth-Combination-Blade/dp/B0000225V8/sr=8-1/qid=1167505317/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2938200-0367966?ie=UTF8&s=hi) is currently having a sale on the LU84R011 for $39.99 freight paid and they'll even throw in a stabilizer for that price. Read the part on the Amazon page about "Promotions".

[skipsax]

Out of curiosity, have you ever used the Freud LU84 or LU88 blades before and if so how did you like them?

No, I went right from using the ridgid stock blade for a few projects to the WWII. I DO consider Freud products to be of very high quality as a general rule. I'm sure the Freud will be worth every penny you spend.

[hewood]

Out of curiosity, have you ever used the Freud LU84 or LU88 blades before and if so how did you like them?

The LU84 was my first "good" blade...it made a huge difference over the junk I'd been using. The WWII was my 2nd good blade, and it does cut noticeably cleaner than even the LU84, but both will provide glueline cuts. The WWII is available in full or thin kerf which is easier on the motor. It's a great all around blade. There is a TK version of the LU84 called the LU83 if that's the type blade you want.

The LU88 is another one of my favorites...it was real brow raiser and a very pleasant surprise. It's labeled as a crosscut blade but it's about as versatile as the WWII but in a slightly different thickness range. It cuts a tad cleaner than the WWII, and even rips well to about 6/4" in hardwoods...the WWII is slightly more aggressive on rips and does well to about 8/4" hardwoods. If you cut woods that are mostly 6/4" or under, or alot of veneered plywood, the LU88 does slightly better and offers more bang for the buck IMHO. If you rip alot of fairly thick wood, the WWII might serve better. Either way it's a good idea to get a decent 24T ripper for really thick or heavy ripping tasks. (LU87, DW7124TK, Infinity, Leitz, etc.) The combination of the LU88 and LU87 is a killer match on most saws < 2hp.

http://www.epinions.com/content_226312687236
http://www.epinions.com/content_145552674436
http://www.epinions.com/content_147387551364

[Bob D.]

I'm curious what everyone thinks of the Ridgid blades (http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Titanium-Coated-Saw-Blades). Not the stock (or is that clock quality) blade that comes with the saw, but the gold blades that retail for around $45 to $60 in 10" size. I think someone mentioned that these were made for Ridgid by Freud, is that true?

[hewood]

I'm curious what everyone thinks of the Ridgid blades (http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Titanium-Coated-Saw-Blades). Not the stock (or is that clock quality) blade that comes with the saw, but the gold blades that retail for around $45 to $60 in 10" size. I think someone mentioned that these were made for Ridgid by Freud, is that true?

The Ridgid blade I tried was pretty good and I hear good things from others about them. AFAIK, they're made by Freud, and from what I can tell they're comparable to the entry level Freud Diablo and TK/Avanti series blades. If the Ridgid blades are discounted, they're a good buy IMO, but at regular retail, I think the Freud Industrial series offers better performance and longevity for just a few bucks more.

[rocky brown]

i just switched from a freud lu88 to a dewalt dw7657 on my 3650 and i'm very happy. the freud is a smoother crosscut but i didn't like the deflection i was getting with the thin kerf, and the dewalt is nearly as smooth and just eats through everything i've thrown at it.

rb

oh- and the dewalt "sounds better".

[MrZ]

I've been running a Freud LU84R011 on my saw almost since the day I purchased it. I can truthfully say that the only times I've ever had any issues with the blade not performing flawlessly can be traced directly to operator error. I prefer a full kerf blade but many prefer thin kerf blades for saws with motors 1-1/2 HP and smaller. BTW, if it's still going on, Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU84R011-50-Tooth-Combination-Blade/dp/B0000225V8/sr=8-1/qid=1167505317/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2938200-0367966?ie=UTF8&s=hi) is currently having a sale on the LU84R011 for $39.99 freight paid and they'll even throw in a stabilizer for that price. Read the part on the Amazon page about "Promotions".

Hey Badgerdave,

Thanks for the Amazon Link. I use a WWII, but for $39.99 I couldn't resist.

[BadgerDave]

Glad you found it helpful.