you need to revisit this subject and include Ridge and forrest

Here's a tip I found from an Australian woodworker: to avoid tear-out, no matter which of these blades you use, make TWO passes. Make the first pass with the blade set to about a 1/16th of an inch (or the thickness of the top laminate layer) to basically score the surface of the wood. Then make a second pass at your board's height to cut through the entire board. Voila! No tear-out. It works!

My sons and i really appreciate your help!

Really great video. Thanks so much. I pretty much use Forrest combination blades with great success for everything. I don't use veneer plywood through so I can't say how they would work on that material. I get a great smooth cut with Baltic birch though. The only problem I had with my Forrest blade was once after sending it to a local shop for sharpening. That was a disaster. Since then, I've been sending them back to Forrest and they come back to me like a new blade.

thanks for confirming what I've discovered over 30 years as a cabinet maker. I only use 3 blades in the shop exactly what you discribed. I have a cabinet with about 25 blades I don't need. like you said buy quality and you never look back

Excellent review. I switched to a 50T ATB-R combo blade a few months ago (from a 40T gen purpose combo) and found the improvement amazing. I've been looking for a full flat tooth blade and will have to give the Amana 610240 a try.

Thanks for the video, I ordered the Amana 610800C to use for cabinet building.

I much appreciate the information and visual on the blades. I'm still pretty new and amateur as far as woodworking goes and I've been looking at different blades for my table saw. Definitely something to consider.

Hey James, Your one of the videos had my purchase Harvey's table say before which I never knew they existed. I love it and thank you for mentioning it.

Keep up the great content! Really appreciate all your knowledge!

still learning about saw blades great video

Wow. I know this video is a little old, but based on it I bought the latest Gen Amana 40t general purpose blade. OMG! I have never had a blade that made such a difference. It did not even feel 3/4 melamine coated MDF. I stopped what I was doing and made my wife listen to my surprised accolades!!! This is phenomenal.

An interesting vid. As a rank amateur, I've always been told Freud are the ones to have. Yes the Amana are a little more expensive, but for the length of time the blades would last me with my relatively low use, I'd rather pay the extra for a superior cut. Great vid, thanks.

Great video. Clicked on one of your links to Amazon and it shows these exact Amana blades as “frequently bought together”. I guess your video is getting them a lot of sales!

...another excellent video that gets right to the point. Thank you

I use a ridge carbide flat grind 40 tooth and I have even been able to reuse it after 2 Sawstop saves my favorite blade of all time

Thanks for another great video. Really enjoy yours.

Nicely done video James !

Gracias, un video muy informativo como siempre :)

Thank you for the info this is very helpful for trying to get better results in wood working. Ps I just ordered the ridge carbide flat top blade from one of your other videos hopefully it is what I need.

Thanks for review! I'm going to get myself an Amanda blade asap!

I was about to buy a HQ combination blade but now you've got me thinking about a 40 tooth. Like other commenters below, I'd like to see how Forrest compares, CMT too for that matter.

The first Amana Tool item I bought was a rabbet bit for my router. OMFG it cuts the wood and leaves it so smooth. It was like shaving for the first time with a Gillette Mach 3 turbo for the first time. Peach fuzz smooth. They really are high quality blades no matter what it is. Amana Tool makes good everything. I have yet to try out one of the miter saw blades so in case any of you are wondering what I want for Christmas.

30+year cabinetmaker. Buying a few tools to use when I retire We used Amana blades for many years then went to Freud, especially for cutting melamine. I don’t offhand remember the number but they make the best for not chipping the bottom side. Gotta get the blade set at the exact correct height. Even the Freud Diablo blades are cheap and work ok. Nice video. Well done.

Great stuff James!

First of your videos I'm watching. Just wanted to take a minute to comment and appreciate the shop organization

James - First thanks for all your videos I find them informative as well as entertaining. I'm probably due for couple of new blades and will consider your reviews. in the mean time, what do you recommend as a blade cleaner? Are there any common household products that would do the job or is a commercial blade cleaner needed?

Very informative, thank you

I have found that my current stable of blades which consists of Forrest and Infinity are the best group of blades I have ever had. I've looked at the Freud at the famous big box store but they don't seam to have very much carbide on each tooth, so I was concerned with the longevity of a blade with such small teeth. Thanks for the side by side comparison and keep on Nubbing!!!

Thanks James, I really enjoy the content of your videos and results based reporting/advice. I was looking to follow said advice and was about to pull the trigger on an Amana 610800 40 tooth blade (slightly different than the link you provide). There was a comment in the reviews however that the size of the blade is smaller than other 10" and that it is leaves a gap between the blade and Sawstop block that is more than recommended. Was this something you encountered and is there a fix for it or is the reviewer just doing something wrong with his setup?

Stumpy, thanks for the comparison. Having a SawStop, I have not considered the Amana blade. I have reviewed the links you provided and they seem to be a good alternative. Thanks again.

Great Information, thank you very much

I have used systematic for a long time Not in business anymore I was turned on to Everlast Blades made in the USA and I am quite impressed with them so far And the pricing is very good

Thank you for this!

James - this video is 5 years old and it is still as relevant as ever. Have you done a video on cheap blades versus more expensive high-quality ones because only now am I learning the real difference? After watching your video on flat-top blades I decided to bite the bullet and spend some extra money on a good blade - maybe still cheap compared to the Amanas, but much more than the $20 Avantis. I bought the Freud 24 tooth flat top heavy-duty rip cut blade. The difference versus my cheap Avanti is amazing. Now having spent $50 on the Freud blade I, of course, wanted it to perform better so I'm probably a little biased, but so far I've been really impressed. Not only are the cuts far cleaner than other blades I own, it really seems like the blade is actually much quieter as well. The cut that my Freud blade made on a piece of door trim was actually nicer than the finished factory side. This is a piece of common board pine from Home Depot. I start to think that there may be 4 to 5 ways - or more - than high-quality expensive blades are better, cleaner cuts with fewer blade marks, less tear out, less scorching (or chance of it), and less noise. I even think that the Freud blade probably presents a smaller chance of kickback since it comes with a special coating to reduce friction. One last question - I haven't heard you mention Diablo blades. Do you own any?

Hey thanks for the review. Have you tried the next gen premier fusion blades from freud. This is hands down the best " ONE BLADE " I have ever used. hard wood, soft wood , veneer ply , melamine, mdf , hardboard, it doesn't matter clean cut top and bottom use a zero clearance insert for even better results. not the best for +1.5 hardwood ripping but gets it done well. again the best multi purpose blade I have ever used. I have the thin kerf model but will be trying the full kerf version when I have to get the other one sharpened. The blade has been in use for about 18 monthes now and while performance has dropped of a bit lately ( time for sharpening ) I'm amazed at how well its holding up. I got mine on for $ 40 at a local surplus store ( score!!!) but they are available on line for between 70 and 100 usd.

I really enjoyed your video, it was very informative and educational. in Frame 2:07 you mentioned how a 40 tooth blade will leave "Splinters" on plywood. Would it be helpful to run masking tape along the line where your going to make the cut, to eliminate "Splinters" ?

Pretty good review. Just what I needed.

Nice Nubs, I enjoyed this content.

Great video! What would you recommend for cross cutting 4x4 PT posts on a miter saw? Or would it be the same for s table saw and a 40T Gen purpose would work?

James....the grit size of the diamond blade that is used to sharpen each tooth determines the smoothness of the cut, together with the number of teeth as you quite rightly pointed out. If you are having a blade resharpened, enquire as to whether the sharpening outfit will do a 600 grit finish or higher. Also , whether a blade has been 'tensioned' or not will affect wobble and chatter, and therefore the finished cut will be impacted. The higher end the blade, the better the finish usually. Speaking as a manufacturer of blades before I retired, might I respectfully ask what grit sizes were used in these blades, if you know?

Just recently had an 'activation' on my SawStop and needed another blade. I had a Freud (general purpose) on when the activation occurred and decided to replace with the same. I really wish I had known more about the Amana blades. I probably would have gone in that direction had I watched your video prior to my purchase. I will definitely give them a consideration in the future. Thanks for this comparison video!!!

Great blade review James. I am retired and make Hardwood Endgrain cutting boards mostly for Las Vegas Craftshows and have only used a generic 90T chopsaw blade and 40T and 80T Harbor Freight blades. After your review I believe my next blade will be the Amana 40T and see what results I get, even though I have only spent a max of $40 on the 90T. Looking forward to your Journal !

I bought the Amana 24T ripping blade hoping for a glue-up ready rips. My old 50T Diablo framing blade produces better results. I will still be able to use it for flat bottom cuts such as dados, splines, etc. but not much else. Still looking for a good glue-up quality ripping blade.

John here thanks help a lot and do like your shop back ground look. Retired last Jan. Got my old shop back in order and making alittle of everything lol, do to mom a lol.

Good to know information.

Hi James, excellent video as usual! I'm sixty, but a newbie at this. Please do comment about abrasive disk for cutting wood. I have a couple of them and work fine for me, especially with melaminated stuff. Certainly they don't do splints, but a fine powder like flour, and the cut is very clean. Sorry for my english. Néstor from Argentina.

What I need from a blade is for it not to wobble when taking off that second less then paper thick cut on hardwood.

Nice looking shop

I would like to see the Amana vs Forrest.

thank you stumpy

I milled Northern Calif Black Walnut from my backyard. It's 5 yrs old and recently I cut it 3" thick, 6 slabs. I am making a fireplace mantle and want a Razor Sharp cut. Price, feed rate (FPS) is not important. I want impeccable cuts. I have a new 10" skilsaw table saw..... and a 7 1/4" worm drive Milwauki

Freud make a great 40 tooth blade that you should have compared with the other 40th blades. It is the P410. Also sawstop is not a blade company. They are just having their name put on a blade.

What's your thoughts on different blades with numerous jigs? Let's say you set your jig(s) up with a thin kerf blade and then you need to use that jig but need to use a thicker kerf blade for whatever reason. Would that not throw off your cut and/or widen the kerf line that we reference on our jigs? Also would different kerf blades throw off the measurements when using the tapes on the table saw?

i am getting ready to rip a bunch of cherry.maple.hickory.oak and grey elm.for my floors.this will help me a lot.i been useing dewalt blades.not to bad.but i want better.but do you notice any flexing in any of these blades or would it be better to use a stiffener with these. ty great vid.

I really like this vid...thanks for posting. Question for you though...The Amana 40 tooth blade claims a .134" kerf. Seems like an odd size to me. My table saw (Grizzly G0691) has a .125" riving knife and they don't sell any other sizes. I know using a thin kerf blade with that riving knife won't work, but is there any reason that the slightly larger blade width would be an issue? In the end that is like 9 thousandths of an inch different and that is split on both sides of the riving knife....is that going to decrease it's effectiveness? Any thoughts or experience you had with it would be appreciated. Thanks!

How do those coated blades work in sawstop are they preventing sawstop to detect contact with skin?

I am not surprised that Amana produced good quality blades. They have been making high grade tooling for a very long time.

Great work and some good information It would be nice if you could give a followup in a few months with the amount of wood cut and the finish then. That would give an estimate of $ per sq in of material cut.

I just ordered a Freud glue line blade. Will my fence still be an accurate measurement with no kerf blade? I’m new to woodworking and was wondering that about this blade. Maybe you have a video about different blades and kerf but I couldn’t find one. You are my new favorite channel.

I had just ordered the thin nerf 10"x24 FT Freud blade ( LU87RO10 ) like a hour before watching your video its only $40.99 and I am hoping that it will work on some 8/4 poplar that I have to make a 2" dado cut on.

I decided to give the amana 40 tooth blade a try and unfortunately mine leaves alot of saw marks when ripping compared to all of my Freud blades. I also purchases the amana 80 tooth melamine blade and is comparable to my freud cabinet saw blade for saw marks. A little bit better than the 40 tooth. I have found the best blade I have used for smooth rip cuts is Freud 24 tooth thin kerf.

Thanks for the recommendation Stumpy Nubs! I've got them marked for future purchase.

Freud has a fusion 40 tooth blade that is the best I have ever seen

nice one Stumpy

I have a few frued, but about 1 1/2 years ago I tryed the oshlun blades off amazon and if you wan't bank for buck I recomend. I would like to know your thoughts if you have used them. frued blades cost double the mony but the cut is as nice on both.

This is great content James, can you test the olson dado against the frued dado. They are both around $90 and I suspect the olson is the better buy.

Opinions on thin vs full kerf? I have a DeWalt 7491RS and got the 60T full kerf (3mm) blade. The cut is really nice, but I need to use quite a bit of force to make the cuts. Is the saw under powered for a full kerf blade?

Surprised you didn't use Freud's new fusion p410. Got one over the old type and it cuts super smooth (40T combo)

I just got 60 tooth blade, the idea is to split the difference b/w 40 and 80 tooth blades. I haven't used it yet, though.

Wow and I thought I was "Stepping up" when I started using Diablo blades.

WEN on Amazon . Use till dull and make a shop clock . $12-15 and the cut was better than the hi dollar blades. The last 80 tooth 12 inch I used for the miter saw lasted 5 months , 12.00 and tossed it in the recycling

In your opinion, which brand of blade is best for melamine. I have been using the Amana 10800C hi ABT. The 10800 I found is not the same cut although basically the same blade.

Thanks for your post on blades. I still refer to it in growing my understanding of blades. I'm also interested in blades with low noise. Do you have any data on the blades you have used to show which is quieter?

what a great informative video. new subscriber and fan. great job. look forward to your videos and emails. from a fellow maker

Do you cover cutting MDF in another video? If so, I haven't found it. Or do you think the same blade can be used for both plywood and MDF?

hey Stumpy do you recommend Rockler for blade shopping or Amazon? just curious.

Hope you made a few bucks, I used your links to get the blades. Great video as always!

So my question after watching this and the other "flat kerf" video of yours is do I need a 24T ATB blade AND and 24T flat kerf? Why wouldn't someone use the flat kerf blade for all ripping?

Great video. However, I am looking for a blade I could buy at a box store like Home Depot or Lowes. Are Diablo blades good or should I order online?

Amana is a high quality company , I have an Amana air conditioner when I turn it off it takes 45 seconds for the fan to stop , ball bearings

As technology has improved so have saw blades. What is the possibility to do a retake on this video and demo some of the newer blades from these manufactures? Such as the Amana MB10800C Electro-Blu, CMT Blades, Forrest Blades, Freud. (Personal Note there on the Freud I had a tooth fly off a dado stack from Freud and the company gave me a new stack set on arrival of the old set to their test factory. ) Still have it and still in use but I am always wary of it now. Also it would be nice to know the longevity of a manufactures blade and how many re-sharpening an blade can do.

Hi Stumpy. I just bought a Table saw and I thought I had a non thin kerf blade, but when I measured it....it measured, it was 3/32" kerf. I purchased a Rdigid R4518T table saw. What blade do you think is best for this saw? I primarily use 3/4"plywood. Looking forward to your reply. Mark!

Sorry James! I deleted my comment (and your reply with it) about the Amana ATBR blade, because not long after posting, I learned exactly what you said -- that the kerf is not perfectly flat with these blades, as the raker tooth is a bit lower than the beveled teeth. Thanks for the response!

I'm using my father's 8" delta table saw that he bought in the late 40"s. What 8" blades do you recommend?

Funny, I just bought the 30t glue line rip and I am starting to think that I don't need the added investment of a more expensive Amana 40t general purpose blade as I already own a freud crosscut blade.

I love your channel

Nice information James I think you did a out standing job. Have ever put outa blade sharpening post I haven't seen it so I'm just asking

Have you updated this test recently? Are there new advancements in blade technology or new blades introduced since 2016 which may change your recommendations?

My forrest #40 is almost that old- price per year counts too. I have a newer CMT, #50 , it's nice too, but it doesn't 'sing' like the Forrest. .

You should try the Amana black mamba blades and make a video on them

I never knew that all blades can be so different? Do they (the manufacturer’s) make grades of blades that compete against their own blades? I'm making guitars at home. What cuts hardwood's the best? Thank you for your advice.

look into Leitz blades there geeat blade at good prices. 50-60 for a 50 tooth combo

I bought a Diablo 254mm 10" 40 Teeth General Purpose blade and it started flexing upto 5mm as soon as I started the saw. All other blades seem fine???

James, regarding the Freud blades (which I've used on my Sawstop for 6 years...), I just noticed in my manual that they say "Blades with depth-limiting shoulders may take longer to stop in the event of an accident than standard blades, and you could receive a more serious injury. Therefore, SawStop recommends using blades without depth-limiting shoulders." Are the Freud blades what they are referring to?

I wish you would have included Oldham blades. They seem too cheap to be good but I've seen a bunch of good reviews on Home Depot.

Amana's website lists the following measurements for the PR1040C: Kerf = 0.134" (3.4mm) Plate (body) = .102 (2.6mm) Is this accurate? ...Is this blade thicker than standard 1/8" kerf? I'm concerned about the PR1040C being too much blade for my riving knife, and maybe the 13 amp (1.5 - 2hp) motor. My knife is .09375" and recommends a maximum blade plate (body) thickness of 0.073". Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Do you ever use FS tool blades

Any tungsten carbide tipped blades?

Have you ever tried and tested Forrest blades?