When it comes to making the most out your miter saw, you should pay attention to what circular blade you will be using. Luckily, the market is filled with a variety of blades to fit every possible need, so much so that choosing the right blade has become difficult.
However, because these combinations decide the quality of the output and the cuts you make, you need to choose the best blade for your requirements.
Not only will this benefit your output but also your miter saw. A good blade will:
- Efficiently cut wood or other surfaces you want to cut, making cutting time faster and the surface smoother and cleaner.
- Save your miter saw’s motor from early damage, a blade that runs through surfaces effortlessly will waste less heat energy and will cut substances more effectively with lesser chances of being worn out.
- Ensure safety, through all your tasks a good working blade will cause less friction and less chances of getting out of control.
Best Characteristics Of How To Choose The Best Miter Saw Blade
Experts have a lot to say on what makes a miter saw blade perfect. There are a lot of ideas and perspectives out there, and we have condensed them into four major sections for your convenience. These will allow you to choose the best blade for your requirements.
Size:
The most basic aspect of your blade is the size of it. Firstly, you need to check your machine or the manual that came along with it, it will contain the appropriate size of the bore for your miter saw blade.
Next you need to choose the diameter of the blade. This will depend on what guard you have on your machine, and you will need to get a blade with a diameter compatible with the guard. To ensure safety, go with the diameter mentioned by the manufacturers on the manual.
Finally, the thickness of the blade. The thickness will determine the width of the cut you make, so this is crucial. For precision work, narrow blades are recommended and vice versa.
All recommendations for the sizes will be provided by the manufacturers.
Tooth Count:
Now the toot count is a tricky area, there are different schools of thought on which one is the best, a 60 count or a 24. In spite of the differing opinions, there is no definite answer to this question because the tooth count comes boiling down to what type of cut you want and what type of substance you will be cutting.
Around 24:
This blade is called a ripping blade and is ideal for rip cutting on natural wood. With a lesser tooth count, there is a larger surface area between two teeth which will allow the blade to cut through larger volumes more easily and smoothly.
Between 60-80:
This blade is called a cross cutting blade and can be used for multiple works. It can be used for cross cutting natural wood, cross cutting or rip cutting softer man-made materials such as plywood, fiberboards or chipboards. This blade is specifically chosen for these tasks because of its high tooth count which causes a much finer cut. Shorter tasks with higher precision are where we get to use this blade.
Between 40-50:
This blade is called a combinational blade. It does exactly what its obvious name suggests, it can be used for both, rip cutting or cross cutting. If you do not like to own two different blades or changing them is hectic for you, this is an exciting alternate possibility. However, it is not the ideal blade to deliver the desired results for either of the two cuts. The 40-50 count is an average of the 24 and the 80 count which is why it is applicable for both but not best for either of the cuts.
Hook Angle:
Hook angle is an important aspect to consider. Higher angles like 20° will result in a very aggressive cut. However, for our miter saw blades lower levels between -7° and +5° are ideal to prevent them from a fast feed rate.
Tooth Geometry:
The geometry is the next step in choosing the right miter saw blade. In total there are 5 different types of tooth geometry, Flat top which is used on ripping blades to ease cutting, Alternative Top Bevel which is used for smoother cuts on natural wood, High Alternate Top Bevel which is used to cut surfaces vulnerable to chipping.
There are differing opinions on which geometry is the best, but some experts do agree that Triple Chip Grind (TCG) is the best because of the fact that it gives a smooth fluidity to the cutting experience and can cut both solid wood and Aluminum type surfaces.
Laser Cut Or Stamped Blade:
Last but not the least, the manufacturing of the blade. This is an important section to consider because of how significantly it affects your blade’s performance.
Stamped Cut:
Metal is melted and molded, then stamped out of the molder. This variation is best for larger volume of tasks and not suitable for finer work. This is because this method leaves the blade prone to vibrations, when struck against a metal, you can feel the vibration. This results in a less precise and finer work.
Laser Cut:
As the name suggests, steel is cut through laser to make a circular blade. This style of manufacturing is suitable when you require tasks with high accuracy and finer cuts. The perfect nature of the cuts is because there is no space for any vibrations or resonance and the blade cuts smoothly and accurately through the surface.
We hope you found our guide helpful and that it will aid you in choosing the best blade for your miter saw.Â