Premium Blade vs. Budget Blade: Is There a Real Difference?

[@jeromestsauver]

Always enjoy my Saturday morning's with coffee and the TodaysCrafsmen :)

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Much appreciated! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@thedevo209]

Howdy, I do sales/repairs in carbide tooling and wanted to give my two cents on the ATBR, the Raker will 9/10 times sit lower than the ATBs, so you will never get a true "flat" and will most likely have lines for a dado. The Flat mainly keeps the blades straight while the ATBs finishes and trim the edges. Differences from the Premiums and Budgets tends to be harder saw plate (stays more straight as seen in the oak) and grades and size of carbide as you pointed out on the Tenyru. Leaving out a few other of key differences but those are the easiest to see. Loved the video! Straight to the point and everything was explained well when it came to the sharpening and life of the blade. Got a sub from me today for sure.

[@SlowExpensive]

@@thedevo209 expand on the differences plz

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Great info, thank you! Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

💯

[@thedevo209]

@@SlowExpensive TLDR at bottom Some mfgs add Cu (Copper) backing to help support against hard impacts, so you have Steel> Cu> Carbide. Premium tips tend to handle harder impacts better with or w/o the Cu backing(Hitting knotty wood, exotics hws etc.... i didn't say nails for a reason). Both will fail when coming to nails just one holds up a lot better, premium we can save while the other is a goner. Processes of brazing tips onto the blade whether Induction or using Oxy/Acet and either CNC or Manual. I trust a person putting tips on than a CNC imo. Premium tolerances are a lot tighter, run out, shapes of the teeth all matching and being same heights/thicknesses. Another big thing is the run time, how long the blade stays sharp and how long can it run without the steel being warp or needs to be tensioned again if possible. I see premiums that last for 2+ years being sharpened through its life of course. Type of Heat/Cooling slots are differences too, some slot and use Cu plugs and some just slot and leave them open w/ a hole and not all are straight some will be like a upside down "7 or L" kinda. All shapes and sizes are okay mostly. I personally like the plugged ones they tend to be quieter. Stay away from the ones that look like a "? or triangle" and does NOT have a hole, those will crack eventually, the ones that have a hole at the end are okay. Those squiggley or hairpin ones in the centerish of them are for vibration and i dont have much say on those. I prefer blades with no coating, we polish our blades and some of the biggest premiums also polish only. Tho Freud's Ice coating might as well be polished but the colored stuff eventually comes off by itself from mfg to mfg, blue to black to red all the same. You can do coatings by the dozens but cant polish by the dozens. All these differences does not mean that you wont be able to get to your end goal. They will all do that. They matter to the bigger guys making 50+ entry doors in a week, doing 2 shifts in with machines running 6+ hours nonstop. They cant go through a stack of wood and choose out the knotty ones or nails like Diyers can or small shops, what they get is what they get. They will all make 1pc of something into many pcs of something. Truly all depend on how you like to work and how you see your hourly rate for yourself. I personally do not do a whole lot of WW myself... yet, but the budgets never really been in my view always been a intermediate person. The little extra care from the budget to the intermediate blade is a difference that is noticeable to me. Been in industry for 6 years if that matters. Ive sold Intermediate blades to budgets users and they havent looked back since, i see them less often but for a good reason. Hope this expands enough and helps :), feel free to ask questions about anything. TLDR, Budgets use cheaper and faster processes to make the demand while Premiums are built with more involved processes making the blade more True and accurate for repeatable cuts and have a longer use life. If you are a disposable person then budgets are the way, or if like using the same blade for a while and dont want to run to the store or mind paying a little more then moving to a premium or intermediate blade would be a good choice.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Great info! When are you coming on the show? 😝

[@tom18410]

Good video guys, thanks. I’ve been very satisfied with the CMT ITK Xtreme Orange Chrome Thin Kerf 10" Combination Blade, 50 Teeth, Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) 0.102” Kerf. I get them from Taylor Tools when on sale. (50 tooth $34 right now Dec2024). They don’t have the raker tooth but that doesn’t affect me. I used the 40 and 50 tooth combination blades and the 24 tooth rip blade when I built the cherry cabinets for my kitchen. Ripping was easy with the 24 as long as I cleaned the buildup off of it occasionally. Minimal burning. Crosscuts using a sled were perfect.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Definitely good to have a dedicated ripping blade!

[@jb510]

I appreciate that you didn’t try to make it sound like there was huge difference when there wasn’t.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We shoot straight!

[@sapelesteve]

Interesting video and saw blade comparison Jeff. I would say that for the average DIY woodworker, the less expensive Diablo is a good choice. Obviously, it also depends on the species of wood that is being cut over a given time period. BTW, I really like these types of comparison videos! 👍👍

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks, Steve! My hunch is that over time the Tenryu will provide more value but we can’t say definitively without running them both a lot.

[@robertsmith3518]

I use the WEN brands on my miter and TSaw . No complaints . Also I use 7.25 circle saw blades on 5he table saw ,they cost $5.00 .if I hit a nail ,toss it and never look back . Great video . Cheers

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Now that’s a bargain

[@413DaveRN]

Now I want to see which one makes the best Frisbee...

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

😝 gotta wear gloves for that one.

[@andrewbrown8148]

Good info, Jeff~! I'm not sure that I've heard of Tenryu before, but it's definitely on my radar now. I just picked up a 12" Bosch sliding compound miter saw (to replace my 15yr old Dewalt) and the Bosch vendor attending the show spotted me a couple complimentary blades. He told me that Diablo blades are made by Bosch, but I'll probably buy Tenryu whenever these are ready for replacing. Thanks much~! ...also, many thanks to that guy doing the great work behind the camera~! 😉

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks, Andrew! I think they’re a really great value.

[@robertmceuen3630]

I've heard from a few sources that Diablo blades are made by Frued(sp?)in Italy.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

That was my understanding too. The Diablo in the video is marked “made in Italy”

[@townside_woodcraft]

Bosch bought freud years ago, 2008 or 09 so i guess thats what the rep was referring to

[@EverydayPeople744]

Had one of the red blades which developed a warp after 3 uses. After a helicopter ride, 2 weeks in a hospital and 4 months off work, don’t use them any more. Just high quality full thickness blades now.

[@brandonm9359]

Ive been using tenryu blade for a few years and really like them over the box store blade brands. I found they lasted much longer.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Agreed 100%!

[@kalybnielsen4183]

I like the Diablo blades, they have always worked well but compared to the Tenryu, there is definitely a difference, definitely worth the price difference

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

They Tenryu is definitely a high value blade IMO.

[@jimrosson6702]

Always a great video from you guys. Thanks for sharing

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thank you, sir!

[@richs5422]

For joinery I use a TCG blade that has been sharpened about 3 times, so it's now a 60 tooth, full-kerf FTG joinery blade. Half the price of a specific joinery blade.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Love me a good triple chip!

[@CharlesHooper2001]

It would be interesting to see how the Tenryu blade compares to full kerf premium saw blades from Forrest and Ridge Carbide. 20+ years ago I switched to using full-kerf Forrest Woodworker II blades in my table saws, and 3/32" kerf Forrest Chopmaster blades in my miter saw and radial arm saws. If the wood is held firmly to the tablesaw's table when fed through, rip cuts by the 40 tooth Forrest Woodworker II leave no visible blade marks in the boards. Last year I bought a Ridge Carbide TS2000 24 tooth rip blade and also a Ridge Carbide 40 tooth flat grind "super" blade. The 24 tooth Ridge Carbide blade will also leave no visible blade marks in the boards when ripping, if the wood is held firmly to the tablesaw's table when fed through the blade - the boards surface is a bit rougher when the wood is not held firmly to the table. I noticed that you were using a zero clearance insert with your table saw. You mentioned that the teeth on the two blades were different widths. Do you think that you would see better results on the bottom sides of the sheet goods if you used a new zero clearance insert for each blade?

[@robertsmith3518]

I can tell ya…. The cost is $200 vs $20 . Both last about 3-5 months

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I don’t think the Tenryu could compare long term. It’s a good budget blade but for heavy use it can’t keep with up an industrial blade. I have a ton of blades in the shop from Everlast, Ridge Carbide, Forrest, FS Tool, Leitz, Leuco, Amana, etc… They’ll always be my choice over something like the Tenryu except for very specific situations.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We have blades in the $150 range that have lasted 5 years.

[@Thomllama]

Yrs ago I stopped using Diablo or Freud blades, mostly because I did cabinetry installs with most pre-finished fillers and crown, the friggin red stain it often left was a serious issue. Went to CMT way back then and haven’t looked back. Honestly the biggest “dulling” of a saw blade isn’t it actually dull, but just dirty/gummed up. Clean your blades regularly and most blades will last much much longer.. I get yrs outa my CMT’s, to be fair, that’s a hobby/home use not a full time shop/professional use, but still shows simple care is more important than the brand often.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Yes, I hate that red blade coating. The diablos always start to wobble and it gets everywhere.

[@tableshaper4076]

IMHO... best blades are made by FS Tool the XL 4000 are the only blades I buy now.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I’ve got a couple FS Tool blades. Good stuff.

[@jasonwhitaker2726]

While I always appreciate tests like this, in my experience almost any brand new out of the box combo/general blade will perform relatively well on most cuts. For me its after a few hundred Bd Ft of material, of different kinds of woods that really make good blades stand well above the rest. I'd like you to use these blades for a few weeks/months each.... occasionally keeping track of cut quality....and then make this video again.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Absolutely. I know for a fact that the Tenryu will outlast the Diablo.

[@warrenwerks]

The Diablo blades seem great out first but I’ve found the edge retention isn’t there. I’ve had them resharpened too and they’re great for a project or two and then they drop off quickly. The quality of the carbide is the biggest advantage to a better blade in my opinion

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I’ve found that they get hot and end up developing a wobble over time. I’ve had them sharpened too but like you said just 1 or 2 times.

[@msk3905]

Diablo are ok IMO but I don’t use them on projects that need a fine cut for those I either use my CMT orange blades or I buy a new blade. I have not been able to find a convenient resharpening place near me so I do not consider a factor. I am finding that the CMT & Hercules brand blades offer exceptional value, cut great/clean, reasonably priced and last awhile…much better than the Diablo I have owned. Between CMT and Hercules I have never seen the need to buy a more expensive blade.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We send our blades out through the mail!

[@williamellis8993]

Interesting, Jeff. I usually stick with Freud for fine work. I looked at an Irwin blade once and it looked like it couldn't be sharpened at all. Bill

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

The Freud Industrial are definitely better than the Diablo. I typically run a Freud Industrial melamine blade on my tracksaw.

[@Wood_Slice]

Tyvm for the video i would suspect a more comparable blades would be the Freud vs Tenryu. The carbide size would be very close if not equal. What you are comparing is like a tangerine and an orange

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

That was the point of the video!

[@jaysonprice9229]

A good rule of thumb is if your saw blade is packaged and sold in dangerous clamshell/blister-style plastic... You do NOT have a premium saw blade.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Yup! Should come in a nice little cardboard box.

[@leslievasquez136]

Great video. What plywood manufacturer do you use?

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thank you! The prefinished plywood in the video is Pure Bond.

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

I have sliced 16d nails longways with the Diablo and barely noticed a difference... If the carbide was bigger it would have been a different story..

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

What would’ve happened if the carbide was bigger?

[@Wood_Slice]

If there is a need for 1 blade then i would suggest the Freud Fusion blade.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We’ll check it out.

[@CraigularjJoeWoodworks]

I would try tenryu silencer , but primarily I use Freud industrial series blades, they feel very high quality versus their crosseyed cousin Diablo. That’s my experience anyway

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Cross eyed cousin, that’s funny! I run Freud industrial on my tracksaw.

[@engineerMike2999]

Any recommendations for a sharpening service company?

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Check out CT Saw.

[@bradboyer1381]

Language note, I'm not fluent in Japanese, but I did live and work there for three years. "Tenryu" is not pronounced "ten-rye-oo" or "ten-rye-you" but something more like "ten-reeyou"--two syllables--where the "r" and "y" form a sort of combination consonant, something like the "st" in "start" or even the "str" in "strong." That particular consonantal combination is not found in English but is common in Japanese. For a tutorial, consider kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKSThWWqn718qdE (spoiler, it's the last name of Genichiro Tenryu, a Japanese athlete, and the tutorial pronounces both.)

[@Shannon-v3r]

I’m surprised by the rabbit. My cmt combo, if done a little bit slower, leaves a way flatter bottom

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Interesting!

[@joshuagharis9017]

Freud and forrest

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I don’t think Freud can compete with Forrest.

[@SlowExpensive]

Tenryu isn't really a premium blade. An upgrade but far from anything premium. Grab an FS tool and compare to both IMO.

[@jewishmafia9801]

I'd have to disagree on that point. They have several grades, and some are even manufactured in China. The ones that specifically say made in Japan, such as the gold medal series, are top notch with no gimmicky coating

[@SlowExpensive]

@jewishmafia9801 was talking about the blade used in the comparison but yee they do have some JDM elite j2oke wtuff

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I’d say it’s a premium consumer blade whereas an FS Tool is an industrial grade blade. I have a few in the shop.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I’d like to try some of Tenryu’s higher level stuff. I know the tracksaw blade I have from them is uncoated.

[@billybrown6330]

The measurements that you conducted were not conducted properly. Every saw blade has a saw set. That is an angle of each saw tooth to the left and right. Each tooth will measure under 1/8”. Measuring two adjacent cutters of the saw set on blade will equal the total width of the kerf which should equal 1/8”.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Interesting, I wasn’t aware that circular saw blades had set.

[@a9ball1]

I hate those red blades. When they get a little older they turn every cut red. I'd rather have a dollar store blade than those darn red ones. Why do they think it's a good idea to paint a table saw blade?

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

That’s because they end up wobbling so much! I’m with you. Even the black is unneeded.

[@oliver299d]

The diablo are not good, I have never tried the other ones, I have had decent luck with the CMT, I like amana best but they're a lot more money

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

The last CMT blade I had howled like a banshee. I couldn’t take it; cut nice though. I have a couple Amanas too.

[@mrfirestop415]

Combo blades are like those crossover vehicles that people are constantly getting stuck off road. Sure they can kinda do the thing, but the serious folks are laughing and pointing... Tenryu "Gold Medal" blades made in Japan are some of the best CONSUMER blades out there.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I think if you’re working with primarily 5/4 and smaller hardwood a combo blade does a totally adequate job. Once you mix in larger hardwood stock and veneer/plywood/melamine it pays to have more specific blades.