Which Circular Saw Blade?

Tool Talk: How to choose the right circular saw blade for your next woodwork project.

A circular saw is a highly versatile power tool. Making it popular amongst contractors, recreational woodworkers, and DIY homemakers. However, not all circular saw blades are the same.

Knowing which circular saw blade to use is essential to getting the most out of this well-rounded tool.

The difference between a Crosscut Blade (small teeth), Combination Blade (medium teeth), and Ripping Blade (large teeth) is evident when all three are held together.

How many teeth should a circular saw blade have?

In terms of woodwork, circular saw blades come in three categories:

1. Ripping Blades (+- 24 teeth)
2. Crosscut Blades (+- 60 teeth)
3. Combination Blades (+-40 teeth)

Ripping blades are designed to cut with the woodgrain. They typically have 24 teeth and a noticeable gap (gullet) between them. These large voids allow ripping blades to quickly and efficiently "eject" sawdust and debris – offering faster cuts that rip “with” the wood. However, the quicker cutting performance generally comes at the expense of a rougher finish.

Ripping blades are often more affordable than crosscut and combination blades, which is why they're favoured for rough cutting where accuracy and finish aren't required. 

Applications:

• Cutting with the wood grain
• Ideal for fast cuts where a fine finish isn't a necessity
• Structural timber
• Roofing
• Decking substructure
• Boards (rough sizing)
• Landscaping timber

Crosscut blades typically have 60 smaller teeth designed to cut perpendicular / across the woodgrain. Although crosscut blades aren't as fast as ripping blades, what they lack in cutting speed they make up for in accuracy and a smooth finish.

Because crosscut blades have smaller carbide tips, they require more frequent sharpening and don't last as long as ripping or combination blades. On that note, using a crosscut blade for general work – where accuracy and finish aren't required – would be inefficient and costly. 

Applications:

• Cutting across the woodgrain
• Ideal for tight tolerances and a smooth finish
• Hardwoods
• Decking
• Cupboards & Cabinets
• Countertops
• Melamine
• Laminate
• Shutterply

Combination blades are designed to cover a wide range of materials. As the name suggests, they can rip with the grain or cut across it. For this reason, circular saws are often factory-fitted with combination blades for a wider range of uses.

A good quality combination blade will cover most general-purpose applications and is ideal for users who don't want to swap blades repeatedly between projects.

However, caution should be taken when cutting hardwoods and composite materials, as the final cut may appear chipped and poorly finished.

Tooth counts can vary between combination blades; however, 40 is a well-recognised standard. Naturally, a higher tooth count will provide a neater cut, while a lower tooth count will provide a faster (rougher) cut.

Applications:

• Cutting with the woodgrain
• Cutting across the woodgrain
• Ideal for general-purpose applications
• Not suitable for tight tolerances and neat finishes in hardwoods, countertops and composite materials – shutterply, MDF, laminate, melamine.

Ripping Blades and Combination Blades often leave an untidy finish when cutting melamine, shutterply, MDF and many hardwoods. That's generally okay if you're "rough sizing", but if you want a smoother finish, it would be best to use a Crosscut Blade for these applications.

NOT ALL CIRCULAR SAW BLADES ARE THE SAME

Blade quality plays a vital role in the speed, accuracy and finish of your circular saw's performance. Much of this performance has to do with…

• Balance – the blade's ability to avoid chatter and vibrations
• Heat – the blade's ability to dissipate heat quickly and efficiently
• Sharpness – the blade's ability to retain its edge without chipping or dulling
• Extraction – the blade's ability to eject sawdust and debris without getting clogged up and burning the wood

Circular saw blade design has become highly technological, where premium blades like 'Freud' are laser balanced and computer engineered.

In a future blog, we'll cover the pros and cons of circular saw blade quality. For now, it's important to note that blade quality should not be discounted when selecting a circular saw blade.

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Circular Saw Blade prices

As with quality, circular saw blade prices can significantly vary. Fortunately, the choice is yours when browsing our comprehensive collection of circular saw blades and prices here.