I’m a recent homeowner, and since first house was built on the year 1920, you can say I’ve become a recent home remodeler as well. I have a new Porter Cable 7.25″ MAG423 circular saw that came with a framers blade in the box. Can anyone recommend what other blades I should consider to add for this saw? Some of the projects I have planned for the next couple years are:
Replacing some water damaged hardwood floors (and subfloor?).
Bringing power to a detached garage, and building some workbenches and shelves out there.
Kitchen and bathroom remodeling.
Restoring the front porch ceiling and front porch columns.
That’s a good list to start. Any advice?
-Moose in Columbus, OH
Replies
Freud Diablo blades are really good, IMO.
Moose, welcome to Breaktime. I ran across some bosch "blue" blades at the JLC show in your town. If you can find them, give em a try.
And for the projects you mention, you might keep your eye out for a table saw too. You can do alot with a circular saw, but some things start to get unsafe with it. There there's a mitre saw.
Yup, your screwed.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Irwin Marathon seems to get alot of votes when this question comes up. Seem pretty good to me.
For plywood, get a 40 tooth carbide tipped blade; forget the so-called plywood blades with many little teeth.
Your best general purpose blade is generally a fairly fine-toothed (eg, 40 tooth) carbide blade. But it's good to have a collection of blades.
For rough framing a somewhat coarser-toothed (eg, 24 tooth) carbide blade will cut faster. For plywood or paneling a plywood blade will make much smoother (and faster) cuts than a standard blade, and a veneer blade will be smoother still. For getting really clean cuts on solid wood a hollow-ground planer blade is good. For cutting flooring where there may be occasional nails there are special flooring blades.
What Basswood said times ten. Ive used a wack of different blades and the freud diablo is in a league of their own.
Have a good day
Cliffy
We recently had to cut down a custom made wood storm door. We ended up exactly slicing lengthwise through a hardened torx screw that we didn't know was there. We were commited to continuing through. Afterwords our Freud blade seems to cut just as good as when new. No missing teeth either!
I have an 8-tooth 7" ripping blade that I pull out when I have to do on-site ripping that doesn't necessarily require a table saw. It significantly reduces load on the saw - especially nice if you're ripping at 45 degrees, and it produces a smoother cut than a multi-purpose framing blade.
better is the Marathon series...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
My experience has been that the Freud Diablo's micrograin carbide out lasts the Irwin Marathon by a factor of 2x's or more--Diablo's also loose less teeth (better brazing). The red coating also reduces friction and gumming. The 24 tooth framing blade cuts better than most 60 tooth finish blades. So get a Freud!
never a Diablo...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!