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I’m not interested in comparing one brand against others, at the moment. But what do you want your apprentices to understand about choosing recip blades? How many 4x4s do you let them cut with a 24-tooth per inch blade before handing them a 6 tpi?
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LENOX....nothing else matters.
*Lenox is a superior blade! interested or not.If one of my helpers can't figure out for himself that the blades with the tiny little teeth are for metal, and the ones with the big teeth are for wood, then he gets to run the broom until he grows a bit smarter from watching others do things higher on the skill ladder.
*What's important, in order:1. Number of teeth compared to thickness of stock - use as few as possible generally. Too many is too slow, too few will strip them off, or just grab and not cut.2. Length of blade - don't waste a long blade on short stock, use a long blade for inaccessible or flexible situations3. Thickness of blade - least important, but a thicker demo blade goes a lot faster through thick stock than a standard one.sometimes shape of blade matters, but not that often in what i've seen. i suppose you could add blade material in there if you wanted, but if you buy good stuff for the business you're in, you'll get good material. life is too short for cheap blades.That's what I think, at least...Rich.
*I really like Lenox blades for most applications.But my hands down favorite heavy duty demolition blade is The Ax by Millwakee. It's thicker, stiffer and will cut more nails than anything I have used.You flat out will not bend this blade in any way. It is available in three lengths.
*Thanks for the answers. And sorry to suggest that Regarding Rick's first priority--1. Number of teeth compared to thickness of stock - use as few as possible generally. Too many is too slow, too few will strip them off, or just grab and not cut. --Starrett makes a 3 TPI blade that I plan to test out. Not having done so, yet, though, I'm wondering what 3 tpi gets you. Certainly it should work great for really big stock--say you're building a pole barn or cutting off an 8"-thick beam. But I wonder, with the teeth that far apart, if it wouldn't get hung up on nails, just slamming into the side of them. (It might, however, work well for rescue workers cutting a car door off to free an accident victim!)I'm going to put together a few test cuts and will let you know what happens.Has anyone used Magna's "progressive tooth" blades, with smaller teeth, about 12 per inch, on one end of the blade and bigger teeth, about 6 per inch, on the other?
*That unfinished sentence was supposed to be...Sorry to suggest the silly scenario of standing around watching while the apprentice cut through heavy stock with the finer teeth. Didn't mean to take the discussion down before it took off!
*And it's Rich, not Rick! Excuse me while I go get coffee...
*I'd definitely tell an apprentice NOT to pick up any of the Milwaukee bi-metal blades with the combo metal/wood teeth pattern (alternating every 3/4" or so). Wouldn't want 'em on the job site! Haven't used "The Axe" but have been meaning to try one out.
*My first preference is Lenox, especially their Demo Blades. However, I do like the Axe blade by Milwaukee - it's the only blade that I've found that will stand up next to a Lenox blade.
*David I think boschs progressor(SP?) is the same as the magna, if not it is an excellent blade. Lasts long and cuts fast, thru anything.David
*Hey, can I be the "accident victim" for the test cuts? You were going for "realism" weren't ya? Jeff
*Axe.............God uses these.Ed. Williams
*Don't let him change blades as soon as the paint is worn off.
*Nuther vote for the Ax. Cuts it allSylvan
*I love the axe. It's thick and tough. Thick is really great for demo and heavy rough cutting. If you're cutting timbers with a thin kerf blade in a skilsaw and finishing off with a sawzall, the ax can be too thick, and bind. It's something to think about before leaving the shop.The thick blades don't bend when you get the tip banging straight into solid objects. Very frustrating to bend a blade like this.Bimetal blades don't snap.
*Phat Bastard has the best idea.I use only two. Bi-Metal for (you guessed it), Metal; and wood blades for (God you are smart), Wood.I have tried them all and Lennox lasts longer than any other blade. Don't know why. I have actually wondered why, but hands down, Lennox.
*I usually keep my blades till the teeth are about all gone. if i'm cutting fresh wood i start with a fresh blade. I usually only buy the longest bi-metal blades i can find then as i reuse them, i just work my way along the entire length of the blade--hit a few nails, jump to a different section of blade. this method seems to get the max life out of a single style of blade. by having fewer styles in my inventory, they seem to better stay in MY inventory.
*SOME COMPANY SHOULD MAKE "CLEAN WOOD ONLY" BLADES WITH SOME GOOD CARBIDE TIPS OR SOMETHING.
*The Starrett King-Cut works well. Just tried it and I swas able to cut the rough opening for 5 new windows on a remodel and didn't break the blade. Maybe lucky?? But maybe not!!
*I just used the Ax blades to demo a 20X20 addition. They weren't bad but I think I'll try the Lenox next time-JLC had a review a while back and gave them high marks. Also had a few of the Starrett 3 tpi in the box-they beat the hell out of my wrists by the end of the day but that's all I had left and wanted to finish.
*I've used the AX blades many times and always thought it was the best.But we cut a new door into a log cabin resently and nobody had an ax blade.The lumber yard had some Dewalt demo blades,cut lenthwise through 20p galvinized nails and didn't know it until we were done.I was impressed.Vince
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I'm not interested in comparing one brand against others, at the moment. But what do you want your apprentices to understand about choosing recip blades? How many 4x4s do you let them cut with a 24-tooth per inch blade before handing them a 6 tpi?