Blade by job
| Job | Freud blade | Teeth and grind | Kerf / plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripping solid wood | LM72R010 | 24, flat top | 0.126 / 0.087 in |
| Ripping, thin kerf | LU87R010 | 24, flat top | 0.094 / 0.071 in |
| General use, rip and crosscut | LU84R011 | 50, combination (1 flat, 4 ATB) | 0.126 / 0.087 in |
| General use, thin kerf | LU83R010 | 50, combination | 0.091 / 0.071 in |
| Crosscutting | LU85R010 | 80, ATB | 0.116 / 0.098 in |
| Plywood and melamine | LU80R010 | 80, Hi-ATB | 0.126 / 0.087 in |
| Dadoes and grooves | SD208S dado set (8 in) | Stacked set | Grooves 1/4–7/8 in |
From Freud's published specifications for 10 in blades. Freud rates the LM72R010 for stock 3/4 to 2-3/4 in thick. What tooth count and grind do is explained in the saw blade guide.
A combination blade is made to do both rips and crosscuts with one blade. A rip blade with few flat-top teeth is made for cutting along the grain; an 80-tooth crosscut or Hi-ATB blade is made for clean edges across the grain and on veneered plywood. How tooth count and grind change the cut is in the saw blade guide. Use and changing are covered in using a table saw blade.
Equipment notePaid link
10-in plywood and melamine blade
Freud LU80R010
The plywood and melamine blade in the table above: Freud's LU80R010, an 80-tooth Hi-ATB blade for chip-free edges in veneered panels.
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Three checks on your saw
- The riving knife. The knife must be thinner than the kerf and thicker than the blade's body. DEWALT's DWE7491 knife is 0.087 in and is marked for blades of at least 0.094 in kerf and at most 0.067 in body. On those figures, none of the Freud blades in the table fits it — each body is 0.071 in or thicker, and the LU83R010's 0.091 in kerf is also too narrow. Check every blade against the marking on your knife. Why the knife, the kerf and the body have to agree is explained in table saw blades.
- The saw's own limits. SawStop's PCS manual allows kerfs from 3/32 to 3/16 in, so the LU83R010's 0.091 in falls just below it; SawStop also rules out blades with depth-limiting shoulders and requires a dado brake cartridge for dado sets. DEWALT's DWE7485 takes 8-1/4 in blades only.
- Speed. A blade's maximum speed must be at least the saw's: DEWALT requires blades rated for at least 5,000 RPM on the DWE7491 and 6,000 RPM on the DWE7485. Freud's SD208S is rated to 6,000 RPM.
Caution— Dado sets are the saw's decision
Freud describes its SD208S as cutting grooves up to 7/8 in, but SawStop and DEWALT both limit dado stacks on their saws to 13/16 in, and DEWALT's DWE7485 allows none at all. Follow the saw's manual, not the blade's packaging. See dado blades.
If a blade already on the saw burns, chips or wobbles, the fault may be its condition rather than its type — see table saw blade problems before buying another.
Before buying
Before buying a blade
- Diameter and arbor match the saw
- Kerf and body fit the riving knife's marking
- Kerf is within any range the saw's manual sets
- Rated speed is at least the saw's
- Tooth count and grind suit the cut you make most
- For a dado set: the saw allows it, and the stack stays within its width limit
Sources
Blade figures are Freud's published specifications, used as one maker's range to show how specifications match jobs; other makers' blades of the same type follow the same pattern. Compatibility limits are each saw maker's own for the saw named. No blade was tested and none is ranked.
- 1.
10" saw blade specifications (LM72R010, LU87R010, LU84R011, LU83R010, LU85R010, LU80R010, LU79R010, LU91R010). Freud Tools.
Used for: 10 in blades: LM72R010 24-tooth flat-top rip, 0.126 in kerf and 0.087 in plate, for stock 3/4 to 2-3/4 in; LU87R010 24-tooth thin-kerf rip, 0.094 / 0.071 in; LU84R011 50-tooth combination, 0.126 / 0.087 in; LU83R010 50-tooth thin-kerf combination, 0.091 / 0.071 in; LU85R010 80-tooth ATB crosscut, 0.116 / 0.098 in; LU80R010 80-tooth Hi-ATB for plywood and melamine, 0.126 / 0.087 in.
- 2.
SD208S 8" Pro Dado Set and SD508 Super Dado Set specifications. Freud Tools.
Used for: The SD208S 8 in dado set, 5/8 in arbor, 6,000 RPM maximum, grooves 1/4 to 7/8 in.
- 3.
DWE7491 10" (254 mm) Job Site Table Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: The DWE7491's 0.087 in riving knife for 10 in blades of at least 0.094 in kerf and at most 0.067 in body; blades rated at least 5,000 RPM; dado sets up to 13/16 in.
- 4.
DWE7485 8-1/4" (210 mm) Compact Job Site Table Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: The DWE7485's riving knife for 8-1/4 in blades; blades rated at least 6,000 RPM; no dado sets.
- 5.
Owner's Manual, 10" Professional Cabinet Saw, Model PCS31230. SawStop.
Used for: Blade kerf between 3/32 and 3/16 in, no blades with depth-limiting shoulders, 10 in blades or 8 in dado sets up to 13/16 in only, a dado brake cartridge for dado sets.
About this buying guide
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