I always bought good blades. I have the Forrest WW2 and probably 10 Freud industrial full kerf blades as well as systematic and delta/DeWalt. One thing about the forrest is that some sharpeners just don't do them right, so they tend to be expensive to get sharpened. After years of collecting all these I had the chance 2 years ago to drop them all off at the sharpener, so I should be all set for the next 10 years. For a lot of people, local sharpening isn't available, and if that's the case you can get very good results with Diablo and toss them when they are dull. There really are 3-4 price points in the 10 inch blades, under $30 is usually throw aways and probably not very good for anything other than utility use. Under $50 is the value sweet spot, lots of options here with Diablo being one, most of these can be resharpened but maybe once or twice. These would be premium blades for the avg guy. The next step up is the $50-80 range where you get industrial quality blades like Freud, CMT, etc. These blades can be sharpened many time as they generally have thick tips and heavy bodies/full kerf. Finally it's the premium class, Tenryu Gold Medal, Forrest, Ridge Carbide, FS Tool, Infinity, etc. They are for those that settle for nothing but the best although the performance gap between them and the industrial blades are small in most cases.
Yep same, got som CMT blades after JKM’s review and would not go any other way. I have a 60t crosscut, a 40t combo and a 30t glue line rip blades and they are all awesome. Super sharp from the factory haven’t had to have them sharpened yet cause they are still like new. A 3hp Sawstop as well eats up any wood I run through it up to 8/4 Walnut
I'm in the same camp that you and Jonathan Katz-Moses are in. I like CMT blades, and their router bits A LOT. I also like Spyder blades. Having said all that, I haven't really spent a ton of time browsing my local hardwood store, so thank you for showing chechen in this video. I think I already have a few projects in mind for it.
I was critical of your last video but didn't think it necessary to comment. Good on you that you took it in stride and put together a solid comparison. Great video!
Not sure if anyone else noticed or pointed this out, but your test seemed to reveal that non-zero clearance on your fence had more of an impact on cut quality than any differences between the blades.
Good info to digest. Agree with the assessment of price vs quality. Woodworking is a delicate balance of cost and profit, at least for me. Keep up the great content. P.S. Your videos are getting better with editing and quality. Glad I started watching you from early on to see this transformation.
I use CMT blades as well because of JKM review on them. When I first got them I had a black and decker table saw I got off Facebook marketplace for 30 bux and even on that saw they were amazing. I have since upgraded to a SawStop and yeah, cuts are like butter
Been using the CMT blade thin kerf 50T on my Sawstop, cuts amazing. Also got the 8 inch CMT finger and joint blade set they also cut amazing and nice flat dados.
Matt, first of all nice video. All your videos are both informative and entertaining. For us part time woodworkers getting the best value for our dollar is important. I think the test was fair. I have seen others recommend CMT. If I ever go full time as a woodworker I will probably buy the Forrest. Until then I will be getting a CMT. I have never sharpened a table saw blade. I don't expect to. I would like you to post how long the CMT blade stays sharp. New blades should be about the same. How about after 6 months.
Sure you can send you $150 blade out to be sharpened, but you have to pay for that service and for the shipping. But this also means you will need two. Because if it is out of the shop for two weeks, what are you going to use? Therefore it is a $300 blade in my opinion.
Good review, very fair. I have a Forest Woodworker 2 that was given to me buy a friend that has since past. He bought the blade in 2015 and it's been used since then and I really like the cut but not going to pay $150 when I can get one less and do the same job. I just ordered the CMT 10' 50 teeth and I bet I'll be happy with it. I also have a Diablo 10' 80 tooth blade that really makes a super fine cut and I'll replace it someday, when it costs $30 to have it sharpened here.
Just purchased my third CMT blade from Tay Tools about a week or 10 days ago. It's hard to buy another blade anywhere else! Super happy with their blades even on my DeWalt saw.
Great comparison. I agree that for the money CMT IS the way to go. It is possible that in a production shop that the Forrest may last longer or cut better between sharpening, but as a weekend warrior CMT wins. Thanks for the video. God bless!
Great video Matt, thanks for the test. I hope your Sawstop PCS came with a decent miter gauge. I just bought a Sawstop Jobsite Pro and the miter gauge they included was a throw away item.
This is a much much better comparison. The real difference is probably the thickness of the blade tips, which we can't expect you to wear out each one over the course of months to prove one is better then the other. The Forrest looks a little thicker, but I doubt the home user will be sharpening a blade 10+ times so the cheaper option seems reasonable.
I just got the CMT Orange blade from Taytools before I saw this video. They had a huge sale on them (60% off of memory serves). I have been extremely impressed how much nicer it is than my old budget blade. I didn't expect to see that much of a difference. And with the sale, it was the same price!
Good Comparison Brother Matt - most high-end woodworker professionals may see the difference, the rest of us that love the sawdust glitter likely would not, and you nicely showed us that. I haven't had my new SS table saw lone enough to dull a blade so I couldn't compare the sharpening aspect, luckily I have a good sharpening professional locally in town. I like how you have Johnathan's stop blocks on your sled, I have one guess I should pop over and get another before I build my sled.
I really like the Diablo blades. There is a place locally that sharpens blades so no shipping hassle and cost. Sharpening is about half the cost of a new Diablo blade so one sharpening is worth it. Four Diablo's for one Forrest??? I watched the other video, bet you are really happy with the new saw!
Thanks Matt for the review! I just found your channel recently and have enjoyed your videos. I also have the exact same SawStop TS and decided to purchase the CMT blade based on your video! Keep it up man✌🏻
Great comparison. Us non-pros will likely never get a blade sharpened because we're never be in a situation to send back a box full of blades for sharpening. I do a fair amount of woodworking with both a good table saw and a good miter saw, and go through about a blade a year - Diablo, Dewalt or Craftsman (back when they made decent stuff). So many choices in mid-priced blades like Irwin, Amana, Avanti, Luxite Concord, Bosch, Makita, Olshun, Hitachi etc. that we dismiss when they have never really - fairly - been comparison tested.
Check with your local cabinet shops since many use a sharpening service that picks up your blades and drops them off later. I used to have as few as 3 blades sharpened, and they carried Whiteside routers, the best. Their sharpening and saw blade costs were reasonable...
I have been using the OEM 40T blade on my saw for 2-1/2 years without any complaints. Now I’m using this 40T CMT blade and I am seeing cleaner cuts. I’m very happy with the CMT blades performance and Taylor Tools have on sale for about $45. Cant go wrong with this blade.
There's a lot of snobbery in the world of woodworking... It's like people who drive land rovers make fun of people who drive Hyundai's. The road doesn't care what drives on it, the same way lumber doesn't care what brand blade is cutting it. I personally like Oshlun's 4+1 combo blade. It's cheap, full kerf and leaves a flat bottom for doing dados. I like the advice of "buy what makes YOU happy". Amen brother. Keep up the good work and congratulations on the success of your channel! I'm proud of you guys!! Blessings and love from Upstate New York ❤️💛💚
Having recently switched from box store brands to CMT on my Ridgid table saw and Dewalt miter saw, I agree that the value and performance are there. The higher cost is offset by the ability to be sharpened. IMHO, YMMV :)
Thanks for the comparison, I like your videos. CMT is available Downunder, Forrest not as far as I am aware. I like the 285- category of blades, but not the one you have shown. I prefer the 285-040-10M, the 48, 60 and 80 tooth versions of them. I use the 10 inch blades on my 12 inch panelsaw, we have a bigger range of the blades available here.
While they both made equally great cuts, the real value in a blade is how it cuts over a long period of time. How well would they fare after 1, 2, 3 months of heavy shop use, that is the question. I’ve used Forrest blades for 20+ years now and they are great. I’m exploring CMT because I believe I’m paying extra for the Forrest name and CMTs look good on paper. I’m willing to give them a try. The other thing is the tear out and you pointed out your sleds wider blade slot probably had something to do with it (it did). I noticed your table saw insert also had a pretty wide slot and that surely had something to do with the tearout as well. The last thing I want to share with you and your readers is that I routinely used have my Forrest blades sharpened (about $15.00 per blade). Thanks to another TH-camr, I became aware that most of the time that I thought I needed to sharpen my blade (it was getting harder to push the wood through the saw and I’d noticed more burning in the cuts), I actually just needed to clean the blade. I did this using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner and a toothbrush which made it quite easy. And the blades resumed cutting as though they had just been sharpened. Now I’ll clean the blade 5 times or so before needing to resharpen.
Brother man, it all depends on what you are using your blade and type of blade, my cmt blades are great but for ripping I use my full kerf Bosch blade, cuts better and faster and it came with my contractor saw but I use it in my cabinet saw just fine
Hey that was me! lol. Nice fair test. Would love to see you try out a Amana Prestige 40T blade. Its around the same price point as the CMT. I would be interested in how they compare.
@@731Woodworks I bought some CMT blades a few months back. Working like a champ. I’ve got the Delta 36-725 and cruzer. Trying to be like my favorite outlaw.
Great video I'm still a fan of Diablo for the simple fact you can find them easier you don't have to wait to get them offline and Diablo has all kinds of them that I can actually look at before I go get them the diablos and my book are the best the CMT looks to be second best the Forester I'm not going to spend that much money to buy one and then have to spend more money to have it sharpened I'll stick with the Diablo but thanks for the video
Good stuff Matt excellent job Let me add my two cents worth for the cheaper Diablo blades I’ve run thousands of feet of MDF through the MDF through those Diablo blades with no problems cut thousands of feet of plexiglass with same blades OSB regular three-quarter inch plywood half inch plywood quarter inch in a commercial shop and we take them to the local saw sharpener here and they’re fine Number of the guys start now they won’t hurt them at all if they’re using a small job site saw how are under powered so the thinner blades are the best choice
Good video, I think I would go with the CMT as well. Maybe now match the CMT against the Diablo to see which is best overall. Then watch the craziness happen in the comments 😂
I love the CMT blades. Did you know that Freud makes the Diablo brand, blades and router bits. That would be a good one router bits. Whiteside vs Freud vs Diablo ( same maker) and general generic bits.
WOW!!! I've made smoke cutting purple heart with a brand new diablo on my rigid table saw! Not really but nowhere near as smooth as the saw stop with those blades!
I also was given a forrest2 blade as a gift. since im not rich i tend to be stingy with money and am always looking for quality at a low price. for the past 6 yrs ive been in the construction/remodel feild as well as a small woodworking business on the side. i love me some diablo and cmt . in the cmt genre i have a 24t, 40t, 60t and 80t as well as a few diablos and i always buy the industrial ones as i just happen to own Matthias Wandel's blade sharpening jig i don't even have to send them out to be sharpened
I watched and liked both your comparison videos. Everyone is a critic when they can hide behind the keyboard. Who knows what their actual knowledge or experience is. Take it with a grain of salt. For myself, I do, and I laugh sometimes. As an old (retired) cabinet builder, I’ve been around a lot of people who know it all. Well I still don’t know it all. Myself I use a Diablo 50 tooth, that has every 5th tooth flat. It is a full kerf. You can not find these at big box stores. It was an $80 blade when I bought it a few years back. I also have a Ridge Carbide 40 tooth that is incredible. I’d put it up against the Forrest any day. But it’s $145. Keep up the good work for us to see and when our time comes, we WILL be woodworking with Jesus!🤓
I too have been a big fan of CMT blades since the JKM review of them. I still can't see how Forrest is worth that much more, but I have never used one, so what do I know? 🙂
Try a Forrest blade. Then you'll know. I have tried almost every blade there is over the past 35+ years. I buy Forrest blades for the table saw and the miter saw. That's where they are worth it.
I used to love my Dietz and Amana blades, but on one job, making at least 5 types of molding for 4 higher end condos, 3 floors, with elevator and case and base in the garage. Bunks of red alder with one straight edge. That Ryobi blade cut over a literal mile on the rips. Something like 5,700 feet or so.
I don't spend the money for the Forrest blades. I do spend the money for the Ridge Carbide saw blades. I thought your test was a very fair head to head comparison.
Here's a thought, what do you use when you send the Forrest blade out to be sharpened? Does that mean you buy two Forrest blades or a Forest and a CMT/Dablo blade to use while the Forrest its out being sharpened? Total cost of ownership may be an item to consider as well. Also consider what type of woodworking you do. Mine is using mostly plywood, so a Fine or Ultrafine high tooth count blade works the best for the few cuts I make on the table saw with my cross cut sled. Everything else is usually done with my track saw.
Some people try to delve in to a ridiculous point~ I’m just a weekend diy guy & There are many of us who can’t (won’t) spend $135 for any saw blade.. For the price difference many if not most of us will choose the $35 🤷🏼♂️
If I may come to Mr 731's defense, I believe Matt's intension is to give you an idea of the performance of the two blades while taking into consideration all the variables involved. Some of the comments don't make any sense to a woodworker with about a year under their belt ( just like lil old me.. ). Remember folks, Matt appeals to those of us that are looking to gain knowledge and step outside our comfort zone. To me, the difference between the CMT and the Forrest is, with the CMT, I can still take the wife out for a nice meal.....SOLD on the CMT ! Thanks for the video Matt, and God's speed my brother.
With a year of woodworking under your belt, that's an understandable thought process. Some of us have more like 35 years of woodworking under our belts, and we have encountered an issue that you have not yet been confronted with: longevity. How long is that blade going to remain sharp before you need to resharpen it? Forrest blades are famous for lasting a long time. So yeah, if you buy the CMT you could take the wife out to a really cheap dinner at the buffet or the IHOP tomorrow night, but with the Forrest that price difference will melt away over a few years. In the meantime, you will have a better, stouter blade with less runout.
I didn't mean in any way that my comment was derogatory toward Matt. I love Him and his Wife. I was just trying to point out that the 2 blades that I saw side by side in the opening of this video were of 2 different designs and therefore will or should be expected to cut differently. I didn't know that the actual blade Matt used was not the same blade shown in the beginning and is actually comparable to the Forrest blade that was used in this test. I only caught a glimpse of the CMT blade he actually used in the test when the saw stopped spinning at the end.
Just my 2c, but having tripped my SawStop 3 times in the 5 years I've had it I'd rather sacrifice a CMT or Diablo blade than an Forest that costs 2-3 times as much which helps the mental pain for being so stupid for doing so in the 1st place; love your honesty :-)
I believe the Forrest blade you used has a 20 degree hook angle designed for ripping. It is going to be more aggressive than the 12 degree angle on that CMT blade. That in itself does not completely invalidate your test. I am so disappointed - NAH, I am just joking. You have never let me down so far. Keep up the good work.
@@ar15tac The steeper angle cuts a little more downward, so that it's making more of a slicing motion on the end grain coming toward it. That will cause more tear-out, too, but that's less of an issue when ripping because the fibers are better supported in the cut direction. The larger gullets on the blade let the chips/dust clear faster so the cut is clean and the blade doesn't heat up from extra friction. Overall, it's a more aggressive cut. On a cross-cut blade, the milder angle cuts a little more forward, again cutting across the fibers better, but not pushing them downward as much, so creating less tear-out on the unsupported fibers. It's cutting fewer fibers at once, so it's a little slower and less aggressive.
The Forest makes sense for a commercial shop that is willing to re sharpen blades. There’s so much more carbide on the Forest for many more sharpenings. Please stop using the saw stop push stick and use the wooden one that presses the wood down to the table.
I think a good portion of someone's argument for buying the Forrest blade over a CMT would come down to the carbide cutting edge being a better quality carbide and holding a good cutting edge longer between sharpening (or replacement for those folks that go that route). But I don't know a hobby/semi-pro woodworker with the time and disposable income to make repeated cuts until the each blade is spent, nor one that would be inclined to waste their precious time doing all that for a few people crying foul. All in all, I'd say that's about as fair of a test as you can get without getting into a lab. Great job!
There are as good or better blades not from Forrest. I like Amana and CMT. The best 100 tooth miter saw blade I have is some three letter company that I can't remember right now but the edges are like glass when I cut with it. I have a Forrest 10" rip blade and a Forrest combo blade but I don't use those for my critical cuts.
@@christianrobinson4526 the brake doesn’t grab the blade as well according to the manual. It’ll still engage and stop the blade. But not as fast when it’s a ripping blade
Hey Matt I do think that is a fair comparison did an awesome job I don't think you were unfair on the last video but that's just my opinion. But I do have one question, how do you feel the Diablo blade compares to the CMT, both in performance and cost?
@@731Woodworks I really value your opinion, so thank you especially for the reply. I actually bought the Diablo 12" for my dewalt sliding miter saw soon after your first review, and although I've only been able to use it a few times I worked amazing, even better than the included dewalt blade. Maybe at some point when I can afford to I will get a CNT for my table saw which right now is only an older Rigid contractor saw but I look forward to trying, but right now I've had to halt all tool purchases.
20yrs AND STILL GOING!!! I've been using Leitz blades for over twenty years. I own two combination blades and one crosscut. They have been sharpened probably three times each and still have at least that many left. I clean them with oven cleaner about once a month. I think I have been using the combination blade that is in my General 350 for about two years and it's getting close to sharpened time. I don't know what it cost now but the last time I had one sharpened it was $7 for a flat rate padded envelope and $12 to sharpen it. No stamped out blade will last this long. Here is a link to how they are made. th-cam.com/video/pkIYJPHhC6Y/w-d-xo.html
I have 3 40 tooth Forrest Woodworkers 2 and thin Kerf one, and a 8" Forest Dato King set and there 12" Forest Chop Master Blade, I have other good blades including 10" CMT Flat top blade, The Forest 8" Dato King Stack is a little disappointing. Their Chop Saw blade is great. The Bladed very good. However I'm very disappointed in the Metal and it's not StainLess. Thumb down on that
Not really a scientific test... however an experienced hand can feel even the smallest difference. The photo evidence is pretty clear. I'm convinced. I own a flat CMT blade for joinery applications and more other blades than the law should allow. Then CMT blade is plenty beefy and with those large teeth should sharpen several times. Good video, thanks!
This is basically the Sunk Cost Fallacy, aka Festool argument. "I spent 320% more then the peasants, it must be 320% better." Sometime times it is, but many times it is not.
Get 10% OFF the 40 Tooth CMT Blade by using code 731CMT10 here: lddy.no/10rm2
I always bought good blades. I have the Forrest WW2 and probably 10 Freud industrial full kerf blades as well as systematic and delta/DeWalt. One thing about the forrest is that some sharpeners just don't do them right, so they tend to be expensive to get sharpened. After years of collecting all these I had the chance 2 years ago to drop them all off at the sharpener, so I should be all set for the next 10 years. For a lot of people, local sharpening isn't available, and if that's the case you can get very good results with Diablo and toss them when they are dull. There really are 3-4 price points in the 10 inch blades, under $30 is usually throw aways and probably not very good for anything other than utility use. Under $50 is the value sweet spot, lots of options here with Diablo being one, most of these can be resharpened but maybe once or twice. These would be premium blades for the avg guy. The next step up is the $50-80 range where you get industrial quality blades like Freud, CMT, etc. These blades can be sharpened many time as they generally have thick tips and heavy bodies/full kerf. Finally it's the premium class, Tenryu Gold Medal, Forrest, Ridge Carbide, FS Tool, Infinity, etc. They are for those that settle for nothing but the best although the performance gap between them and the industrial blades are small in most cases.
Yep same, got som CMT blades after JKM’s review and would not go any other way. I have a 60t crosscut, a 40t combo and a 30t glue line rip blades and they are all awesome. Super sharp from the factory haven’t had to have them sharpened yet cause they are still like new. A 3hp Sawstop as well eats up any wood I run through it up to 8/4 Walnut
I'm in the same camp that you and Jonathan Katz-Moses are in. I like CMT blades, and their router bits A LOT. I also like Spyder blades. Having said all that, I haven't really spent a ton of time browsing my local hardwood store, so thank you for showing chechen in this video. I think I already have a few projects in mind for it.
I was critical of your last video but didn't think it necessary to comment. Good on you that you took it in stride and put together a solid comparison. Great video!
Revisit this subject in a year. Use them both as equally as possible and see where they stand. I would love to see.
Great job Matt.
For the ones we are on a budget your info is a very important.
You keep the great work.
God bless you and your family.
Glad it was helpful!
Nicely done Matt. This comparison seems to be very fair and straightforward. Good work!
thank you
Great review. I just picked up some CMT blades after JKM's review and I love em!
Thanks for your reviews! I do love the CMT ripping and crosscut blades!
They are good blades
Not sure if anyone else noticed or pointed this out, but your test seemed to reveal that non-zero clearance on your fence had more of an impact on cut quality than any differences between the blades.
I was going to say that for what he's calling "clean" cuts, he probably could have saved even more money and used a Troy-Bilt mulching blade.
Good test thank you. I have CMT Blades and have loved them. I liked them so much I bought the CMT forstner bits, and have loved them as well.
Makes sence
Good info to digest. Agree with the assessment of price vs quality. Woodworking is a delicate balance of cost and profit, at least for me. Keep up the great content.
P.S. Your videos are getting better with editing and quality. Glad I started watching you from early on to see this transformation.
Thank you
I use CMT blades as well because of JKM review on them. When I first got them I had a black and decker table saw I got off Facebook marketplace for 30 bux and even on that saw they were amazing. I have since upgraded to a SawStop and yeah, cuts are like butter
Been using the CMT blade thin kerf 50T on my Sawstop, cuts amazing. Also got the 8 inch CMT finger and joint blade set they also cut amazing and nice flat dados.
Very good test, thank you so much. I just bought a Grizzly G0623X and now I'm looking for some saw blades.
Great video Matt, I appreciate the test.
Another very informative video!!! Thank you for the content!!!
Thank you
Tubasix love it! I love how you include your fans comments and thoughts xoxo Sandy
thank you
Matt, first of all nice video. All your videos are both informative and entertaining. For us part time woodworkers getting the best value for our dollar is important. I think the test was fair. I have seen others recommend CMT. If I ever go full time as a woodworker I will probably buy the Forrest. Until then I will be getting a CMT. I have never sharpened a table saw blade. I don't expect to. I would like you to post how long the CMT blade stays sharp. New blades should be about the same. How about after 6 months.
Sure you can send you $150 blade out to be sharpened, but you have to pay for that service and for the shipping. But this also means you will need two. Because if it is out of the shop for two weeks, what are you going to use? Therefore it is a $300 blade in my opinion.
If you can find a good local sharpener you can get it back in a day or two.
You could take 15-20 minutes and sharpen it yourself though.
Good review, very fair. I have a Forest Woodworker 2 that was given to me buy a friend that has since past. He bought the blade in 2015 and it's been used since then and I really like the cut but not going to pay $150 when I can get one less and do the same job. I just ordered the CMT 10' 50 teeth and I bet I'll be happy with it. I also have a Diablo 10' 80 tooth blade that really makes a super fine cut and I'll replace it someday, when it costs $30 to have it sharpened here.
Awesome information. If I could afford either I would. I have to a step down a big for now.
Just purchased my third CMT blade from Tay Tools about a week or 10 days ago. It's hard to buy another blade anywhere else! Super happy with their blades even on my DeWalt saw.
Great comparison. I agree that for the money CMT IS the way to go. It is possible that in a production shop that the Forrest may last longer or cut better between sharpening, but as a weekend warrior CMT wins. Thanks for the video. God bless!
Great review. Thanks Matt!!
thank you 👊
Great video Matt, thanks for the test. I hope your Sawstop PCS came with a decent miter gauge. I just bought a Sawstop Jobsite Pro and the miter gauge they included was a throw away item.
thanks. Same here, miter gauge isn't good on SS
I love the CMT blades. So worth the money and with my contractor sawstop still goes through the very hard woods.
This is a much much better comparison. The real difference is probably the thickness of the blade tips, which we can't expect you to wear out each one over the course of months to prove one is better then the other. The Forrest looks a little thicker, but I doubt the home user will be sharpening a blade 10+ times so the cheaper option seems reasonable.
I just got the CMT Orange blade from Taytools before I saw this video. They had a huge sale on them (60% off of memory serves). I have been extremely impressed how much nicer it is than my old budget blade. I didn't expect to see that much of a difference. And with the sale, it was the same price!
JKM said they are on sale for 50% off as of 12-26-21.
Thanks for the review, they are now a must buy.
Good Comparison Brother Matt - most high-end woodworker professionals may see the difference, the rest of us that love the sawdust glitter likely would not, and you nicely showed us that. I haven't had my new SS table saw lone enough to dull a blade so I couldn't compare the sharpening aspect, luckily I have a good sharpening professional locally in town. I like how you have Johnathan's stop blocks on your sled, I have one guess I should pop over and get another before I build my sled.
I really like the Diablo blades. There is a place locally that sharpens blades so no shipping hassle and cost. Sharpening is about half the cost of a new Diablo blade so one sharpening is worth it. Four Diablo's for one Forrest??? I watched the other video, bet you are really happy with the new saw!
Ok. Thank you sir.
Hello from Conway! Glad to find your channel.
Hello neighbor!
Thanks Matt for the review! I just found your channel recently and have enjoyed your videos. I also have the exact same SawStop TS and decided to purchase the CMT blade based on your video! Keep it up man✌🏻
Awesome, thank you!
Atta boy. Keep up the good work.
Great comparison. Us non-pros will likely never get a blade sharpened because we're never be in a situation to send back a box full of blades for sharpening. I do a fair amount of woodworking with both a good table saw and a good miter saw, and go through about a blade a year - Diablo, Dewalt or Craftsman (back when they made decent stuff). So many choices in mid-priced blades like Irwin, Amana, Avanti, Luxite Concord, Bosch, Makita, Olshun, Hitachi etc. that we dismiss when they have never really - fairly - been comparison tested.
Check with your local cabinet shops since many use a sharpening service that picks up your blades and drops them off later. I used to have as few as 3 blades sharpened, and they carried Whiteside routers, the best. Their sharpening and saw blade costs were reasonable...
Super vidéo!
Moi j'utilise les CMT (lames et fraises) depuis des années ...
CMT today ,CMT forever !
Thank you
I have been using the OEM 40T blade on my saw for 2-1/2 years without any complaints. Now I’m using this 40T CMT blade and I am seeing cleaner cuts. I’m very happy with the CMT blades performance and Taylor Tools have on sale for about $45. Cant go wrong with this blade.
There's a lot of snobbery in the world of woodworking... It's like people who drive land rovers make fun of people who drive Hyundai's. The road doesn't care what drives on it, the same way lumber doesn't care what brand blade is cutting it. I personally like Oshlun's 4+1 combo blade. It's cheap, full kerf and leaves a flat bottom for doing dados. I like the advice of "buy what makes YOU happy". Amen brother. Keep up the good work and congratulations on the success of your channel! I'm proud of you guys!! Blessings and love from Upstate New York ❤️💛💚
Thank you
Having recently switched from box store brands to CMT on my Ridgid table saw and Dewalt miter saw, I agree that the value and performance are there. The higher cost is offset by the ability to be sharpened. IMHO, YMMV :)
Thanks for the comparison, I like your videos. CMT is available Downunder, Forrest not as far as I am aware. I like the 285- category of blades, but not the one you have shown. I prefer the 285-040-10M, the 48, 60 and 80 tooth versions of them. I use the 10 inch blades on my 12 inch panelsaw, we have a bigger range of the blades available here.
G'day
I love cmt
You just saved me a lot of dough sir. Thank you for the vid
Glad to help
Good comparison Matt.
Thank you
Great video. Maybe would’ve been nice to measure the amount of carbide on CMT vs Forrest.
hotdog, you sound like one cool dude. I love your energy, editing skills and your faith!
Keep up the great content brother! ^_^
I appreciate that!
While they both made equally great cuts, the real value in a blade is how it cuts over a long period of time. How well would they fare after 1, 2, 3 months of heavy shop use, that is the question. I’ve used Forrest blades for 20+ years now and they are great. I’m exploring CMT because I believe I’m paying extra for the Forrest name and CMTs look good on paper. I’m willing to give them a try. The other thing is the tear out and you pointed out your sleds wider blade slot probably had something to do with it (it did). I noticed your table saw insert also had a pretty wide slot and that surely had something to do with the tearout as well. The last thing I want to share with you and your readers is that I routinely used have my Forrest blades sharpened (about $15.00 per blade). Thanks to another TH-camr, I became aware that most of the time that I thought I needed to sharpen my blade (it was getting harder to push the wood through the saw and I’d noticed more burning in the cuts), I actually just needed to clean the blade. I did this using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner and a toothbrush which made it quite easy. And the blades resumed cutting as though they had just been sharpened. Now I’ll clean the blade 5 times or so before needing to resharpen.
Brother man, it all depends on what you are using your blade and type of blade, my cmt blades are great but for ripping I use my full kerf Bosch blade, cuts better and faster and it came with my contractor saw but I use it in my cabinet saw just fine
The sound that a PCS 3hp makes when turned on is beautiful, so quiet!
Believe, it was a fair test.
👊🏻
Hey that was me! lol. Nice fair test. Would love to see you try out a Amana Prestige 40T blade. Its around the same price point as the CMT. I would be interested in how they compare.
that would be an interesting test!
Good job Matt.
Thank you
@@731Woodworks I bought some CMT blades a few months back. Working like a champ. I’ve got the Delta 36-725 and cruzer. Trying to be like my favorite outlaw.
Great video I'm still a fan of Diablo for the simple fact you can find them easier you don't have to wait to get them offline and Diablo has all kinds of them that I can actually look at before I go get them the diablos and my book are the best the CMT looks to be second best the Forester I'm not going to spend that much money to buy one and then have to spend more money to have it sharpened I'll stick with the Diablo but thanks for the video
I've heard thin stock can be cut with a planer blade like smoothness using an 8 inch blade on a 10inch tablesaw.
Good stuff Matt excellent job
Let me add my two cents worth for the cheaper Diablo blades I’ve run thousands of feet of MDF through the MDF through those Diablo blades with no problems cut thousands of feet of plexiglass with same blades OSB regular three-quarter inch plywood half inch plywood quarter inch in a commercial shop and we take them to the local saw sharpener here and they’re fine
Number of the guys start now they won’t hurt them at all if they’re using a small job site saw how are under powered so the thinner blades are the best choice
Good video, I think I would go with the CMT as well. Maybe now match the CMT against the Diablo to see which is best overall. Then watch the craziness happen in the comments 😂
🤣
You need to do a CMT vs Diablo video next. I've been using Diablo blade's for several years now. Never used the CMT.
You're in luck! I just got in some CMT and Diablo blades for use that purpose. Stay tuned.
@@731Woodworks Awesome, can't wait.
This is a great video, Matt! Great job editing, as well. I had to laugh when you clarified it was Janka and not Jenga! Hahaha! #SouthernLiving
I love the CMT blades. Did you know that Freud makes the Diablo brand, blades and router bits. That would be a good one router bits. Whiteside vs Freud vs Diablo ( same maker) and general generic bits.
That would be a good test
WOW!!! I've made smoke cutting purple heart with a brand new diablo on my rigid table saw! Not really but nowhere near as smooth as the saw stop with those blades!
I also was given a forrest2 blade as a gift. since im not rich i tend to be stingy with money and am always looking for quality at a low price. for the past 6 yrs ive been in the construction/remodel feild as well as a small woodworking business on the side. i love me some diablo and cmt . in the cmt genre i have a 24t, 40t, 60t and 80t as well as a few diablos and i always buy the industrial ones as i just happen to own Matthias Wandel's blade sharpening jig i don't even have to send them out to be sharpened
My problem is Lowe's doesn't sell any decent blades. When I happened to be near a Home Depot I made a point of getting a new Diablo blade.
I watched and liked both your comparison videos. Everyone is a critic when they can hide behind the keyboard. Who knows what their actual knowledge or experience is. Take it with a grain of salt. For myself, I do, and I laugh sometimes. As an old (retired) cabinet builder, I’ve been around a lot of people who know it all. Well I still don’t know it all. Myself I use a Diablo 50 tooth, that has every 5th tooth flat. It is a full kerf. You can not find these at big box stores. It was an $80 blade when I bought it a few years back. I also have a Ridge Carbide 40 tooth that is incredible. I’d put it up against the Forrest any day. But it’s $145. Keep up the good work for us to see and when our time comes, we WILL be woodworking with Jesus!🤓
I'd like to see a comparison on CMT vs Freud blades.
I too have been a big fan of CMT blades since the JKM review of them. I still can't see how Forrest is worth that much more, but I have never used one, so what do I know? 🙂
Try a Forrest blade. Then you'll know. I have tried almost every blade there is over the past 35+ years. I buy Forrest blades for the table saw and the miter saw. That's where they are worth it.
I used to love my Dietz and Amana blades, but on one job, making at least 5 types of molding for 4 higher end condos, 3 floors, with elevator and case and base in the garage. Bunks of red alder with one straight edge.
That Ryobi blade cut over a literal mile on the rips. Something like 5,700 feet or so.
I don't spend the money for the Forrest blades. I do spend the money for the Ridge Carbide saw blades. I thought your test was a very fair head to head comparison.
Chechen ain't easy. CMT! Thanks!
I bought a new Hercules table saw a while back. Didn't get to use it till a little ago. The blade n table doesn't square up. Any ideas sir ! 10 inch.
I'm not sure. I've not used that kind of saw
Convinced me. In the market for a decent rip blade. This eliminated a lot of second guessing.
Just put a Laguna From Rockler, my old Craftman saw died. Keep you up on how the Hybirds work.
Nice
That looked like a very comparison.
CMT all the way. There comes a time when you're just paying for a name.
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Here's a thought, what do you use when you send the Forrest blade out to be sharpened? Does that mean you buy two Forrest blades or a Forest and a CMT/Dablo blade to use while the Forrest its out being sharpened? Total cost of ownership may be an item to consider as well.
Also consider what type of woodworking you do. Mine is using mostly plywood, so a Fine or Ultrafine high tooth count blade works the best for the few cuts I make on the table saw with my cross cut sled. Everything else is usually done with my track saw.
Have you done a video like this for miter saw blades?
Was it just me or was the Forester louder or giving off a higher pitch compared to the cmt?
possibly?
Some people try to delve in to a ridiculous point~ I’m just a weekend diy guy & There are many of us who can’t (won’t) spend $135 for any saw blade..
For the price difference many if not most of us will choose the $35 🤷🏼♂️
very true
I build stuff all the time with a table saw that didn't even cost $135 LOL
Great video. Do you only run combo blade? Me personally I run multiple blades rip/ cross/ ply.
I've also got a cross cut blade. Well, I had one but recently gave it away with the Delta table saw so I gotta get a new one.
If I may come to Mr 731's defense, I believe Matt's intension is to give you an idea of the performance of the two blades while taking into consideration all the variables involved. Some of the comments don't make any sense to a woodworker with about a year under their belt ( just like lil old me.. ). Remember folks, Matt appeals to those of us that are looking to gain knowledge and step outside our comfort zone. To me, the difference between the CMT and the Forrest is, with the CMT, I can still take the wife out for a nice meal.....SOLD on the CMT ! Thanks for the video Matt, and God's speed my brother.
Thank you
Cmt blades are great and getting them from Taytools is terrific value.
With a year of woodworking under your belt, that's an understandable thought process. Some of us have more like 35 years of woodworking under our belts, and we have encountered an issue that you have not yet been confronted with: longevity. How long is that blade going to remain sharp before you need to resharpen it? Forrest blades are famous for lasting a long time. So yeah, if you buy the CMT you could take the wife out to a really cheap dinner at the buffet or the IHOP tomorrow night, but with the Forrest that price difference will melt away over a few years. In the meantime, you will have a better, stouter blade with less runout.
I didn't mean in any way that my comment was derogatory toward Matt. I love Him and his Wife. I was just trying to point out that the 2 blades that I saw side by side in the opening of this video were of 2 different designs and therefore will or should be expected to cut differently. I didn't know that the actual blade Matt used was not the same blade shown in the beginning and is actually comparable to the Forrest blade that was used in this test. I only caught a glimpse of the CMT blade he actually used in the test when the saw stopped spinning at the end.
Just my 2c, but having tripped my SawStop 3 times in the 5 years I've had it I'd rather sacrifice a CMT or Diablo blade than an Forest that costs 2-3 times as much which helps the mental pain for being so stupid for doing so in the 1st place; love your honesty :-)
Tripped 3 times due to contact with the blade? Or something else?
@@731Woodworks Twice from wet PT wood keep forgetting to put it in bypass mode and once just barely contacting blade with forefinger.
CMT or Irwin best for the money !;-)
I believe the Forrest blade you used has a 20 degree hook angle designed for ripping. It is going to be more aggressive than the 12 degree angle on that CMT blade. That in itself does not completely invalidate your test. I am so disappointed - NAH, I am just joking. You have never let me down so far. Keep up the good work.
lol thank you
What is the point of the different hook angles?
@@ar15tac The steeper angle cuts a little more downward, so that it's making more of a slicing motion on the end grain coming toward it. That will cause more tear-out, too, but that's less of an issue when ripping because the fibers are better supported in the cut direction. The larger gullets on the blade let the chips/dust clear faster so the cut is clean and the blade doesn't heat up from extra friction. Overall, it's a more aggressive cut. On a cross-cut blade, the milder angle cuts a little more forward, again cutting across the fibers better, but not pushing them downward as much, so creating less tear-out on the unsupported fibers. It's cutting fewer fibers at once, so it's a little slower and less aggressive.
The Forest makes sense for a commercial shop that is willing to re sharpen blades. There’s so much more carbide on the Forest for many more sharpenings. Please stop using the saw stop push stick and use the wooden one that presses the wood down to the table.
A blade is a blade is a blade. Unless it's the wrong blade
I think a good portion of someone's argument for buying the Forrest blade over a CMT would come down to the carbide cutting edge being a better quality carbide and holding a good cutting edge longer between sharpening (or replacement for those folks that go that route). But I don't know a hobby/semi-pro woodworker with the time and disposable income to make repeated cuts until the each blade is spent, nor one that would be inclined to waste their precious time doing all that for a few people crying foul. All in all, I'd say that's about as fair of a test as you can get without getting into a lab. Great job!
Thank you
There are as good or better blades not from Forrest. I like Amana and CMT. The best 100 tooth miter saw blade I have is some three letter company that I can't remember right now but the edges are like glass when I cut with it. I have a Forrest 10" rip blade and a Forrest combo blade but I don't use those for my critical cuts.
Another thing to keep in mind with the SawStop. The type of blade the 40t cmt is doesn’t stop as well when the saw stop stopping brake is engaged
Came here to post this. It's why I ended up buying ridge carbide blades instead
Nice
Why is that? Does it not conduct the electricity in your hand as well, or the brake just doesn't grab the blade as well, or something else?
@@christianrobinson4526 the brake doesn’t grab the blade as well according to the manual. It’ll still engage and stop the blade. But not as fast when it’s a ripping blade
@@christianrobinson4526 it has to do with the anti-kickback shoulders and how they prevent the blade from biting into the sawstop brake
Hey Matt I do think that is a fair comparison did an awesome job I don't think you were unfair on the last video but that's just my opinion. But I do have one question, how do you feel the Diablo blade compares to the CMT, both in performance and cost?
I think the CMT is a better bang for the buck, but the diablos are extremely good for the price. Can’t go wrong with either IMO
@@731Woodworks I really value your opinion, so thank you especially for the reply. I actually bought the Diablo 12" for my dewalt sliding miter saw soon after your first review, and although I've only been able to use it a few times I worked amazing, even better than the included dewalt blade. Maybe at some point when I can afford to I will get a CNT for my table saw which right now is only an older Rigid contractor saw but I look forward to trying, but right now I've had to halt all tool purchases.
lol my channel isn't big enough for passionate folks who disagree with what I have to say. Looking forward to those types of comments.
20yrs AND STILL GOING!!!
I've been using Leitz blades for over twenty years. I own two combination blades and one crosscut. They have been sharpened probably three times each and still have at least that many left. I clean them with oven cleaner about once a month. I think I have been using the combination blade that is in my General 350 for about two years and it's getting close to sharpened time. I don't know what it cost now but the last time I had one sharpened it was $7 for a flat rate padded envelope and $12 to sharpen it. No stamped out blade will last this long. Here is a link to how they are made.
th-cam.com/video/pkIYJPHhC6Y/w-d-xo.html
Are these both new blades? Would the CMT stay as sharp as long? Just asking.
You did not address the smoothness of the face of the cut on the edge of the board. We’re there any cut marks and how smooth was the surface?
I have 3 40 tooth Forrest Woodworkers 2 and thin Kerf one, and a 8" Forest Dato King set and there 12" Forest Chop Master Blade, I have other good blades including 10" CMT Flat top blade, The Forest 8" Dato King Stack is a little disappointing. Their Chop Saw blade is great. The Bladed very good. However I'm very disappointed in the Metal and it's not StainLess. Thumb down on that
I’ve used both and the Forrest is better than the cmt by a lot. Cmt is louder and has more friction when cutting.
I use and love cmt
Will one last longer?
Not really a scientific test... however an experienced hand can feel even the smallest difference. The photo evidence is pretty clear. I'm convinced. I own a flat CMT blade for joinery applications and more other blades than the law should allow. Then CMT blade is plenty beefy and with those large teeth should sharpen several times. Good video, thanks!
Since you have the sawstop I'll be more than happy to take that delta table saw off your hands so you have plenty of room in the shop.
lol Sorry, already gave it away
This is basically the Sunk Cost Fallacy, aka Festool argument. "I spent 320% more then the peasants, it must be 320% better."
Sometime times it is, but many times it is not.
Hmm, I use Forrest blades and have some Freud industrial blades also, got one CMT blade, they all cut wood! 😂🤷🏻♂️