just traded my b&d table saw for a craftsman 113 series

[gardnesd]

much older but much bigger. definately needs a new blade. not sure i want to fork over the cash for a forrest. recommendations???

[knotscott]

The Forrest is a great blade, but it is expensive. The Infinity Combomax Lite (010-150)is excellent and is < $70. It's hard to beat the Freud Diablo D1040 ($30) or D1050 ($40) for value. The new CMT ITK P10050 is ~ $40 from Lowes. The Ridgid Titanium R1050C (made by Freud) is a good buy at $40 from HD. All decent general purpose/combo blades.

You could also venture into separate blades that will offer specialized performance in a narrower operating range. Blades like the Diablo D1060 or Ridgid R1060C for ~ $50 from Home Depot will leave a cleaner cut than a 40T or 50T blade (including the WWII), and gives better ply and fine crosscuts. It won't rip quite as efficiently as a 40T or 50T blade, but it will rip well enough in thicknesses to around 1-1/2", so will essentially handle the majority of cuts in common thicknesses. Add a 24T Freud Diablo D1024X ripper for ~ $28 from HD (or comparable Infinity, CMT, etc.) for thicker materials. Separates stay sharp longer because the work load is shared, but they cost more when the do need sharpening, plus need to be changed out more often.

I'd stick with 3/32" (~ 0.090" to 0.98") thin kerf for that saw. The motor will strain less. Whatever you get, keep them clean and they'll cut like new for a lot longer.

edit: Here's a hot deal on a slightly used premium Freud Fusion thin kerf...$40 plus s/h ($80-$100 new).

[UglySteve]

Ever considered the Tenryu gold medal blades? I have one and although using my forrest currently, I love it. It's very quiet and sharp. I'd say it rivals the forrest in performance to every degree.

[gardnesd]

Ever considered the Tenryu gold medal blades? I have one and although using my forrest currently, I love it. It's very quiet and sharp. I'd say it rivals the forrest in performance to every degree.

Thanks for the recommendations guys. Overwhelming response....eh..to say the least. Anyway, I bought the ridgid blade that freud makes for them. Installed yesterday. Haven't tuned the new old saw yet, but can't wait to check out the blade. Do you guys recommend stiffeners for these thin kerf blades?

[knotscott]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. Overwhelming response....eh..to say the least. Anyway, I bought the ridgid blade that freud makes for them. Installed yesterday. Haven't tuned the new old saw yet, but can't wait to check out the blade. Do you guys recommend stiffeners for these thin kerf blades?

I'd only add stiffeners if there's an existing vibration or runout problem with the saw that you need quick help with, but it's not usually curing the root of the problem.