owners of Freud saw blades should read. - Woodworking Talk

bigredc · 03-14-2008, 09:44 PM

In December I bought the 100 dollar Freud fusion 10" 40t blade. It has been unbelievable. I love it. In the past week I've been working with cherry and burning some boards. Since I'm still learning. I thought but wasn't sure if this was something cherry is known for. As it turns out it is. But In the prosses of trying to figure out if my blade was dull I cleaned it. After cleaning it I noticed a lot of nicks in the carbide, and definitely wasn't as sharp as when I got it. Being new to woodworking I had no idea how long a blade should last. I figured what the heck I'll get Darren to sharpen it. Before that I figured I should check with the guys at Woodcraft where I bought it, to see if It was the right thing to do. They said they never had seen the carbide chip before. and that the Fusion is a new product and we should call there Frued rep. and see what he says. He told them to give me a new blade. I went there thinking I was going to have to spend money and left with a new 100 dollar blade. I figured I should pass this info along in case anyone else has a similar problem. By the way I never cut anything but wood. All hardwood, but no nails or anything it wasn't supposed to cut.

mkwoodworks · 03-14-2008, 11:13 PM

caveat emptor

dbhost · 03-14-2008, 11:22 PM

I've got the Freud Diablo cement fiber blade (7-1/4") and the Diablo 40 tooth finishing blade for my circular saw. They were in the same price range as the Irwin and DeWalt blades, and I am certainly glad I bought the Freuds...

sweensdv · 03-15-2008, 10:23 AM

Sounds like you got a bad blade and Freud stepped up and stood behind it. Never had a problem with any Freud product I've purchased but every company has a bad apple now and then.

**TexasTimbers** · 03-15-2008, 10:31 AM

This is timely because I PMed the Frued dealer that frequents this board last week telling him I have never found a 16" blade for my table saw that I like. I haven't ordered the ones he suggested for the two classes of wood I rip yet, but I will review them in the tool review section after I have put them through the grinder.

bigredc · 03-15-2008, 03:43 PM

I'm leaning towards what Sweensdv says. I bet it's an isolated issue. I think a chipped half dull Freud is still better than the average blade. i would still recomend them.

**TexasTimbers** · 03-15-2008, 03:55 PM

I forgot which wood mag it is, could be an online service I take, but one of them sent me an email (a mass email to all their subsribers and if they could they would have sent it to everyone on the planet it sounded like) begging forgiveness for a massive error in one of their "20 best blade" tests they recently did. It was the most expensive and exhaustive blade reviews they have ever done. They made like 10 or 20 tests per blade. Not cuts per blade, 10 (or 20?) BATTERY of tests per blade.
After they tallied all the results and sent the whole wretched thing to press, they discover a major flaw in their test criteria that did not just eefect one area or one blade, it skewed the entire results so badly that they they have taken - their words paraphrased as i can't find the email - unprecedented step of re-doing the entire test, something we have never before done . . .

Well, I don't think they have any choice because for examplke they said whereas their incorrect test had placed a couple of the Freud blades at the bottom, their "corrected criteria" had placed those same blades on the very top! But just to be safe (not get themselves sued?) they are gong to redo the whole shebang and make sure that everyone in the universe gets a chance to see the results which they will publish in the next possible issue. Whew. I'd hate to be the guy responsible for that fiasco.

I'l dig around for the email.

sweensdv · 03-15-2008, 04:28 PM

TexasTimbers, I fairly certain that it was WOOD Magazine that had to redo that article and saw blade test. But, I've been wrong before!

mpm1696 · 03-15-2008, 04:59 PM

It is Wood Mag. I got that same Email. They wrote that they are "re"doing this test as we speak, and the results of the tests should be published in the next issue of Wood Mag. They also wrote not to rely on those last bad results, to buy a saw blade, because of a "BIG" mistake in the test procedures.

Pete

bigredc · 03-16-2008, 07:48 AM

I'll have to keep an eye out for that issue. I wonder, do they give an estimate of how long the blades stay sharp. I'd like to know how many linear feet of wood passed the blade before it gets dull.
Chris

sweensdv · 03-16-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigredc

...... I wonder, do they give an estimate of how long the blades stay sharp. I'd like to know how many linear feet of wood passed the blade before it gets dull.
Chris

There are way too many variables that come into play to tell a blade is getting dull after x number feet cut. Sometimes it hard to tell but I have a blade sharpened when I feel that the blade will not allow as fast of a feed rate as it once did. There have also been times when I had a blade sharpened that felt like it was still sharp but when I got it back it was obvious that it did need sharpening.

knotscott · 03-16-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweensdv

TexasTimbers, I fairly certain that it was WOOD Magazine that had to redo that article and saw blade test. But, I've been wrong before!

It was definitely Wood Mag. My radar went off on that one...Not sure how they could go to print with errors that gross. Many questions still remained, and I had a fleeting thought that the correction was fishier than the "flawed" original, and maybe not all so humbly honest as they wanted us to believe....(just a fleeting thought though!

...who knows?) I also couldn't help but note the huge number of "Best this" and "Best that" blades that got some sort of accollades from the 2nd test....8 blades in total got awards after the 2nd results. Mostly good blades for sure, but it kind of reminded me of Cub Scouts!

Am I the only who had such sinister thoughts about this?

Regarding Freud's service...I'm guessing Charles McCracken helped you out? Their service, and his in particular, has been really impressive IMHO. He provides a great service to these wwing forums and is extremely knowledgeable.

Capt Crutch · 03-17-2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knotscott

My radar went off on that one...Not sure how they could go to print with errors that gross. Many questions still remained, and I had a fleeting thought that the correction was fishier than the "flawed" original

Yeah, that's the way it sounds to me, though I didn't see the article in question...sounds like some angry advertisers threatened to pull the plug, and WOOD magazine suddenly got religion...

John in Tennessee · 11-17-2009, 05:47 PM

I'm sure he could address any and all sharpening questions you may have. He seems to be a real honest and stand up guy not to mention very well versed and knowledgeable. No he didn't pay me to say this...:) Just my read on him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigredc

In December I bought the 100 dollar Freud fusion 10" 40t blade. It has been unbelievable. I love it. In the past week I've been working with cherry and burning some boards. Since I'm still learning. I thought but wasn't sure if this was something cherry is known for. As it turns out it is. But In the prosses of trying to figure out if my blade was dull I cleaned it. After cleaning it I noticed a lot of nicks in the carbide, and definitely wasn't as sharp as when I got it. Being new to woodworking I had no idea how long a blade should last. I figured what the heck I'll get Darren to sharpen it. Before that I figured I should check with the guys at Woodcraft where I bought it, to see if It was the right thing to do. They said they never had seen the carbide chip before. and that the Fusion is a new product and we should call there Frued rep. and see what he says. He told them to give me a new blade. I went there thinking I was going to have to spend money and left with a new 100 dollar blade. I figured I should pass this info along in case anyone else has a similar problem. By the way I never cut anything but wood. All hardwood, but no nails or anything it wasn't supposed to cut.

John in Tennessee · 11-17-2009, 05:48 PM

I'm sure he could address any and all sharpening questions you may have. He seems to be a real honest and stand up guy not to mention very well versed and knowledgeable. No he didn't pay me to say this...:) Just my read on him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigredc

In December I bought the 100 dollar Freud fusion 10" 40t blade. It has been unbelievable. I love it. In the past week I've been working with cherry and burning some boards. Since I'm still learning. I thought but wasn't sure if this was something cherry is known for. As it turns out it is. But In the prosses of trying to figure out if my blade was dull I cleaned it. After cleaning it I noticed a lot of nicks in the carbide, and definitely wasn't as sharp as when I got it. Being new to woodworking I had no idea how long a blade should last. I figured what the heck I'll get Darren to sharpen it. Before that I figured I should check with the guys at Woodcraft where I bought it, to see if It was the right thing to do. They said they never had seen the carbide chip before. and that the Fusion is a new product and we should call there Frued rep. and see what he says. He told them to give me a new blade. I went there thinking I was going to have to spend money and left with a new 100 dollar blade. I figured I should pass this info along in case anyone else has a similar problem. By the way I never cut anything but wood. All hardwood, but no nails or anything it wasn't supposed to cut.

bigredc · 11-17-2009, 06:28 PM

Did you see how old this thread is? :-)

woodnthings · 11-17-2009, 07:03 PM

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/pdf...The-Retest.pdf
This is good info at any rate. Their test method in the first TEST was flawed, by their own admission.

bill

knotscott · 11-17-2009, 10:16 PM

Ha...this thread is older than yesterday's news.

**TexasTimbers** · 11-17-2009, 10:22 PM

Like wisdom, useful knowledge has no expiration date.