bB

[email protected] (BUB 209)

14/02/2004 4:14 PM

Premium Bandsaw Blades

My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.


This topic has 19 replies

JG

"Jerry Gilreath"

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

14/02/2004 4:55 PM

Well, just my opinion here, but yes. I used to use the OEM blades on my
Ridgid bandsaw. I order 4 sizes of the Timberwolf blades just a couple weeks
ago. I'll never look back! I resawed some walnut the other night, and
there's all the difference in the world!!! I should have done it years ago.
Now if I could just convince myself into getting a good blade for the TS.


--
"Cartoons don't have any deep meaning.
They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh."
Homer Simpson
Jerry© The Phoneman®
"BUB 209" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
> are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
> such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
> Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
> they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must
be
> something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.

DD

Dan Dunphy

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

15/02/2004 11:56 AM

I broke my Timberwolf blade, at the weld. I mailed it in and had a
new one at my door in 1 week. Now THAT'S customer service.
Dan

On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:

>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
>Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
>they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
>something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.

Colorado Springs, CO
My advice may be worth what you paid for it.

Pp

Philski

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

14/02/2004 10:43 AM

BUBster:
The purchase of a premium blade is worthwhile. Timberwolf blades come
immediately to mind as I use them on my Delta 14" (w//riser). And
Highland Hardware has a blade I believe is called the "Woodslicer" that
has received great reviews. The Timberwolf blades are "low tension"
blades and I have yet to find a bad cut from one.

And there are bandsaw blades that have carbide tips but you will pay a
premium price for these blades.

Try here:
http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/subcat.asp?0=294

Try searching for Lennox Bandsaw Blades for the carbide tipped variety.

Philski

bB

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 1:06 AM

In rec.woodworking
John Carlson <[email protected]> wrote:

>Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
>overrated. I like Olson blades. Their FB series blades, in my
>experience, cut just as smoothly as the Timberwolf, last just as long,
>and cost about half as much.

I just bought a set at the show of 4 AllPro and 2 MVP and I've used several
of them already. I'm very happy with them. I love that the MVPs eat right
through nails.

Bb

BruceR

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

17/02/2004 7:49 AM

I think that they don't fail due to flexing any sooner than steel
blades, it's just that the teeth far outlive the base metal. I agree
that unless a carbide blade has a base metal that gives the same
extended life that carbide teeth give, carbide on a < 20" saw is
probably not the most cost effective.

An ideal blade would have the teeth dull/fail about the same time the
base metal begins to fail from fatigue.

-Bruce


John Crea wrote:
> What size bandsaw?? Most folks do NOT recommend using carbide on saws
> smaller than around 20in, as the smaller wheels flex the heck out of
> the carbide blades leading to premature failure. And at $100 to well
> over $200+ (depending on the blade length), you really don't want a
> blade that should last a couple years failing in a couple months\
>
> Specifically on 14in saws, I would NOT even think about carbide blades
>
> John
>
>



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mM

[email protected] (Mark Wells)

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 8:15 AM

Anybody else really disappointed that they didn't compare the
longevity of the blades? Unlike tablesaw blades, longevity really is
an issue with band saw blades. To me it's not meaningful to compare
the prices of the blades without comparing how long they stay sharp,
especially if you mix bi-metal and carbon steel blades in the review
as they did.

Mark

[email protected] (Scott Post) wrote in message news:<JX0Yb.41607$yE5.169544@attbi_s54>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> John Carlson <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
> >overrated.
>
> I've felt the same way and the most recent FWW confirms it. I've tried
> 3 or 4 Timberwolf blades and have never been impressed. The junk bands
> that come with most saws are in a class by themselves - they barely cut.
> People run out and buy a Timberwolf to replace it based on the neverending
> shills they read here. It naturally cuts better than the stock blade so
> they mistakenly think it's the best on the market. Then anytime the question
> of bandsaw blades pops up they jump on the bandwagon with the "Timberwolf
> is best" mantra.
>
> Timberwolf is about average for the low end bands. There are plenty
> that cut as well or better for less money.

sS

[email protected] (Scott Post)

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 10:28 AM

In article <[email protected]>,
John Carlson <[email protected]> wrote:
>Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
>overrated.

I've felt the same way and the most recent FWW confirms it. I've tried
3 or 4 Timberwolf blades and have never been impressed. The junk bands
that come with most saws are in a class by themselves - they barely cut.
People run out and buy a Timberwolf to replace it based on the neverending
shills they read here. It naturally cuts better than the stock blade so
they mistakenly think it's the best on the market. Then anytime the question
of bandsaw blades pops up they jump on the bandwagon with the "Timberwolf
is best" mantra.

Timberwolf is about average for the low end bands. There are plenty
that cut as well or better for less money.

--
Scott Post [email protected] http://home.insightbb.com/~sepost/

BA

Bay Area Dave

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 4:09 PM

better yet, that it not break at the weld...

dave

Dan Dunphy wrote:

> I broke my Timberwolf blade, at the weld. I mailed it in and had a
> new one at my door in 1 week. Now THAT'S customer service.
> Dan
>
> On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:
>
>
>>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
>>Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
>>they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
>>something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.
>
>
> Colorado Springs, CO
> My advice may be worth what you paid for it.

Bn

Bridger

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

14/02/2004 11:54 AM

On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:

>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.

the blades supplied OEM are usually pretty low quality. get a good
blade, you'll like it.




>Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
>they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
>something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.



there are definitely such things as carbide bandsaw blades. mostly
they are meant for big saws, as the tight radius of small wheels seems
to be hard on them.

JC

John Carlson

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 12:52 AM

Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
overrated. I like Olson blades. Their FB series blades, in my
experience, cut just as smoothly as the Timberwolf, last just as long,
and cost about half as much.


On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:

>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
>Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
>they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
>something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.

-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

JC

John Carlson

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 6:00 PM

I haven't seen the article yet, but I agree that longevity certainly
should have been considered. The price of bandsaw blades varies
pretty widely and it would be nice to know whether a blade that costs
twice as much as another is likely to last twice as long.

On 16 Feb 2004 08:15:11 -0800, [email protected] (Mark Wells)
wrote:

>Anybody else really disappointed that they didn't compare the
>longevity of the blades? Unlike tablesaw blades, longevity really is
>an issue with band saw blades. To me it's not meaningful to compare
>the prices of the blades without comparing how long they stay sharp,
>especially if you mix bi-metal and carbon steel blades in the review
>as they did.
>
>Mark

-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

JC

John Crea

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 8:40 PM

What size bandsaw?? Most folks do NOT recommend using carbide on saws
smaller than around 20in, as the smaller wheels flex the heck out of
the carbide blades leading to premature failure. And at $100 to well
over $200+ (depending on the blade length), you really don't want a
blade that should last a couple years failing in a couple months\

Specifically on 14in saws, I would NOT even think about carbide blades

John

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 23:01:54 GMT, John Carlson
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 22:19:06 GMT, [email protected] (Scott Post)
>wrote:
>
>>I've been using
>>Woodslicer bands for the past few years because they cut so fast and
>>leave such a smooth finish, but they wear out pretty quick. At 30 bucks
>>a pop that really adds up. I'm trying to decide if it would be cost
>>effective to spend the $100+ on a carbide blade.
>
>
>Is there a carbide blade that will cut as smoothly as a Woodslicer? I
>have a Woodslicer that I use for "critical" (i.e., very thin) resawing
>but I don't use it routinely because at $30 or so I don't want to wear
>it out. But a $100 carbide blade would only have to last about 3x as
>long to break even, and I would think that carbide is so much harder
>than steel that it would last considerably longer than that.
>
>-- jc
>Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
>If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

EP

"Edwin Pawlowski"

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 4:35 AM

John Carlson wrote:
> Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
> overrated. I like Olson blades. Their FB series blades, in my
> experience, cut just as smoothly as the Timberwolf, last just as long,
> and cost about half as much.
>

Depends on where you buy them. Retail, yes, but if you order direct from
Suffolk machine, you save a bundle. Probably close in price to the Olson.
--
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

RS

Roy Smith

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

14/02/2004 2:49 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
Bridger <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:
>
> >My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
> >are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
> >such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
>
> the blades supplied OEM are usually pretty low quality. get a good
> blade, you'll like it.
>
>
>
>
> >Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
> >they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
> >something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.
>
>
>
> there are definitely such things as carbide bandsaw blades. mostly
> they are meant for big saws, as the tight radius of small wheels seems
> to be hard on them.

The latest FWW just showed up today. There's a review article comparing
about 20 brands of bandsaw blades.

JC

John Carlson

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 1:52 PM

Nope. The 1/2" Olson that I bought last month at the local tool
emporium was, IIRC, $10.95. The comparable Timberwolf, direct from
Suffolk with shipping, was about $20. Now maybe if I bought a bunch
of Timberwolfs (Timberwolves?) at once, the pro-rated shipping would
bring that down by a couple dollars, but still a fair amount more than
the Olson and, like I said, no better in performance or longevity.

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 04:35:35 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
>Depends on where you buy them. Retail, yes, but if you order direct from
>Suffolk machine, you save a bundle. Probably close in price to the Olson.

-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

BA

Bay Area Dave

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 1:53 AM

I've got an Olson Pro 5/8 which I think is reasonably good. sure better
than the crap that ships with the Delta or the powermatic 14's. FWW
liked the Olson 1/2". they reviewed numerous BS blades this month.
Timberwolf didn't fare so well.

dave

John Carlson wrote:

> Timberwolf gets a lot of good press in this group but IMO they're
> overrated. I like Olson blades. Their FB series blades, in my
> experience, cut just as smoothly as the Timberwolf, last just as long,
> and cost about half as much.
>
>
> On 14 Feb 2004 16:14:38 GMT, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:
>
>
>>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.
>>Also, is there such a thing as a carbide-tipped wood cutting blade? Since
>>they were never on board the carbide revolution train I figure there must be
>>something unworkable or inherently incompatible with the idea.
>
>
> -- jc
> Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
> If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

JC

John Carlson

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 11:01 PM

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 22:19:06 GMT, [email protected] (Scott Post)
wrote:

>I've been using
>Woodslicer bands for the past few years because they cut so fast and
>leave such a smooth finish, but they wear out pretty quick. At 30 bucks
>a pop that really adds up. I'm trying to decide if it would be cost
>effective to spend the $100+ on a carbide blade.


Is there a carbide blade that will cut as smoothly as a Woodslicer? I
have a Woodslicer that I use for "critical" (i.e., very thin) resawing
but I don't use it routinely because at $30 or so I don't want to wear
it out. But a $100 carbide blade would only have to last about 3x as
long to break even, and I would think that carbide is so much harder
than steel that it would last considerably longer than that.

-- jc
Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection.
If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

sS

[email protected] (Scott Post)

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

16/02/2004 10:19 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
Mark Wells <[email protected]> wrote:
>Anybody else really disappointed that they didn't compare the
>longevity of the blades? Unlike tablesaw blades, longevity really is
>an issue with band saw blades. To me it's not meaningful to compare
>the prices of the blades without comparing how long they stay sharp,
>especially if you mix bi-metal and carbon steel blades in the review
>as they did.
>

I agree. The article started with something to the effect that they
didn't test longevity because a typical hobbiest will get a couple
years worth of cutting out of a band. I must not be typical because
I wear out resaw bands every couple of projects. Most of my projects
involve resawing lumber for bookmatched panels. I've been using
Woodslicer bands for the past few years because they cut so fast and
leave such a smooth finish, but they wear out pretty quick. At 30 bucks
a pop that really adds up. I'm trying to decide if it would be cost
effective to spend the $100+ on a carbide blade.

--
Scott Post [email protected] http://home.insightbb.com/~sepost/

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to [email protected] (BUB 209) on 14/02/2004 4:14 PM

14/02/2004 4:29 PM

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (BUB 209) wrote:
>My trips to Sears for those 10.00 bandsaw blades after each small project
>are getting pretty tiresome and expensive, I was just wondering if blades
>such as Timberwolf are more economical in the long run.

Yes. Buy the best, cry once; buy cheap junk, cry every time.

--
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?


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