I was recently given the opportunity to test several Freud Diablo circular saw blades in my miter and table saws. Diablo blades are available in a wide selection of sizes and styles and are easy to find online and locally at Home Depot.
The consensus is that Diablo saw blades balance great quality with excellent value, and are a good choice when replacing or upgrading the OEM blades that are often bundled with new saws.
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Over the span of a few months I used these blades in numerous home improvement projects and have been consistently impressed with their performance. These blades were used and tested with a Dewalt DW745 table saw, and a Makita LS1016L sliding compound miter saw.
Features
As part of the review I tested 3 different Diablo 10 inch saw blades:
- D1040X 10 inch 40 Tooth ATB General Purpose blade
- D1050X 10 inch 50 Tooth ATB Combination blade
- D1024X 10 inch 24 Tooth ATB Ripping blade
The general purpose and combination blades are suitable for use in either miter or table saws, while the ripping blade is intended for table saw use only. All of these blades have 0.098-inch thin kerf designs, laser-cut stabilizer vents to reduce noise and vibration, and a Perma-Shield non-stick coating that helps to reduce friction, heating, gumming-up, and resists corrosion.
These Diablo blades all featured Freud’s exclusive shock-resistant TiCo Hi Density carbide teeth, which they claim maintains blade sharpness up to four times longer than standard carbide blades.
Thin kerf blades work especially well in lower-powered saws, as their narrow teeth remove less wood so that the motor doesn’t have to work as hard. The disadvantage is that thin kerf blades can sometimes easily deflect, and that they do not tolerate high temperatures as well. This is not something we noticed with these blades, but are tradeoffs to be mindful of.
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Cutting Performance
Diablo D1040X General Purpose Blade:
The D1040X 10 inch 40 Tooth ATB General Purpose blade has been recently redesigned to include a 30 degree alternate top bevel (ATB) called the Precision Shear Point which increases cutting life and results in cleaner cuts. The 40 tooth count makes it a good general purpose blade in the miter saw, but this blade can also be used to rip materials in a table saw.
In my 10 inch Makita sliding miter saw, I was impressed that the saw cut effortlessly and produced a reasonably smooth cut. At one point I did accidentally chop through a hidden nail in 4×4 lumber, but the carbide teeth held up nicely with no noticeable damage or change in cut quality or performance.
Crosscut performance was equally as good in the table saw. Ripping did require a bit of patience, as the blade cuts fairly slow in this direction, but it still produces clean and smooth rip cuts.
Please note that the blade I tested is a new version of the D1040X. The older generation D1040X had a 15° standard ATB carbide tooth cutting angle, the newer blade has a 30° angle that Diablo says provides for longer cutting life, cleaner cuts in sheet goods, and effortless cutting with an easier feed rate.
Street Price: $32
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Diablo D1050X Combination Saw Blade:
The D1050X 10 inch 50 Tooth ATB Combination blade has an interesting blade design that makes it a great multi-purpose do-everything blade. Every 5 teeth are separated by a deep gullet that provides effective chip removal for rip cuts, and the high tooth count provides for finer cross cuts.
I was skeptical about using this blade in a table saw to rip lumber, due to its high tooth count, but it proved to be very effective and did not burn the wood at all. It was only slightly slower than using a 24 tooth ripping blade. The gullets provided excellent chip removal and allowed this blade to perform much closer to a normal ripping blade while providing a very smooth cut.
In crosscuts on either the table or miter saws, it performed very close to the 60 tooth finish blade that I had previously mounted in the miter saw.
Street Price: $37
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Diablo D1024X Ripping Saw Blade:
The D1024X 10 inch 24 Tooth ATB Ripping blade is the ideal blade for general construction ripping needs. With its thin kerf, this blade is at home in a contractor or jobsite table saw and can rip sheet goods and lumber with ease.
In my Dewalt DW745 table saw (guards removed for the photo) this blade zipped right through plywood, pine, and even hardwoods with little hesitation. There was very little tearout and it produced a clean cut that definitely put the stock Dewalt blade to shame.
Street Price: $30
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Conclusion
These blades all performed very well in my limited testing and I experienced none of the typical thin kerf shortcomings. It looks like the blades’ laser-cut stabilizers and Perma Shield coatings are in fact very effective at reducing heat. There were no blade deflections or warping that I could detect.
The D1040X is an excellent choice for more general cross cutting with the ability to rip a clean cut if needed. With the D1040X in a miter saw, the D1024X would be an excellent pair for the table saw and serve to accomplish a majority of needs over time.
If I had to pick a single blade to use in both saws, I would definitely pick the D1050X combination saw blade as I was very impressed with its performance in both crosscut and ripping roles. I would be concerned that the finer cut and higher tooth count would sooner lead to a dull blade, but in the meantime it very effectively lives up to its combination blade namesake.
I definitely recommend that you consider Freud’s Diablo saw blades serious consideration for your woodworking sawing needs. Whether you’re a contractor, woodworker, or even a DIYer, these blades are high performance yet economically priced options for many cutting tools.
The observations and opinions discussed here should translate well to Diablo’s larger 12 inch smaller 7-1/4 and 6-1/2 inch circular saw blades.
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As of the time of this review, these blades are all made in Italy.
Thank you to Diablo for providing the review samples unconditionally. Review samples are typically given away, donated, or retained for editorial and comparison purposes.
Les Garten
I just bought one of these in 7 1/4″ for my Skilsaw. It is the metal cutting blade. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet but here is an amazing video of Jack Olsen doing something amazing with it.
http://youtu.be/92KA-LgNBUM
Clayton M
That’s a pretty impressive video – I’m not too familiar with metal cutting via circular saw but that was pretty wild!
Jon
The Diablo metal cutting blade is the only one used by the sheet metal crews I’ve worked with. Those blades are great! They use a nearly perpendicular tooth with a triple chip grind and a particular grade carbide (I forget what it’s called) that holds up very well against ferrous metals. I’ve even mounted one (7-1/4″) in my table saw. Just make sure you take ALL table saw AND sheet metal safety precautions very seriously!
Hang Fire
For a little more money ($50 total) than the Diablo D1050X, you can get the Freud (professional level) LU83R010 blade. Besides alternating tooth bevels it also has a flat bladed tooth every 5th tooth with a different hook angle for better ripping, a thinner .091″ kerf, and better grade of carbide teeth:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00020JOAA/?tag=toolguyd-20
I have it on my cheap 110V contractor saw, and while it cannot cure all its ills, at least it cuts everything I throw at it easily. I researched that purchase very carefully and am very happy with my choice.
Clayton M
That definitely looks like an excellent blade as well. It would be interesting to compare it to the D1050X as I was pretty impressed with that blade. It looks like they might perform very similarly. I’m not sure how much I’d want an even thinner kerf, but I could see how that would let it rip through wood even faster along with the flat tooth design.
Jon
Thinner kerf can help you make better use of materials, but the main advantages are dramatically reduced sawdust production and, most importantly, greater power efficiency. A 1 HP motor with a thin kerf blade cuts about as well as a 2 HP motor with a regular kerf blade (all else being equal).
Jerry
I’ve had good luck with the few Diablo blades I have used. They seem a good value for the price.
I REALLY like the premium diablo carbide reciprocating saw blades, for demolition work. Kind of rough cutting, but they stay sharp a long time.
Clayton M
I completely agree. I also have a 6.5″ blade for my 18v circular saw, and it practically turned it into a new saw when I installed it – more cuts per charge, faster, and cleaner!
I haven’t tried their recip blades, but I will be picking some up once my stock gets low.
Jon
Their reciprocating blades are EXCELLENT. I got a couple samples mailed to me (one metal at home, one wood/demo at work) when they were introduced. In both cases they cut dramatically faster and cleaner than any other I’ve ever used. Now when I have to pick one up I have no hesitation paying about $1 more per blade than the others at the store because I know they are worth far more than that. (And the only times I’ve needed to pick one up are when I had accidentally left my blades in the wrong toolbox. These things last longer than others, too!) Diablo is the best brand of blade (circular or reciprocating) I have found, at least among those with broad distribution channels.
fred
While for furniture-making I think I’d give a slight edge to some of my Forrest blades – over similar Freud Industrial (LU series) blades – for carpentry work they are probably a bit of overkill. Recognizing that no table saw blade will stand up for long to abuse – like cutting nail-embedded lumber, wet pressure-treated wood etc. – Freud Diablo blades that you can afford to change out when they dull are a good choice. I’ve found most Freud Diablo blades to be very good performers – and their availability in pretty decent selection at Home Depot made them pretty much what we bought for general carpentry work. I’ve found that Freud’s track saw blade is also a pretty decent (about $25 cheaper) alternative to the Festool original equipment blade:
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-LU79R006M20-Perma-Shield-Melamine-48-Teeth/dp/B002IPHG9I
rob
I have changed all my blades to Diablo blades. I had received a Skil Saw from my grandfather when he passed away, I tried it out w/out the Diablo blade and thought the saw might have been passed its useful life changed the blade and it was like a brand new saw. After that I changed out my table saw and miter saws plus other circular saws I owned. After doing that I noticed on most of the home improvement shows they used saws with red blades, the name was long gone but they all seemed to be Diablo blades.
Jon
My previous employer stocked them for all of their employees. Framing blades, finishing blades, even their Hardiblade for Hardiplank Lap Siding (or Hardibacker, etc.). Only blades they used. One of the few practices of theirs with which I agreed. 🙂
mike
Ive been using solely freud and lenox blades lately for both my sawzall and circular saw and they are great.
Bill K
Couldn’t find the D1040x with 30 deg hook angle anywhere to give it a try. Guess I’ll put it on my watch list.
Michael Veach
I will give one a try. I am using CMT blades now with very good results
Mike
I’ve got several of the Diablo blades in my saws. I’ve got the 24 tooth and 50 tooth reviewed above and really like them. I’ve also go a 30 tooth glue line rip blade and their dado set. The glue line rip lives up to the description. I hardly ever have to run anything through the jointer after ripping it down. The dado set is great too. I’ve never dropped the coin on a Forrest or a ridge carbide blade to compare what the extra $100 bucks gets you but as good as these work I don’t think I ever will.
Jack Brown
A lot of the reviewers on Amazon complain that these blades are not stiff enough, so that they won’t cut straight in dense wood. I think this was particularly in regard to the big 12″ versions. No experience with that, Clayton?
Clayton M
Actually Jack, I specifically purchased a 10″ miter saw (Makita LS1016) to reduce wobble or accuracy issues that I’ve had with 12″ saws in the past.
My gut reaction is to say that this is an inherent issue with thin-kerf blades, I do see quite a few complaints on Amazon for the D1280X – which is actually slightly thicker than these 10″ models – but the last complaint is from 2011 (and the others are 2006/2007), more recent reviews are pretty positive. I might be inclined to think that they may have made some changes to improve the cut quality since that time.
The D1244X and D1260X have similarly positive reviews to the 10″ models, so they might be a safe alternate choice if you’re concerned about the 80 tooth model. If you’re specifically looking for an 80 tooth blade, the LU88R012 might also be appropriate, though slightly more expensive.
Mark
I just bought the 60 tooth trim blade. Mounted on on a 10 Mikita slider. I am a stairrail carpenter and have used lots of brands. Thus blade will not be staying on my saw or bought again. It does not cut clean. It’s too aggressive. I’ll stick with Tenryu.