Tub saw blade recommendations?

[andy_m]

Hi all,

I use a cheap Taiwan 10" tubsaw. It's been ok, as I only do a few tile or stone jobs each year. I needed a blade, so I got a Husky brand, at HD. It was 10", 5/8 bore, non segmented, cost about $40. It wasn't as good as the worn out one, which was the one that came with the saw. I get what I think is too much chipping (too much work cleaning up the edges!) What blade would you recommend? I don't do a lot of tiling, so it would be nice to have one blade that could do well with both ceramic and stone tiles. There's a Whitecap supply near my house - they recommend the MK blade. I just don't want to buy another piece of junk, so I thought I would ask.

Thanks,

Andy

[Jason_Butler]

I use an MK-225 blade for everything but glass. I'm sure the 225 will cut glass as well but I don't make a habit of it

The 225 is especially good for the smaller saws. It has a thin kerf that results is a narrow cut ( less material removal). This puts less load on a motor

Jason

[cx]

Thought you used nothin' but Hot Dogs, Jason. What changed your mind on that?

[HS345]

I like the MK 215 for a general all around work horse.

I believe the 225 is the Hot Dog.

[cx]

You sayin' young Jason intentionally tried to mislead me?







And that it worked?

[Jason_Butler]

[andy_m]

Thanks, Gents!

My junky little saw hasn't got any power to spare, so the thin kerf 225 blade sounds good.

Thanks again!

-Andy

[andy_m]

I ran across a couple of people that had a gripe about the thin-kerf MK-225. Basically, the complaint was that the blade was too flexible and made it hard to trim very small amounts off of a tile. I tend to do this, fooling with each cut piece and sneaking up on the finished cut until it fits perfectly. So what do you guys think? Is this a legit complaint? You pros probably cut things once and it's perfect, but I'm not that skilled. Maybe I need an MK-215?

Thanks again,

Andy

[HS345]

I personally have never liked the Hot Dog blade, but I have only tried the lower end 225, I wasn't aware they made better ones.

For me, the 225 is too thin, way too much flex. I know Jason is a fan of the blade, hopefully he can shed some light as to why he likes it so much.

[The Kid]

I absoultly hate the hot dog blades, as greg said to thin. I never had any good success with them. I am however a big fan of Pearl Abrasive blades, top notch quality, that lasts a long time, but they do come with a price tag.

[cx]

Lot of blade threads out there if you guys wanna see the opinions of'em.

Back when Jason spent more time with us and usta post regularly about the Hot Dogs, I noted there were only two distinct sides to the issue; thems as loved'em, and thems as hated'em. No middle ground.

I've meant to try one since back when Jason was one of our moderators, but never have gotten around to buying one. Maybe someday I will, and then I'll hafta decide which side I'm on, eh?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Jason_Butler]

I still like the Hot Dog blades. The thin kerf does make them a bit more flexible but I've been able to shave porcelain tiles with little problem. You just have to go slow with them.

Some of the regular blades I've used ( felker and MK) tend to vibrate more than I like. My Tilemaster is the HT version and a thick balde will sometimes hammer the tile too much

I guess it's all a preference issue but there's no doubt that a thin kerf blade will put less load on a saw. This is a big benefit for some of the lower end saws with limited power

Jason