Review on Freud 10-inch x 80T Thin Kerf High Performance Cut-Off Blade (LU74R010) by Chris Palmer

I've been a fan of Freud's Diablo line of consumer blades for a number of years. The fancy red blade is fully functional as a sliding coating and has saved me from countless sticking and burning situations. I decided to give Freud's industrial line a shot. First, Freud's anti-vibration cutouts and slots are second to none. I replaced the Dewalt finishing blade (the one that came in a two pack with the edge blade) with this one on my Makita LS1216L. This blade rang like a bell after each cut, to the point where it was louder than the saw, which on its own is excellent and quiet. This knife is absolutely silent and extremely stable. Freud even allows you to choose a specific carbide grade and if you look closely at the teeth he uses a composite tip with two different carbides for both edge hardness and tooth strength. I cut myself a bit pulling the blade out of the box, it's so sharp! There are a few caveats, though: This blade claims to have a "thin kerf," but it does have a full 3/32 kerf. The Dewalt was much thinner and the thicker kerf makes it harder to saw to make the same cut. Make sure your saw has a motor rated at at least 15 amps. Many blades are equipped with overload stops behind the teeth. This is a vanilla blade with an alternating top bevel and it is possible to overfeed the blade and damage the work piece by cracking or burning the blade. Use a slow, steady hand and let the blade cut as fast as the action will allow, which is relatively slow compared to most other blades I've used. If you want it fast, buy a framing blade. If you can work within these limits, it will leave an almost glassy surface on the cut without cracking. I would NOT use this blade all day cutting MDF or ACQ, that's what the triple chip blades are for. This is an excellent furniture blade in every respect.