12-Inch Versus 14-Inch Table-Saw Blade Performance
Twelve-inch blades seem to cut straighter and smoother. September 8, 2007
Question
What are the advantages/disadvantages of using a 12" blade versus a 14" blade for sliding table saws?
Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor D:
12" blades are cheaper to purchase and sharpen and may be available in a wider variety of sizes.
From contributor A:
I found that a 12" gives you a better cut. The 14" will flex more, giving you a wavier cut, a little rougher. The 12" is a better value, cheaper unless you need the capacity.
From contributor J:
I have about 6 12" blades for my slider, most are all FS. I had all of them re-tipped recently. FS makes great saw blades. Mine are now 18 years old and cut like new. I have one 14" FS blade that's in great shape. It hangs on the wall for decoration. Seems like the Altendorf crowd uses some rather large blades; maybe they can chime in on why big pricey European blades are better. The Altendorf crowd seems to have the best answers.
From contributor P:
I use mostly 12" blades on my Altendorf - you'll lose cut quality with a larger diameter blade, as a rule of thumb, and obviously, larger diameter isn't necessary for typical panel work. I ran FS blades exclusively for better than ten years, but have switched to Freud's industrial line. Really nice cut quality, cool running, seem to last well, at about 2/3 the cost of FS.
