Plunging into debt?

[Eric Roy]

Call them plunge saws or track saws as you please, but why oh why are the blades so expensive? Just ordered a new blade (DT1090) for my DeWALT saw at the “bargain” price of £46 and a few pence. Similar blades by DeWALT, also in 165mm diameter, are all priced under £20. What is that all about - could it be the narrower kerf?

Methinks a trip to the local saw-blade sharpener with the old one might be a good investment for the future….

 

[TheTiddles]

You mean you just throw blunt blades and don’t normally have them resharpened?

 

[robgul]

Have a look at Saxon Blades - great range and good prices

 

[Eric Roy]

You mean you just throw blunt blades and don’t normally have them resharpened?

No, not at all! I have hoarded my old ones but not previously lived close enough to a sharpening service to make it economical to use. Although there were postal options, the extra cost of carriage seemed excessive. As we are now quite local to a company, it is definitely time to sharpen.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You mean you just throw blunt blades and don’t normally have them resharpened?

I can drive two 30 mile round trips and get one sharpened for £15 or get a perfectly decent new one delivered in 48hrs for £26. Which would you do?

 

[Eric Roy]

Have a look at Saxon Blades - great range and good prices

Thanks for the pointer. Saxon do a similar 165mm 48T blade which is even thinner (1.5mm) for £12 - worth a try I think. Pity I have already ordered…

 

[artie]

You mean you just throw blunt blades and don’t normally have them resharpened?

I discovered a while back, I can have blades picked up at my door sharpened and returned to my door for a tad less than £15.

Last time they did two for that price.

The driver said it must be a mistake, not to worry about it.

 

[artie]

Thanks for the pointer. Saxon do a similar 165mm 48T blade which is even thinner (1.5mm) for £12 - worth a try I think. Pity I have already ordered…

Would save changing the rubber strip if you kept to the same kerf, I think.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I get multitool blades, circular saw, jigsaw, recip saw blades, and screwdriver bits from them. I can't fault anything they sell - you could perhaps argue that Bosch etc. jigsaw blades are slightly better/sharper, but Saxon's are half the price and I usually ruin them before they ever get blunt anyway.

 

[baldkev]

Search for the trend options. Reasonable blades for the money.
But they come in 3 packs from ebay ( abbey power etc ) for about 25 to 30 quid.
Trend do different plate sizes, so look into that to find the right code or just email abbey power

 

[TheTiddles]

I can drive two 30 mile round trips and get one sharpened for £15 or get a perfectly decent new one delivered in 48hrs for £26. Which would you do?

If they were cheaper than sharpening, I’d buy new ones. If they were more expensive than sharpening, I’d get them sharpened, but I’m just a crazy person.

 

[RobinBHM]

Have a look at Saxon Blades - great range and good prices

What are their circular saw blades like?

I tend to buy Freud, but have wondered about buying some cheapies

 

[Ollie78]

I get those Trend ones baldkev mentioned as well ( in a different sizes for HSK55 and ts55) they are fine.
I also get Dart ones which I find very good and pretty cheap, they do them in my local tool hire shop.

Ollie

 

[Eric Roy]

Lots of helpful input and suggestions - thank you!

BUT, no answer yet to my original question which was why the official DeWALT blade carries such a premium. Is the case that plunge saws need a higher quality or more complex to manufacture blade, or is this a marketing premium that has no basis in the engineering?

 

[baldkev]

Profit, for sure

 

[BrandonB]

Lots of helpful input and suggestions - thank you!

BUT, no answer yet to my original question which was why the official DeWALT blade carries such a premium. Is the case that plunge saws need a higher quality or more complex to manufacture blade, or is this a marketing premium that has no basis in the engineering?

Marketing. How much difference is there between a standard non brand blade and a dewalt blade? - other than thickness and amount of teeth?

Freud blades are quality and stay sharp for longer than you're fancy blades such as keyblades. I picked up a few trend blades from Toolstation when they had the 165mm blades on sale for £9 a blade!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What are their circular saw blades like?

I tend to buy Freud, but have wondered about buying some cheapies

I've got them in a mitre saw and circular saws (and a jigsaw and recip saw), I've not has a problem - they might not last as long as something two or three times the price, but hey ho. I tend to ruin things before they blunt.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Marketing. How much difference is there between a standard non brand blade and a dewalt blade? ...

In many cases the stuff is only branded by them, not manufactured by them. I watched (in a clip posted here by D.W. iirc) a test done under lab conditions on abrasives - DeWalt, Makita and Bosch branded stuff came out in the bottom five. BMW, Merc and Audi in the last published figures were in the bottom five for reliability. Beware, big brands are not necessarily the best.

 

[RobinBHM]

I've got them in a mitre saw and circular saws (and a jigsaw and recip saw), I've not has a problem - they might not last as long as something two or three times the price, but hey ho. I tend to ruin things before they blunt.

thanks for that - I will buy a few blades and give them a go, they are cheap enough to just have a try -and its handy to have a new blade on hand

 

[IZZY]

Call them plunge saws or track saws as you please, but why oh why are the blades so expensive? Just ordered a new blade (DT1090) for my DeWALT saw at the “bargain” price of £46 and a few pence. Similar blades by DeWALT, also in 165mm diameter, are all priced under £20. What is that all about - could it be the narrower kerf?

Methinks a trip to the local saw-blade sharpener with the old one might be a good investment for the future….

It's similar to pc printers . They catch you with a deal on the printer and then rob you with the price of refills