Dewalt recently announced a new line of Elite series power tool accessories, which will include a variety of saw blades and other cutting tools.
Dewalt Elite Framing Circular Saw Blade
The first Dewalt Elite accessory was just put out on display at my local Lowe’s – a 7-1/4″ 24T circular saw blade (DWAW71424) for framing applications. This is a fast-cutting saw blade designed for both corded and cordless 7-1/4″ circular saws.
Advertisement
Dewalt makes a very bold claim, that their Elite Series 24T circular saw blade delivers up to 2X the life compared to Diablo’s saw blade. They make sure to advertise this on their product page, on the front of the display stand at Lowe’s stores, and also on Lowe’s sales page.
In the fine print, Dewalt says that their new Elite 24T blade delivers up to twice the life of the Diablo D0724R 7-1/4″ 24T saw blade. They say that this was done in lab tests, testing both blades against cutting double-stacked 3/4″ x 48″ particle board.
I grabbed one of the Dewalt Elite Series blades and headed to the circular saw blade aisle, where I compared this $13 blade against their $10 blade.
Advertisement
The carbide tooth insert is shaped very differently, and is also smaller.
Dewalt says that utilized a “proprietary welding and coating process” and also used “technology inspired by Lenox industrial bandsaws.” The new Dewalt Elite circular saw blade is made in China.
The only cashier was helping a very long line at the self-checkout registers, and so I’ll have to pick up a test sample another time.
Dewalt Elite vs. Diablo?
I would have thought that Dewalt might take a shot at Milwaukee, their biggest competitor in the cordless power tool industry, but Diablo is also an extremely popular saw blade brand. Dewalt vs. Diablo makes sense.
On Lowe’s website, they say that this blade is a Lowe’s exclusive. Ah, so perhaps this isn’t just a Dewalt vs. Diablo comparative statement, but perhaps Lowe’s vs. Home Depot proxy competition.
It will be interesting to see how Dewalt’s other Elite accessories, featuring “unmatched cutting durability,” will be advertised.
Lowe’s vs. Home Depot
It has been a very long time since I’ve seen a good rivalry between competing brands. Back in 2011, I reported about Kobalt vs. Ridgid marketing where Lowe’s and Kobalt made the first move and were quickly and fiercely retorted by Home Depot and Ridgid.
There have been a couple of smaller x-color brand beats y-color and z-color brands marketing battles in the interim, but nothing like that Kobalt vs. Ridgid competitiveness, at least not until now.
Is Dewalt Elite the start of a new Lowe’s vs. Home Depot rivalry that will play out through some of both retailers’ exclusive brands?
Actually…
I came across a FLEX vs. Milwaukee demo station at a Lowe’s store earlier this month.
So, while Dewalt Elite vs. Diablo could simply be taken at face value to be circular saw longevity claims, it could also be a part of a larger Lowe’s vs. Home Depot sparring competition.
Bring on the Popcorn
Here’s Dewalt’s Elite Series promo banner, where they’re quite sure of themselves, saying their accessories are “Built to Lead.”
This is a version of the “up to 2X the life of Diablo saw blade” signage that I saw in-store.
Dewalt says that, with respect to the double-stacked 3/4″ x 48″ particle board, their Elite Series blade makes up to 320 more cuts compared to Diablo’s.
Or, this translates to the Dewalt Elite saw blade cutting up to 1282 more linear feet compared to the Diablo blade.
The math works out – up to 320 more cuts in the double-stacked particle board would be 1280 linear feet.
I don’t know about you, but I feel that advertising claims like these make power tool accessory launches so much more interesting.
Generally, these claims would have gone through Dewalt’s legal team, with a thorough review as to their accuracy and repeatability. Blade longevity is just one important factor when it comes to circular saw blades. What about cutting performance? Speed? Efficiency when used with a cordless saw? Surface finish?
Dewalt Elite Saw Blade Pricing and Availability
Price: $12.98
Buy Now via Lowe’s
Compare: Diablo via Home Depot
Dewalt has been comparing their Elite blade to a Diablo framing blade that retails for $9.97. That blade, D0724R, is said to deliver “5X life, 2x durability. But, Diablo also has their “Amped” Demo Demon saw blade for demo and framing applications, D0724DR. Their more premium blade is said to deliver “up to 10x cutting life” and is priced at $14.97.
If Diablo’s 10x life blade is advertised according to a common “standard 1x” blade as their 5x life blade, then perhaps the Dewalt Elite $13 blade longevity compares to that of Diablo’s $15 blade.
Compare: Diablo Demo via Home Depot
Things can get awfully messy when it comes to pricing. Diablo’s 40T blade is available right now at $14.97 for (1) or $9.88 for (2), and I have also seen promo pricing on their 24T blade in the past. So if or when that Diablo deal returns, you’ll be able to get 2x Diablo blades for $10, or 1x “up to double-life” Dewalt blade for $13.
But if we ignore potential promos, the Dewalt Elite saw blade retails for $13, and they’re comparing it to Diablo’s $10 saw blade.
Read More: Dewalt ELITE Series to Take on Diablo & Milwaukee Tool Power Tool Accessories
Jerry
At the start of.the article you called the new blade the Diablo Elite.
I like more choices so it’ll be interesting to see how the whole price/value thing shakes out with the added competition.
Stuart
Whoops – thank you, *fixed*!
Jbongo
@Jerry I saw that as well and had to reread the sentence before realize it meant DeWalt.
At what point does it really not matter for those that just do the occasional DIY weekend projects? I’m all for buying a blade that lasts a long time, but I’m sure there’s a point of diminishing returns. (Though to be fair, in some ways, $3 isn’t that much more).
Chris S
“Back in 2011, I reported about Kobalt vs. Ridgid marketing where Lowe’s and Kobalt made the first move and were quickly and fiercely retorted by Home Depot and Lowe’s.”
Is this meant to be “…fiercely retorted by Home Depot and Ridgid.”?
Also, shame on Lowes for not using an M18 Fuel in that display against Flex.
It’s not a “Flex” when you deliberately go against the weaker opponent, it just shows your scared. 😉
Rog
I thought the same thing, “use the true competitor!”
Stuart
Thanks – fixed!
With the Flex and Milwaukee comparative demo, I didn’t see a problem with their pitting a $179 kit against another $179 kit.
Tom D
Price point competition is more fair that spec competition often. But often they compare a discount priced tool with the “list price” competition.
There’s also the question as to when they consider the blade “dead” – often it can be worth changing the blade before it stops being unable to cut at all.
Jake
I saw another one of these demos, but with a Milwaukee drill against a Flex impact driver. The drill was on drilling mode, and everyone knows it is hard to screw in a screw with a drill on drill mode. I just don’t understand why Lowes is trying to promote Flex when they know it isn’t better than Milwaukee. I think this foul play with the demos is going to do more harm than good for Lowes.
MM
I’m not a very hard user of general purpose circ saw blades so this doesn’t interest me too much, but I will say that more competition is always a good thing.
What I hope this means is more competition to Diablo in other areas. I’d love to see DeWalt try and take on Diablo when it comes to metal-cutting blades for circ, recip, and jigsaws. We’ve had great woodcutting blades for years, but the metal cutting blade is more of a new kid on the block and that’s where I think there’s a lot more room for improvement, and I go through a lot more of those than I do the wood blades.
Rafe
What’s their metric for the “cutting life”? What kind of saw is it in? Whats the application? It’s a ridiculous marketing gimmick. You can put a clapped out rusty 7 1/4″ blade in a Skilmag and still cut through framing material well enough to get a job done.
Leo B.
I believe the metric was the number of cuts completed in doubled-up particle board sheets. I’m not sure they specified the saw used, but this blade seems like it would be aimed towards lasting longer, maybe all the way through a longer job, and just providing better durability overall. As a matter of fact, I was just cutting framing material with a clapped out, rusty saw blade in a Mag77 not too long ago, and while it certainly works, having better performance from the same blade for longer would’ve been greatly appreciated. If blades have a finite lifespan, having one that lasts quite a bit longer can save blade changes and keep you productive longer, even if the blade changes are quick.
Rafe
Yeah but what’s their metric for it’s “Life”? The saw blade didn’t just quit working once they hit 320 more cuts Why did it only do 320 more cuts, whats the metric for “It’s life is over”? Was it in a cordless application? Are they talking about battery life? I used to run 7 1/4 blades in my 10″ table saw running trim in apartment complexes and you can cut countless thousands of lineal fieet of partical board or MDF with a diablo 7 1/4 blade. Sounds like marketing BS.
Tom D
Cordless is actually a decent test for blades – two identical cordless tools charged fully and see which blade cuts more before the battery runs out. Doesn’t really measure the lifespan of the blade but does measure how well it cuts.
Rafe
Totally. The description here was just not super clear. If that was their test it would be a pretty reasonable and simple metric.
Jim Felt
Your AC powered Mag77 would likely cut cement board with any blade made with missing teeth…
Just sayin’…
;-)~
fred
I wonder if the Diablo made in Italy versus the Dewalt made in China will impact sales here in the USA.
We bought lots of 7-1/4 framing/general purpose blades in bulk – and probably tossed lots out prematurely – as our philosophy was to start with a new blade when we started a new job. Maybe we should have done a study looking at a more premium blade – but we sort of reserved that class for our miter and table saws. If we were doing framing extensively – or gang-cutting sheathing for tract house building – we might have had a different posture. But with more remodeling work than whole house building – the more modest-cost 7-1/4 inch blade approach seemed to work for us.
Tom D
I find with some blades longer life isn’t a bonus – because something else kills the blade before that usually. Demo sawzall is an example.
Rob
Ditto that. These aren’t $100+ industrial saw blades that get re sharpened 20 or so times in a lifetime. They’re job site consumables that get obliterated long before edge retention comes into play.
Rob
Most of the Diablo blades are made in the USA now and the Freud branding is entirely absent. They’re pretty much identical though.
X lu
Under the right lighting and with enough make up, I look like Brad Pit. These lab tests rarely mirror real world conditions. So yes the claim is ‘legally’ supportable. But in the real world, who knows. There are so many other things about a blade’s utility-speed, smoothness of cut, kerf, pushing force etc. I wouldn’t change brands over this claim but am interested to see this play out.
I always change my blades prematurely as cut quality and saw life are more important to me than the few dollars saved by stretching life. However there are few things I hate more than changing a blade so that’s what makes this interesting.
Jim Felt
Whoa! “Under the right lighting and with enough make up, I look like Brad Pit.”
You forgot about Photoshop! And the the effectiveness of marketing hyperbole. AKA the Industry of boundless Optimism.
Without which everything would look like an FTC* Bulletin. *No particular offense intended.
Joatman
The beauty of it is, is that you can get a very decent 71/4 blade for under 15 bucks, regardless of the brand.
JoeM
*Laughs Hysterically* Aaaand Cue Diablo releasing new blades that make DeWALT Eat. Their. Words. in 3….2…..1…. *Ding!*
I’m sorry, I’m a DeWALT guy, and even I know those claims of “Beating (Whatever Bosch-Brand They Reference) By X Amount!” are only for the most recent releases of Bosch blades. Once the slightest improvement gets made, then DeWALT blades are only (whatever metric they are talking about) better than the previous line of DeWALT blades.
Do they make good blades? Yeah. They’re good. Especially when they’re the only ones who make a particular kerf size, or for a specific application. But are they “The Absolute Best”… Well, No… Just… No…They’re just… kinda in the middle somewhere.
Okay… Let me try to use a Vehicle Brand Metaphor… I’m not a “Car Guy” so to those of you who are, I apologize if it gets a little muddled, I will concede to your knowledge of cars now, before you even need correct me. I agree with you, my knowledge is mostly general, and I don’t follow makes and models as closely as most guys do. Ich Bein Ein NERD.
Blades made by the likes of… Milwaukee/TTi, and DeWALT/SBD… They’re… Kinda like the Cadilac Town Car of various blades. Are they priced a bit higher than other brands? Sure. Are they super luxurious to use, with a reliable performance all the time? Sure, it can be said. But are they the Rolls Royce/Bentley of Blades? Or even the Porsche 911 Turbo, a masterpiece of engineering? Well… No… They’re not… They’re good, yeah, but they’re not peak-of-Everest levels of good.
But a freshly opened Bosch-Brand, especially Freud/Diablo/Freud-Diablo, are definitely sitting pretty in the Porsche 911 Turbo spot every time. Are even they a Rolls/Bentley? I’m not sure such a thing exists in the mass market, those particular blades are likely custom made, and machined, to an individual’s specs and needs. But DeWALT is not that brand to produce those blades. We’re still down to the level of a Cadillac for them.
Are there brands that are, I dunno… the Gremlin of the tool world? I imagine so. But we won’t need them for this metaphor.
Jim Felt
Pretty darn good analogy for a self proclaimed “Ich Bein Ein NERD”!
None of the kinda cheap mass marketed circular saw blades compare to the woodworking level expectation of performance, reliability and resharpening ease.
“Fine Woodworking”, both the mag and the idea, isn’t that well served by commodity cutting tools.
JoeM
Just to be clear, I only “Know” a handful of models of vehicle that I genuinely like, or that are so iconic that the only people who don’t know them haven’t been born yet. Automotive references are less common for me, but I figured they’d be significantly more accurate to the rest of you, who probably drive and rely on your automotive skills daily. People who genuinely know their cars, and what it means, far better than I do.
If I was to speak in my Nerdy terms, I would likely have gone to Author or Philosopher comparisons. But, what’s the likelihood of everyone understanding the difference between the work of Kant or Neitzche, and the work of Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore? Gaiman and Moore would be a relatively softball chance that everyone would understand the metaphor, I mean… We can all type, so it’s not like we don’t enjoy a good book once in a while, right? But what’s common between Tools and other influences we all share? Automotive Models/Brands. We all instinctively know where a Rolls Royce sits in the minds of car knowledge, with a vague knowledge that Rolls Royce and Bentley are the same company now. And who doesn’t know the Porsche 911 Turbo? You see it in nearly every action movie somewhere, even just in the background somewhere. Add to that, it’s in our common vernacular to use “Cadillac” as meaning high-end luxury. So… It’s a smattering, really.
I am not a “Car Guy”… And “Ich Bein Ein NERD” is a reference to the British comedy “The IT Crowd”… Nerd Reference. I know more about science, engineering, theology, and pretty much everything that no one else cares about, than I do about Car Models. Though my knowledge of them does include both Electric, and Combustion engines, and how they work, same with a transmission. After that, I can’t tell an A body from an F body, a Charger from a Corvette. Unless I see an actual logo of a vehicle, I can’t tell what brand it is.
It was a shot in the dark, and I appreciate the feedback on it… if you had any notes on improving that metaphor, I’m glad to hear it. I learn when I make mistakes, and I would rather be told when I make one so I can learn.
As to the blades… Yeah… I swear by DeWALT power tools… But not by their blades. I have some, sure. I like them, sure. But I’m invested in the DeWALT ecosystem out of past trust in it, and a lack of funds to trust multiple brands at once. I just don’t make enough money to play around. My opinions of brands have changed over the years, thanks to ToolGuyd, but even then… I Respect certain other brands, but I don’t know them as well as I do DeWALT. And Bosch blades, and their subsidiaries, earned my trust through a lifelong use of Dremel Rotary Tools. I know they’re a better engineered set of blades. Period. Luckily, nothing stops anyone from putting a Bosch blade on a DeWALT tool, so there’s no conflict there.
I appreciate the feedback, Jim. I’m always up to learning where I can improve my communications here.
John L.
I stopped purchasing ANYTHING from Lowe’s. I ordered a power tool online. Lowe’s sent it to the wrong address. Customer service told me “tough nuggies.” Their excuse was that FedEx is responsible because they delivered it to the wrong address. I said, “No. FedEx delivered it to the address you gave them. You gave them the wrong address.” They still accepted no responsibility. I have since disputed the charge with Amex. We’ll see how this turns out. In any event, goodbye and good riddance, Lowe’s.
Chris I
How do you know the address that Lowe’s put on the box?
Gerald
Tracking can tell you that
MM
These days every time a package is scanned, either by an automated machine in a warehouse, or by an employee with one of those handheld scanners, the tool also takes a picture of the package at the same time and stores it. This happens with all the major vendors, UPS, FedEx, even the post office. It would be trivial for an employee at the shipping company to look at this information and determine what address was on the box.
I have had to deal with two problem packages recently, one coming by UPS and the other coming by USPS and both were able to find images of the label in question using this method. In both cases they were able to give me screenshots of the packages as they were scanned in their system. One of the packages ended up being the shipper putting the wrong address on the package, the other had a correct address but the wrong bar code label. Both problems were easily resolved once I had photos of the packages.
Jim Felt
Stuart.
I admire your fortitude in trying to normalize the miserable experience of patronizing a Home Depot competitor and their newly stocked wares.
Your sentence “The only cashier was helping a very long line at the self-checkout registers, and so I’ll have to pick up a test sample another time.” mirrors exactly why they are my last evening or weekend choice of vendor. Never first choice or a business day choice.
And just why is that so painfully and generally true?
Stuart
I added that part in case someone chimed in with “why didn’t you just buy one and try it out?”
I also wanted water softener pellets but they weren’t where they normally are. I always see them when I don’t want them, but now when I do need them, they weren’t there. (Lowe’s pellets are a few dollars less per bag than at Home Depot.)
I have abandoned my purchases before due to long lines at Lowe’s. Home Depot can have long lines too, but there’s always a person or two, plus the pro desk, that can check me out when I’m with my kids or arms full of stuff. This can also vary wildly depending on individual stores.
MFC
So the first thing I noticed is the graphic designer put the blades BACKWARDS!
So…
Lol. So many people that don’t use the tools wind up making decisions about the tools.
MFC
The blade is backwards in the Diablo vs. DeWalt graphic, because the DeWalt is “in front” of the Diablo, but teeth are pointed the wrong way.
Maybe that is why the DeWalt can make more cuts, because they were cutting backwards? 😏
Corey Moore
I’d just be happy to see DeWalt stick with the accessory line for once, but speaking of DeWalt, do you have any info on the new DCD703F1 12v 5in1 driver? Surprised there hasn’t been more news on this guy, with how popular the flexiclick and Milwaukee’s installation driver have been.
Stuart
Not yet – hopefully soon.
PW
Competition is good. But my interest is a lot lower than when first announced. Disappointed by the COO and Lowe’s sales channel. Marketing claims mean little to me.
I’ll probably stick with Diablo even though yellow matches my tools. 😉
David Brock
sounds like a ProjectFarm update time.
Bob
For a few bucks more I will stick with Diablo. They work well and are price competitive. Easy to find. No store exclusive BS. Europe vs Asia for COO. No off putting (to me anyway) marketing puff.
Plus let’s face it Dewalt is not going to keep up with these accessories long term. They never do.
And this is coming from a guy who has been using the various DeWalt battery platforms since the mid 90’s.
Rob
In this case, Diablo is a few bucks less. Heck, if they’re comparing to the regular 24t framing blade and not the Demo Demon, the Diablo blade is often $5 out the door.
IronWood
Made in China? Lowe’s exclusive? Double pass.
Even if they were Made in USA and sold everywhere I’m not buying the BS marketing hype. Those “comparison” numbers mean nothing without a lot more testing details. I’ll keep running diablo in my Skil and DeWalt saws. The diablo you know and all…
King duck
This seems like harbor freight advertising back in the day honestly I would be inclined to not buy it. I’m hardly a professional and I get the feeling I’m more likely to kill a blade hitting the saw bourse or a nail than ever wearing a blade out.
Tom D
Given that it’s a Lowe’s exclusive in slightly suspicious of the marketing claims. If it were really that good wouldn’t they sell it to the world?
IronWood
Exactly. And honestly that was kind of my reaction to the new Flex cordless line: “wow, it’s so good they could only get Lowe’s to sell it?!” Might not be accurate but that’s the impression it gives.
Stuart
Because that’s not how retail exclusivity and accessory marketing works.
Lowe’s carries a couple of “exclusive” Dewalt products – some are made specifically for them such as Tough Grip, others are exclusive to them with respect to retail home centers.
See Also: Dewalt Tough Grip Screwdriver Bits
IronWood
Well, I guess I don’t understand the economics/politics of it. Seems like a brand would incur expenses to develop “different” lines, each with their own modifications, logos, packaging, etc. And then all those different lines get only partial exposure to the full market, plus adding confusion for consumers (or maybe just me…)
Nathan
yeah I never bought any of the spyder branded blades because there were only sold at lowes or amazon – so I would buy something else I could get from other stores – because I felt they were a marketing gimick.
I’ve been sticking with diablo for a while now for nearly every saw blade that I have that is circular. I might get a 24 tooth dewalt blade but I’d get that one that supposed to help run time. I’ll take cut quality and runtime over blade life anyday.
Rob
You can buy Spyder at any brick and mortar tool store. They’re just exclusive to Lowes in the “not sold at Home Depot” definition.
MichaelHammer
Spider hole saws are the cat’s ass.
Rob
Those DeWalt blades do have quite an aggressive approach to sound/vibration dampening and heat buildup. Who designed these? Neither the “Made in China” nor Dewalt brand scare me. Tenyru’s got Chinese manufacturing and the Makita “SharkSkin” blades sold in Japan are quite good. I’m just confused as to why Bosch doesn’t sell Freud blades in Lowes/Menards with Bosch branding as they do in the European and UK market.
MichaelHammer
I read through all the comments looking for someone to mention the test material. Two sheets of 3/4” particle board? Not OSB. Not plywood or 2x spruce, hemlock, or SYP. Particle board. What a useless thing to test a framing blade with. Particle board is used never in framing. Three decades in home remodeling and I have no idea what particle board does to a blade. In fact, I would have to research the correct blade for the job. What application does particle board have outside of cabinetry/furniture? That in itself is enough to throw the whole claim out.
Nathan
you know that’s right I had to read that twice to see it. The picture makes it looks like OSB – but the words say 3/4 particle board.
2 completely different things. and which particle board – MDF, HDF etc.
seems even more dubious.
fred
Good point – that just goes to show how some of the so called tests are probably made up by marketing gurus – possibly showing their ignorance or worse yet to skew results in favor of their products. I looked at the graphic of the stack of sheets supposedly cut – and my eyes saw “flake board” another bad choice.
Koko The Talking Ape
I notice the Elite has a more aggressive tooth rake and lower anti-kickback bumps or wings or whatever they’re called. Could that be why they last longer somehow?
Matthew
Really 🤣🤣, dewalts reputation of crappy blades and now their trying to beat Diablo? Doesn’t make sense it’s a marketing gimmick
Floyd Mills
As a occasional DIY’ER, the only thing that concerns me, is how much money I have in my pocket at the end of the day!