Milwaukee Tool has come out with a new line of circular saw blades, featuring anti-friction coatings, and polymer-filled vibration slots.
There will also be new blades for cutting fiber cement, featuring polycrystalline diamond tips that they say last up to 75X longer than traditional carbide-tipped blades.
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Polycrystalline diamond?
Ooh, maybe they used particles like…
There are 3 fiber cement-cutting blades (7-1/4″, 10″, 12″), and 30 wood-cutting blades, ranging from 5-3/8″ to 12″ in diameter, with different tooth counts and configurations.
The wood-cutting blades are available in framing, fine finish, ultra fine finish, general purpose, ripping, and combination blade styles. The wood-cutting saw blades’ teeth are made from cobalt-infused tungsten carbide.
Milwaukee designed the new blades for cordless efficiency, but they can also be used with corded tools.
I tested out the Fine Finish 7-1/4″ blade yesterday, in a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 7-1/4″ cordless miter saw. It left a clean finish, with edges that didn’t require any further work, even when cutting 1/2″ baltic birch plywood.
At the recent NPS18 media event, there was a circular saw blade cutting race, showing that these new blades cut through wood with a little less effort than the previous blades, resulting in faster application speeds. Personally, I cannot really tell the difference. The difference is too slight for me to notice without doing A vs. B tests.
The new blades are nice, however. Will they convert me over from my usual preference for Diablo and Freud blades? Probably not. But I am happy to see Milwaukee making a competitive effort.
So far, I’m happy with the performance of the blade I tested out (7-1/4″ 40T Fine Finish).
Usually when planning ahead, I’ll order blades from my usual brand online. But if I needed a blade TODAY, and I knew the local store carried these Milwaukee blades, I’d likely head on over to pick one up.
I want to see further expansion of the blade lineup. Maybe some new non-ferrous TCG blades for cutting aluminum and plastic?
These new blades have already popped up online, and should show up at typical Milwaukee tool and accessory dealers.
Are these blades the best ones out there? I don’t know. But the one I tested is decent, and good enough to keep on the miter saw.
I’d like to see some holiday season or Father’s Day promo pricing on blade packs. Milwaukee has a great reputation when it comes to reciprocating saw blades and hole saws, but I don’t think they’ve ever been especially recognized for their circular saw blades, at least not any more than other power tool brands. Maybe these blades will change that. A lot of saw users are stuck with their preferences, and Milwaukee is going to have to do something to get these blades in their hands.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
(All of the new blades are white with red lettering, as shown above.)
Just curious – what blade size do you guys use most often? For me, it used to be fine-finish 6-1/2″ circular saw blades and 10″ combination blades, but these days it’s more 7-1/4″ circular and miter saw blades, and 10″ combo blades. So, I’d say 7-1/4″ x 40T, and 10″ x 50T.
Thank you to Milwaukee for the test samples!
fred says
I guess TTI want to freshen up their saw blade lineup to compete with Dewalt and Bosch-Freud. 7-1/4 is still probably the most popular sized disposable blade size(yes blades do wear out in use) for corded saws. But maybe 6-1/2 is gaining ground with so many cordless saws using that size.
For me – what I currently have mounted in my miter saw and table saws are:
Miter Saw >> Forrest MM121006
Unisaw >> Forrest WW10487100
Bosch 4100DG Table Saw >> Freud LM75R010
fred says
I probably should have said:
Miter Saw >> Forrest MM121006 = 12 inch 100T
Unisaw >> Forrest WW10487100 = 10 inch 48T
Bosch 4100DG Table Saw >> Freud LM75R010 = 10 inch 30T thin kerf ripping blade
Robby G says
I bought a pack of their Sawzall blades because they were on sale last year. Was not impressed out all. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by diablo.
Chris says
I like their axe blades. Haven’t tried the carbide axe blades though. I was dissapointed with Milwaukee’s pruning blade. Diablos carbide pruning blade is so much better.
Milwaukee’s torch blades are decent.
The yeti says
Ill third the dissapointed by sawzall blades comment . Diablo is worth the extra money
Blythe says
for another data point, ive used both of the carbide wood/demo blades and much prefer the Milwaukee ax carbide to the diablo. I have one that I got a year ago that I cant throw away because it just keeps working to cutting off nails and screws, although its pretty slow in wood. the diablo only lasted a month before it was basically unusable.
Jonathan says
Haven’t used either carbide pruning blades, but I did stock up on 9″/12″ swiss made (seems to be perhaps a same maker for many brands) pruning blades for both pruning and removal (including stumps up 1′ – remove dirt around roots then sever the tap root and laterals about 9-12″ from trunk.
It is the last part that finishes off the blade the dirt/sand/and micro rocks the that does the same number it does on chainsaws.
I am curious about how the carbide will hold up cutting roots in the dirt.
haven’t had any small stumps this year, ended renting a hydraulic grinder to handle a 12′ diameter Doug fir, an 30″ oak, and a 20″ magnolia. My thinking is that it should save me money as the stump grinders use carbide teeth and they are exposed to soil and even rocks (they do break though).
Nathan says
So does Milwaukee actually make these (TTI – whomever) or are they contracted out relabeled? Do you know?
I’m glad to see competition. My dewalt table saw came with their 40t combo blade and it works OK but I put a diablo 50t combo on it and it works better. I’ve had a number of work workers tell me to just use a 50t combo blade in lieu of using multiple blade on the table saw – other than working with hardiplank. then use a different blade.
Mitre saw – 80t fine finish diablo for most work.
7-1/4 circ is a 40 t diablo too. But I have a hardi blade for it and I have a less tooth count blade of no name that came with it (craftsman).
Stuart says
I don’t know. These are made overseas, and so they’re not made at Milwaukee-specific facilities in the USA.
TTi has lots of partnerships, but also in-house capabilities on a global scale.
Marty L says
Stuart, the majority of Milwaukee’s Sawzall blades are made in the US at Milwaukee works plants. This includes their new line of circ/miter saw blades. You’ll know which ones, as they’re all powder coated white.
They also recently acquired Imperial Blade, a US manufacturer of recip blades and hole saws.
fred says
Fiber Cement siding seems to be catching on. I see that even Festool is offering a 160mm blade to cut it. I’m not a fan of the stuff – nor of vinyl siding – preferring old school cedar siding and/or shakes – but I can see the appeal for lower maintenance and fire retardancy. I’ve looked at some of the prefinished planks from Hardie – and the colors and graining effects look pretty decent.
Cutting the (abrasive dust producing) planks with a high end track saw (e.g. Maffel or Festool) or a high priced table saw – would seem counter intuitive to me. We had bought a Ridgid (R3400 – 5 inch) fiber cement saw back in 2009 to try out – but I believe my ex compatriots are now using an OSHA compliant saw from Skilsaw You need to control the siliceous dust – and not allow it to get in your lungs or prematurely burn out your saw’s motor. Even cutting outdoors the saw needs to be ported to a high efficiency dust extractor – not just some shop vacuum
Jonathan says
I really like the Diablo 50 I use it most of the time on both my table/miter saw. Just a nice clean but fast cut.
Bolt says
I just picked up the new ryobi brushless 7 1/4 saw so I might check these out when I get tired of the stock blade (which hasn’t actually been bad at all so far)
When I bought it I did see that Home Depot has the new 3 and 6ah batteries for sale.
Pete says
3 & 6ah RYOBI Batteries?!? I’ll buy them tomorrow if i see them. I just bought the ryobi SDS+ drill. It did the job i needed it to, its small light and very mobile with no cords. BUT that said it is kind of on the weaker side. Im kind of sad there isnt a side handle and depth rod. But in reality the built in overload protection will stop the drill before a side handle is needed.
I would love a more powerful sds drill and those bigger ryobi batteries! I cant seem to stop buying the 18v ryobi tools!
OBDave says
I’m a second on 6.0aH Ryobi batteries – would like to see what kind of oomph those give my shop vac and a couple other big tools like the pole saw.
Glad to hear the SDS+ drill works out for someone – I was on the verge of buying it a couple months ago when I had to chip a ton of mortar off some HardieBacker boards I was hoping to re-use for a tile job (not relishing the thought of my big China Freight corded hammer on my knees for 8-10 hours), but ended up spending a bit more (three times as much) for a Milwaukee Fuel version because side handle and the Ryobi seemed like it was almost too lightweight to be true for a heavy chiseling job.
I know people clown Ryobi, but in a property maintenance manager setting where I need a wide scope of tools that are at least okay, they get the job done and so cheap my feelings are never hurt if I have to throw them away and buy another after a year. If Milwaukee doesn’t give me a full-size blade-left circular saw by the time my 6 1/2″ Ryobi burns up I’ll probably be headed back for their 7 1/4″ brushless…forever dooming me to a two-platform jobsite.
fred says
I saw the 6Ah batteries (P193) – bundled in a two pack as P164 in a big display box at my local HD yesterday. I think they were $119 for the 2 pack
pete says
I think i would have a REALLY hard time committing to milwakee as an only battery platform. Ryobi just has too many great tools that aren’t found anywhere else.
I could see the ryobi SDS+ drill being SUPER useful as an installer on a ladder who is doing a bunch of little holes where a hammer drill could work but would take a lot longer. But that would have been a year ago before the silica dust rules came in. Now you would need a higher end cordless tool that can also run the dust collector in conjunction to capture the silica.
Dave says
I wear Milwaukee underwear but until dozens of guys I trust tell me their sawzall blades are as good or better than Diablo, I won’t bite. Milwaukee has promised me that they were in previous introductions and they weren’t even worthy competitors. Money wasted.
I’ll need proof they’re as good to even consider them. Nah, I’ll need proof that they are far superior. Just as good won’t prompt me to try them. Milwaukee owes me a refund on every crappy blade they’ve ever sold me, as far as I’m concerned.
Too many broken promises in the past…..
OBDave says
I’ve had okay luck with Milwaukee recipro blades in the past – not great, but enough that if they’re on sale I’d pick them over Diablo, considering all saw blades are essentially a disposable product. The Ax demo blade I actually really like, metal blades and pruners compared to Diablo not so much.
Same goes for circular – I’m looking first to Diablo, then to Freud, but if Milwaukee has a deal going when I happen to be buying I’ll give them a chance.
Tool Of The Trade says
The coating that they use always rubs out or chips off after a week or two of use. Maybe a week if you’re cutting fresh pt. I really don’t see how paint or acrylic enamel benefits the blades friction or for anything other than rust protection and advertising. The hardiblades are going to be like the Lenox metal cutting wheels for angle grinders. Nothing special. They’ll make a ton of dust either way. For some reason a lot of siding guys ain’t smart enough to use a scribe to score and snap. Cleaner edges and no dust. That hardiplank and backerboard dust is bad stuff. They need to find a way to keep the teeth from chipping off every time you hit a nail or screw.
Brian A says
What about 8 1/4 for their unusual size M18 Fuel table saw which I am upset is not a 10″?
John T McDougald says
Hopefully, this doesn’t mean that HomeDepot will start clearing out their Diablo blades to make room for these new Milwaukee’s. I really don’t by my blades online, I just go to the local Lowe’s/Home Depot andppick up either a Diablo or Irwin Marples(not Marathon) when I need one. Between those two, I’ve always been able to find the blade I need, when I need it.
Nathan says
Now that you mention the sawzall blades – for recip blades I used to always use lennox blades but I was also mainly using it on metal. I have their nail embedded wood blades (demo) and it’s seen use cutting out doors nails and all.
I’ve tried Irwin ones and never liked them. So when I need a new one I’ll try one of these new carbide tooth ones – depending on the purpose. I do need a pruning blade as that’s what I keep using my recip for.