Band Saw Blades

As we mentioned in the beginning, the width and tpi (teeth per inch) of the blade will help determine which blade you need for your saw.

1. Make sure the blade is the right size for your saw.There's nothing worse than buying the wrong size and having to return it to the retailer.The Delta 28-475X we talked about in the last page has a 14” blade – this is the length of the blade if you were to stretch it out between your hands. Be careful when looking at the blade length - some manufacturers will put the total length of the blade instead of the diameter, but will put the diameter in parentheses.
2. Determine the width best used for your stock. Again, a narrow width allows more intricate cutting, while a thicker width generally allows for rough cutting, and are excellent for straight cuts.
3. Determine the tpi of your blade. The teeth per inch index is extremely important. One simple rule is to use a higher tpi for intricate cutting and a lower tpi for rough cutting.

Once you've determined your needs, look at the type of metal best suited for your stock.

Steel blades are cheap and great for cutting soft woods, but wear out more quickly. Bimetal blades are made for cutting thin metal or wood, and also wear out quickly. Carbide blades are excellent for wood cutting and tend to last longer than the other types, but are usually more expensive.

So that's it for band saws. If you're interested in comparing some different brands of saws, check out ToolKing.com's excellent selection. For blades, check out their band saw blades section.