wrote in message
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Personally, I have had tremendous success with the Freud line of saw
blades. They are the bright red ones you see at Home Depot. I have
used the 16 and 24 tooth blades and they are outstanding. They are
now all I buy.

Scroll down this page and you will see they are VERY affordable even
in the high tooth count blades:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/35tob3m

The key to a long lasting blade is to cut straight, and for most that
means using a guide. Cutting off the line means you have to wrestle
the saw back to it, and cutting with the sides of the teeth when you
wrack the saw is what builds up heat. Heat helps resin (or in the
case of plywood adhesive) buildup, and more resin equals more heat.

The more heat you generate, the more your blade distorts, and then the
worse your cut becomes. Additional heat also burns up the blade teeth
as well.

There are plenty of plans and ideas floating around if you don't want
to make your own saw guides. They sell a Johnson branded aluminum
channel guide at some of the box stores that actually do a good job
IF you take the time to set it up carefully, then cut carefully as
well. It sure isn't fast, but if a circular saw is what you have, it
work fine for long rips and crosscuts.

Also, you can do a Google search for "circular saw guide" and you will
find a lot of home shop info as well as plans for building your own.

A so/so blade will perform very well in the hands of an experienced
saw man because he can cut straight. I great blade will perform
poorly in the hands of a less skilled individual. The point being you
don't have to spend a fortune on saw blades to get really good cuts.

No matter what happens, do not let Leon, Robatoy, or Swingman talk you
into a Festool TS 75. Even if they do have a special now that will
include a free cap if you buy their saw!

Robert


Another superb post by Robert.
My experience with Freud mirrors his.

Max