Just wasted $300 on a band saw blade that died in 2 weeks

Picked up a cheap blade from a restaurant supply place thinking I was saving money for my shop, and it snapped on a pork shoulder after maybe 200 pounds of meat. Turns out the teeth were soft and the weld was garbage from the start. Anyone had luck finding decent blades under $50 that actually hold up for a month?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver_mitchell2d ago

The weld quality is the real tell with those cheap blades, probably done by a machine that can't keep a consistent temperature. I had a local welding shop re-weld a broken blade for eight bucks once and it outlasted three factory welds from different budget brands. Might be worth finding a shop that can do that instead of chasing cheap replacements that'll snap just as fast.

the_mary2d ago

Put that $300 down on a decent blade from a real supplier next time. I've been through that exact same cycle cheap blades that die quick. Restaurant supply stuff is built for soft meat and quick turnover, not heavy use in a real shop. Spend the money on something with proper heat treated teeth and a solid weld, it'll last way longer. I know it stings to pay more up front but you'll end up spending less in the long run when you're not replacing blades every two weeks.