Everyone raves about carbide blades but I'm sticking with my old steel ones

I put new carbide tipped blades on my saw two summers ago after hearing how much longer they last. After six months of framing work on a garage addition near Green Bay, they felt dull and I was burning through cuts on hard maple. Switched back to my old Freud steel blade and it's still sharp after a year of heavy use. Anyone else notice carbide doesn't always hold up as promised in real world conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_clark1mo ago

Sharpening steel blades quick beats waiting on carbide to wear out slow.

ryang651mo ago

Used to be a carbide guy through and through, thought I was saving time and headache. But then I actually spent a weekend with a good steel blade and a stone, and man, the difference is huge. That instant sharpness you get with a quick pass beats out waiting for slow wear any day for me now. Plus I like the control, you feel the blade way better when you're actually working with it instead of just swapping out parts. Totally flipped my thinking on this one.