Metal Cutting Band Saw Blades

Duane WI

Member
I need to get some more blades for my saw. I have been getting the bi metal blades with 14tpi for general home work shop steel cutting. For my saw they run about $35 each for good quality Lenox blades. Enco has blades for my saw but they are just a general steel blade. The description says they are okay for normal carbon steel cutting. They cost about $15 each. My saw isn't set up for cooling fluid so I run it dry and slow it down. I have been getting good life out of the bi metal blades. I am just wondering how the cheaper blades from Enco would work. Would they last very long? My saw takes an 8ft by 1/2 inch blade.
 
Can't speak to 8-foot blades, but I've used the shorter ones from Enco that my 4x6 bandsaw takes with good results, provided I didn't do something stupid. Ruined one brand-new one when I found out the hard way the piece I was cutting had a hardened area at the edge--got through most of it, hit the hard spot, and took off all the teeth in short order! Learned a couple lessons from that little maneuver, including to keep an eye on the saw while it was cutting. Keep the blade hanging on my wall as a reminder. Still, for the difference in price, I'll bet you'd be better served by sticking with the better blades--less changes and they'll cut better and cooler for longer.
 
If you slow the saw down that will wear the blade more quickly. Get a lube stick and rub it on the blade now & then.
 
Give 'em a try. Band saw blades will last as long as you don't try to push them into the cut. I have to disagree with Hoby. Too fast is not good. If you start seeing blue chips the blade speed is too high. Use a squeeze bottle of water and drip it into the kerf. Just enough to keep it wet. Mix in a little soluble oil if you can find some.
 
I have a 94 1/2 inch Delta band saw and I use ENCO blades in it these blades are designed to run at 2900 feet/minute. The 3 blades I have are 12, 14 and 18 teeth per inch. The blades are listed in their current catalog. They will cut thru a file with no trouble. On other stuff I use 64 1/2" Enco blades with 10 to 18 teeth per inch depending on what I am cutting. I don't use coolant or a lube stick.
 
Thanks for the responses. On slow speed my saw is about 90 feet per minute. When I cut at that speed the parts are almost too hot to touch. You can hold them and not get burned but you definitely know they are warm. I tried running on the fastest setting which is about 180 feet per minute and I could see blue chips so I knew it was too fast.
 
Where are you buying these files that can be cut with a band saw blade? I sure don't want to buy any of those files.
 
My experience is the Lenox will more than pay for itself. Tried a lot of cheap blades and they were just that, cheap blades. Have a Lenox on my saw now, its cut alot of steel and still going strong.
 
I have had the cheap blades fail from making one cut of thick aluminum. You have already found a good blade for your use. Heck ,spend 70 bucks on a Starrett blade but you won't like the cheap ones.
 
I have a cheap HF bandsaw I that I use often. I tried the enco blades and was not very pleased with the quality. They did not last very long and the joints were not aligned very well before they welded them.
 
When I put on one of those blades, I used a Nickolson file and the blade cut the end of the file off with no trouble.
 
If you really want to test your blade, try cutting the other end of that file.

The "tang" of the file is the end that can accept a handle. The tang is not hardened.
 
BTDT on the comparison between blade types. No way will I go back to regular blades. My current band saw blades, purchased online are bi-metallic and have varying tooth count from 14 to 24 with the cycle repeating itself numerous times around the blade. Were said to cut faster. That's what I bought and I bought a couple of spares. The spares are still hanging on the wall in the carton. Has been about 8 years now and still using the first blade and it still cuts like new. Don't remember what I paid for them but it wasn't all that much. Besides, when you amortize the cost over the life they are WAY cheaper than the cheap ones.

Most of my blades, like for the hand saws, come from HD and they and Lowe's have a goodly supply, mostly Milwaukee brand painted white and easily recognizable on the wall.
 

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