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I recently bought a Dewalt DSW780 12" sliding compound miter saw, along with 60T and 96T diablo blades. My question is, should I keep the blades? Is the 60T blade that came with the saw good enough? I'm thinking about returning the 60T blade to get a new blade for my table saw. What do you think?

FYI, my current project is installing strand bamboo flooring (hard stuff!), but I would like to keep my setup as general purpose as possible, e.g. Crown molding, cutting plywood, making garage cabinetry, etc...

== Edit ==

The verdict: Stock 60T blade that came with the saw is good for general purpose cutting. Returning the diablo 60T blade...

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    "Good" is a relative term. DeWalt usually makes good blades, so the ones that came with the saw will certainly be serviceable. But if you have a preference for another brand they may not seem as good and you'll probably never use the stock ones.
    – KeithS
    Apr 3, 2012 at 17:36
  • @keith let me qualify my question: I'm decent at diy, but a novice wood worker, so I'm still forming preferences as to preferred brands. You say the included blade is serviceable, so I'd say that's a vote for returning the 60T blade. :) Agreed?
    – Nick P.
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:06
  • Wait... What? Which blade do you want to return, the stock 60T blade or the Diablo 60T blade?
    – Tester101
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:20
  • The model number of the stock and diablo blades might make comparison easier.
    – Tester101
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:23
  • @tester I'm thinking of returning the diablo 60T blade... I'd have to return the entire saw to return the Dewalt, since it came included. I was trying to find links for the blades during my original post, but couldn't find a match for my particular blades... Sorry!
    – Nick P.
    Apr 3, 2012 at 21:18

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A 60 tooth is a fine blade for semi-smooth finish cuts. Cuts on flooring are always at the wall ends, so even a 40 is good for that since the baseboard trim goes over the cut. You should be leaving a 1/4 inch expansion gap at he ends anyway, so they won't show. The DeWalt 12" blade is a good long lasting blade. It has good balance, heat dissipation and takes a beating. I have several Dewalts and some other much more expensive blades for my 12' DeWalt double bevel chop saw. For most applications, the DeWalt is perfectly fine. If you start doing precision cuts in $6.00/foot hardwood cabinet crowns, then buy a $100 to $200 blade. Judging from your question, you are not to that level, so the DeWalt is a fine choice.

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  • Thanks for the informative answer! I think I'm going to return the diablo 60T blade.
    – Nick P.
    Apr 3, 2012 at 21:22
  • good move. Enjoy your new saw.
    – shirlock homes
    Apr 3, 2012 at 21:50

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