Freud’s LU97R010 triple-chip grind blade has a 10 in. 80-tooth configuration is designed to cut plywood and/or laminates and melamine with little if any tearout/chipout. It cuts considerably cleaner than the combination/general purpose blades and sells for $95.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Metabo HPT SB8V2 Belt Sander
The Metabo offers is comfortable and easy to control in all positions, with unmatched sanding speed and effective dust collection.
Grizzly G0495X Industrial Helical Cutterhead 8-in. Jointer
Regardless of the board’s grain, this jointer produced excellent results. Its fence was totally flat, worked smoothly, and locked well, staying in place even after jointing multiple edges. Getting the fence to 90° was very easy, but the 90° stop was a little tricky to set and the fence did not go back to square when using it. For those who would use it, there is also a digital depth-of-cut scale.
Shop Fox W1826
The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.
DeWalt 735X Planer
The DeWalt 735X produced two faces perfectly parallel to one another, with surfaces far superior to what the other machines produced, thanks to its two feed speeds. At high speed, the planer works fast and leaves a smooth surface. But the slower, finish speed produces an almost glass-smooth surface. Knife changes are easy, with spacious access to the cutterhead from the top and a gib screw wrench that doubles as a magnetic lift to remove the knives. The 735X also has great dust collection, thanks to an internal blower that helps evacuate chips. The port has a 2-1/2-in.-dia. opening, but has a built-in adapter for 4-in.-dia. hoses. My only complaint is the location of the dust port. It’s on the outfeed side of the machine, and exits straight back. If you don’t pull the hose to the side, it interferes with material as it leaves the machine. The top is large and flat, so it’s a great place to set material in between passes through the machine.
Rockler Dust Right 650 CFM
While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test. Bag changes were very easy too, thanks to a lip on the lower edge of the
canister, which holds the bag in place while you operate the clamp. The Rockler 650 also hangs very solidly on its bracket, which helps when you turn the filter-cleaning crank.
Editor Test Results:
Visible Score Marks | N/A |
Quality of Cut | Good |
Flat Bottom Cut | N/A |
Manufacturer Specifications:
Manufacturer | Freud Inc. |
Manufacturer's Web Site | www.freudtools.com |
Manufacturer's Phone Number | 800-334-4107 |
Blade Size | 10 in. |
Number of Teeth | 80 |
Number of Chippers | N/A |
Types of Shims | N/A |
Storage Case | N/A |
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in