In a recent shop test, I found Freud’s new Premier Fusion 10-in. tablesaw blade to be a smooth cutter that performed as well or better than the Forrest Woodworker II, judged best overall in a FWW blade review a few years back.
 
Like the Forrest, the Freud is a 10-in.-dia. combination blade with a 40-tooth, alternate top bevel (ATB) grind. It’s a thin blade that makes a kerf just under 1/8 in. wide (the Forrest cuts a kerf just over 1/8 in. wide). Both feature laser-cut plates, although the Freud ran quieter, and both blades come with a lifetime warranty. The Freud blade also comes with a nonstick coating designed to resist corrosion and pitch buildup and, like the Forrest, is pretensioned for stable flatness during its lifetime.

I compared the two blades head-to-head. Both made excellent ripcuts and crosscuts, making it hard to choose a winner. In the end, I chose the Freud because of its slightly lower price, as well as the fact that it resists pitch buildup and makes a very narrow kerf.

The Freud Premier Fusion blade (www.freudtools.com) sells for about $100 at Amazon.com and other online sites.

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