Five years ago, I bought a Festool TS 55 track saw that I use for cutting cabinet-grade plywood (Tools & Materials, FWW #187). I’ve always been happy with the performance of my Festool blades, but when Freud and Forrest recently introduced blades that fit the TS 55 track saw, I had to try them. The new blades also fit the Makita and De Walt track saws, but because the Festool requires a slightly smaller blade (6-1/4 in. vs. 6-1/2 in.), the depth of cut is somewhat sacrificed on the other saws.

I pitted the two new blades against a brand-new Festool blade in several ripping and crosscutting tests. All three blades cut better than my worn Festool blade and left a smooth surface. None of the blades showed any wear, but the Forrest and Festool had a bit of pitch buildup.

The Festool blade sells for $61. The Forrest is $91 (forrestblades.com) and the Freud is $50 (amazon.com). Since all three blades offer equal performance, I’d choose the Freud because it costs less and has a pitch-resistant surface.

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