"Actually, almost any other decent rip blade (Amana, Forrest WWII, Infinity, Carbide Processor s, etc) will far out perform those crappy red blades."
-Gene
Ouch!
Don; if Freud wants to market a cheap model then they have to live with the criticism...can't have their cake and eat it too. They're only too happy to sell off their red brand colour.
(IMHO)
Gene is talking about his run w/ Diablo and not comparing apples to apples...
and where did you get your information about them wanting to ditch their red line...
the Fusion series are red as well as their L and P series.....
this heads up is from Freud..
All Freud blades come from the same machines in the same manufacturing plant. We make our own micrograin carbide in numerous formulations that represent various degrees of hardness. The carbide is selected depending on the intended application (the hardest is used for laminates the softest for ripping) as are the tooth angles and tooth quantity. The steel for the blade plates is all the same grade. The brazing is all the same. The key differences between the 2 main lines of Freud blades are:
The LU/LM Industrial blades have the thickest tips for the most resharpenings and are generally full kerf. We also offer the most selection of specialty blades in this line. These have the most appeal to professionals who need to get a lot of sharpenings out of a blade and to artisans who need specialty blades for their projects.
The Diablo line has blades intended for purposes like framing, siding, decking and general home improvement and is packaged and promoted in ways that appeal to contractors and DIYers.
Do professional woodworkers shop for blades at Home Depot? Probably some do and they can get excellent performance from a Diablo blade for a lot of their uses but with a shorter overall life (and lower cost) due to the tip thickness.
Why not compare a Diablo blade to Forrest? Consider this analogy: Toyota cars and Lexus cars share a lot of the same components and are made by the same company. Would you compare a Camry with a BMW?
We make a fourth line of blades (F400 Premier series) that is very similar to the WWII and is priced similarly. The difference between ours and Forrest's is that ours is made by computer controlled, super modern equipment and theirs is made by hand. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages but I leave the final verdict to the consumer.
Charles M
Freud, Inc.
Charles McCracken
Operations Technician
Freud America, Inc
218 Feld Ave.
High Point, NC 27263
Office: 800.334.4107
Freud Tools
