Ripping 2" thick Figured Maple

I wouldn't rip to final dimension either, if you need truly straight boards.

I like @Stick486 's choices for blades. Use the full kerf plades when ripping thick material and give the blade a chance to cool frequently. Freud makes good blades, reasonably priced, and easily available, at least in the USA.

For truly straight boards -

Rip them close to dimension, leaving about 1/4" extra width in each piece. Then come back in a few days and joint one edge. Then rip them to final width plus a little placing this jointed edge against the fence, leaving just enough extra over the final dimension to allow jointing this second edge, to finally reach the desired dimension.

You haven't said if the surfaces are rough sawn, or planned, but if rough sawn and you also want the wide surfaces of the boards flat, smooth,straight and parallel there is another similar sequence that needs to be followed for those sides, and the steps need to be meshed with the above, so you start from one corner, getting one surface and one edge flat and at right angle to each other and then working in both directions from there, again cutting to an oversize dimension, then letting the boards settle a few days before finishing them.

Edit - You will have a very tough time getting good results on your 1.5 hp saw. Thin kerf blades will help, but as they heat up, they don't always cut perfectly straight. If your saw is a Delta contractor saw and you switch the motor to 240 volts and connect it to a 240 volt circuit you will get a full 2 hp from that original motor. This will make a big difference when trying to rip thick material

Charley

I haven't posted in a long time guys, so I guess I'll jump back in and comment on something I do everyday. I buy lumber in the rough and process it in my shop.

If I didn't have a 3HP saw I might pay to have the wood straight line ripped and at minimum skip planed(even though I have a nice 5hp planer). Even better have them straight line rip one edge to within 1/2" or so of every width you need.

Unlike some I dont think 150 bd foot is much wood. Heck that's only 9 or 10 - 2x10x8 sticks. My Grizzly Bandsaw would eat that for breakfast even if I were resawing 11" wide pieces on edge, just ripping the 2" thickness for 150 bd feet wouldn't even heat up the motor. Same for my 3HP cabinet saw. Even my 1.75 hybrid could rip it on one 2" pass with little trouble. I never rip for final use on my bandsaw though, the table saw gives me so much better glue type edges. Sometimes no jointing required at all if I use the table saw. The Bandsaws are the center of my shop, in most shops the table saw is the main centerpiece. So I don't say that lightly.

I could even cut that with my DeWalt 7491 bench top, but with that little universal motor I might not bother. I would probably just pay the .15 a linear foot to have the boards straight line ripped to 1/2" of each width I needed. Processing wood only saves money if you go though a lot of lumber, otherwise your time, blades and tools are well worth the pre-processing fees(straight line ripping and skip planing).

You really didn't say what the end size of the lumber needs be and what you are using the wood for, that all comes in to play.

To answer you exact question though, yes a 24" tooth IMHO, is by far the best, sometimes a 30 tooth if it's a top rated blade. I think you will find most of the glue rip and general rip blades are 24 to 30 tooth. Google for yourself, you are going to find the best of the best user rated rip blades for the most part dont have more than 30 teeth. For me if I was going to use my DeWalt or any table top I wouldn't even consider anything more than 24 tooth for that particular batch of processing(150 bd ft 2" hard maple at one sitting).