Kapex blade

[Tfb]

Hi I recently purchased a kapex 120, I'm happy with the cutting capability of the 60t but I would prefer a slightly smoother cut for things like cornice and paneling. Is there an alternative to the 80t festool blade? I read a review as
Ing that it wasn't the best finish and it is rather expensive  [eek] so what is everyone else using?

 

[Waka]

Tfb

I use the Festool 80t on my Kapex and find that the cut is perfect. I make a lot of cabinets and have never had any concerns with this blade.
Yes they are expensive, but I was lucky to get an extra with my saw purchase and with a good sharpener service is comes back as good as new.

Hope this helps.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Hi I recently purchased a kapex 120, I'm happy with the cutting capability of the 60t but I would prefer a slightly smoother cut for things like cornice and paneling. Is there an alternative to the 80t festool blade? I read a review as
Ing that it wasn't the best finish and it is rather expensive  [eek] so what is everyone else using?

We use both the Kapex Universal 60 tooth blade (cat 495 388) which comes with the Kapex and the Kapex Fine Tooth Blade with 80 teeth (cat 495 387) depending on the material. We also use the Solid Surface/Laminate and Aluminum/Plastic blades depending on material.

We find that the Fine Tooth makes the smoothest cuts in what we call Crown in the USA.

By the way, the Fine Tooth Blade is only slightly more expensive than the other Kapex blades. To me it is well worth the money, considering the cost of the crown material and the profit we make installing crown. Of course it does cost more to have an 80 tooth blade sharpened than a 60 tooth blade.

 

[skids]

I have tested all of them. Kapex 80T blade was a lateral move at best...If you want to feel a difference you need to do more than just add more teeth, and that is all you are doing when you get the Festool 80T. Hands down best performer for the Kapex is the Tenyru 80T blade. It's an ATAFR blade, not ATB, and that seems to have made a huge difference in smoothness. I couldn't be happier with it..Link to the blade below. Best aspects I noticed, it added smoothness, much less tear out and improved overall cut. Especially on the small splintery stuff.

60 Tooth blade is a decent everyday blade, I will be using if for framing, decking etc. I wasn't completely satisfied with the results for the trimwork I do. And I just didn't feel the 80T was that much better than the 60t. In fact I noticed very little difference in feel from the 60T, and marginal improvement in cut. The Tenyru is a better second blade for what you are looking for. 

http://www.tenryusawblades.com/proddetail.php?prod=TEMP-26080AB

 

[ccarrolladams]

See, experience differs. The two of us who use the Kapex the most in my shop had years of Kapex experience before any non-Festool blades were available.

That is why I have written many times that for some cuts the 60 tooth blade works best and for other cuts the 80 tooth is more effective. We have extensively tested all commercially available third-party Kapex blades without finding any which improve our cut quality.

My preferred dealer also sells several of those alternative blades, including Brand T.

Each of us makes hundreds of cuts with the Kapex on expensive wood on the days when we do this. We have a realistic expectation of glue-ready cuts and we have an excellent sharpening vendor. The selling price of the blade is not a consideration for us and the price of sharpening such blades is based upon the number of teeth. An 89 tooth Brand F and Brand t cost the same to sharpen. In our extensive tests we found the Brand T blades needed to be sharpened far more often.

 

[skids]

See, experience differs. The two of us who use the Kapex the most in my shop had years of Kapex experience before any non-Festool blades were available.

That is why I have written many times that for some cuts the 60 tooth blade works best and for other cuts the 80 tooth is more effective. We have extensively tested all commercially available third-party Kapex blades without finding any which improve our cut quality.

My preferred dealer also sells several of those alternative blades, including Brand T.

Each of us makes hundreds of cuts with the Kapex on expensive wood on the days when we do this. We have a realistic expectation of glue-ready cuts and we have an excellent sharpening vendor. The selling price of the blade is not a consideration for us and the price of sharpening such blades is based upon the number of teeth. An 89 tooth Brand F and Brand t cost the same to sharpen. In our extensive tests we found the Brand T blades needed to be sharpened far more often.

Let's assume for a minute the OP isn't making "100s of cuts" a day, lets assume they aren't in a production environment, like you claim to be. This makes your argument relatively, irrelevant. I don't seem to remember them asking about sharpening frequency anyway, seemed like a question on cutting smoother, which the Tenyru does.

And to somehow suggest that one of the United States premier sawblade manufacturer is producing inferior steel is just comical. But hey, tminus whatever feels right.  [wink]

OP, my experience, in a non production environment, has beenextremely positive with the Tenyru and there is a detailed review here on FOG (dan clark) which further supports that. I can't speak to resharpening since I haven't had the blade long enough. Made well over a 100 cuts though and the blade just feels better if you ask me.

 

[ccarrolladams]

Skids and Everyone,

Since I joined various Festool groups, including The FOG, I have made it clear I do not presume to tell anyone what to do or buy. I only report my experience and the results of tests I perform.

Although I retired as a studio executive in 2007, I keep my law license current mostly because not every case I handled has finished the final appeals. As for how I find the time, I have a very talented crew of master cabinet makers. I serve on the shop floor as our principal CNC nested router and beam saw operator mostly because the other folks prefer working with wood more directly.

I made it clear my experience with the Kapex and other blades is in a successful commercial shop. The results I need are not necessarily the same as in a smaller commercial shop of for a hobbyist.

Trust me, if I found that another brand of blades worked as well or better, especially at lower cost, I not only would be using those, I would say so. However, I always consider total cost of ownership, which in the case of blades includes sharpening. If a blade costs 25% less to purchase, but needs to be sharpened twice as often and sharpening costs @15% of the purchase price, soon that would not be a bargain.

As we say, your mileage might vary.

 

[Birdhunter]

I made my first cuts this morning with the new 80 tooth Kapex blade.

I was cutting white oak. The cuts are much smoother than with the standard blade and had a lot less blow-out at the back. The cutting is slower than with the standard blade.

I don't get the glass-like cut that I get on my Industrial Sawstop, but it's darn good.

I was pleased how easy the blade change process is. I confess, I read through the Kapex Supplemental manual on blade changing twice before tackling the job. The Allen Wrench tucked away in the back of the saw is a neat touch of quality.

Could I live with the standard blade? Absolutely yes! But, after spending nearly $2K on a saw, stand, and dedicated vac; I'm not going to scrimp on a $150 saw blade.

 

[tbellemare]

For those that want an extra Universal Blade (60T) and also want to add a Fine Tooth Blade (80T), there is a really good deal on buying the pair as a set, M0102.

When bought as a set like that, there is a $75 discount, which is about 28% off if bought separately. For people that use their Kapex all the time, having a second Universal Blade makes sense when it comes time to sharpen.

Tom

 

[deepcreek]

I really can't say enough good things about the stock 60T blade.  I have been very impressed with the quality of cut when working with stain grade trim materials including some pre-finished Hard Maple crown.