Panther blade vs 18T blade for TS75

[ear3]

Sometime soon I'm going to be making a more permanent home for my Kapex in my shop using mitre station design of [member=11196]Peter Parfitt[/member] : http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-jigs-tool-enhancements/kapex-mitre-station-video/msg341297/#msg341297

So I need to cut me some 8/4 hardwood.  Up to this point I've gotten by with the universal blade on the TS75 -- I think the fattest hardwood I've cut with it so far has been 5/4.  But I'll want to get a more aggressive blade for this project, especially since I'll probably want to use some nicer, denser wood.

So my question is about comparing the panther blade with the 18T.

In terms of specs we got two fewer teeth (obviously) and a greater hook angle on the Panther (28 vs 20).  So:

How much more effective is the panther than the 18T in thick hardwoods?

Is the greater speed/ease of the cut on the Panther counterbalanced by a rougher finish that you will have to spend more time sanding?  And how much cleaner is the cut with the 16T anyway? (None of these will be glue joints, so it's not like I need a super high-quality finish)?

Does the 18T give you more options in terms of applications and types of materials/situations you would use it on, compared to the rather limited range of the Panther for quick rips? 

Does it make sense, once you have the Panther, to also eventually get the 18T, or can you cover most thicker woods using either the Panther or the Universal?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[bkharman]

The panther blade rips through just about anything. Leaves a decent edge as well. I have it in my CMS almost exclusively. If I need a super clean edge, I will either cut using the Panther and the plane the edge down to exact size or I will switch out the blade with the universal.

 

[Bohdan]

The panther blade rips hardwood like butter but the resulting edge is not great. You need to dress the finish as sanding alone takes too long.

If I want a glue ready edge I prefer to use the standard blade and put up with the slow cut. Its faster in the long run.

 

[ScotF]

I have cut miles of 8/4 hardwood in a variety of species and I have only used the standard 36 tooth blade that comes with the saw - it has done all of the cuts perfectly fine -- no burning and smooth. I might need to go slower than with a Panther, but it has not been a big deal at all. And, I do not need to worry about the anti-splinter strip.

 

[Kev]

Another vote for the standard TS75 blade here - the Panther is no where near as clean and I find the saw comfortable ripping 2" hardwood with the standard blade.

 

[abcd123]

standard blade does the job.

 

[ear3]

Thanks for the replies

 

[sancho57]

what those guys said