WM LT50 Blade & Guide Question

widetrackman · January 17, 2023, 05:03:28 AM

Well ordered the LT 50 Wide yesterday and the dealer gave a free box of 15 blades but then asked did I want 1 1/4" or 1.5". Being that the 1 1/4" is std. I asked if the HP guides would have to be changed. No answer, they would check and see. Anybody changed to 1.5 blades and if anything is required, also any insight on what blade generally would work the best?

terrifictimbersllc · January 17, 2023, 05:38:02 AM

You can run either 1-1/4 or 1-1/2 wide blades on 1-1/4 rollers. If you get 1-1/2 rollers then you have to use 1-1/2 blades.

I have 1-1/2 rollers and use 1-1/2 blades. 55 hp diesel. I only use 7/39.5 blades called also seven turbo. .055 thick

I am guessing that if you have diesel these would be the best blades for you too, but because your wheels are 19 inches not 24 inches you'd be better off with .050 or 045 bands.

Magicman · January 17, 2023, 08:46:15 AM

Personally I would order .045 X 1½" X 739°.

boonesyard · January 17, 2023, 09:52:08 AM

X3

Stephen1 · January 17, 2023, 09:54:25 AM

x4 and I order silver tips. Not the double hard.

OlJarhead · January 17, 2023, 03:27:15 PM

x5!

1.5s and I agree with MM on 739s. Though I like the 747s too

booman · January 17, 2023, 07:46:34 PM

Stephen1, curious why you prefer silver tips over double hard.

booman · January 17, 2023, 07:50:40 PM

terriffictimbersllc, which sawmills have 24 inch wheels?

terrifictimbersllc · January 17, 2023, 09:19:47 PM

LT70

Southside · January 17, 2023, 10:01:08 PM

Silvertips have longer total run time than the Double Hards in my experience, the metal is more flexible which is even more important with 19" wheels.

barbender · January 18, 2023, 12:16:48 AM

I've had the same experience with Silvertips. If Doublehards stay sharp any longer, I have a hard time noticing and definitely not enough to justify the price difference, for me.

Bruno of NH · January 18, 2023, 07:31:39 AM

I run Silver tips
I get more life out of them

YellowHammer · January 18, 2023, 08:03:08 AM

Silvertips. Save money, run longer, use the debarker.

Stephen1 · January 18, 2023, 08:35:47 AM

Gotta like the FF , I did not even have to answer :D
I actually started using the silver tips after reading about them here. I have used a different supply of blades from Carbide, Bi Metal, Double hard, but the best bang for the buck is the Silver tips. I will get 3-5 sharpenings and the cost is less.
I use the 1.5" .45th 739Turbo silver tip on 1.25" roller guides.
I did quite a bit of resawing last year. +100,000 linear feet.
The 1st time I used my Carbide as the customer was all worried about the quality. That blade lasted 4 hrs and broke. Call WM for more Carbides and they were back ordered. I put on a Bi-metal blade, it made it 2 hrs and broke at the weld. Next I got out the Silver Tips which I have a good supply of, it lasted 4 hrs or 20,000 linear ft, it didn't'y break, was dull, I then put on a new ST blade and finished the day. The Finnish was just as good, and nice flat lumber. We were resawing Vertical Grain Hemlock and Douglas fir.
I am guess that is why they are called resaw blades.

boonesyard · January 18, 2023, 09:12:07 AM

I have 75 ea 1.25" .045 739 double hards, 30 ea 1.5" .045 739 silvertips, and 1 carbide. Will only buy the 1.5" silvertips in the future. Better flex, same cut time, less money, no brainer. The carbide only gets used to flatten or split dried slabs.

widetrackman · January 20, 2023, 02:45:02 PM

Quote from: boonesyard on January 18, 2023, 09:12:07 AM
I have 75 ea 1.25" .045 739 double hards, 30 ea 1.5" .045 739 silvertips, and 1 carbide. Will only buy the 1.5" silvertips in the future. Better flex, same cut time, less money, no brainer. The carbide only gets used to flatten or split dried slabs.

Are you running 1.25 guides and 1.5 .045 blades. Have you noticed anything?

Stephen1 · January 22, 2023, 06:54:45 PM

I run 1.25" guides. You have to adjust the guides back so the 1.5" blades do not hit the back of the guides. When I hear the squeal of the 1.5" hitting the back of the guides it's time to change the blade.

barbender · January 23, 2023, 01:41:26 AM

The thing that gets me, is that WM kinda treats Silvertips like the red headed step child of their blade line up, when they are as good and better in most cases, than any other brand of blades I've tried🤷‍♂️

Stephen1 · January 23, 2023, 07:50:29 AM

BB maybe because they are not as profitable?

Magicman · January 23, 2023, 08:19:35 AM

I can not make a comparison because I have only used Doublehards since they were introduced.

Metal strike blades are replaced @$45 each by the customer so that is a moot point.

The great majority of my blade replacements are because they are rejected and replaced by ReSharp when they have lost their width and are getting down close to 1". Run time and breakage is not an issue. My blade replacement cost is so small that it is hardly a consideration.