Woodmizer vs other blades

[mmartone]

I'm sure this subject has been beat to death but... Are woodmizer blades better than other brands? I have been using cooks and cooks sharpened blades on 99% SYP. Will they sell me a blade to try out or do I have to buy a whole "whack" of them? If so what do I get for SYP, 7, 10 degree? Cut the last log in pile number three this weekend and started on pile number two!

[WH_Conley]

Don't get just one, sure as you do you will find a nail or something right from the get go.

I have used Cooks, WM, Timber Wolf, Lennox and some others. All are premium quality blades. I saw mostly hardwoods and use 10 degree. I have got dull blades from some over the years. I credit that to rough handling. I recently opened a box of new blades that had to be "touched up" right out of the box. I opened the box and put a new blade on and it was worse than the one I had just taken off. I won't mention the name because I have used their blades before with no problem. Try 2 of each and do the same thing again in about 6 months. Quality control is tight, but, accidents do happen.

It seems everybody's millage varies. I don't use the resharp services so I can't comment on that. I would imagine location and shipping would have an effect on cost. Someone else can probably give better insight on that.

[Chuck White]

I use Wood-Mizer Double Hard 10° blades 99.99% of the time.

Two years ago I got to free blades from another company and about half way through the first log with one of the free blades, I hit a #16 nail and in my opinion, the blade was ruined, unable to be resharpened.  Other than the nail strike, the other blade was doing a wonderful job, I was impressed.

Finding: the Wood-Mizer blades hold up better than that particular blade did.

[MRowsh]

Is there a difference between saw blades that were punched out, and those that were grinded?

[beenthere]

I have been using cooks and cooks sharpened blades on 99% SYP.

If happy with the cooks, why think about switching? If unhappy, then I see a reason to buy a whack and switch. ;)

Looking for greener grass just gets expensive and adds variables to the day to day problems that will exist and happen regardless of which blades you are using.... i.e. the nails, sharpening frequency, dirt in bark, tooth setting, etc.

[qbilder]

Short answer, no, yes, maybe, maybe not  :D Not for me. I tried a couple dozen WM DH 7* and they were fine, did the job as expected. The cut wasn't impressively smooth, nor was it terribly rough. They lasted well enough that I thought it was fair for the price. Tried some Munkforssagers & they cut the smoothest of any blade I have ever tried, but dulled out quickly. The Lennox blades, at least for me on my mill with the wood I cut, last the longest & leave a smooth finish. It's all I use anymore.

[Peter Drouin]

I use Wood Mizer blades because I have a Wm mill. I think they're the best, but that's just me :D
I say dance with the one that brought you to the party :D ;D

[drobertson]

I've only used three brands, wmz, cooks, lennox, they have all performed the same for me, no gripes with any of them.  But as beenthere suggested, why switch if happy?  it could change a few things in regards to re-sharpening.     david

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I use Wood Mizer blades because I have a Wm mill. I think they're the best, but that's just me :D
I say dance with the one that brought you to the party :D ;D

Now THIS.......is a VERY good reply! 

[millwright]

I use WM 10* blades for hardwood and softwood and find they perform very well.

[petefrom bearswamp]

I have used WM, Cooks and Timber wolf all with good results, but lean toward WM Because of the closeness of the Hannibal store.
Am now partial to WM 7 degree .055 because of the production achieved.

[JFarmer]

I have used cooks and woodmizer blades on both my resaw and mills. I get a lot more sharpenings out of the cooks than the wm blades. The wm blades break after the 2nd or 3rd sharpening and they dulled faster than the cooks.

[bandmiller2]

I have had good luck with all the major brands I've tried.If you sharpen your own it helps to have all the same pattern so you don't have to switch cams.There are a lot of clams bantied around but it all boils down to set and sharpness. Frank C.

[drobertson]

I have used cooks and woodmizer blades on both my resaw and mills. I get a lot more sharpenings out of the cooks than the wm blades. The wm blades break after the 2nd or 3rd sharpening and they dulled faster than the cooks.

Finally someone stood up and said it,  I'm not a million board foot member, although close,  I know for a fact that wmz would not like to know the last half of my lumber has come from Cooks' with far less breaks,  there have been a few as might be expected, but fewer for sure, I like the wmz's but have experienced too many breaks,  now I wait for all the orange team to tackle me down again, (tackle the man with the ball!)  I'm not afraid, nor careless, just want to gain the ground I can.    there's no shame is telling my story with a truthful testimony of my experience, as it relates to my  personal experiences,  david

[bugdust]

I'm a WM blade user through and through. Why? It's simple, I haven't tried anything else, so I just stick with what works. Why try to fix it if it ain't broke. I must admit though that the last order of blades didn't cut as well as the re-sharps. From what I've read that's to be expected from time to time.  ???

[Peter Drouin]

I have used cooks and woodmizer blades on both my resaw and mills. I get a lot more sharpenings out of the cooks than the wm blades. The wm blades break after the 2nd or 3rd sharpening and they dulled faster than the cooks.

Finally someone stood up and said it,  I'm not a million board foot member, although close,  I know for a fact that wmz would not like to know the last half of my lumber has come from Cooks' with far less breaks,  there have been a few as might be expected, but fewer for sure, I like the wmz's but have experienced too many breaks,  now I wait for all the orange team to tackle me down again, (tackle the man with the ball!)  I'm not afraid, nor careless, just want to gain the ground I can.    there's no shame is telling my story with a truthful testimony of my experience, as it relates to my  personal experiences,  david

If they break after 2 sharpens you going some thing wrong.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Se reply #6. 

[Magicman]

I have gotten "free" blades from several different manufacturers and they all performed very well.  Some better than others, but no real complaints with any of them.

I use 10° WM blades so close to 100% that the difference does not matter.  Of course 75%+ of my sawing is SYP.

[Chuck White]

I really find the bands breaking after 1 or 2 sharpenings a little baffling!

I sharpen my own and I sometimes get as many as 12 sharpenings, but average 8.

[barbender]

I've had the best luck with WM blades. Doublehards stay sharp longer than any other blades I have run. I have only tried a few other brands, the last brand I tried was Lennox C-sharps that they sent me a free trial of (I can't remember the forum members name that is a rep for them that sent them). They are a good blade, they don't hold an edge as long as the WM blades but the body is way more flexible, maybe they would last more sharpenings. I don't have serious brand loyalty, if someone makes a better blade for the money I don't have a problem running it on my WM mill. I'd be glad to, but right now my mill has a WM blade on the wheels ;)

[WH_Conley]

I usually get a box of 10 blades at a time. Seems like the WM will break a couple at the 3rd sharpening, the rest will go about 8 sharpening s. I just threw 3 blades away because they were too narrow. If you set them they would go back on the wheel and take the set off one side.