Saw blades: types, sizes and how to choose the right one

01What types of saw blades are there?

Saw blades fall into six families by the saw they fit: circular, miter, table, jigsaw, reciprocating and band saw blades. The first three are round carbide-tipped blades that mount on a spindle, and they differ mainly in diameter, bore and tooth design. Jigsaw and reciprocating blades are straight blades held by a shank clamp. Band saw blades are continuous loops. A blade from one family never fits a saw from another, so the first step is always to identify the saw, then its interface, then the material.

The range on sale is wide. US imports of handsaws and saw blades of all kinds came to $826 million in 2025, down from $885 million the year before, according to US data reported to UN Comtrade, and they are spread across many makers and countries of origin. With that much choice, the saw's own interface is a more reliable filter than brand. Country-by-country figures are in the saw blade and bit import data.

The table below gives the interface and the size that decides fit for each family. The sections after it explain each one, with US and European sizes and the limits saw makers set.

02What arbor does a circular saw blade use?

A US circular saw blade uses a 5/8 in arbor hole on the common 7-1/4 in size, and the same hole on most 6-1/2 in and 8-1/4 in blades. Small trim-saw blades are the exception with a 10 mm arbor, and track saws often use a metric bore: Makita's SP6000J lists 20 mm. Worm-drive saws such as the SKILSAW SPT77WML use a diamond arbor, so the blade's diamond knockout must be removed before fitting.

European saws use metric bores: 30 mm is common on full-size hand-held saws, and 20 mm on smaller track and plunge saws, with some models sold in either bore depending on the country. The bore must match in size and shape. A blade on the wrong arbor runs off-centre, and saw makers forbid spacers to make a blade fit; only the maker's own ring or flange side is allowed. The blade diameter must also be the one marked on the saw, and the blade's marked speed must be equal to or higher than the saw's no-load speed. For example, Diablo marks its wood blades of this size 8000 rpm, above the 5800 rpm no-load speed Makita lists for its 5007F.

The full list of sizes is in the guide to circular saw arbor sizes. On a handheld circular saw the blade goes on with the teeth up at front, matching the arrow on the guard.

03Which blades fit a miter saw?

Miter saws take crosscut blades of the diameter marked on the saw, with a 5/8 in hole on US 10 in saws and a 1 in hole on US 12 in saws. DeWalt's DWS780 also accepts the smaller hole, because its spindle is that size and it uses an adapter for the larger bore. European mitre saws use a 30 mm bore.

Saw makers also limit the tooth design. DeWalt tells owners of its DWS713 and DWS780 to use crosscut blades only, not rip or combination blades, and not blades with a hook angle above 7 degrees. Freud's sliding miter blades use a hook of -5 degrees, which Freud says keeps the blade from climbing and pushes the work toward the fence. Diablo lists some positive-hook blades as suitable for miter saws, so the sources conflict; the saw maker's manual is the one to follow. Speed ratings matter here too: DeWalt requires blades rated at least 5500 rpm on the DWS713 and 4800 rpm on the DWS780.

For aluminum and other non-ferrous metal, DeWalt specifies TCG blades made for that purpose, and Diablo's aluminum blades for miter saws use that grind with a negative hook. The guide to miter saw blade sizes and arbors compares the two common diameters, including crosscut capacity.

04What blade fits a table saw?

A US table saw takes blades with a 5/8 in bore on the common 10 in size, and compact jobsite saws such as the Milwaukee 2736 also use 5/8 in. Larger blades for big table and miter saws have a 1 in bore, and European table saws use 30 mm.

The diameter range is set per saw. The Makita 2705X1 accepts blades of 250–255 mm, while the DeWalt DWE7491 is for one diameter only, and DeWalt requires blades rated at least 5000 rpm on it. The riving knife adds a thickness limit: DeWalt's DWE7491 manual states the blade limits for its riving knife as kerf >= 0.094 in; body <= 0.079 in. Dado stacks are limited by arbor length; DeWalt's DWE7491 and Makita's 2705X1 both cap stack width at 13/16 in, and both need the saw's dado insert. On a table saw the blade is mounted with the teeth down at front.

Those limits keep the riving knife and guard working, and the cost of failure is lopsided. The economic analysis in CPSC's 2023 table saw proposal, since withdrawn in September 2025 and still the most recent cost estimate of its kind, found that amputations accounted for 55.3% of the cost of medically treated table saw blade-contact injuries, although they are a small minority of the injuries. How small a minority shows in CPSC's NEISS emergency department data for 2024: by AccessoryFit's estimate, about 10.9% of injuries involving bench or table saws that year were diagnosed as amputations. The wider NEISS breakdown, by year and body part, is in the table saw injury numbers.

The guide to which blades fit your table saw lists bores, speeds and dado limits by saw.

05Do T-shank and U-shank jigsaw blades interchange?

No. A jigsaw takes only the shank its clamp is built for: a T-shank saw takes T-shank blades only, and U-shank blades are labelled to fit U-shank saws only. The T-shank, created by Bosch, is the industry-standard type today. One naming trap catches buyers in Europe: Bosch's European catalogue calls the T-shank the single lug shank and calls the U-shank the universal shank, so a blade marked universal there is a U-shank blade, not one that fits every saw.

Once the shank matches, choose by length and TPI. Most blades are 2-3/4 to 5-1/4 in (70 to 133 mm) long, and Lenox sizes the minimum length as material thickness + 2 to 2-3/4 in. Wood blades are typically 6–10 TPI, and metal blades run 14–36 TPI, finer for thinner sheet. Reverse-tooth blades cut on the down stroke for a clean top face. DeWalt says metal and hardwood should never be cut with orbital action, which is meant for soft materials.

The guide to T-shank and U-shank jigsaw blades covers the shanks; the article on how to pick a jigsaw blade covers TPI, blade material and bent blades; and the buyer guide to jigsaw blades for metal compares blades for steel, aluminum and sheet.

06Do reciprocating saw blades fit every brand of saw?

Almost always, yes. Reciprocating blades use a universal shank that Bosch describes as a 1/2 in (12.7 mm) universal shank and that Diablo says fits all corded and cordless reciprocating saws. Brand matters far less than length, TPI and blade thickness.

Blades come in 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 in (102, 152, 203, 229, 254, 305 mm). Lenox sizes the length as material width + 3 in (76 mm), and advises keeping 2–3 teeth in the material at all times. For wood with nails and demolition, blades are typically 5–7 TPI; thin sheet metal needs about 18–24 TPI, and thick metal 8–14 TPI. Demolition blades are made thicker and taller so they resist bending; Lenox's are .062 in (1.6 mm) thick. Lenox and Diablo both claim carbide-tipped blades last up to 50x vs. standard bi-metal (manufacturer claims).

The guide to the universal reciprocating blade shank explains the fit in detail, the buyer guide to demolition recip blades compares nail-embedded-wood blades, and the article on making recip blades last covers why blades snap.

07How do you find the right band saw blade length?

Take it from the saw's manual or a blade maker's fit chart for that exact model: band saw blade length is machine-specific, not a function of wheel size alone. Classic cast-iron saws such as the JET JWBS-14CS take a 93-1/2 in blade, many two-wheel benchtop saws take 59-1/2 in, and portable deep-cut saws such as the DeWalt DWM120 take 44-7/8 in.

The common belief that every band saw of the same wheel size takes the same blade is wrong. The Rikon 10-326, Laguna LT14 and Laguna LT14SUV are sold in the same wheel class as the JET, and all three need longer blades. If the manual is lost, Olson gives a formula from the wheel radii and the distance between wheel centres: (R1 x 3.1416) + (R2 x 3.1416) + (2 x C), measured with the wheels in working position.

Width and pitch come next. For straight cuts use the widest blade the saw allows, and for curves the widest that clears the radius. Keep at least 3 teeth in the workpiece; coarse 2–3 TPI blades suit resawing, and fine 18–32 TPI blades suit thin metal and plastic. The guide to band saw blade length and width lists lengths by machine.

08How do you choose a saw blade for the material?

Choose round blades by tooth count, grind and hook angle, and straight or band blades by TPI and blade material. On a 10 in blade, rip blades have as few as 24 teeth, general-purpose and combination blades 40 to 50 teeth, and crosscut blades 60 to 80 teeth.

The grind sets what the tooth does. ATB teeth are bevelled alternately left and right to slice across the grain, steeper Hi-ATB teeth of 30–40 degrees give chip-free cuts in melamine and veneered plywood, FTG teeth are square-topped for ripping, and TCG teeth alternate a chamfered tooth with a flat raker for laminate, plastics and non-ferrous metal. Positive hooks of 10 to 22 degrees feed fast for ripping; negative hooks of -2 to -6 degrees reduce climbing on sliding miter saws and in laminate and aluminum.

For cutting metal, the blade type follows the saw. Non-ferrous metal such as aluminum on a miter or circular saw calls for a TCG blade made for it. Steel needs a carbide or cermet blade made for ferrous metal: for medium-gauge steel on a 7-1/4 in circular saw, Diablo and Milwaukee both list blades with 48 teeth, Diablo's thin-sheet versions have 56 to 70 teeth, and dry-cut metal saws take blades with 72 teeth on a 1 in arbor. Check the saw's manual first, because some wood-cutting circular saw manuals, such as DeWalt's DWE575, rule out metal. Metal-cutting jigsaw, reciprocating and band saw blades use the finer TPI ranges above. Kerf matters on table saws: full-kerf blades cut about 1/8 in, thin-kerf blades .087-.098 in, and a thin-kerf blade can bind on a riving knife made for a standard blade.

The guide to ATB, FTG and TCG tooth grinds covers this in depth, the buyer guide to plywood blade picks applies it to sheet goods, and the tool to pick a blade by material suggests a tooth count and grind from your saw and material.

09How do you replace a saw blade, and what holds it in the saw?

Replace a saw blade with one that matches the saw's marked diameter, bore and speed, mounted in the saw's own holder: the flanges and arbor bolt on a round-blade saw, or the shank clamp on a jigsaw or reciprocating saw. Disconnect the power first. On a circular saw, the new blade goes on with the teeth up at front; on a table saw, with the teeth down at front. Makita's manuals say never to use damaged or incorrect blade washers or bolts, because they are designed for that saw.

Straight blades are held differently. T-shank jigsaw blades lock into the tool-free quick-change clamps of most modern jigsaws, while U-shank blades belong to older saws and usually need a tool to change. Reciprocating saws hold the universal shank described above.

Before replacing a round blade that burns or feeds hard, clean it: baked-on pitch often causes those symptoms while the teeth underneath are still sharp. Makita names gum and pitch remover, hot water or kerosene for the job, never gasoline. Keep spare blades so their carbide teeth do not touch other blades, because carbide is brittle and chips if knocked or dropped.

10When does a saw blade that fits still fail?

A blade that fits the arbor or shank still fails when it is the wrong diameter, speed rating, tooth design or thickness for the saw, or when it is dirty or misused. The common cases each trace back to a manufacturer limit covered above.

• Burning on wood is often baked-on pitch rather than dull teeth, so clean the blade before replacing it; fence or riving-knife misalignment, feed rate and stock condition also cause burning. Makers warn against oven cleaner, which can damage the coating and weaken the cobalt binding the carbide.
• Thin-kerf blades are not an upgrade for every table saw; Rockler says they bring no significant advantage on contractor and cabinet saws, whose standard riving knives can be too thick for them.
• Jigsaw blades bend or wander when the saw is forced or run with orbital action in metal or hardwood.
• Reciprocating blades snap when the shoe is not held against the work or the blade is forced in metal; DeWalt ties forcing the blade to shortened life and breakage.
• Band saw blades crack when too thick for the wheel diameter, and overheat and break early when the pitch is too fine for the work.

Clean a burning blade and check the saw's alignment before deciding the blade needs replacing; if it still burns once clean on an aligned saw, the teeth are the remaining cause. Carbide teeth are brittle, so store blades so their teeth do not touch other blades, and do not drop them. The article on why saw blades burn wood works through the burning causes one by one.

11Saw blade guides on AccessoryFit

• Circular saw blade arbor size guideArbor and bore by blade diameter, US and metric
• Miter saw blade sizes and arbor fitThe two common diameters, bores and capacities
• Table saw blade arbor sizesBores, speed ratings, riving knives and dado limits
• Jigsaw blade shank typesT-shank against U-shank, and the European names
• Reciprocating saw blade compatibilityThe universal shank and blade lengths
• Band saw blade sizes by machineLength, width and TPI for named saws
• How to choose a circular saw bladeTeeth, grind, hook angle and kerf
• How to pick a jigsaw bladeTPI, material and stopping bent blades
• Circular saw blades for plywoodBlades compared on published specs
• Jigsaw blades for cutting metalSteel, aluminum and sheet
• Reciprocating saw blades for demolitionNail-embedded wood and mixed materials
• Why a circular saw blade burns woodCauses and fixes
• Reciprocating saw blades breakingCauses and prevention
• Circular saw blade selectorMaterial, teeth and size

12Questions readers ask