Best 7 1/4 Circular Saw Blade for Cutting Plywood
What is the best 7 1/4 circular saw blade for plywood? This is a much asked questions that we aim to provide an answer to in this review article. We have identified 5 cutting blades in the list of Our Top Picks that we think are all worthy of this accolade.
By the end of the article, we will have reviewed each in detail so that we are in a position to make our recommendation as to which of these is the best of them all. Along the way, we will also answer some of the most frequently asked questions about both cutting blades and circular saws.
Circular Saw Blades for Cutting Plywood: Our Top Picks
Table of Contents
#1 IRWIN Tools MARATHON Carbide Corded Circular Saw Blade
NOTABLE FEATURES
- Has a silicone coating
- Thick and thinner teeth
- Made out of carbide
Not only will the IRWIN Tools MARATHON Carbide Corded Circular Saw Blades cut through plywood like butter, but it will also go through a range of other materials with absolute ease. Thanks to the silicone coating that is on the cutting blade, any sort of build up is prevented and pitched reduced.
The 24 teeth that the cutting blade for saw has are all made out of a high quality carbide. This gives it an extra layer of durability and ensures the longevity of the blade. The special design of the blade sees every other one of the teeth being thicker than the one in between it. This helps it to cut through materials much quicker.
Because the IRWIN Tools MARATHON Carbide Corded Circular Saw Balde is hardened, it is highly durable. It can be used for a variety of different applications, including ripping through wood, framing, and even decking. The three voids on the cutting blade allow for any heat that is generated to escape and for cooler air to be dragged in order to reduce the vibrations, thus increasing the accuracy.
Although the cutting blade is suitable for both jobs around the home and on construction sites, it is not suited for larger construction type jobs.
PROS
- Has a silicone coating
- Thick and thinner teeth
- Made out of carbide
CONS
- Not suited for larger jobs
#2 DEWALT 7-1/4" Circular Saw Blade
NOTABLE FEATURES
- 60 very sharp teeth
- Made out of tungsten carbide
- Stops kickbacks
Allowing you to make cuts with a high quality finish, the cutting sawing blade is highly durable and provides you with a good amount of control. For this reason, it is very popular with professional tradesmen / contractors that work with framing, siding, and roofing.
Because the DEWALT 7-1/4″ Circular Saw Blades has 60 very sharp teeth, it is capable of producing fast and smooth cuts every time that it is used. Each of these teeth are made out of tungsten carbide, so it is guaranteed that they will stay super sharp for long period of time.
The cutting blade has an expansion slot that is filled with resin and is ribbed in order to reduce the amount of vibration generated in order to keep it quiet and true. It has been designed with a shoulder that stops kickback from happening and thus lets you stay in better control. The thin kerf that it has allows you to make good quality cuts.
When using the DEWALT 7-1/4″ Circular Saw Balde for performing cross cuts, it is prone to producing lots of burrs.
PROS
- 60 very sharp teeth
- Made out of tungsten carbide
- Stops kickbacks
CONS
- Prone to producing burrs
#3 Concord Blades WCB0825T080HP 8-1/4" 80 Teeth TCT General Purpose Hard & Soft Wood Saw Blade
NOTABLE FEATURES
- 80 titanium carbide teeth
- Cuts through all types of wood
- Compatible with various power tools
A specialist wood cutting blade, the Concord Blades WCB0825T080HP 8-1/4″ 80 Teeth TCT General Purpose Hard & Soft Wood Saw Blades is capable of cutting through a range of different soft, hard, and abrasive woods, including plywood and decking. It can comfortably perform a range of different cuts, including cross cuts and ripping.
Because the kerf on the cutting blade is not very thick, it gives very clean cut that it makes a clean and smooth finish that does not create much debris. It is capable of spinning as many as 7,000 times each minute, which enables you to makee cuts quicker with this than you would with some bigger circular saw blades blades.
The Concord Blades WCB0825T080HP 8-1/4″ 80 Teeth TCT General Purpose Hard & Soft Wood Saw Balde has 80 teeth that are all made from titanium carbide. This is pretty much the maximum amount of number of teeth that you can get on a cutting blade blade of this size. Thanks to this, you are able to produce precise cut really fast.
The cutting blade can be used in make sure a number of different power tools but is prone to leaving burrs.
PROS
- 80 titanium carbide teeth
- Cuts through all types of wood
- Compatible with various power tools
CONS
- Prone to producing burrs
#4 Freud D0740A Diablo 7-1/4 40 Tooth ATB Finishing Saw Blade
NOTABLE FEATURES
- Runs very quietly
- Protected from warping
- Easy to keep clean
This is a great cutting blade blade for the money and comes in a bright red design that makes it highly visible. Thanks to the vents that are in it, they work to keep it stable when in operation, thus reducing the amount of vibration and noise that it creates.
The Freud D0740A Diablo 7-1/4 40 Tooth ATB Finishing Saw Balde has been specially designed in order to protect it from ever warping and thanks to the slot for heat expansion, you will get a perfect clean cut each and every time that you use it. Because it is made from a micro grain titanium carbide it will last for a very long time.
The 40 number of teeth that it has are super sharp and will not dull over time, even after heavy use. It is also very easy to clean, which is helpful after it has become covered in dust and debris after a long day of cutting. However, because of its bright red color, it can occasionally leave red marks on the material that you have used it to cut through.
PROS
- Runs very quietly
- Protected from warping
- Easy to keep clean
CONS
- Can leave red marks after cutting
#5 MK Morse CSM72560NAC Metal Devil Circular Saw Blade
NOTABLE FEATURES
- Produces clean cuts
- Does not create sparks
- Resistant to rusting
The MK Morse CSM72560NAC Metal Devil Circular Saw Blades is well known for producing clean cuts and being really safe to use. It is predominantly made out of aluminium, which makes it light weight and can be used for a variety of different power tools.
The durability and high cutting performance of the blade blade mean that you are able to smoothly cut through a range of different materials, including metal, without any surfaces left shredded or with burrs on them. Similarly, it does not create any hot sparks when used to cut through metal.
Because the 60 number of teeth teeth on the MK Morse CSM72560NAC Metal Devil Circular Sew Blade are very strong, they are unlikely to fragment, even when it is used to cut through the toughest of materials. Similarly to this, the cutting blade is also resistant to rusting, which helps to preserve its life span.
PROS
- Produces clean cuts
- Does not create sparks
- Resistant to rusting
CONS
- Expensive price tag
FAQs – A Buyer’s Guide
Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about both cutting blades and circular saws by both novices and experienced users. With this information, along with the reviews carried out above, you will be armed with all of the details that you need in order to make a purchasing decision.
What is the best saw blade for plywood?
With plywood coming in so many different forms and types, there is no definitive answer to this, as it very much depends on the type of plywood that you will be using the saw table saw to cut through. For example there is melamine plywood, particle board core (PBC) plywood, lumber core plywood, veneer core (VC) plywood, HDO and MDO, and medium density fibre core (MDF).
If you are cutting through a plywood that on top of it has a hard veneer, then the Freud LU79R012 Thin Kerf Ultimate Plywood & Melamine Saw Blades is the bestt one to use. However, because of make sure its design and its various functions and features, it is likely not to be the best for cutting through medium density fibre core (MDF) plywood.
All of those saw blades blades for circular saw that featured above in the list of Our Top Picks are capable of easily cutting through plywood. Some others that did not quite makee it into the list include the TWIN-TOWN 8-1/4-Inch Sew Blade, the Diabo by Freud D1060X 10″ x 60 Tooth Fine Finish Sew Blade, the Oshlun SBW-055036 5-1/2-Inch 36 Tooth ATB Finishing and Trimming Sew Blade, and the Rockwell RW9282 4 1/2-Inch 60T High Speed Steel Compact Circular Sew Blade.
Can you cut plywood with a circular saw?
Because circular saws are so versatile, they can be used to cut all the different types of plywood with. However, because they are so powerful, it can be difficult to cut through this type of wood without causing splintering of the wood. To help minimise the chance of this happening, there are a number of techniques that you can adopt, so that you are left with a clean and precise cut.
In order to prevent the plywood from splintering, you should place the sheet of plywood with its bestt side facing down towards the floor. Doing this will ensure that any splintering that does occur is on the top side of the sheet, which is actually the backside of the piece of plywood. You can make sure the cut even cleaner by first scoring the along the line where you intend to cut with a sharp knife.
It is important to remember that cutting through sheets of plywood is likely to cause kickback due to the flexible nature of the material. In order to prevent this from happening, it is recommended that you put 4 pieces of 2 x 4 directly underneath the plywood. Put 2 of these on the edges and the other 2 each side of the cut line in order to provide some support along the length of the entire cut.
What is the best circular saw blade for wood?
With there being so many different types of wood, both soft and hard, and many variations of cut that a sew blade can make, there are a number of things that need to be considered before you are able to decide which is the best circular saw blade for plywood. For example, a sew blade that is good for making cross cuts may not be the bestt for ripping through a piece of wood.
This is why there are specialist saw blades blades for everything from cutting through plywood, to cross cutting saw lumber, and everything in between. For example a sew blade that has been designed to rip through both soft and hard woods will need flat top style teeth, whereas one that is going to be used for making cross cuts into plywood and natural wood will require alternative top bevel teeth teeth.
However, some of the best all round circuler saw blades for cutting through wood include the Avanti 7-1/4 in. x 24-Teeth Framing Sew Blade, the Makita 14 in. Segmented Rim Diamond Blade for General Purpose, and the 3-1/2 in. 24-Tooth Tungsten Carbide Tipped Sew Blade.
How do you cut a plywood with a circular saw without splintering?
There are a number of different techniques that you can adopt in order to prevent splintering when using a circular saw to cut through plywood. The reason this happens is because when the cutting blade, which is spinning at such a high speed, enters the plywood sheet at the bottom and comes out at the top.
This means that when you are cutting through the plywood, any splintering that happens is on the top side of the sheet. Whilst this might not be such an issue when cutting either roof or wall sheeting, but for finer work and with more expensive plywood that has a hardwood veneer, you will of course not want this to happen.
One effective way of combating this is by placing the sheet of plywood with the best side facing downwards. This means that any splintering that occurs is on the back side of the piece of wood that will not be seen. Alternatively, you can support the plywood sheet with 4 x pieces of 2 x 4. Placing 2 on the edges and 2 either side of the cut line will provide support, stop the plywood from flexing and so minimize the chance of splintering.
In order to minimize this even further, you can score the cut line with a very sharp knife before going at it with the circular saw. This means that when you do make the cut with the power tool, any wooden fibres will break of nice and cleanly, leaving a splinter free, smooth, and precise cut.
The Best Circular Saw Blade for Cutting Plywood
MK Morse CSM72560NAC Metal Devil Circular Sew Blade
Having reviewed each of the above 7 1/4 which circular saw blade for plywood we now have to make our final recommendation as to which of these if the best circular saw blade for cutting plywood of them all. It must be stated that given the high quality of all of these, this was not an easy ask to perform, as frankly any one of them could easily be the best, depending on what you want and need from a cutting blade.
However, we did make a decision on which one is our favorite and that is the MK Morse CSM72560NAC Metal Devil Circular Sew Blade. This is because it produces very clean cuts, does not create any debris or sparks, even when cutting through metal, and is resistant to rusting, meaning that it will likely last a very long time. The only downside is that it comes with an expensive price tag.
