The circular saw is a useful tool that we can find not only in professional workshops, but also at home. There are a wide variety of circular saws available in different sizes, which can cut a large number of materials such as, but not limited to, wood, metal, plastic, masonry, asphalt or floor coverings.

The cutting element of circular saws is made up of circular blades or discs constructed of various materials and available in a wide range of tooth sizes and types that affect a particular choice. The price of circular saw blades varies widely, and many of the more expensive products have features that make them last longer and perform better. The cheapest discs can lose their edge quickly, but are ideal for those who use them only occasionally.

For this reason, choosing the correct blade for a particular circular saw model is essential. In this article we are going to detail the main parameters that we must take into account when choosing a circular saw blade.

As always happens when making a purchase, we must first ask ourselves a series of questions that can serve as a guide. For example:

1) What type of material are we going to cut and what is its thickness?

Is it wood? And in that case, soft wood, hard wood, chipboard, laminate or plywood? Is it plaster, plastic, granite, concrete, or non-ferrous materials? It is important to know that saw blades are made of different materials and have been designed according to what they are going to cut, even if the work surface has nails and screws in the direction of the cut.

 2) What type of machine do we have to carry out the cut?

A stationary circular saw? A miter saw? A corded or cordless portable saw? Some saw blades are designed to be used exclusively on a certain type of saw, so ignoring this detail can produce poor results and can even be dangerous.

 3) What type of cut do we want to make and what degree of finish do we want to achieve?

For example, if it is wood, do we want to cut in the grain direction (longitudinal) or cross grain direction? Or do we prefer to cut wet or dry? Again, the availability of saw blades for each of these functions is vast and finishes vary between fair, good and excellent, where it is always a matter of avoiding chipping of the wood and the formation of burrs in other materials.

The fundamental difference between the abrasive discs described and the saw cutting discs lies in their construction. Saw blades are fully metal parts, almost always provided with teeth. There are four different types of materials to manufacture the teeth, so in the market we will find four types of cutting discs for circular saw. We will talk about them in another article! But if you can’t wait, you check out the blog of an expert in renovations or search on Google for more information.