How To Tell If Your Saw Blade Needs To Be Sharpened Or Replaced

When the cut quality on your panel saw is no longer acceptable it is time to change your blade. Running a dull blade to get a few more cuts will yield a worse cut quality and result in diminished sharpening life of the blade. At the first sign of material chipping, remove the blade and replace it with a new or professionally sharpened one.

Pay attention and listen to the sound of the motor and blade. A trained ear can tell from the sound of the machine when the blade is working harder. A sharp blade requires less horsepower and cuts much easier and quieter than a dull blade. Essentially, what happens is the machine’s amperage draw increases because the material is more difficult to push through the blade causing the motor to sound louder.

Visual blade inspections are good disciplines that for some reason most operators seem to neglect. Chipped teeth or rounded edges are sure signs that your blade needs to be replaced or sharpened. It is very important that the blade is sharpened as soon as visible saw blade deterioration occurs. The blade will dull up much faster if the blade continues to be used resulting in more of the tip having to be removed in order to get a new sharp edge. This decreases the life of the blade and increases operating costs.