Air (Body) Saw Blades

[darkzero]

Can't believe I'm posting/asking this, I'm usually pretty good at finding what I want just by searching. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of familiar name brands offering air saw blades. What do you guys use?

I usually go with Lenox for saw blades but they don't seem to make a good selection of them. I've see IR but they're longer than what I prefer & expensive. So far I'm looking at PT (Performance Tools) blades but I consider them to be generic & possibly not very good quality? But they're very affordable. Second is from Benchmark Abrasives but I never considered them for saw blades before.

I'm looking for 3.5" length blades or not longer than 4", 24 TPI, & bi-metal.

Thanks

 

[darkzero]

Or maybe I'm over thinking this one. I'm mostly cutting automotive interior plastics & occasionally sheet metal. So the cheap generic blades may be fine for my use?

 

[charbar]

I think the last ones I picked up were Chief branded from the ol' Harbor Freight.

I honestly couldn't tell you if they are worth a **** or not because I rarely use mine for metal. Usually cutting plastics and they are fine for that.

 

[nadogail]

Diablo blades from Home Depot have worked "Good Enough" for my purposes.

 

[darkzero]

Diablo blades from Home Depot have worked "Good Enough" for my purposes.

I looked at HD & Lowes (online). I've never seen air saw blades from Diablo, only recip blades (sawzall) & jigsaw. If HD has Diablo blades in store, heck I'll just get those if they're aren't too expensive.

 

[nadogail]

I looked at HD & Lowes (online). I've never seen air saw blades from Diablo, only recip blades (sawzall) & jigsaw. If HD has Diablo blades in store, heck I'll just get those if they're aren't too expensive.

you smell pretty good.

 

[charbar]

I just found some Morse branded ones and Eastwood's shows AstroPneumatic branded ones.

Morse is usually pretty good stuff.

 

[darkzero]

you smell pretty good.

Huh, wtf?

 

[RTM]

I have a handful of air saw blades, only took a few minutes to determine what they were. Once I find them, you are welcome to them.

 

[GeoBruin]

I would go with the HF Chief brand and not look back. Their chief stuff has all been really good quality in my experience. In every case I'm aware of the tools and consumables are rebranded from major market players. A lot of the new Chief air hammer punches/chisels are Mayhew for example.

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-tpi-professional-air-saw-blades-5-pack-56516.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21901739423&campaignid=21901739423&utm_content=173216738791&adsetid=173216738791&product=56516&store=577&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21901739423&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJvBBhDuARIsAGUgNfi6dddLrYMKclO1XYK1PBEnyJ1D7Vrbr6kkik3dUCy2NBjRxN4DsewaAsx6EALw_wcB

 

[joe_padavano]

I've bought IR brand blades reasonably priced at swap meets like Carlisle and Hershey. I've also ordered from Empire Abrasives and had good results.

Reciprocating Saw Blades | Empire Abrasives

These premium, made in USA, reciprocating sawzall blades have an extremely long-lasting blades that are heat and wear resistant. Shop our industry leading Reciprocating Blades today!

www.empireabrasives.com

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

MK Morse might have that blade. They make some good USA Made blades.

 

[finn]

Pretty sure the last two or three packs of air saw blades I picked up were branded Milwaukee.

Got them from a power tool vendor at the Iola old car swap meet.

Edit: I don’t find Milwaukee air saw blades when doing an online search. Wonder if they’re discontinued?

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

I'll be the contrarian about HF supplies and consumables. None of it is a good value and it's all low end.
I'll relate one experience. I restore cars for a living. Been doing metal, body, paint in one form or another for way to long, 34 years or so.

Anyways I was stripping the paint on a 911. I had run out of the normal strip discs I use. It was a Saturday and I wanted to get it done that day. So I went to HF and bought two of their 4 1/2" strip discs like I'd been using. Get back to the Shop and proceed. Well I quickly realized that these were nothing like the ones I normally use. They lasted about half as long as my usual ones. Since they were priced the same that made them effectively 2X as expensive as the ones I use.

Everything I've seen in HF regarding supplies or consumables is pretty low end. Sandpaper especially. None for me ever.

As for the body saw blades ones I'm using now are pretty good. I'll find them and post the name in a bit when I get out in the Shop..

Biggest thing about body saw blades is that none of them last for very long, especially when cutting metal. The speed of the tool just kills blades IMO. If not that then they bend when cutting when the blade pulls out and whacks into the workpiece. Putting a regulator on the tool helps some.

 

[dnschmidt]

Sterling is what I use: https://industrialtool.com/products/sterling-pneu-saw-air-saw-blades?variant=41669940969659

 

[neophyte]

Have you tried measuring the air saw blade shanks, and comparing the dimensions to a standard hacksaw blade ?
If I’m not mistaken, “standard” air saw blades are basically just the standard size of a hacksaw blade, with the back, front end ground either at an angle, or ground less wide.

There are “specialty” air saws that use alternative designs, like the SIG/Biax style air saw blades, and maybe other saws that use some type of jigsaw blade shank, but those designs are way less common.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

Think someone else posted they were using these. This(company) is what I've been using as well. Good quality, good selection.

Reciprocating Saw Blades | Empire Abrasives

These premium, made in USA, reciprocating sawzall blades have an extremely long-lasting blades that are heat and wear resistant. Shop our industry leading Reciprocating Blades today!

www.empireabrasives.com

Empire sells quite a few quality items. Coincidentally Empire is where I get my cookie discs for paint stripping. Good company. Quality stuff. Good prices.

 

[GeoBruin]

I'll be the contrarian about HF supplies and consumables. None of it is a good value and it's all low end.
I'll relate one experience. I restore cars for a living. Been doing metal, body, paint in one form or another for way to long, 34 years or so.

Anyways I was stripping the paint on a 911. I had run out of the normal strip discs I use. It was a Saturday and I wanted to get it done that day. So I went to HF and bought two of their 4 1/2" strip discs like I'd been using. Get back to the Shop and proceed. Well I quickly realized that these were nothing like the ones I normally use. They lasted about half as long as my usual ones. Since they were priced the same that made them effectively 2X as expensive as the ones I use.

Everything I've seen in HF regarding supplies or consumables is pretty low end. Sandpaper especially. None for me ever.

As for the body saw blades ones I'm using now are pretty good. I'll find them and post the name in a bit when I get out in the Shop..

Biggest thing about body saw blades is that none of them last for very long, especially when cutting metal. The speed of the tool just kills blades IMO. If not that then they bend when cutting when the blade pulls out and whacks into the workpiece. Putting a regulator on the tool helps some.

That seems like an emotional response justified by a single bad experience. In any case, it's silly to refer to "Harbor Freight" supplies and consumables. That's like saying "Home Depot" supplies and consumables. They carry multiple lines of most things with varying levels of cost (and quality).

For example, HF sells some air saw blades under the "Central Pneumatic" name for less than $3 for a pack of 5. I have no doubt those are not the highest performing blades out there. But, as I mentioned earlier, the Chief stuff tends to be higher end. I mentioned earlier their new air hammer punches are USA (Mayhew) made.

As further evidence to support my case, Fireball Tool just did a VERY extensive test of dozens of different flap discs from the cheapest out there to 3M Cubitron and some boutique brands. Anyway, the Bauer line from Harbor Freight performed near the top in almost all metrics, and were determined to be the best value (performance to price ratio) of all the brands tested.

 

[nadogail]

If the most expensive consumable supply item is 100% many of the cheaper options are in the high 80's or 90"s.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

That seems like a emotional response justified by a single bad experience. In any case, it's silly to refer to "Harbor Freight" supplies and consumables. That's like saying "Home Depot" supplies and consumables. They carry multiple lines of most things with varying levels of cost (and quality).

For example, HF sells some air saw blades under the "Central Pneumatic" name for less than $3 for a pack of 5. I have no doubt those are not the highest performing blades out there. But, as I mentioned earlier, the Chief stuff tends to be higher end. I mentioned earlier their new air hammer punches are USA (Mayhew) made.

As further evidence to support my case, Fireball Tool just did a VERY extensive test of dozens of different flap discs from the cheapest out there to 3M Cubitron and some boutique brands. Anyway, the Bauer line from Harbor Freight performed near the top in almost all metrics, and were determined to be the best value (performance to price ratio) of all the brands tested.

It was an example and not an irrational response. Nothing emotional about it. The cookie discs were noticeably more flexible and not as densely packed. And they lasted half as long. Whi h made them 2X as expensive as the ones i normally used which cost the same.

I'm speaking as a Professional who uses some of the various items sold by HF daily. I know quality and what HF sells is not that. Not by a longshot.. Speaking of consumables here. Tools are another discussion.

If one has no frame of reference to judge something then one might believe HF consumables are acceptable or OK. I have a frame of reference and I firmly stand by the fact that they are low end, don't perform as well, and if one analyzes it they cost more than quality supplies when looking at the amount of use per item.

If you feel differently that's your right. But I don't.

As for YouTube testing.....Im rather skeptical. Better than Cubitron? Again I'm skeptical of that claim. YouTubers make all sorts of claims for products that they get sent (or paid) to endorse.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

If the most expensive consumable supply item is 100% many of the cheaper options are in the high 80's or 90"s.

My example it cost the same and lasted 1/2 as long. Two of them. So that made them 2X as expensive as a quality one. Sandpaper I can promise you is very very similar. Compare HF offerings to 3M even the cheap 3M red or to Sunmight. There will be a marked difference. And the savings won't be there.

It's Chinese stuff made to the LCD, then packaged for HF. None of it is quality or offers any savi gs if you do a cost analysis of it. Cheap supplies generally aren't cheap.

 

[Dave455]

Starrett make them.

They call them Pneumatic Saw Blades.

Blade length 3 5/8.

Haven’t tried them but I’m likely to.

 

[Jagmandave]

I have some that look exactly like those, I think they're made by Lawson - They have a big "L" on them - I've had them a very long time and only recently dug them out of the drawer - they work very well but they do wear out and of course bend like was mentioned before if they pop out of the seam you're cutting.

Timely thread as I need some more....

Edit: just saw a northern tool ad 5 for .99, Klutch brand. I might try and run by and get some tomorrow, 24 tpi, 4" long

https://www.northerntool.com/products/klutch-24-tpi-air-saw-blades-5-pk-3-11-16in-l-48356?srsltid=AfmBOopfJBnQ_VqSVVpCoZsQYdBo4fNboBENxXW8pOfN3tn0012gnaoIZik&gQT=1

 

[Swervyjoe]

Have you tried measuring the air saw blade shanks, and comparing the dimensions to a standard hacksaw blade ?
If I’m not mistaken, “standard” air saw blades are basically just the standard size of a hacksaw blade, with the back, front end ground either at an angle, or ground less wide.

I haven't tried yet, but Mike from Bellos Customs on YouTube uses cut down hacksaw blades