Short answer: choose the blade dimensions from the saw first, then match the blade construction, tooth pitch, and tooth form to the material and workpiece section. A blade that fits the wheels can still be wrong for the cutting job.
1. Confirm the blade size your saw accepts
Start with the machine plate, manual, or the complete marking on a correctly fitted old blade. Record all three dimensions: blade length, width, and thickness. Do not identify compatibility from the saw type or blade length alone.
- Length must match the machine's adjustment range.
- Width must suit the wheels, guides, and the required straight or contour cut.
- Thickness must suit the wheel diameter and guide system.
If the label is missing, provide the machine make, model, plate photo, and old-blade measurements through technical review. Follow the machine manufacturer's procedure whenever measuring or removing a blade.
2. Describe what the blade must cut
The same machine may need different blades for different work. Record the material, cross-section, condition, and production goal before selecting a product.
| Question | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| What material is being cut? | Fresh or frozen meat and bone, softwood, hardwood, carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, aluminium | Determines the suitable cutting-edge material and tooth geometry |
| What is its shape? | Solid, tube, profile, bundle, plate, carcass, log | Changes tooth engagement and chip space requirements |
| What is its size? | Diameter, wall thickness, bundle width, cutting height | Guides the tooth-pitch range |
| What is the priority? | Blade life, cutting speed, surface quality, accuracy, cost per cut | Helps resolve trade-offs instead of selecting by price alone |
3. Choose the blade construction
| Construction | Typical fit | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Hardened high-carbon steel | Food and bone, woodworking, and general-purpose cutting | Required dimensions, tooth form, pitch, and application hygiene |
| M42 bi-metal | Versatile cutting of carbon steel, stainless steel, tube, profiles, bundles, and solid sections | Material grade, section, speed, feed, coolant, and break-in |
| Carbide-tipped | Abrasive materials, high alloys, difficult-to-machine stock, and large production sections | Machine rigidity, guides, tension system, coolant delivery, and operator control |
See the blade technology comparison or browse by cutting application.
4. Choose tooth pitch from the engaged section
Tooth pitch is not selected from material name alone. Consider how much of the blade is in contact with the workpiece during the cut. Thin walls and small sections normally require a finer pitch; large solid sections need more gullet capacity and therefore a coarser or suitable variable pitch.
- Too fine a pitch can pack chips into the gullets and contribute to stripped teeth.
- Too coarse a pitch can create unstable tooth engagement, impact, vibration, or tooth damage.
- Bundles and structural profiles must be evaluated at the maximum and minimum engaged sections.
- Food and bone applications must account for product size, fresh or frozen condition, and bone content.
Use the pitch chart supplied for the selected product, or send the workpiece dimensions to KECHOO instead of guessing.
5. Check tooth form and production conditions
Regular, hook, variable, set, and carbide tooth geometries manage cutting forces and chip formation differently. Also consider whether the saw is manual, semi-automatic, or production automatic; whether coolant is available; and whether the workpiece can be clamped securely.
Final selection checklist
- Machine make and model confirmed
- Length × width × thickness confirmed
- Material grade or product identified
- Workpiece shape and full section range recorded
- Blade construction selected for the application
- Tooth pitch selected from tooth engagement, not guesswork
- Machine condition, guides, tension, coolant, and chip brush checked
- Performance priority defined