Bi-metal Bandsaw Vs. Carbon Steel Blades

Harbor freight doesn't sell 93" x 3/4" bi-metal blades.
 
I run a 6 x 4 bandsaw. It came with a carbon steel blade that lasted 3 cuts over a week. Changed to a bi metal blade and did the correct run in procedure.
Still 3 cuts a week on average and I am still on the same blade 18 months later .

Most of my cuts are 1/4" to 3/8" and I run a 14/18 tpi blade. One of the band saw blade manufacturers has a really good info pack detailing about reading the state of the blade with the chip shape produced.

Following the makers guide makes my little saw perform like a champ.Sorry I can't remember the maker at the moment,but it is on the net. <Edit> Morse is the company
http://www.mkmorse.com/PDFs/MORSEBANDCAT.pdf

The info is about 26 pages down
 
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I just bought a HF metal cutting bandsaw 93" blades. I found the Lenox 93"x.75x.035 bi-metal for about $36 a copy. Not bad price for those.
My friend who is in the machine shop business cuts a lot of stainless steel for boat prop shafts in the 2" to 6" shaft size recommends the Lenox
blades as good quality. There are certainly others as well.

He recommends using a liquid cutting fluid (TRIM C270) mix with water and does not
stink like some of the others. He has used it for over 6 years without problems.
I ordered it from Amazon by the gallon. You can get a 5 gal pail and put it in your will,. mix 5:1 for band-saw use. mix 10:1 for lathe use.
 
Harbor Freight has 93" blades online but not in my store, and they don't have any 93" bi-metal blades. In fact, my store doesn't even have any 3/4" blades.

I got a gallon of "Slugger" cutting fluid. I made up a two-gallon mix last summer and the tank is still more than half full and there is still a lot left in the gallon jug.
 
A bit late to this party but YES, the bimetal blades are worth the cost! Even in your opening query, you stated "Three times as much for 5-10 times the life."

On my little 6x8 bandsaw, the blade that came with it lasted about a year. The replacement blade has lasted several years.
 
Variable tooth blades are also worth it, thats all we use on our saws at work.
 
What's a good general purpose variable tooth blade pitch for 3/16 angle and flat to 3" round?
I have a 7x12 horizontal band saw.

I was thinking of trying a 10-14 variable blade as a good general purpose blade.
 
Franko 10/14 is good there that is what I keep in the saw most of the time. I don't change it unless I cut some pretty thin stuff, or will be cutting a bit of heavier stuff. Then I have a 6tpi I use.
Not sure who it was that stated the blade thickness and height keep it from cutting true but my saw cuts as true as I would expect from a band saw.
My vote is for bi metal but I also cut stuff like SS, stress proof, some coil spring steel I got at the scrap yard.
Mark
 
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