Bi-metal & carbide

The best metal cutting saw blades for 2026

A blade that cuts badly is usually the wrong pitch, not a blunt one. We cover bi-metal band blades by width and teeth per inch, carbide cold-cut blades, and the rule that governs both: how many teeth should be in contact with the work at any moment. Two other things belong on the same page: the abrasive wheel a chop saw takes, which is the loud, hot alternative to a cold-cut blade and is bought by the box; and the butt welder that turns a coil of blade stock into loops of any length, rated — like the blades themselves — by the band width it will take.

By Jean-Benoit Buisson

What we recommend

Metallkraft Bi-metal M42 Sprint 1735 × 13 × 0.9, 6–10 TPI

A variable 6–10 tooth pitch, which is what stops a blade juddering on tube.

Type
Bi-metal M42
Dimensions
1735 × 13 × 0.9 mm (68.3 × 0.51 × 0.04 in)
Pitch
6–10 teeth per inch, variable
Suited to
Small and medium wall thicknesses
Amazon reference
B07T157WYF
EAN
4036351036975
- Variable pitch damps the harmonic that makes a constant-pitch blade judder
- M42 bi-metal: a high-speed-steel edge welded to a flexible backing
- Blade length is machine-specific — 1735 mm (68.3 in) fits only saws built for it
Best for: General cutting of solid bar and thicker-walled section

≈ $59
Check price on Amazon
Encut Bi-metal M42 1435 × 13 mm, 3-pack

Three blades in one order — because a band saw with one spare blade gets used more carefully than it should be.

Type
Bi-metal M42
Length
1435 × 13 mm (56.5 × 0.51 in)
Quantity
3 blades
Materials named by the maker
Metal, steel, aluminum, non-ferrous
Amazon reference
B0FM4BM5MK
EAN
4262417935337
- Three blades: one on the saw, one in reserve, one for the job that ruins blades
- M42 bi-metal at €15 a blade
- Blade length must match your saw exactly
Best for: Keeping a small band saw usable without waiting for a delivery

Check price on Amazon
Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1638 × 13 × 0.9, 10/14 TPI, 3-pack

A 10/14 pitch: the one to fit when the work is tube and thin wall rather than solid bar.

Type
Premium M42 HSS bi-metal
Dimensions
1638 × 13 × 0.9 mm (64.5 × 0.51 × 0.04 in)
Pitch
10/14 TPI, variable
Quantity
3 blades
Amazon reference
B07N89PKT8
EAN
4251413656469
- 10/14 keeps three teeth in a thin wall, where a 6–10 blade strips
- German blade maker specializing in bands rather than a general accessories brand
- Fine pitch cuts more slowly in solid bar
Best for: Cutting tube, box section and thin-walled stock accurately

Search Amazon for this model
Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1440 × 13 × 0.65, 14/18 TPI, 5-pack

Fourteen to eighteen teeth per inch — for thin-wall tube and sheet, where anything coarser tears.

Type
Premium M42 HSS bi-metal
Dimensions
1440 × 13 × 0.65 mm (56.7 × 0.51 × 0.03 in)
Pitch
14/18 TPI, variable
Quantity
5 blades
Amazon reference
B07VMRV9GQ
EAN
4251413656964
- 14/18 is the pitch for thin-wall tube and sheet stacks
- A thinner 0.65 mm (0.03 in) backing flexes more easily around small wheels
- Very slow in solid material — the gullets fill and the blade rubs
Best for: Thin-wall tube, conduit and light section on a small saw

Search Amazon for this model
Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1620 × 13 × 0.65, 8/12 TPI, 5-pack

Eight to twelve teeth: the middle pitch, and the one to fit if you only ever fit one.

Type
Premium M42 HSS bi-metal
Dimensions
1620 × 13 × 0.65 mm (63.8 × 0.51 × 0.03 in)
Pitch
8/12 TPI, variable
Quantity
5 blades
Amazon reference
B0G49MVZB4
EAN
4251413669353
- The compromise pitch: acceptable on both tube and moderate solid stock
- Five blades, so the saw is never waiting for a delivery
- A compromise is worse than the right pitch at either extreme
Best for: A workshop that cuts mixed stock and does not want to change blades constantly

Check price on Amazon
DEWALT DW8001, 14 in chop saw wheel

The abrasive alternative to a cold-cut blade: a 14-inch wheel that cuts anything ferrous, loudly and hot, for the price of a sandwich.

Amazon reference
B0000224J0
EAN
0028874080010
- Cuts any ferrous section a 14 in chop saw will take, including hardened and heat-treated steel a toothed blade refuses
- Aluminum oxide with a high grain concentration stated
- No maximum speed published, on a 14 in wheel — the rating is printed on the disc rather than the page
Best for: A chop saw cutting structural steel, where speed and cost matter more than the finish

≈ $6
Check price on Amazon
TOLESA T16141M, 6 in 14 TPI, 5-pack

A five-pack of bi-metal blades that applies this hub’s three-teeth rule for you — it publishes the sheet thickness and the pipe diameter the pitch suits.

Amazon reference
B089NWRKYJ
EAN
0630808000010
- Publishes the material range the pitch is for — 2 to 8 mm (0.08 to 0.31 in) sheet, solid pipe and profile under 4 in
- Publishes the body thickness, 0.9 mm (0.04 in), which decides whether the blade wanders or snaps
- A 14 TPI pitch is for thin and medium work; solid bar wants a coarser blade and this hub says so
Best for: Cutting 2 to 8 mm (0.08 to 0.31 in) sheet and small pipe with a reciprocating saw

≈ $13
Check price on Amazon
TOLESA T19142M, 9 in 14 TPI, 5-pack

The long version of the same blade, and the only figure that changes is the one that matters — the pipe diameter it will cut through in one pass.

Amazon reference
B089NV972C
EAN
0630808000027
- Publishes the pipe diameter it will cut — under 7 in, against under 4 in for the maker’s 6 in blade
- Same published material range for sheet, 2 to 8 mm (0.08 to 0.31 in), and the same 0.9 mm (0.04 in) body and 8 per cent cobalt
- A longer blade flexes more and wanders more easily on a straight cut
Best for: Cutting pipe up to 7 in across, where a 6 in blade cannot reach through

≈ $15
Check price on Amazon
EZARC 802302, arc edge 8 in 14 TPI, 5-pack

The only blade on this shelf whose edge is curved rather than straight — a design aimed squarely at the three-teeth rule this hub is built on.

Amazon reference
B0H6WRG1GG
EAN
0810151454108
- A curved edge, stated to engage about 110 per cent more teeth than a straight blade
- Variable tooth height, stated to improve chip clearance and heat dissipation
- A curved edge cannot start a cut flush against a surface the way a straight one can
Best for: Thin-wall tube, where tooth engagement is the whole problem

≈ $21
Check price on Amazon
EZARC R678HM, carbide 6 in 8 TPI, 3-pack

The coarse-pitch carbide blade this shelf needs: 8 TPI for solid section, with each tooth ground and welded rather than cut from the body.

Amazon reference
B08FQQ52T8
EAN
0611553064410
- An 8 TPI pitch, the only coarse blade on this shelf, which is what solid section needs
- Carbide teeth, individually precision ground and welded, rather than hardened steel teeth
- Claims "up to 50x longer life than bi-metal" with no test or condition behind it
Best for: Rebar, car beams and hardened steel, where a bi-metal blade dulls in one cut

≈ $25
Check price on Amazon
EZARC 801113, carbide oscillating, 3-pack

Carbide teeth on an oscillating blade, for hardened screws and nails — and one of the few listings on this site that names the mount system it will not fit.

Amazon reference
B07YDMX328
EAN
0611553064151
- Carbide teeth, laser welded, for material that strips a bi-metal oscillating blade in one cut
- States plainly what it will not fit: Starlock, Starlock Plus and Starlock Max
- No blade width, cut depth or tooth pitch published anywhere
Best for: Cutting hardened screws, nails and embedded metal flush with a surface

≈ $26
Check price on Amazon
TOMAX TMA10801, 10 in 80T TCG, 5/8 in arbor

A triple-chip-ground blade for aluminum and plastic, and the only blade in this hub that states what it must not be used on.

Amazon reference
B01LXDARMZ
EAN
0712190580568
- A triple chip grind, which is the tooth form non-ferrous metal needs rather than a general ATB blade
- Eighty teeth on a 10 in blade — a fine pitch, which is what thin aluminum section wants
- Will not cut steel, which is most of what this site is about
Best for: Aluminum section and plastic on a mitre or table saw, where a steel blade would grab

≈ $29
Check price on Amazon
Milwaukee 48-40-4205, 5-3/8 in 30T carbide

A cold-cut blade for a cordless metal saw, with cobalt in the carbide and vibration slots in the plate — and no arbor size, kerf or speed rating published.

Amazon reference
B0B4PBQ93R
EAN
0045242569199
- Cobalt-infused tungsten carbide stated, which is a tougher grade than plain carbide for ferrous work
- Laser-cut vibration damping slots in the plate, stated to reduce heat and noise
- No arbor size published, on a circular blade — the one dimension that decides whether it fits
Best for: A cordless metal-cutting circular saw on steel and stainless, where a cool, burr-free cut is the point

≈ $35
Check price on Amazon
Canglan Technology UN-2 band blade butt welder

The machine that turns a coil of blade stock into loops of any length, rated in the same unit as the blades themselves — and whose own listing states its power as 2 kW and then 2,000 kW.

Amazon reference
B0BM8F5R8T
EAN
0723938845290
- Publishes the figure that decides compatibility: a maximum welding width of 18 mm (0.71 in), which covers the 13 mm (0.51 in) bands on this shelf with room to spare
- Includes a tempering cycle, which is what stops a butt weld being brittle
- The description states "Power: 2KW" and then, two lines later, "2000KW Welding Machine"
Best for: A workshop running several bandsaws, where blade length and cost are a standing problem

≈ $695
Check price on Amazon

Choosing within metal saw blades, by need

Cutting thick sections

A coarse tooth pitch clears the chips in a solid section. Too fine, the teeth clog and the blade heats up.

Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1440 × 13 × 0.65, 14/18 TPI, 5-pack

Cutting thin walls

On a thin tube you need at least three teeth engaged in the thickness. Too coarse a pitch grabs and strips the teeth.

Metallkraft Bi-metal M42 Sprint 1735 × 13 × 0.9, 6–10 TPI

Keeping a workshop in blades

Blades are a regular consumable. A pack avoids stopping a job for want of a spare.

Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1440 × 13 × 0.65, 14/18 TPI, 5-pack

Metal saw blades and who each one is for

Bandsaw: Blade length is imposed to the millimeter by the machine. It is the first thing to check, before any question of tooth form.
Tubes and sections: A fine or variable pitch avoids grabbing on thin walls. It is the trickiest case in metal cutting.
Solid bar: A coarser pitch clears better in a solid section and cuts faster. Lubricant then becomes decisive.

The trade-offs of metal saw blades

Bi-metal against carbon steel: Bi-metal lasts far longer on hard metals and costs more. In regular use it works out cheaper per meter cut.
Fixed pitch against variable: A variable pitch limits vibration and grabbing on changing sections. It costs more and copes better with mixed work.
Speed against blade life: Going fast in a hard metal work-hardens the blade within a few cuts. It is the leading cause of prematurely dead blades.

What keeps coming up about metal saw blades

How many teeth must be engaged?

At least three in the thickness being cut. On a thin-wall tube, too coarse a pitch grabs and breaks teeth.

How do I find the blade length?

It is in the machine’s manual, or measured on the old blade. A few millimeters out and correct tensioning becomes impossible.

Bi-metal or carbon steel?

Bi-metal for hard steel and stainless, carbon for mild steel and aluminum. Bi-metal costs more and lasts far longer.

Should a new blade be broken in?

A few cuts at reduced feed refine the edge and markedly extend its life. It is common professional practice.

Why does my blade always break in the same place?

It is the weld, weakened by excessive tension or badly set guides. Check the guides before blaming the blade.

Why does my cut run off?

Guides out of adjustment, a blade worn on one side, or too heavy a feed. A blade that wanders is not corrected by pushing harder.

Do I need lubricant?

It hugely extends blade life in steel and stainless. A lubricant stick is enough on a machine with no flood system.

What do I do about work-hardened stainless?

Surface-hardened stainless is very difficult to re-cut. You often have to start elsewhere or move to sound material.

In short, on metal saw blades

Three teeth minimum in the thickness: that is the rule that avoids stripped teeth on tubes. The length is imposed to the millimeter by the machine, lubricant decides blade life, and a blade breaking at the weld almost always accuses the guides.

Metal saw blades at a glance

Dimensions: 1,440 to 1,735, on 4 of the 14 models.
Quantity: 3 to 5 blades, on 4 of the 14 models.

Metal saw blades, side by side

There is no table here, and the reason is in the listings. The figure published most often across these 14 products is type, given by 5 of them — short of the four in five a column needs to compare rather than to display gaps. Each product page says what its own maker published.

Where each budget reaches on this shelf

Lower range

$6 – $15

3 models

DEWALT DW8001, 14 in chop saw wheel, TOLESA T16141M, 6 in 14 TPI, 5-pack, TOLESA T19142M, 9 in 14 TPI, 5-pack

Mid range

$21 – $26

3 models

EZARC 802302, arc edge 8 in 14 TPI, 5-pack, EZARC R678HM, carbide 6 in 8 TPI, 3-pack, EZARC 801113, carbide oscillating, 3-pack

Upper range

$29 – $695

4 models

TOMAX TMA10801, 10 in 80T TCG, 5/8 in arbor, Milwaukee 48-40-4205, 5-3/8 in 30T carbide, Metallkraft Bi-metal M42 Sprint 1735 × 13 × 0.9, 6–10 TPI

Sources, and the ranking

Specifications: manufacturer sheets for welding and metalworking machines and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa.

Most recent revision in this category: October 7, 2026.

How we assess metal saw blades

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.