Diablo D1012LF vs. Forrest 10” x 20T Woodworker II

We’ll take a look at these two table saw blades: the Diablo D1012LF and the Forrest 10” x 20T Woodworker II.

Features & Benefits

For more information, read more in our complete guide to buying a table saw blade.

Related: Choosing the Right Table Saw Blade

We’ve also got a roundup of the best 10” table saw blades.

Size

Both saw blades are a 10” diameter blade and fit on a 5/8” diameter arbor. Standard table saws have a 5/8” arbor and can accept blades up to 10” in diameter. Thus, both blades should be widely compatible with most table saws.

The D1012LF has a 0.087” (thin) kerf. The 10” x 20T Woodworker II cuts a 1/8” (full) kerf. (The term “kerf” refers to the width of the cut that the blade leaves in the material being cut.)

A 1/8” kerf is considered a “full” kerf and should work with a wide range of table saws. On lower-powered saws, a full-kerf blade could cause the saw to struggle on thicker or harder material, compared with a thin-kerf blade.

A kerf under 1/8” is called a “thin” kerf. Thin kerfs waste less material than full-kerf blades and make it easier for saws to cut through thick or hard wood. Most, but not all, table saws can accept thin-kerf blades. Make sure your riving knife is thinner than the kerf, or dangerous binding can take place.

Teeth

The D1012LF has 12 polycrystalline diamond teeth. The 10” x 20T Woodworker II has 20 teeth in an ATBR (2+1) configuration.

Blades having fewer than 40 teeth are generally meant for ripping wood lengthwise. For crosscuts or general-purpose use, you might consider options with more teeth.

Alternate top bevel (ATB) teeth have a bevel shape rather than being straight across. This shape allows them to slice through wood as opposed to chewing out chunks, resulting in crosscuts with less tear-out. They do have a tendency to break more frequently than flat-top teeth. Alternate top bevel/raker (ATBR) blades have flat-topped “raker” blades interspersed every few teeth, to help improve rip cut performance. They also give a flat bottom on non-through cuts, as opposed to the parallel grooves resulting from a standard ATB blade.

Pros & Cons

Let’s take a look at some of the pluses and minuses of these products.

For the Diablo:

For the 10” x 20T Woodworker II:

Comparison Chart

Here is a full side-by-side look at these products’ specs. You can view comparisons of the Diablo D1012LF with other products

	Diablo D1012LF	Forrest 10” x 20T Woodworker II
Brand	Diablo	Forrest
Blade Diameter	10”	10”
Arbor Size	5/8”	5/8”
Kerf	0.087”	1/8”
Tooth Bevel		15°
Tooth Count	12	20
Tooth Config		ATBR (2+1)
Tooth Material	polycrystalline diamond
Rake	10°	20°
Expansion Slots
Pros	Diamond teeth are highly durable even when cutting laminates Leaves very smooth cuts in laminate flooring	Forrest’s customer service is very highly regarded Factory sharpening service for a reasonable fee Easy ripping of difficult materials like 2” oak Repair service keeps blade functioning like new for much less than buying a new blade
Cons	More expensive than carbide-toothed blades Not useful for cutting wood or other materials	More expensive than similarly-configured blades Minor marks require sanding
	Check Price	Check Price