Diablo has a new 7 1/4-inch framing and demolition blade available. In a recent demonstration, I watched the blade sail through a torturous sandwich of lumber, lag bolts, and a few layers of asphalt shingles. This doesn’t represent what you would necessarily cut, but it shows the blade’s ability to survive in more abusive conditions than you may ever run across.
The blade features shock-resistant carbide and unique triangular teeth that taper to a centered point. Every third tooth of the blade has this so-called “tracking point”—which Diablo claims helps to make it cut straighter and with less vibration. When gravity-fed through plywood alongside a competitor’s blade, the D0724 cut noticeably faster.
The D0724 sells for about $10. (These blades, available at the same price point as Diablo’s current 7 1/4>-inch framing blade, will simply be substituted into the existing inventory in stores.) A 6 1/2-inch version for cordless saws will likely follow. diablotools.com
Michael Springer is a former executive editor of Tools of the Trade
