Saw Blade Size Chart: Diameter, Arbor & Teeth by Saw Type

What does 7-1/4 in mean?

It means the blade is 7-1/4 inches across — the diameter every corded circular saw is built around. A 7-1/4 in blade on a 5/8 in arbor cuts 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in deep at 90 degrees, which is just enough to cut through a 2x4 on edge and a 2x6 flat, and that is why it became the standard: it is the smallest blade that handles ordinary framing lumber in one pass. Fewer teeth cut faster and rougher — 24 teeth for ripping — and more teeth cut slower and cleaner — 60 to 80 teeth for a fine finish — so the diameter and the tooth count together decide what the blade is for.

Three things to check before you trust the number

Check the arbor before you buy. Almost every circular saw blade up to 10 in uses a 5/8 in arbor, and 12 in, 14 in and 16-5/16 in step up to 1 in — but 5-1/2 in is split, 10 mm on many compact cordless saws and 5/8 in on others, and some 7-1/4 in blades carry a diamond knockout for worm-drive saws. A blade with the wrong arbor does not fit, however right the diameter is. Measure the arbor on your saw, or check the manual, before you order.

Cut depth varies by saw model. The chart gives the verified figure or range for each size — 7-1/4 in is 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in, 10 in is 3 to 3-1/8 in, 12 in is 3-1/2 to 4 in on a miter saw — but the guard and the arbor height move the exact depth from one saw to another, and the 4-1/2 in figure of about 1-3/8 in is approximate. Never trust a depth to the sixteenth of an inch without checking your own saw’s manual.

Tooth counts are ranges, not exact recipes. A finish blade is 60 to 80 teeth at 7-1/4 in and 80 to 96 at 12 in, and the same task needs more teeth as the diameter grows, because the teeth are spaced further apart on a bigger circle. The counts on this page are the standard ranges from the Diablo catalog and the saw makers’ specs — use them to pick a blade, not as a rule that a 62-tooth blade cannot finish a cut.

Worked example

On the defaults: a 7-1/4 in blade, ripping.

1. The diameter: 7-1/4 in, the standard circular saw blade.
2. The arbor: 5/8 in, with a diamond knockout for worm-drive saws.
3. The cut depth: 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in at 90 degrees — 2.5 in at most, about a third of the diameter.
4. The saw types: handheld circular (sidewinder and worm-drive), miter and track saw.
5. The tooth count: 24 teeth for ripping with the grain.
6. The same blade, fine finish: 60–80 teeth, for plywood and trim where tear-out has to stay invisible.
7. The blade speed: 8,000 RPM maximum for the Diablo 7-1/4 in blade — never spin a blade faster than its rating.
8. The kerf: thin kerf, 0.059 in, for cordless and lower-power saws.
9. The next size up: 8-1/4 in cuts 2-7/8 in deep, and 10 in cuts 3 to 3-1/8 in deep on a 5/8 in arbor.
10. The step-up: 12 in is where arbors step up to 1 in, and cut depth reaches 3-1/2 to 4 in on a miter saw.

Every branch, checked

• 7-1/4 in ripping: 7-1/4 in ripping: 7-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in + diamond knockout arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth, 24T for rip. 7-1/4 in ripping — 24 teeth, 5/8 in arbor with a diamond knockout, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth: the standard framing blade, the one most circular saws ship with.
• 10 in combination: 10 in combination: 10 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth, 40T for combination. 10 in combination — 40 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth: the general-purpose table-saw blade, good for ripping and crosscutting without changing blades.
• 12 in fine finish: 12 in fine finish: 12 in blade — 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in (miter saw); about 3-5/8 in (table saw) cut depth, 80–96T for finish. 12 in fine finish — 80–96 teeth, 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in cut depth on a miter saw: the big miter-saw finish blade, for trim and moulding where the cut has to be clean.
• 4-1/2 in ripping: 4-1/2 in ripping: 4-1/2 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, about 1-3/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip. 4-1/2 in ripping — 24 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, about 1-3/8 in cut depth: the compact-saw blade, for trim work and tight spaces where a full-size saw does not fit.
• 5-1/2 in fine finish: 5-1/2 in fine finish: 5-1/2 in blade — 10 mm or 5/8 in — check your saw arbor, 1-11/16 in cut depth, 36–40T for finish. 5-1/2 in fine finish — 36–40 teeth, 1-11/16 in cut depth, and a split arbor: 10 mm on many compact cordless saws, 5/8 in on others, so check your saw before you buy.
• 6-1/2 in ripping: 6-1/2 in ripping: 6-1/2 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/8 to 2-1/4 in cut depth, 18–24T for rip. 6-1/2 in ripping — 18–24 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/8 to 2-1/4 in cut depth: the cordless compact-saw blade, for framing and decking on battery power.
• 8-1/4 in combination: 8-1/4 in combination: 8-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-7/8 in cut depth, 40T for combination. 8-1/4 in combination — 40 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, 2-7/8 in cut depth: the worm-drive blade, for framing lumber too thick for a 7-1/4 in saw.
• 14 in fine finish: 14 in fine finish: 14 in blade — 1 in arbor, 5 in cutting capacity (chop saw) cut depth, 84T (wood); 66–72T (metal cermet) for finish. 14 in fine finish — 84 teeth for wood, 66–72 teeth for metal cermet, 1 in arbor, 5 in cutting capacity on a chop saw: a cut-off size, not a wood miter size.
• 16-5/16 in ripping: 16-5/16 in ripping: 16-5/16 in blade — 1 in arbor, 6-3/16 in cut depth, 32T for rip. 16-5/16 in ripping — 32 teeth, 1 in arbor, 6-3/16 in cut depth at 90° and 4-3/16 in at 45°: the beam-saw blade, for cutting timbers a normal saw cannot reach through.
• 7-1/4 in fine finish: 7-1/4 in fine finish: 7-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in + diamond knockout arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth, 60–80T for finish. 7-1/4 in fine finish — 60–80 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth: the plywood and trim blade, for cuts where tear-out has to stay invisible.

The reverses, worked backwards

• Smallest diameter with a max depth of 3 in or more: 10 in — at 10 in the figures are 10 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip (3.125 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 8-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-7/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip (2.875 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 12 in blade — 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in (miter saw); about 3-5/8 in (table saw) cut depth, 44T for rip (4 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.
• Largest diameter with a 5/8 in arbor: 10 in — at 10 in the figures are 10 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip (3.125 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 12 in blade — 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in (miter saw); about 3-5/8 in (table saw) cut depth, 44T for rip (4 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 8-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-7/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip (2.875 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.
• Smallest diameter with a max depth of 2 in or more: 6-1/2 in — at 6-1/2 in the figures are 6-1/2 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/8 to 2-1/4 in cut depth, 18–24T for rip (2.125 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 5-1/2 in blade — 10 mm or 5/8 in — check your saw arbor, 1-11/16 in cut depth, 18–24T for rip (1.6875 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 7-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in + diamond knockout arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth, 24T for rip (2.5 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.
• Smallest diameter whose finish teeth reach 80T: 7-1/4 in — at 7-1/4 in the figures are 7-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in + diamond knockout arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth, 60–80T for finish (2.5 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 6-1/2 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/8 to 2-1/4 in cut depth, 40–60T for finish (2.125 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 10 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth, 60–80T for finish (3.125 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.
• Largest diameter for a compact/cordless saw: 6-1/2 in — at 6-1/2 in the figures are 6-1/2 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/8 to 2-1/4 in cut depth, 18–24T for rip (2.125 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 7-1/4 in blade — 5/8 in + diamond knockout arbor, 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in cut depth, 24T for rip (2.5 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 5-1/2 in blade — 10 mm or 5/8 in — check your saw arbor, 1-11/16 in cut depth, 18–24T for rip (1.6875 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.
• Smallest diameter with a 1 in arbor: 12 in — at 12 in the figures are 12 in blade — 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in (miter saw); about 3-5/8 in (table saw) cut depth, 44T for rip (4 in max depth); at the lower neighbor the figures are 10 in blade — 5/8 in arbor, 3 to 3-1/8 in cut depth, 24T for rip (3.125 in max depth); at the upper neighbor the figures are 14 in blade — 1 in arbor, 5 in cutting capacity (chop saw) cut depth, 84T (wood) for rip (5 in max depth) — verdict: STEP.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a 7-1/4 in blade ripping — the standard framing setup, the blade most circular saws ship with — and the answer is 24 teeth on a 5/8 in arbor with 2-3/8 to 2-1/2 in of cut depth. They are a starting point, not a standard: your saw may be a compact cordless that takes 6-1/2 in blades, a table saw that takes 10 in, or a beam saw that takes 16-5/16 in, and the right blade for you is the one your saw and your task describe. Pick your diameter and your task and the chart shows the arbor, the depth and the teeth.

These notes repeat in every explainer section because this page is built to be read start to finish: check the arbor before you buy; cut depth varies by saw model; and tooth counts are ranges, not exact recipes.

The full chart: every standard size

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• A framer stocking blades for a job — 7-1/4 in, 24 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, 2-1/2 in depth for ripping studs, and 40 teeth for combination work when the saw has to crosscut too.
• A trim carpenter cutting moulding — 12 in, 80 to 96 teeth, 1 in arbor, 3-1/2 to 4 in depth on a miter saw, because a finish cut has to be clean enough to paint without sanding.
• A timber framer cutting beams — 16-5/16 in, 32 teeth, 1 in arbor, 6-3/16 in depth at 90 degrees, because a normal saw cannot reach through a timber in one pass.
• A DIYer buying a first blade — 7-1/4 in, 40 teeth, 5/8 in arbor, because the combination blade rips and crosscuts well enough for most jobs without a blade change.

Accuracy & limitations

Every figure on this page is checked against manufacturer spec sheets and standard references — the Diablo/Freud catalog for tooth counts, kerf and blade speeds, Makita manuals for cut depths (the 5007F at 2-3/8 in, the 5007N at 2-1/2 in, the 5402NA beam saw at 6-3/16 in), DeWalt and Ryobi specs for the compact sizes — and the lookup is checked against an independent model of the same table. What it cannot do is describe your saw: cut depth varies by saw model, because the guard and the arbor height move the exact depth, and the 4-1/2 in figure of about 1-3/8 in rests on a secondary source, not a named saw spec, so treat it as approximate. The 5-1/2 in arbor is genuinely split between 10 mm and 5/8 in, and the page says to check your saw rather than giving one arbor. The 14 in size is a chop and cut-off size for metal and masonry, not a standard wood miter size, and its 5 in figure is a chop-saw cutting capacity. Blade speeds are the blade’s maximum rating, not your saw’s speed: never spin a blade faster than its rating, and never fit a blade whose arbor does not match your saw. It is not a substitute for your saw’s manual: check the manual for the sizes your saw takes before you buy.

Cite this calculator

7-1/4 in is the standard circular saw blade — 5/8 in arbor, about 2-1/2 in cut depth. Smallest diameter with a max depth of 3 in or more: 10 in. Largest diameter with a 5/8 in arbor: 10 in. Smallest diameter with a max depth of 2 in or more: 6-1/2 in. Smallest diameter whose finish teeth reach 80T: 7-1/4 in. Largest diameter for a compact/cordless saw: 6-1/2 in. Smallest diameter with a 1 in arbor: 12 in. Source: Bright Side Kit, brightoolbox.com.

Frequently asked questions