How thick is a table saw blade? Most woodworkers assume all blades are roughly the same. Until they burn through expensive hardwood or watch their saw bog down mid-cut. That seemingly tiny difference transforms everything: motor strain, material waste, cut quality, and even your electricity bill.
Professional woodworkers understand exactly how thick is a saw blade is that matches their saw's horsepower and the finish they need. Flowyline’s guide reveals 2 facts and 5 key differences they rely on. So you can stop fighting your saw and start making professionally clean cuts.
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Standard Saw Blade Thickness: Key Specs in One View
Table saw blades range from 0.087 inches (thin kerf) to 0.125 inches (full kerf) thick. Table saw blades fall into two main thickness categories, and choosing between them depends entirely on your saw's motor power and what you're cutting.
Before diving deep into the technical details with Flowyline, here's what you need to know at a glance.
| Blade Type | Thin Kerf | Full Kerf |
|---|---|---|
| Table saw blade thickness inches | 0.087" — 0.091" | 0.110" — 0.125" |
| Table saw blade thickness mm | 2.2 — 2.4 mm | 2.8 — 3.2 mm |
| Kerf width | 3/32" | 1/8" |
| Motor power needed | 1 — 2 HP | 3+ HP |
| Best for | Portable saws, underpowered motors, material savings, fine cabinetry | Cabinet saws, heavy-duty work, hardwoods, industrial use, maximum stability |
How thick is a saw blade
Photo: Flowyline
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How Thick is a Table Saw Blade: 2 Standard Sizes that You Should Know
Table saw blades don't come in dozens of random thicknesses. The woodworking industry has settled on two standard sizes that serve entirely different purposes.
1. Thin Kerf Blades: 0.087" — 0.091" (The Efficient Choice)
Thin kerf blades measure between 0.087 and 0.091 inches (2.2 — 2.4 mm) thick. That's roughly the thickness of two credit cards stacked together. Thin kerf blades take away less material with each cut, thus leaving a slightly narrower kerf (the groove that is left) of approximately 3/32 inch.
When thin kerf blades make perfect sense:
- Underpowered saws: If you are running a contractor saw, a portable table saw, or anything with 2 HP or less, thin kerf blades are highly recommended. A thin kerf blade removes 25% less material than full kerf blades, which means directly to 25% less strain on your saw's motor.
- Material conservation: Every cut with a thin kerf blade wastes less wood. Do 10 cross cuts in a full sheet of plywood with a thin kerf, and you will save almost 3/8" in material use versus a full kerf. This matters most in production settings or when you're working with expensive hardwoods where every board foot counts.
- Fine woodworking and cabinetry: Cabinetmakers love thin-kerf blades because they produce less sawdust, require less sanding afterward, and give cleaner edges on plywood and veneer work.
- Lower power consumption: Your saw's motor doesn't need to work harder. This equates to lower power bills during extended periods of cutting.
Thin kerfs are best for table saw blades
Photo: Freepik
The trade-off you're making:
Thin kerf blades will bend more easily under stress when cutting. During long rip cuts in thick hardwood with aggressive feed rates, you may notice blade deflection, and this can affect cut straightness.
Thin kerf blades will dull quickly than thicker options due to the lesser mass of carbide to withstand heat and wear.
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2. Full Kerf Blades: 0.110" — 0.125" (The Workhorse Standard)
Full kerf blades are approximately 0.110 to 0.125 inches (2.8 to 3.2 mm) thick, which is about 40% thicker than the thin kerf options. These blades remove 1/8 inch of material with every cut. It provides a wider kerf while also enhancing stability and durability.
When full kerf blades are the right call:
- Powerful cabinet saws: If you're running a 3 HP or larger table saw, full kerf blades take full advantage of that motor power. The extra mass stabilizes cuts and resists deflection, especially on long rip cuts through 8/4 hardwood.
- Heavy-duty cutting: The extra rigidity will be particularly beneficial when working with thick hardwoods, such as maple, oak, and walnut. The blade will cut true throughout without flexing or wandering, ensuring straighter edges and fewer jointer passes afterwards.
- Industrial and production work: Professional shops default to full kerf blades because they last longer between sharpenings. The increased thickness of the blade means extra carbide material must wear away before performance degradation occurs.
- Maximum cut accuracy: Dimensional precision is often paramount with furniture joinery or precision milling, and in cases like these, full kerf blades keep tighter tolerances over time.
How thick are table saw blades for powerful cabinet saws
Photo: Freepik
What you sacrifice:
Full kerf blades waste more material. You'll lose an additional board every 15 — 20 sheets of sheet goods cut with a thin kerf over full kerf cutting. They also require more motor power.
If the motor isn’t powerful enough, the saw will bog down, overheat, and potentially trip a circuit breaker during a challenging cut as well.
Pro tip: Don’t assume you need full kerf just because it sounds more "professional." A thin kerf blade cuts better on a 1.5 HP contractor saw than a full kerf blade will ever cut on the same motor.
Select the right blade thickness for your saw's motor capacity, and it'll perform more efficiently every time. That said, with a sharp blade and the right feed rate, many 1.5 to 2 HP saws can handle full kerf blades for most jobs.
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Why Blade Thickness Matters: 5 Key Factors that Affect Performance
How thick is a table saw blade isn’t just a spec sheet number. It directly impacts how your table saw performs, how much material you waste, and whether your cuts come out clean or ragged.
Here are the five critical factors that change dramatically based on whether you choose thin kerf or full kerf.
1. Material Waste
Thicker blades remove more material per cut, which results in more waste. A full kerf blade (0.125”) removes 1/8” of wood with every cut. A thin kerf blade (0.091”) removes 3/32” of wood. That 1/32” difference might not seem like much until you do the math.
Real-world example: You're ripping a 4-foot sheet of plywood into 6-inch strips. That's 8 cuts total.
- Full kerf: 8 × 1/8” = 1” of wasted wood
- Thin kerf: 8 × 3/32” = 3/4” of wasted wood
You have “saved” 1/4” additional usable wood. Over multiple sheets and lots of projects, especially in production shops, this difference really adds up. With premium hardwoods, like walnut or cherry, at $10 — 25 per board foot, high-volume woodworkers and production shops can save hundreds of dollars a year by using thin kerf blades.
2. Cutting Precision
Thinner blades offer finer and smoother cuts with less tear-out, but only if your saw is rigid enough to handle them. Otherwise, the blade will flex.
- Advantages of thin kerf: Less material removed means less friction. Therefore, you obtain plainer edges on plywood, veneer, and melamine finishes. This is why cabinet makers prefer thin kerf. The cuts usually require less sanding or edge banding prep.
- Advantages of full kerf: More mass means less flex when cutting long rips of thick hardwood with aggressive feed rates or in dense materials. Thin kerf blades can flex sideways under load, resulting in a slightly curved shape. Align two such pieces, and then you’ll see full kerf cuts laser straight, especially in 8/4 maple.
When precision matters most:
- For joinery, especially furniture details such as table legs, face frames, or two pieces to align perfectly seam to seam, choose a full kerf blade.
- When cutting sheet goods or performing general crosscutting, a thin kerf will yield stunning results with less effort.
What is the difference between the sizes of the cutting blades
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3. Cutting Speed
A thin blade cuts faster because there's less material in the way of the cut. Thick blades, on the other hand, have a slower cut speed due to the increased cutting resistance. When you're making a considerable amount of material, the difference is noticeable.
Thin kerf blades remove around 25% less material with each cut than a thicker kerf blade, which means:
- Faster feed rates: You can push stock through much faster than a thick kerf blade, and the motor does not bog down.
- Less heat buildup: There is less friction on the blade and extended carbide life.
- Improved workflow: On a production run where a cut is made dozens of times on identical pieces, a thin kerf blade saves you a measurable amount of time.
Full kerf blades sacrifice speed for control. They require slower, more deliberate feed rates, but that's actually beneficial when precision matters more than production speed. Rushing a full kerf blade through thick hardwood leads to burn marks and motor strain.
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4. Tool Compatibility
The power of your saw's motor limits the thickness of the blade, with thicker saw blades requiring more power. This isn't optional or negotiable.
- Contractor saws (1.5 — 2 HP): Only thin kerf blades. A full kerf blade may bog down, overheat, and trip your circuit breaker on demanding cuts through thick or dense hardwoods. The motor just doesn't have enough torque to turn that mass through the hardwood without straining when pushed aggressively.
- Hybrid saws (2 — 2.5 HP): Thin kerf for most devices, full kerf for many applications, when using sharp blades and proper feed rates. You’re in the grey zone where the full kerf technically works, but your saw may be under strain from the motor on demanding cuts.
- Cabinet saws (3+ HP): Full kerf blades shine here. The motor has some power to spare. The cabinet saw setup provides all the benefits of blade rigidity and performance. Many professionals will have both in their shop. Thin kerf for sheet goods, and full kerf for solid hardwood.
Pro tip: If your saw motor bogs down during a cut, you’re likely using too thick a blade for your motor or feeding too aggressively. Immediately switch to thin kerf or slow your feed rate.
Under power, you are forcing a saw to push a thicker blade through lumber. That will create dangerous kickback situations and damage the electric motor more quickly.
What size table saw do I need for a cabinet saw
Photo: Freepik
5. Power Consumption
When using larger blades, your motor must operate under a greater load and therefore consume more energy. Thus, it can impact your electric bill and wear out the motor that drives the saw.
An example of this is a 1.5 HP motor running a thin kerf blade through hardwood, which will draw approximately 12 — 13 amps. The same motor, having a difficult time pushing a full kerf blade, will draw approximately 15 — 16 amps of power (about 25% more). Over time (hundreds of hours of working in a shop annually), that difference is measurable.
More importantly, continuous operation at high amperage is complex for the motor. Capacitors, brushes, and bearings all wear out faster in constant operation. A motor touted to last 15 years could give you only 8 — 10 years of life when perpetually overworked.
Pro tips: Commercial shops account for the cost-per-cut on blades.
- Thin kerf blades are marginally more expensive at the onset, but the cost of operation is lower due to reduced power consumption through less frequent operation of the motor.
- For hobbyists, the concern is simply to avoid burning out your saw too quickly.
- Keep blades sharp because a dull blade of any thickness will consume more power and strain your motor more than blade thickness alone.
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How to Choose the Right Blade Thickness: 3 Pro Tips for Every Saw
Blade thickness isn't a competition where one option wins. It's a matching game. Your saw has specific capabilities, your material has particular requirements, and your project has specific goals. Get those three things aligned, and you'll know exactly which blade to grab.
Here's how the pros do it without overthinking.
1. Match blade thickness to your saw’s motor power
The horsepower rating of your table saw determines blade thinness requirements.
- Saws rated with 1 — 2 HP should use thin kerf blades (0.087" — 0.091") for optimal performance. Sharp full kerf blades can work with proper feed rates, but thin kerf provides the best results.
- Saws rated with 3+ HP can use full kerf blades (0.110" — 0.125"), which is preferable for achieving maximum stability and straight cuts in hard and dense materials.
2. Match blade thickness to your material type
- With plywood, MDF, and sheet goods, pros recommend thin kerf blades. They produce clean edges and are much more efficient in preserving stock material when cutting these particular items.
- For dense hardwoods (maple, oak, walnut), a full kerf blade is preferred on saws with adequate power (3+ HP). Because the saw can handle the blade, and the rigidity of the blade during long rip cuts.
- Softwoods work well with either type of blade. You can choose a thin or full kerf blade primarily based on the table saw's motor power. Simply select a blade based on the motor power as a guide.
Thin kerf is the best table saw blade for plywood
Photo: Freepik
3. Match blade thickness to your purpose
- Do you require speed and efficiency for production work or breaking down sheet goods? Use a thin kerf that cuts 25% faster and wastes less material.
- Do you need precision for furniture joinery where parts must fit together with no gaps? Full kerf blades on powerful saws produce laser-straight cuts with no deflection.
- Do you need fine finish quality on your cabinet work? A thin kerf with 60 – 80 teeth produces cuts that are as smooth as glass and require minimal sanding.
You should choose the table saw blade thickness that suits your purpose
Credit: Flowyline
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FAQs
1. How Thick is a 10 inch Table Saw Blade?
10-inch saw blades typically range from 0.087 inches to 0.125 inches thick at the blade plate (the flat metal ring without teeth). It’s not based on the saw blade width, but rather on whether it’s a thin kerf or full kerf blade.
2. How Thick Will a 10 Inch Table Saw Cut?
A 10-inch table saw blade will cut approximately 3 inches to 3.5 inches deep when measured at a 90-degree angle. The actual depth of cut will depend on the model of saw you have, as well as how high you can control the height adjustment of the blade.
To determine the depth of cut, you will need to know the diameter of the blade versus how high the saw's arbour can lift that blade above the table.
- 90 degrees (straight cuts): Most 10-inch table saws cut in a profile of between 3 inches and 3.125 inches deep.
- 45 degrees (bevel cuts): The tilted blade cuts approximately 2 to 2.25 inches deep at this angle.
3. What is the Thickness of a Blade?
Blade thickness refers to the measurement of the steel plate itself. The flat disc that holds the carbide teeth, not including the teeth that protrude outward. Saw blades for table saws fall into two standard categories for thickness.
- Thin kerf blades: 0.087" to 0.091" thick (approximately 2.2 to 2.3 mm)
- Full kerf blades: 0.110" to 0.125" thick (approximately 2.8 to 3.2 mm)
4. What is the Best Thickness for a Blade?
The best option is entirely dependent upon your saw's motor horsepower, the material you are cutting, and your overall goals.
- For saws with 1-2 HP (contractor saws, portable saws): Thin kerf blades (0.087" to 0.091") are great to go.
- For saws with 3+ HP (cabinet saws, industrial equipment): A full kerf blade (0.110" to 0.125") will yield better results for cutting thick hardwoods.
- For material types: you should choose a thin kerf blade for plywood, MDF, and sheet goods. Full kerf blades are better suited for denser hardwoods, such as maple, oak, and walnut, when adequate motor power is available.
- For work priorities: select the thin kerf blade for speed and ease, and the full kerf blade for precision.
How Thick is a Table Saw Blade: Final Takeaways
The thickness of a table saw blade can be more significant than most woodworkers believe.
- For saws with a power rating below 2 HP, thin kerf blades (0.087" — 0.091") are a good option because they cut faster with less waste.
- For saws that are above 3 HP, full kerf blades (0.110" — 0.125") excel in stability for dense hardwoods.
- Blade sharpness and the right feed rate matter just as much as blade thickness for getting the best performance.
- Always check that your riving knife is compatible when you switch between thin and full kerf blades. Safety depends on it.
Professional woodworkers don't overcomplicate this. They match the blade thickness to the motor's capability first, then adjust it based on the material. Thin kerf for sheet goods, full kerf for hardwoods when power allows. Make the right choice once, and every cut becomes easier, straighter, and more precise.
Now you know exactly how thick is a table saw blade. Ready to upgrade your woodworking projects? Don't miss our expert guides on furniture dimensions and workshop setup. Thanks for reading!
