Cut-Off Saw Blades for Metal: Max RPM, Arbor & Blade Types

Cut-off saw blades for metal must be rated for the saw they run on: the maximum RPM printed on the blade has to be at least your saw’s no-load speed, and the arbor and diameter must match. The saws in this guide run anywhere from 1,300 to 4,000 RPM, so a blade that fits is not always a blade that is safe, and some saws accept only one kind of cutting edge. Below: blade type by saw, a maker-sourced spec chart, the speed-rating rule, abrasive wheel rules from OSHA, and cost per cut.

Which Cut-Off Saw Blade for Metal Fits Your Saw?

Start with the saw, not the blade. Three kinds of machine get called a cut-off saw, and each takes a different cutting edge. A dry-cut metal saw is built around a carbide or cermet-tipped blade. An abrasive chop saw spins a bonded abrasive wheel. A handheld circular saw only belongs in the conversation if it runs at a speed the blade is rated for, and most wood saws are not built for metal blades at all. The metal-cutting blade for a circular saw is a different buying question, covered in can you cut metal with a circular saw and the broader which saw blade cuts metal guide. This page stays on cut-off and chop saws.

Cut-Off Saw vs Dry-Cut Metal Saw: What the Makers Say

The two machine types look alike on a bench but are sold differently. DEWALT’s D28715 14-inch chop saw ships with a 14-inch abrasive wheel, and DEWALT’s product page lists its maximum speed as 4,000 RPM. DEWALT’s DW872 14-inch multi-cutter instead ships with a 14-inch carbide-tipped blade and a 1,300 RPM no-load speed, and DEWALT says it cuts 4 times faster than chop saws on 2-inch by 2-inch by 1/4-inch angle iron. Makita’s LC1230 12-inch metal cutting saw runs 1,700 RPM no-load with a 1-inch arbor and a 60-tooth carbide-tipped blade, and Makita claims the blade lasts 50 times longer than abrasive wheels. Milwaukee’s 6370-20 runs 3,700 RPM no-load on a 5/8-inch arbor.

Those figures are marketing claims from the manufacturers, so read them as direction rather than guarantees. The practical point is the speed gap. A 1,300 RPM carbide saw and a chop saw built for abrasive wheels are different machines, and the manuals say the cutting edges are not interchangeable: DEWALT’s DW872 manual says to use only genuine DEWALT 14-inch carbide-tipped metal cutting blades and never abrasive wheels or other saw blades, DEWALT’s D28715 manual says do not use toothed blades, and Makita’s LC1230 manual says that saw cannot be used with abrasive cut-off wheels. If you only cut metal now and then, a rotary tool or hand saw may be enough, as covered in can a Dremel cut metal and electric hacksaw for metal.

Metal Cutting Blade Chart: Material, Size and Max RPM

This chart compares blades and wheels by what limits them. The Max RPM column is the number to hold against your saw. Figures come from the maker pages and manuals named in the notes under the chart. Where a maker does not publish a blade RPM, the chart shows the saw’s no-load speed or says to read the blade.

Blade or wheel	Size, teeth, arbor	Max RPM	Cuts (per maker)	Saw it pairs with
Evolution 14BLADEST	14 in, 66 teeth, 1 in	1,600	Mild steel and ferrous only; listing says not for galvanized, hardened or high-carbon steel	Evolution chop saws
Diablo Steel Demon D1472CF	14 in, 72 teeth TCG, 1 in	1,800	Ferrous metals	Only a saw whose maker approves this blade type and whose no-load speed is 1,800 RPM or less
Milwaukee 48-40-4515	8 in, 42 teeth, 5/8 in	On blade face (not on Milwaukee’s web page)	Metal thicker than 3/32 in (Milwaukee 6370-20 manual)	Milwaukee 6370-20 (3,700 RPM no-load)
DEWALT DW872 blade (included)	14 in, carbide-tipped	Saw: 1,300 no-load	Metal, per DEWALT	DEWALT DW872
Makita LC1230 blade (included)	12 in, 60 teeth, 1 in	Saw: 1,700 no-load	Light pipe, angle iron, tubing, conduit	Makita LC1230
Abrasive wheel	Per saw (DEWALT D28715 ships a 14 in wheel)	Printed on the wheel (D28715 manual: Type 1 wheels rated 4,300 RPM or higher)	Steel and other metals	Abrasive chop saw only

Sources: Evolution 14BLADEST product page (max speed 1,600 RPM, kerf 0.094 in); Diablo D1472CF product page (14 in, 72 TCG, 1 in arbor, 1,800 max RPM, 0.083 in kerf); Milwaukee 48-40-4515 product page and 6370-20 manual (3,700 RPM no-load, 5/8 in arbor); DEWALT DW872 and D28715 product pages and instruction manuals; Makita LC1230 product page and instruction manual. Milwaukee does not publish a max RPM for the 48-40-4515 on its web page, so confirm it on the blade itself. Evolution’s listing says mild steel only, so it is not a stainless blade.

The Max RPM Rule: Printed Rating Must Be At Least the Saw’s Speed

This is the check that most blade guides skip. A blade can fit the arbor, match the diameter and still be wrong, because arbor fit says nothing about speed. The rule is one comparison: the maximum RPM marked on the blade or wheel must be equal to or higher than the saw’s no-load RPM. Makita’s LC1230 manual words it as a rated speed at least equal to the maximum speed marked on the tool. Milwaukee’s 6370-20 manual says to use only blades with a maximum safe operating speed greater than the no-load RPM on the tool’s nameplate, so treat an exact tie as zero margin and pick a higher-rated blade when you can. For abrasive wheels, OSHA requires the spindle speed to be checked before mounting so it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel (29 CFR 1910.215(d)(1)).

A hypothetical example, not a product: a blade marked 3,500 RPM must not go on a saw whose no-load speed is 4,000 RPM, even if the diameter and arbor match perfectly. The blade would be spinning faster than its maker ever approved, and a blade that fails at speed throws pieces.

Real manuals show why a speed number alone is not enough. Speed is the first filter, and the saw maker’s accessory rules are the second:

• DEWALT DW872 (1,300 RPM no-load): the manual says to use only genuine DEWALT 14-inch carbide-tipped metal cutting blades and never abrasive wheels or other saw blades. A third-party blade rated above 1,300 RPM still falls outside what DEWALT approves for that saw.
• DEWALT D28715 (4,000 RPM maximum speed on DEWALT’s product page): the manual says to use only high-strength Type 1 wheels rated 4,300 RPM or higher, and its warning label says not to use toothed blades. A carbide blade rated 1,800 RPM, such as the Diablo D1472CF, is therefore wrong for this saw on two counts.
• Milwaukee 6370-20 (3,700 RPM no-load): the manual says to use blades with a maximum safe speed greater than 3,700 RPM and not to use any abrasive cut-off wheel or dry diamond blade. Milwaukee lists the 48-40-4515 as an accessory for this saw.
• Makita LC1230 (1,700 RPM no-load): the manual says the saw cannot be used with abrasive cut-off wheels and that the accessory’s rated speed must be at least the speed marked on the tool.

Never put a wood-cutting blade on a metal cut-off saw or an abrasive chop saw. A wood blade is not rated for metal, and DEWALT’s D28715 manual also says not to cut wood or plastic with that saw. The reverse also holds: never run an abrasive wheel on a carbide dry-cut saw, because the abrasive dust jams the lower guard and the sparks burn the guard and plastic parts, as Makita’s manual explains. If you are unsure what a miter saw is actually built for, what a miter saw machine is explains how those machines differ, and corded versus cordless circular saw specs show why handheld saw speeds matter before you fit any metal blade to one.

Abrasive Wheel Safety: What OSHA 1910.215 Requires

OSHA’s abrasive wheel machinery standard (29 CFR 1910.215) is written for workplaces and applies to abrasive wheels, not to carbide-tipped blades. Its checklist is still a sound baseline for any shop running a chop saw with an abrasive wheel. The paragraph references below are from the standard’s current text on eCFR:

• Guards required (1910.215(a)(1)): abrasive wheels may be used only on machines fitted with safety guards. The guard must cover the spindle end, nut and flange projections, with exceptions that include portable saws (1910.215(a)(2)).
• Guard exposure (1910.215(b)(5)): on cutting-off machines the guard may expose no more than 150 degrees of the wheel, starting at a point not less than 15 degrees below the horizontal plane of the spindle.
• Flanges (1910.215(c)(1)): wheels are mounted between flanges not less than one-third of the wheel diameter, with one exception that matters here. Cutting-off wheels (Types 1 and 27A) may use flanges of at least one-fourth the wheel diameter (1910.215(c)(1)(ii) and (iii)). Use the flanges that came with the saw.
• Ring test before mounting (1910.215(d)(1)): immediately before mounting, inspect and sound the wheel. Tap it gently with a light nonmetallic implement, such as a screwdriver handle for light wheels or a wooden mallet for heavier ones, at about 45 degrees each side of the vertical centerline and 1 to 2 inches from the edge, then rotate the wheel 45 degrees and repeat. A sound wheel gives a clear metallic tone, and a dead sound means it must not be used. The wheel must be dry for the test, and organic bonded wheels do not ring as clearly as vitrified ones.
• Speed check (1910.215(d)(1)): check the machine’s spindle speed before mounting so it does not exceed the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel.

Beyond the OSHA text, the manuals add the life-safety basics: wear eye protection, and a face shield over safety glasses is the better choice when cutting with a chop saw (Makita’s manual lists a face shield, goggles or safety glasses, plus hearing protection); never remove or prop open a guard; clamp the work in the vise; and keep flammables out of the spark path. DEWALT’s D28715 warning label calls for eye protection, guards, a vise-clamped workpiece and respiratory protection, and its manual says never to cut magnesium with that saw.

Carbide dry-cut blades are a different risk profile, because makers describe them as producing few sparks, but they still throw hot chips and still have a printed speed limit. Milwaukee’s 6370-20 page describes a ChipTank that deflects and collects hot chips and sparks, and its manual says never to run the saw without the guards and chip container installed.

Teeth, Kerf and Thickness: Matching the Blade to the Stock

Blade makers publish the numbers that decide how a blade behaves on thin versus thick stock. Kerf, the width of the slot the blade cuts, is listed at 0.094 in for the Evolution 14BLADEST, 0.083 in for Diablo’s D1472CF and 0.073 in for Milwaukee’s 48-40-4515. Tooth count tracks the intended stock: Milwaukee’s manual lists its 42-tooth 48-40-4515 for metal workpieces thicker than 3/32 in and a 50-tooth blade (48-40-4520) for metal thinner than 3/32 in.

Two practical consequences follow from the published figures. First, a thin-kerf blade removes less metal per cut but is only as good as the saw’s rigidity. Second, a blade listed for stock 3/32 in and thicker is not the one to reach for on thin gauge sheet; use the blade the maker lists for thin metal, and confirm it against the saw’s RPM like any other blade. Stuck fastener instead of a cut? Read how to remove a stuck screw from metal first.

Cost Per Cut: Carbide Blade vs Abrasive Wheel

Every maker below claims a carbide blade beats abrasive wheels. The claims are not directly comparable, so they are laid out as stated, with the source:

Maker	Claim as published	Source
Evolution	Cuts most workpieces in under 6 seconds versus 40+ seconds with an abrasive disc; one blade lasts as long as 20 discs	14BLADEST product page
Makita	Blade lasts 50 times longer than abrasive wheels	LC1230 product page
DEWALT	DW872 cuts 4 times faster than chop saws on 2 x 2 x 1/4 in angle iron	DW872 product page
Diablo	Up to 25 times longer life, 50 times cooler cuts and 10 times faster cuts than standard grinding discs	D1472CF product page

Take Evolution’s own claim at face value and the break-even is simple arithmetic: divide the blade’s price by 20. A $95 blade, for example, replaces 20 discs, so it saves money only if the discs you would otherwise buy cost more than about $4.75 each; check current prices before you do the math. At lower disc prices, or if the blade life claim does not hold on your material, the wheel stays cheaper. The makers also cite less heat, fewer sparks and cleaner cuts, though those are their claims and we have not tested them. A carbide blade only makes sense on a saw whose maker approves it.

Safety Checklist Before You Cut

1. Read the saw’s nameplate for no-load RPM and the blade or wheel face for max RPM. Max must be at least the saw’s speed, and the saw’s manual must allow that blade type.
2. Confirm diameter and arbor size match the saw. A blade that fits loosely or needs an improvised bushing is the wrong blade.
3. Never mount a wood or general-purpose circular saw blade on a metal cut-off saw or abrasive chop saw, and never mount an abrasive wheel on a carbide dry-cut saw.
4. For abrasive wheels, do the ring test, check the wheel’s rating against the saw, and keep the guard in place at no more than the exposure OSHA allows for cutting-off machines.
5. Use the material limits on the label. Evolution’s listing says its 14BLADEST is for mild steel only, not galvanized, hardened or high-carbon steel.
6. Clamp the work in the vise. A piece that shifts mid-cut is the usual way a blade or wheel binds.
7. Wear eye protection (a face shield over safety glasses is better), hearing protection and, per DEWALT’s chop saw label, respiratory protection. Clear the spark path of anything flammable. Let freshly cut metal cool before you handle it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a cut-off saw be used for metal?

Yes, but the blade has to match the saw. An abrasive chop saw such as DEWALT’s D28715 ships with a 14-inch abrasive wheel, while dry-cut metal saws such as the DEWALT DW872, Makita LC1230 and Milwaukee 6370-20 ship with carbide or cermet-tipped blades. Never swap one blade type onto the other saw: the manuals for the DW872, LC1230 and 6370-20 forbid abrasive wheels, and the D28715 manual forbids toothed blades.

What type of blade do you use on a cut-off saw for metal?

Use a carbide or cermet-tipped blade on a dry-cut metal saw, or an abrasive wheel on an abrasive chop saw. Whichever you choose, its printed maximum RPM must be at least the saw’s no-load speed, and its diameter and arbor size must match the saw.

Can you put a carbide metal blade on an abrasive chop saw?

Generally no. Abrasive chop saws spin faster than most carbide metal blades are rated for: DEWALT lists the D28715 at 4,000 RPM, while Diablo’s 14-inch Steel Demon is rated 1,800 RPM max. DEWALT’s D28715 warning label also says not to use toothed blades. Follow the saw’s manual, and never mount a blade whose printed RPM is below the saw’s speed.

Where do I find a metal-cutting blade’s max RPM?

It is printed on the blade face and listed on the maker’s product page. Milwaukee’s web page for the 48-40-4515 does not list a max RPM, which is exactly why you read the blade itself. Compare it with the no-load RPM on your saw’s nameplate or manual.

Is a carbide metal blade cheaper than abrasive wheels?

It can be, if the maker’s life claims hold on your work. Evolution says one of its carbide blades lasts as long as 20 abrasive discs, so a $95 blade breaks even against discs costing more than about $4.75 each. That is a maker claim and a simple division, not a test result.

Bottom Line

Pick the saw type first, then pick a blade the saw’s maker allows whose printed max RPM clears the saw’s no-load speed, then match diameter, arbor and material. Carbide dry-cut blades from Evolution, Diablo and Milwaukee cost more up front than abrasive wheels, and the makers say they pay it back in life and cleaner cuts. If any number on the blade is below the number on your saw, the blade does not go on that saw.