Diablo vs Irwin Saw Blades: Which is Better?
If you are a carpenter or into the woodwork, then one of the fast consumable for you would be the saw blade. There are different brands offering saw blades, but the two big names are Diablo & Irwin. Many people are confused between the two options, and that is very legit. Both the brands offer similar products, but what exactly is the difference? The blades are available in different sizes, materials, finishes, and configurations. If you had tried going through the product catalogue for any of these brands, you would have noticed that the product extension is enormous, which would have confused you more.
In this article, we have tried to list out the differences between the two saw blades so that you can understand which one would offer a greater value to you. Let us move on and check out the details now.
Material Compatibility – Diablo Vs. Irwin
Each brand designs the blade differently, and in such a case, there is also a difference between the material that each of these blades can remove. Below is the table that shows you a sharp difference between the saw blades regarding the material they can remove.
| Material | Diablo Saw blades | Irwin Saw Blades |
| Aluminum | Yes | – |
| Fiber Glass | Yes | Yes |
| Laminate | Yes | – |
| Metal | – | Yes |
| Plastic | Yes | – |
| PVC | – | Yes |
| Steel | Yes | Yes |
| Vinyl | – | Yes |
| Wood | Yes | Yes |
By going through the list of materials, you would have noticed that the Diablo works well on soft material, but if you want to cut hard material like metal, PVC, and vinyl, your choice should be Irwin saw blade. There are additional factors that would impact your buying choice, and we have talked about them in the sections below.
Point of Difference – Diablo Vs. Irwin
There are some additional points to consider, and you can check them out below.
- Variety of Blades – We need variety to deal with different problems in an efficient way. It isn’t easy to manage without some specialized tool, so we are sure that you would also be looking for variety while buying the blade. Both the brands have a vast product extension, and both of them offer blades for a specialized purpose. However, there are some USPs that each brand has, and you can check out the detailed product catalog for the same.
- Buyer Opinion – The reviews of the product can represent the quality of the product, and we went through the various customer reviews before sharing this comparison with you. Both the brands perform equally well in terms of the reviews, and both of them have a good amount of positive reviews. Apart from this, both the brands also have their fair share of misses.
- Technology – The next thing here is the technology used to manufacture the blade. This has a direct impact on the blade’s performance and life. You will be glad to know that both the brands use carbide-tipped blades, which improves the blade’s life by a significant factor.
- Price – Both the brands have priced their blades very competitively. Since these brands are competitors, you can expect them to have a similar price. In general, we noticed that the blades from Irwin are slightly cheaper than the Diablo blades. The difference may not be significant, but this is just a general observation.
Diablo Saw Blades
Let us now talk a little about the diablo blades. The brand offers excellent products, and they usually have slightly better reviews than Irwin. This is also the reason why they are priced at a premium when compared with Irwin. The range of application is pretty wide, and the brand has blades for table saw, circular saw, miter saw, trim saw, and low rpm saws. The blades from Diablo can deal with wood, fiberglass, aluminum, laminates, steel, and plastic.
You can use the Diablo saw blades for ripping, framing, finishing, dado, combination, or other general-purpose usages. You can never go wrong while buying the Diablo saw blades, and you can certainly trust the reviews of these thousands of users. The of the unique features of Diablo saw blades are –
- Some of the blades have a polycrystalline diamond tip that gives the blades an outstanding level of hardness.
- The non-stick perma-shield coating helps in the heat reduction, and the expansion slots work well to compensate for the material expansion.
- Some of the blades have a cobalt high-density design, and some of the blades also have tri-metal brazing that reduces the shock or vibrations.
- All the blades have laser-cut kerfs.
Pros
- A wide range of blades is available from this brand.
- The customer reviews are generally better.
- A lot of different specialty blades are available for use with multiple materials.
Cons
- These blades are priced slightly higher than the Irwin blades.
Irwin Saw Blades
Irwin is also a famous brand, and it has over 15 types of saw blades available. These blades are made in Italy, but they are generally cheaper than the Diablo saw blades. You can even use the Irwin saw blades for cutting metal, PVC, vinyl, and gutters. You can use them with corded or cordless saws, and apart from this, you can cut rigid material with the help of Irwin saw blades.
Irwin has received a lot of positive responses from the customer, and the company ensures high quality standards for their products. That being said, some of the unique features of Irwin saw blades are –
- Features perimeter venting and heat-resistant coating for material expansion compensation.
- The ring tensioning gives this blade a higher precision level. The welded grade carbide teeth also give it a lot of strength.
- There are Irwin blades available with ultra-thin kerf for removing minimum material.
- The blades are designed with laser-cut, and hence you get a higher level of accuracies.
Pros
- These blades are less expensive than the Diablo Saw Blades.
- The brand also manufactures ultra-thin kerf saw blades which can be very useful.
- The overall quality and finish of the product are excellent.
Cons
- There is a lack of specialty blades.
Final Verdict
We have reached the end of the page, and it is time to decide if Diablo Saw Blades are better than Irwin Saw Blades. Well, to conclude, we can see that each brand has its unique selling points. In such a case, you need to understand your needs and then choose a product. If you are looking for a specialty blade, then Diablo should be your choice; however, Irwin should be a better option for you if you are sensitive to price.
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