Ordering the wrong blade length is the most common band saw mistake, and the blade can't be returned once it's welded.
If you own one of the saws we carry, pick it and we'll show you the exact blade the manufacturer lists. For any other saw, measure two numbers and the calculator works out the length.
How to use it
Own a saw we sell?Pick it from the list in Option 1. That's it. You'll see the exact blade length the manufacturer lists.
Any other saw?Unplug it and open both wheel covers. Use Option 2 and the drawing to measure the wheel and the distance between the two axles.
Check before you order.If your manual lists a blade length, use that. It always beats a tape measure.
Option 1: pick your saw
Blade sizes come from each manufacturer's published spec.
Option 2: measure your saw
D = straight across one wheel. C = center of the top axle to center of the bottom axle.
Usually the size of the saw. A 14 in. saw has 14 in. wheels.
Measure from the center of one axle to the center of the other, with the tension knob set halfway through its travel.
Blade length (from your measurements)
—in.
Enter D and C in Option 2 to see your blade length.
How this is calculated. For two wheels the same size: length = 2 × C + π × D, where C is the distance between wheel centers and D is the wheel diameter. For two different wheels: length = 2C + π(D1 + D2) ÷ 2 + (D1 − D2)² ÷ 4C. The result is rounded to the nearest 1/8 in.
Check before you order. Your measurement is only as good as your tape. If you have the saw's manual, its listed blade length always wins. A blade can only be off by about as much as the upper wheel can move to tension it.
Width, thickness and teeth
Width
Wider blades cut straighter and resaw better. Narrow blades turn tighter curves. Never go wider than your saw's maximum blade width.
Thickness
Use the thickness your saw's manual lists. A blade that is too thick for small wheels cracks early from bending around them.
Teeth per inch
Keep at least three teeth in the material at all times. Thin metal needs fine teeth. Thick wood and resawing need coarse teeth so the gullets can clear the chips.
