Diablo Steel Demon Carbide Reciprocating Saw Blades Welcome a Thin Metal Addition
Carbide is making its way into nearly every facet of metal cutting thanks to its longer life and potential for fast, clean cuts. Diablo Steel Demon carbide thin metal reciprocating saw blades now join the lineup with a promise of greater durability and cutting performance than bi-metal blades.
Pros
- Long-lasting carbide teeth
- Stable 1-inch tall blade height
- Clean-cutting through the majority of the blade life
- Excellent value on a cost-per-cut basis
Cons
- No significant drawbacks
Recommendation
Diablo Steel Demon carbide thin metal reciprocating saw blades are a great choice for plumbers and electricians who need to cut thin metal on a regular basis. For MRO, remodeling, and others, they’re part of a comprehensive line of carbide metal-cutting blades that include medium and thick metal among others.Diablo Steel Demon Carbide Thin Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Performance
When we’re cutting thin metal, such as conduit, we often use bi-metal blades in the 18 TPI range. However, Diablo goes with a 12 TPI tooth count that’s a bit more aggressive, but it works for them.
Right off the bat, we noticed these teeth bite into the metal clean and we didn’t have the jumping around we often have when we’re starting our cuts.
As the cut gets underway, the blade’s 1-inch tall height helps stabilize it while its Perma-Shield coating keeps it moving smoothly through and reduces some of the chatter we usually experience.
That coating does a nice job of sticking around, too. Even when we were making repeated test cuts and really heating up our EMT, we didn’t rub it off as quickly as other blades we’ve tested.
Cut Quality
All of that results in a nice, fast cut, however, we don’t want to overlook the cut quality. For a 12 TPI design, Diablo leaves a surprisingly clean finish. To get the cleanest cuts, we dialed down the speed a little bit. Of course, you also want to make sure your saw’s orbital action is off.
It was actually pretty obvious when we got towards the end of the blade’s life because we would see rougher edges. When we started to see that, sure enough, we saw the first worn and broken teeth.
Diablo Steel Demon Carbide Thin Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Price
Let’s talk price—because this type of cutting is where we see a lot of guys and gals in the field stick with bi-metal blades. A 9-inch Diablo Steel Demon carbide thin metal reciprocating saw blade runs $15.30 if you buy one at a time.
Diablo’s carbide teeth give you up to 50 times the life of a standard bi-metal blade. Quality 18 TPI bi-metal blades run $3 – $4 each. So if you need 50 of those for every Diablo blade, you’re looking at $150 –$200 worth of blades for every $15 you spend on thin metal Steel Demons.
The Bottom Line
Diablo’s carbide thin metal reciprocating saw blades are a great choice for plumbers and electricians who need to cut thin metal on a regular basis. For MRO, remodeling, and others, they’re part of a comprehensive line of carbide metal-cutting blades that include medium and thick metal among others.
Try one for yourself and see what kind of blade you get compared to your favorite bi-metal blade. Be sure to come back and let us know what you think!
Diablo Steel Demon Carbide Thin Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Specifications
- Tooth Material: Carbide
- Tooth Count: 12 TPI
- Blade Height: 1-inch
- Blade Coating: Perma-Shield
- Available Lengths: 6 or 9-inch
Check out more at Diablo’s website.
