# Circular Saw Blade Dimensions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917 "2021-06-09T18:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/1 "2021-06-09T18:58:08Z")
1. Dewalt expresses a circular saw blade as “16” x 5/32" x 20mm".Stihl expresses what I believe is an equivalent blade as “16” x 20mm". Is Dewalt over dimensioning the item? Or, is Stihl not saying enough? Can someone in woodworking or construction set me straight? How do I interpret this? An, why does Dewalt mix English and metric units? 2. Ideally, I also need the Stihl part numbers (P/Ns) for this blade made for (a) metal cutting and also for (b) concrete/masonry. Yes, I’ve been Googling like crazy, but Stihl has me baffled. No vendor or 3rd party sales (ie, Ebay) will say “5/32” nor any other thickness (kerf?). Grrrr! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/2 "2021-06-09T19:10:16Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > “16” x 5/32" x 20mm" It looks like you’re talking more about a cut off wheel for cutting metal, not what’s commonly called a “circular saw blade”. At any rate, the naming convention you mention seems common - if you google “16” x 5/32" x 20mm", you get a lot of returns of multiple brands of cut-off wheels in that size, and others that are slightly different. Amazon shows Norton cut off wheels with that specific naming convention: [Norton Gemini Free Cut Large Diameter Reinforced Abrasive Cut-off Wheel, Type 01 Flat, Aluminum Oxide, 1" Arbor, 16" Diameter x 5/32" Thickness (Pack of 1): Abrasive Cutoff Wheels: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific](https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Diameter-Reinforced-Abrasive-Thickness/dp/B0006NDR3I/ref=sr_1_12?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Cut-Off+Wheels&qid=1623265538&refinements=p_item_diameter_string-bin%3A16+inches&s=industrial&sr=1-12&ts_id=256194011) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/3 "2021-06-09T19:25:53Z")
What exactly is the tool you are buying this for? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/4 "2021-06-09T19:44:25Z")
[Here is a Stihl blade for cutting concrete.](https://www.stihlusa.com/products/cut-off-machines/diamond-wheels/diamondb10/) If you are looking for another source for blades you just need to specify 16" for the diameter of the wheel and 20mm for the arbor size. Everything else will vary by manufacturer and application. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/5 "2021-06-10T01:29:39Z")
> [@bump](#): > > It looks like you’re talking more about a cut off wheel for cutting metal, not what’s commonly called a “circular saw blade” I am unfamiliar the term “cut-off wheel”. Is this a table saw, the kind you run water over to keep the blade cool? (What is that called? A wet saw, perhaps?) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/6 "2021-06-10T01:33:25Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If you are looking for another source for blades you just need to specify 16" for the diameter of the wheel and 20mm for the arbor size. Everything else will vary by manufacturer and application. I thought that might be the case. However, if so, why would DeWalt get that exact? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/7 "2021-06-10T01:34:59Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > What exactly is the tool you are buying this for? I’m assisting a Customer compile a cost estimate from a list of equipment. I need to be sure I have the correct Stihl blade equivalent to the Dewalt blade. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/8 "2021-06-10T02:21:43Z")
What exactly is the reputation of Stihl vs Dewalt? My impression is that Stihl is a good quality brand and Dewalt is a general mass market brand; thus Stihl would be more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/9 "2021-06-10T02:54:48Z")
Generally speaking, a “circular saw blade” describes something like what you’d see on an actual circular saw, a table saw, or a miter saw as the blade- a circular disk of metal with teeth. [This one’s a bit exaggerated in terms of the teeth, but you get the idea.](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/618sRx5TYjL._AC_SL1000_.jpg) What I found when looking for your measurements were cut off wheels, which aren’t really blades, but rather abrasive discs used to cut metal. [Here’s a picture.](https://static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/6A104_AS01?hei=536&wid=536&%24adapimg%24=) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/10 "2021-06-10T03:46:04Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I thought that might be the case. However, if so, why would DeWalt get that exact? For no particular reason. You’re seeing advertisements, there is no technical standard to adhere to. There’s no big mystery here. Any 16"x20mm blade will fit that saw. Whether it’s the best blade for the job is not going to be revealed in those numbers. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/11 "2021-06-10T03:53:43Z")
Stihl is likely more expensive but unlikely to be of any different quality when it comes to sawblades. Stihl’s somewhat better reputation is based on the quality of their gasoline chain saws, not their cut off blades. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/12 "2021-06-10T03:56:59Z")
If it is an abrasive blade the thickness is almost always listed. Thinner ones cut faster. Thick ones withstand flexing better. The 4 1/2" abrasive blades I use are available in .040", 1/16" and 1/8". ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-saw-blade-dimensions/943917/13 "2021-06-10T05:52:19Z")
You get what you pay for. Rather than the equipment manufacturer I would be very inclined to go look at a specialist cutting disk manufacturer and ensure you have exactly the correct disk for purpose. For abrasive disks Norton for instance. Whist the fitment is 16”x 20mm, the thickness of the disk, and critically, it’s makeup are not defined. A diamond cutting disk for concrete can cost you any amount of money you wish to spend. Cutting metal can need different disk compositions depending on use case. There is devil in the detail. Cheap import disks won’t last even it they have apparently the same specs. But you need to start with the use case.