Crescent NailSlicer Framing Circular Saw Blade Review

Crescent's NailSlicer framing circular saw blade cut just as well as Diablo in our testing. Where it sets itself apart is with its more durable tooth design that lasts longer in tough cutting situations. Considering both 7 1/4-inch blades hit the $10 price point, it's an easy call for us to recommend Crescent as your primary framing blade.

The Crescent NailSlicer circular saw blade impressed us when we got to see some initial demos against Diablo. Now that we have them in our hands, we wanted to decide where it fits as an all-around framing blade.

To get an idea of Crescent's performance, we decided to run it against the Diablo Tracking Point framing blade. Considering Crescent's claims of extreme durability, Diablo's Demo Demon might be a better comparison. However, that blade is 50% more than the two we tested, which are both under $10.

Keeping in mind that we wanted to see Crescent's potential as our primary framing blade, gauging its performance based on price is what we decided to go with.

By now, you may have seen Crescent's demo where they run both the NailSlicer and Diablo's in a rip cut with stainless steel nails. There's no question Crescent's design lasts much longer in such an abusive test. Again, that's a test of $10 blades and Diablo's Demo Demon would likely have fared better.

For this review, we were more interested in the tracking, speed, and smoothness of the cut. So we charged up some batteries and got out our trusty Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2732 circular saw to run both blades through a series of cross, miter, bevel, and compound cuts.

As we cut, both blades were impressive across the board. Cutting freehand, there was very little difference between the two, save for Diablo staying on track slightly better when making long, fast cuts. Their Tracking Point really does make a difference in that scenario.

To simulate some wear, we fired 10 galvanized framing nails into the end of a 2 x 10 and made a single cut through them with each blade. Both of them sliced through each nail easily with no hesitation, and I couldn't see any obvious damage to either blade's teeth.

When I ran back through the same cuts I did previously, I noticed a slight bit of chatter in the Diablo blade that wasn't there before and I had to be a little more intentional to keep the teeth right on my cutline. It was still better than cutting with a cheap stock blade by a long shot, though.

On the other hand, the Crescent NailSlicer circular saw blade was as smooth and accurate as it had been before cutting through the nails.

At the moment, you can get Crescent's 7 1/4-inch 24T framing blade for $9.98. There's a 6 1/2-inch 24T that's a little more at $12.98. If you’re working with other saws, it also comes in 5 1/2 and 8 1/4-inch sizes.

If you need even more durability, there are demolition blades available in 6 1/2, 7 1/4, and 8 1/4-inch sizes. Lowe's is the best place to get these blades locally. Acme Tools has a full range of sizes and styles online.

Crescent's NailSlicer framing circular saw blade cut just as well as Diablo in our testing. Where it sets itself apart is with its more durable tooth design that lasts longer in tough cutting situations. Considering both 7 1/4-inch blades hit the $10 price point, it's an easy call for us to recommend Crescent as your primary framing blade.

Learn more at Crescent's website.

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