Choosing a miter saw blade for metal comes down to the metal type, blade size, arbor bore, and the saw’s RPM rating — match all four before you cut.
For the full breakdown, see our best 10 Inch Metal Cutting Blade for a Miter Saw guide.
An aluminum blade that glides through a downspout will dull quickly on steel, and a blade spinning faster than its rating can shed carbide teeth mid-cut. Choosing a miter saw blade for cutting metal starts with the metal in the saw, then the blade’s diameter, arbor size, and speed rating. Sort those out and the saw does the job; skip one and you risk a ruined blade, a ruined workpiece, or worse.
Match The Blade To The Metal You’re Cutting
Metal type decides blade construction. Aluminum, brass, copper, and bronze are non-ferrous metals, soft enough for a carbide-tipped blade sold for those exact materials. Steel, stainless steel, and cast iron are ferrous metals that need a blade rated for steel. Manufacturers list these applications separately, and that separation is your first filter.
The metals behave differently under a spinning carbide tip. Aluminum makes long, gummy chips and soft, stringy cuts; steel resists harder, throws sparks, and builds heat fast. Blade makers tune tooth count, geometry, and carbide grade for one world or the other — which is why no reputable blade is sold as a universal aluminum-and-steel cutter.
- Soft and non-ferrous: pick a tungsten-carbide-tipped (TCT) blade rated for aluminum, brass, copper, and bronze. One common 10-inch TCT blade of this type fits major 10-inch miter saw brands.
- Hard and ferrous: pick a blade that explicitly lists steel, stainless steel, and cast iron — such as the 10-inch, 80-tooth TCT steel/metal blade Benchmark Abrasives sells for use on miter saws.
- Aluminum does not equal steel: a blade marketed only for aluminum is not suitable for ferrous metal, even when the diameter fits your saw.
| Comparison point | Non-ferrous metals | Ferrous metals |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Aluminum, brass, copper, bronze | Steel, stainless steel, cast iron |
| Right blade | TCT blade rated for aluminum and soft metals | TCT blade rated for steel and metal cutting |
| Typical tooth counts | Higher counts are common; one maker rates its 10-inch aluminum blade at 80 teeth | Often 60T or 66T in the same maker’s steel line |
| Saw fit | Regular miter saw works with the correct blade | Dedicated metal-cutting miter saw is the safer fit |
Tooth count follows the same logic. More teeth give a smoother edge on soft metal but cut slower; fewer teeth clear chips faster in
