Evolution Power Tools 66TBLADE Review

The quality of a cut depends as much on the blade as on the saw itself. Fit a cheap, poorly manufactured blade to the best saw on the market and you will get rough edges, wandering cuts, and a blade that dulls after a handful of uses. Fit a premium blade to a modest saw and the difference is immediate: cleaner cuts, less effort, and blades that last through dozens of projects before needing replacement. This is especially true when cutting metal, where the forces and temperatures involved are far higher than in wood. Traditional abrasive discs — the kind that throw a shower of orange sparks and gradually shrink as they wear — have been the default choice for metal cutting for decades. But tungsten carbide tipped (TCT) blades represent a fundamentally different approach. Instead of grinding through the metal with friction, a TCT blade shears it — like a very fine, very fast hacksaw — producing a cut that is cooler, cleaner, and more precise. The blade does not wear down during use, the kerf is consistent from the first cut to the hundredth, and the finished edge often needs little to no deburring before welding or fitting. For anyone cutting steel profiles, pipe, or bar with a compatible saw, upgrading to a quality TCT blade transforms the entire cutting experience.

Evolution Power Tools has built their reputation on a single, distinctive claim: their blades cut mild steel cold, with minimal sparks, no heat build-up in the workpiece, and no blade wear from the abrasive action that consumes traditional cutting discs. The M355TCT-66CS is a 355-millimetre TCT blade with 66 teeth, designed for Evolution's range of metal-cutting circular saws and chop saws but compatible with any machine that accepts a 355-millimetre blade with a 25.4-millimetre bore. The key specifications are the tooth count — 66 teeth provides a balance between cutting speed and finish quality — the kerf thickness of 2.4 millimetres, and the carbide grade which determines how long the blade holds its edge when cutting through mild steel.

In this review we examine the M355TCT-66CS in practical use: cutting mild steel box section, angle iron, solid bar, and pipe on an Evolution chop saw. We assess cut quality compared to abrasive discs — edge finish, burr formation, and squareness — as well as blade longevity, the cold-cut claim, and compatibility with non-Evolution machines. We also consider the value proposition: at approximately £88, this blade costs significantly more than a pack of abrasive discs, but the maths changes when you factor in the discs you do not buy, the time you save not deburring, and the consistency you get across hundreds of cuts.

The Evolution M355TCT-66CS is a 355-millimetre diameter tungsten carbide tipped circular saw blade with 66 teeth arranged in Evolution's proprietary tooth geometry, optimised for cutting mild steel. The blade has a 25.4-millimetre (1-inch) bore — the most common arbor size for chop saws and metal-cutting circular saws in this diameter range — and a kerf thickness of 2.4 millimetres. The blade body is manufactured from hardened alloy steel with laser-cut expansion slots that dissipate heat and prevent warping during extended cutting sessions. Each of the 66 teeth is tipped with a high-grade tungsten carbide that is bonded to the steel body using Evolution's specified brazing process — the quality of this bond is the single biggest factor determining how long the blade lasts before teeth start to chip or detach. Made in Japan, the blade benefits from Japanese carbide and manufacturing standards that have set the benchmark for cutting tool quality globally.

The TCT blade's fundamental advantage over abrasive discs is how it removes material. An abrasive disc grinds through steel using friction, generating intense heat at the cut point — touch the cut end of a piece of steel seconds after an abrasive cut and you will burn your fingers. This heat damages the microstructure of the steel near the cut, creates a burred, discoloured edge, and wears the disc down so that after 20 or 30 cuts in heavy section, the disc diameter has visibly shrunk and the cutting capacity is reduced. The M355TCT-66CS, by contrast, shears the steel — the carbide teeth act as individual cutters that remove chips rather than grinding dust. The result is a cut that is cool enough to touch within seconds, an edge that is clean and burr-free to the point where it can often go straight to welding without additional preparation, and a blade that maintains its full 355-millimetre diameter and cutting capacity from the first cut to the last.

Using the M355TCT-66CS on an Evolution chop saw or a compatible mitre saw reveals the difference immediately. The cut is quieter than an abrasive disc — no screaming friction noise, just a steady mechanical hum as the teeth engage the steel. The absence of the orange shower of sparks is striking; instead, the blade produces small, cool metal chips that fall directly below the cut. The feed rate is faster than an abrasive disc through equivalent material, and because the blade does not generate heat in the workpiece, there is no discolouration or heat-affected zone at the cut edge. The 66-tooth configuration provides a good balance: enough teeth for a clean finish on thin-walled box section and tube, but not so many that the gullets pack with chips when cutting solid bar. The 2.4-millimetre kerf is wider than some competing blades, which means slightly more material removed per cut but also better chip clearance and less risk of blade binding in the cut.

Blade longevity is the critical economic variable. A pack of quality 355-millimetre abrasive discs costs approximately £15 to £25 for five discs, and each disc might deliver 20 to 50 cuts depending on material thickness before wearing down to a diameter that is no longer useful. Over the lifespan of a single TCT blade, an active user might go through 15 to 30 abrasive discs — at which point the £88 TCT blade has paid for itself in consumable savings alone, before accounting for the time saved not deburring cut edges and not changing worn discs. The carbide teeth can be re-sharpened by a specialist saw doctor when they eventually dull, further extending the blade's working life. However, TCT blades are unforgiving of misuse: cutting stainless steel, hardened steel, or material with embedded abrasives will rapidly destroy the carbide tips. The blade is rated specifically for mild steel and must be used within its design parameters.

The M355TCT-66CS measures 355 millimetres in diameter — 35.5 centimetres including the packaging — and weighs 1.6 kilograms. It is manufactured in Japan and carries the Evolution brand. Customer feedback is solid, with a 4.0 out of 5 stars rating from 571 reviews, and the blade ranks at number 65 in the Diamond Blades category on Amazon despite being a TCT rather than diamond blade. At approximately £88, it is a considered purchase — considerably more than individual abrasive discs, but the value equation shifts decisively in its favour when you calculate the cost per cut over the blade's full lifespan. For anyone cutting mild steel regularly with a compatible 355-millimetre saw, the M355TCT-66CS is not an expense but an investment that pays for itself and then continues delivering cleaner, faster cuts.

The Evolution M355TCT-66CS is the right blade for metal fabricators, welders, and serious metalworking hobbyists who cut mild steel box section, angle iron, pipe, and solid bar regularly with a compatible 355 mm saw and want cleaner cuts, no sparks, and lower long-term consumable costs compared to abrasive discs.