Wondering if blade sharpening is worth it or just a gimmick

I saw a video last month about sharpening your own circular saw blades at home with a cheap jig. The guy claimed it saves $20 a pop vs buying new ones. I tried it on a dull blade I had sitting around and it did cut better, but it took me 45 minutes and the edge still felt rough. On the other hand, I paid $8 to have a pro sharpen a blade at a shop in Austin and it came back like new in 2 days. So is the DIY route actually worth the time for most people, or should I just keep paying the small fee? I'm torn because the jig cost me $30 and I've only used it once. Has anyone else found a clear winner between doing it yourself and sending them out?

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tessa_rivera7d ago

Ive been sharpening my own planer and table saw blades for about 3 years now. The jig cost me $35 and Ive sharpened maybe 15 blades on it. Its worth it if you have a few blades that get dull at the same time, but for a one off job just pay the $8. The pro shops use better equipment and get a more even edge than I can at home with a cheap setup. I ruined one blade early on by taking off too much steel, so there is a learning curve. If you only sharpen once a year, just send them out.