---
title: "Saw Feed Rate: How to Calculate Feed Speed"
description: "Saw feed rate = bite per tooth × teeth × RPM. How to calculate feed speed for circular and band saws without burning or stalling."
image: "https://nestingcalc.com/og-default.png"
url: "https://nestingcalc.com/guides/saw-feed-rate/"
locale: "en"
---

# Saw Feed Rate: How to Calculate Feed Speed

Saw feed rate = bite per tooth × teeth × RPM. How to calculate feed speed for circular and band saws without burning or stalling.

## The feed rate formula

Feed speed vf equals the bite per tooth (fz) times the number of teeth (z) times blade speed (n): vf = fz × z × n. For a circular saw this comes out in mm/min; divide by 1,000 for m/min.

## Worked example

A 24-tooth blade at 4,000 rpm with a 0.05 mm bite per tooth: vf = 0.05 × 24 × 4,000 = 4,800 mm/min ≈ 4.8 m/min. Hardwoods and dense panels call for a smaller bite, softwoods a larger one.

## Signs your feed is wrong

Too slow: burning, glazing, dulling — the blade rubs instead of cutting. Too fast: motor overload, wander, rough cut faces. A clean chip and a steady motor sound mean the feed is right.

## Band saws

On band saws think in bite per tooth, teeth per meter and blade speed (m/min): vf = fz × teeth-per-meter × blade speed. Example: 0.05 mm bite, 6 teeth/cm, 700 m/min blade speed → feed ≈ 21 m/min.

## Feed for routers and mills

Milling uses the same idea — feed per tooth times flutes times rpm. The [Feeds & speeds](https://nestingcalc.com/feeds-speeds-calculator/) computes it with chip-load presets per material, so router and CNC feeds stay consistent with the saw math above.

[Feeds & speeds](https://nestingcalc.com/feeds-speeds-calculator/) [Open the linear cutting calculator](https://nestingcalc.com/linear-cutting-calculator/)

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