Okay, so I have been looking for a large slab saw for a while and after a number of false starts my wife saw an ad on craigslist for a 24" Frantom about 60 miles away. It had been posted 20 minutes earlier. The gentleman wanted $500.00 for it so being the hopeless cheapskate that I am I called. I convinced him that he should wait for me to drive in and buy the saw.... I was the first caller and he was a gentleman.
I had it home a couple hours later.

It has been sitting under boxes in his garage for the last 25 years and the belts were not properly routed but after sorting out all the finer points, hitting the zerks with grease and petting it a bit, I fired it up.
Runs like a dream.
Cuts smooth, quiet and just as sweet as can be.
I read the oil conversations here and bought some light mineral oil for coolant/lubricant and it seems to be fine.
I will however, be needing to put a new blade on it in the next 6 months or so.
My question is whether I should go ahead and spring for an MK 303 or get a cheaper blade for this machine?
What do you all think?
I have no experience with a saw of this size and hope you all can guide me forward...
Thanks in advance for your input
Bill
I have attached a few picture of the new toy eating its first piece of bog agate!