Like driving a car, riding a bike or playing a musical instrument I go by sound and feel when cutting and of course speed will vary on thickness and hardness of wood, blade type, pattern and etc I never run the saw at full speed being I'm not on a schedule. When cutting I keep the blade clean and lubricated with bees wax As others have noted you'll find the sweet spot. So when cutting vary your speed with different blades on different woods and in no time you and the saw will become one cutting any pattern with precision.