Dado set - which one?

[MrMayor]

I have a Ridgid TS2424 table saw and want to buy a dado set. I have something in mind but could use your input as some of you have tried several kinds and settled on one. Any input is good input, and thanks in advance.

[Chestnut]

The freud set is good and the price is right IMO. I have the SD208 stack but mine is a bit different. The SD508 is a good set as well but has more teeth so it could bog down a less powerful saw. I think there are sets that could be better but they have a heft price tag to match. How often do you expect to use the dado stack?

[fcschoenthal]

I've had an Oshlun set for years and really like it. It's outside blades have 42 teeth instead of 12 and the inside chippers have 6 instead of 2 and are full body. It makes really smooth cuts and is a lot cheaper.

[Dave's Not Here]

I've never seen the need for an 8" dado set.  I've been very happy with the results I get with my Freud SD206 6" dado set.  Unless you need to make dados more than 1-1/4" deep a 6" set is all you need.

[Chestnut]

1 hour ago, fcschoenthal said:

I've had an Oshlun set for years and really like it. It's outside blades have 42 teeth instead of 12 and the inside chippers have 6 instead of 2 and are full body. It makes really smooth cuts and is a lot cheaper.

That is actually more expensive than the freud 208. Have you had issues with power running it in solid wood or do you have a 3 hp saw?

17 minutes ago, Dave's Not Here said:

I've never seen the need for an 8" dado set.  I've been very happy with the results I get with my Freud SD206 6" dado set.  Unless you need to make dados more than 1-1/4" deep a 6" set is all you need.

I get that but there is a whole $10 price difference why limit yourself long term for no reason? Also the added size can allow use of a home made dado cross cut sled, or a incra 5000 miter sled with out reducing capacity to 0.5".

[RichardA]

Whatever set you get, don't try and go full depth in a single pass, unless your only going 1/2 or less.  Cleaner cuts with multiple passes.

[fcschoenthal]

2 hours ago, Chestnut said:

That is actually more expensive than the freud 208. Have you had issues with power running it in solid wood or do you have a 3 hp saw?

Yes, the Olshun 8" is ~$120, while the SD208 is ~$90 (but discontinued). From what I can tell, the Olshun also has a lot more chippers (16), therefore more options, than the Freud with 5 total. There are a lot of old reviews and comparisons on the two. Like most things, everyone has their unique opinion, but these two rise to the top of every review.

I have an old Delta contractor with a 1½ hp that does fine on hardwood as long as I take it slow and easy. I also use a sled for a lot of things, including dados, so I wanted the 8 over the 6 just in case. I've also used it for a bunch of bridal joints, so the extra height was good to have.

[pkinneb]

FWIW if you ever plan on going to a SawStop they recommend against using the style of plates in both the Oshlun and the Freud sets. The Forrest dado set uses plates that are better suited. 

Full disclosure: Not trying to start a debate on this just pointing it out becuase when I switched I got a new Forrest WW set and while I sold the old ones (I had two Freud sets) on Craigslist it would have been nice to know.

[Chestnut]

4 hours ago, fcschoenthal said:

Yes, the Olshun 8" is ~$120, while the SD208 is ~$90 (but discontinued). From what I can tell, the Olshun also has a lot more chippers (16), therefore more options, than the Freud with 5 total. There are a lot of old reviews and comparisons on the two. Like most things, everyone has their unique opinion, but these two rise to the top of every review.

I have an old Delta contractor with a 1½ hp that does fine on hardwood as long as I take it slow and easy. I also use a sled for a lot of things, including dados, so I wanted the 8 over the 6 just in case. I've also used it for a bunch of bridal joints, so the extra height was good to have.

https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Stacked-Dado-Saws-SD208S/dp/B072MJ2V9J/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=freud+SD208&qid=1614986440&sr=8-3

[Jonathan McCully]

8 hours ago, pkinneb said:

FWIW if you ever plan on going to a SawStop they recommend against using the style of plates in both the Oshlun and the Freud sets. The Forrest dado set uses plates that are better suited. 

Why is that? As someone moving from a Ridgid to a SawStop in the very near future and who owns the 8” Freud set, I’d be really curious to understand that a bit more. Does it affect the safety mechanism somehow, and can you use the Freud style set even though it’s not recommended?

[pkinneb]

1 hour ago, Jonathan McCully said:

Why is that? As someone moving from a Ridgid to a SawStop in the very near future and who owns the 8” Freud set, I’d be really curious to understand that a bit more. Does it affect the safety mechanism somehow, and can you use the Freud style set even though it’s not recommended?

My understanding is the interior cutter plates on the Forrest set have much less disc (plate) area allowing the SS to do its breaking function better. My personal thought was what is the chance that a body part would ever touch a blade on a dado cut but then I decided I bought the saw partially for the safety feature so I swapped mine out none the less.

[Chestnut]

18 hours ago, pkinneb said:

FWIW if you ever plan on going to a SawStop they recommend against using the style of plates in both the Oshlun and the Freud sets.

 

10 hours ago, Jonathan McCully said:

Why is that? As someone moving from a Ridgid to a SawStop in the very near future and who owns the 8” Freud set, I’d be really curious to understand that a bit more. Does it affect the safety mechanism somehow, and can you use the Freud style set even though it’s not recommended?

Which Freud set there are 2 and they are drastically different. The one i have the center plates are small and light. Or does it not matter and you aren't supposed to use either?

[Mark J]

10 hours ago, Jonathan McCully said:

Why is that? As someone moving from a Ridgid to a SawStop in the very near future and who owns the 8” Freud set, I’d be really curious to understand that a bit more. Does it affect the safety mechanism somehow, and can you use the Freud style set even though it’s not recommended?

 

19 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

 

Which Freud set there are 2 and they are drastically different. The one i have the center plates are small and light. Or does it not matter and you aren't supposed to use either?

I asked the SS rep about this and the issue is dado sets with "full disk" chippers have greater mass than old fashioned sets where the chippers have two teeth.  The safety stop still works, but it takes longer to stop the high mass stack.  I can't remember the numbers, but it was something like one and a half or twice as long.  

[Mark J]

Actually come to think of it, one of the SS guys recommended the DeWalt stack (value for money).  Not sure I'd go that way, but there it is.

[pkinneb]

1 hour ago, Chestnut said:

 

Which Freud set there are 2 and they are drastically different. The one i have the center plates are small and light. Or does it not matter and you aren't supposed to use either?

Mine were the Freud SD606 & SD608 and I went to the Forrest Dado King. @Mark J did a better job of explaining it in his post above.

[Chestnut]

1 hour ago, Mark J said:

 

I asked the SS rep about this and the issue is dado sets with "full disk" chippers have greater mass than old fashioned sets where the chippers have two teeth.  The safety stop still works, but it takes longer to stop the high mass stack.  I can't remember the numbers, but it was something like one and a half or twice as long.  

Ok so the Freud Sd208s is good then. Its chippers are the 2 tooth design. The 508 or 608 is the not recommended design. Freud has multiple dado sets.

I'm being pedantic to avoid confusion. Not trying to be a PITA.

[Jonathan McCully]

Thanks for the explanation. Thankfully, I happen to have the Sd208s set, so seems like I should be alright.

[MrMayor]

So, I see that Freud and Oshlun are both good. What do you think for the Ridgid that is a 1.5 HP? I suspect that more teeth create a better dado cut. Question is: will that impact the performance? I mean a six inch verses an 8 inch stack. I don't plan on going deeper than 1 inch.

Thanks

[wtnhighlander]

@MrMayor, I have a Ridgid saw with 1.5 hp, and run the Irwin dado stack shown here:

Amazon Link

It has 12 teeth on the main plates, and uses a 2-tooth chipper design. Closer to the Freud than tbe Oshlun. To me, the 8 inch diameter seems to leave a smoother cut, but requires a slightly slower feed rate to avoid bogging the saw. This stack has beefy main and chipper plates, so total mass may have some impact there.