Dado Blades


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If you get an adjustable dado like Dial-A-Dado, make sure it will work on your saw's arbor; the dial takes up space and can limit the width of the set. I know I've seen charts for that particular dado stack that show the maximum width for each saw.

I have an Infinity Dadonator and really like it. I think once you get to that price range, they have similar quality (like Forrest's offering, etc.).

Depending on the power of your saw, you might want to consider chippers with fewer teeth. Each tooth adds another arm on the chipper blade adding weight. A smaller saw won't like the added weight and load of the cut. That's actually why 6" are popular, too and there are 6" Dadonators.

There'll be lots of opinions to consider!

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I went with this one based on another wood workers recommendation, it's the only one I have used but I am very happy with the performance, used it for a couple of small projects and five wall cabinets. It cuts flat bottoms, comes with 4 tooth chippers and a good storage case included. Currently $90.00 Pat

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I am looking for a good 8" Dado Blade Set that won't break the bank.

Also I'm not sure of what type to purchase, stacked dado blades or adjustable, any suggestions?

I have the 8" Forrest Dado King. In ten years I've needed the full height just one time. If I ever need another one it will be a 6" and I'd probably consider the Ridge Carbide. The company was started by former Forrest employees and their quality is comparable.

http://ridgecarbidetool.com/saws-and-dados/dado-masters.html

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The best I've used to date is the Infinity Dadonator, but I haven't tried them all. It makes cleaner cuts than my previous Freud SD208, DeWalt/Delta 7670, and Systimatic Superfine, which were all very good sets. Hard to imagine any set outperforming the Infinity. The DW7670 is a great bang for the buck at ~ $100.

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I have the 8" Forrest Dado King. In ten years I've needed the full height just one time. If I ever need another one it will be a 6" and I'd probably consider the Ridge Carbide. The company was started by former Forrest employees and their quality is comparable.

http://ridgecarbidetool.com/saws-and-dados/dado-masters.html

I'm with Rick. I've had my 8" Freud set for a good 8-10 years, and I have never used it full height. 6" blades will be easier on the saw, and less $$$. The next set I buy will be a high end 6".

It seems to me, most dado cuts are normally 1/2 or less. Unless you've got some $$$ burning a hole in your pocket, you'll likely never or very seldom use the 8 beyond what a 6 could do.

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Has anyone had any experience with a Freud SD206 6-Inch Professional Dado?

The SD206 is a 6" version of the popular SD208/DD208. It's good....possibly "good nuff", but has half as many teeth as the better sets, and didn't cut quite as cleanly as my DW7670, Systimatic, or Infinity sets. It also has the anti-kickback fingers, which add a fair amount of mass, which partially offsets the benefits of using a smaller set. The 8" 7670 isn't much more money ($90 plus $13 s/h from Grizzly), and has twice as many teeth....it's also made with the bulk of it's mass near the arbor (like the Forrest Dado King), which makes it fairly easy to spin. Diameter isn't the only factor...sets like the Oshlun and Systimatic not only have 6 teeth per chipper (which can help with a clean cut), but also have nearly full diameter solid body chippers that are heavy...whereas some sets have the teeth mounted to tapered fingers. I've rarely needed more depth than a 6" dado sets provides, but because there are more 8" sets to choose from, the 8" sets tend to increase your odds of finding a great deal, so I wouldn't rule them out. FWIW, all of my saws, including a small Delta 36-600 compact saw have spun 8" dado sets without issue...my 36-600 spun a heavy SD208 pretty well.

SystiMaticSuperfinedado.jpgfrd_sd208_lg.jpg

forrest%20dado.jpg55642.jpg

Oshlun & DW7670:

bladesp.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm with Rick. I've had my 8" Freud set for a good 8-10 years, and I have never used it full height. 6" blades will be easier on the saw, and less $$$. The next set I buy will be a high end 6".

It seems to me, most dado cuts are normally 1/2 or less. Unless you've got some $$$ burning a hole in your pocket, you'll likely never or very seldom use the 8 beyond what a 6 could do.

I have the 6" Freud Stack dado set , picked it up used (BN) for $50 . Check some of the other woodworking forums classifies , I see 6" and 8" sets a lot .

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  • 3 weeks later...

Good find - Sounds like the Rockler sale's not so special.

Thanks for the tip. I think it's a good price. I only looked at Amazon because I was curious to see what the non-sale price was, and it turned out to be on sale at Amazon, too (as a non-advertised price). Just a few days ago it was over $90 at Rockler.
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  • 3 weeks later...

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