Need a Dado blade recomendation...

[Wayne Jolly]

I actually now have three dado sets. I bought two of them directly, and the third came with a PM66 that I bought. Here is my opinions about them:

Forrest Dado King - This was the sharpest of the lot. Even though I was being careful when setting out all the baldes when I got it, I still managed to slice the crap outta my finger getting one of the chippers out of the "case". How does it work?? If I want a REALLY crisp flat-bottomed dado that is also smooth bottomed with little, or in most cases NO, chipping on the edges, this is my goto set.

Freud SD508 - This is my latest addition and came with the PM66. I have not done any side-by-side comparisons with the Forrest, but I think the Forrest is juuuuuuust a tad crisper. However, the Freud still leaves fine, flat-bottomed, assembly ready dadoes and in my opinion you can't go wrong with it. Now you might be noticing that I am comparing a second hand Freud to a new Forrest, but when I got the Frued it was clear that if the set had been used at all it was only a time or two. It was clean and a visual inspection did not show any defects either in the carbides, and not even a scratch or smudge in the printing on the blade plates. Even the inside of the case was clean as a whistle. The whole thing looked brand new.

Freud SD208 - This was my first dado set and it did an ok job for a long time. It is a little difficult to compare to the others since for almost all of it's life it was used on a Craftsman contractors saw. The arbor was slightly undersized and it took me quite a while to find out how to get flat-bottomed cuts with it. Despite having two of the top rated dado sets on the market, this one is a keeper too. But it is now relegated to those dadoes that I need to make in "junk" wood. You know the kind. You just want to make a whatzit so you go out and find a piece of scrap 2x4 that has been laying in the dirt for a while.

If I had to decide between the Forrest and the Freud, I think I would give the nod to the Forrest. I hate to say this, but I think the main reason is probably because I paid $220 for it and the Freud was kinda-sorta free (I had already paid for the PM66 and then the guy said "you may as well take this too."). But if something happened to the Forrest I would be quite happy with the Freud.

Wayne

[Clifford Betterley]

I know this isn't my thread but I want to thank you all anyway for the info and your opinions. It really helps a new guy like me get a feel for what to look for in a "good" dado set, unlike the low end set that I currently use!!!

[David Kumm]

I would caution that before you decide on the diameter of the dado you look hard at the arbor assembly. An 8" full width dado is not only much heavier to spin but the cut puts lots more strain on the trunnion assembly. The larger diameter might give a little better cut due to tip speed but if a 6" gives you the depth and you are running a contractor or lighter type saw, it would be the safe bet. Dave

[Rick Fisher]

I have the FS tool 8" set as well.. Spectacular.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I know this isn't my thread but I want to thank you all anyway for the info and your opinions. It really helps a new guy like me get a feel for what to look for in a "good" dado set, unlike the low end set that I currently use!!!

I often feel that way and am surprised how often I pick-up some cool trick or bit of knowledge I never expected. Oh, and welcome to the forum Clifford!

[Scott Vigder]

I was fortunate and found the Freud on sale on Amazon at half price (total $98 with free shipping) and can't say enough good things about it. I use Forrest WWII's for all my other sawing.