Dado blade decision?

[Tony Shea]

I have a dilema with a dado blade I ordered. I ordered one from Grizzly last week, a Dewalt DW7670, for an incredible price of $89. Everywhere else was in the $130-$150 range. The decision was made due to all the good reviews as well as the price. Problem being is they just sent me an email that this blade is backordered for an estimated shippment on Feb 15. I just can't wait over a month before I get my dado set, I need it like yesterday.

So now I'm in a dilema of deciding which one I should get again. My budget is maximum $200 and would actually like to be under that a bit. I am contemplating the Freud SD508 but would absolutely love some opinions from some you guys here. I know that the Forrest would be ideal but just can't spend that much right now on a dado blade, especially considering where I'm at in my skill level. This will be my first dado set.

[Rod Sheridan]

How much does an FS Tools dado cost in your area?

Regards, Rod.

[Victor Robinson]

Is that Oshlun set on Amazon too good to be true? Heck of a price at $72 and perfect reviews.

[Tony Shea]

I've never seen an FS Tools dado blade in my area and have never really heard of FS tools. Im in the deep woods of Maine and have a very limited choices on local tools and such. Most of my quality tools have to be purchased online unfortuantely.

[Rod Sheridan]

I've never seen an FS Tools dado blade in my area and have never really heard of FS tools. Im in the deep woods of Maine and have a very limited choices on local tools and such. Most of my quality tools have to be purchased online unfortuantely.

Then FS should be a good choice for you. Check out their website, nice made in North America stuff.

I'm lucky, head office is a 10 minute drive away from my home, they have a great sharpening/custom grinding service at very reasonable prices.

Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

I have the SD508 and it has done well for me: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=68962&d=1185667739

[Wayne Jolly]

I paid $220 for my Forrest Dado King. If I had kept my mouth shut I might have been able to say that I made $110 for each of them. I placed an order for one dado set and one other blade. It did take over two weeks to get the two blades because (as I am told) Forrest had to make some dado sets. About 2 weeks after that, I received a duplicate shipment. Another dado set and blade.

Yes, I did contact Forrest and told them that if they sent me a prepaid shipping label I would return the duplicate order. They sent me an email with the label attached and I had it within an hour. Just the label. No thank you, no kiss my butt, no nuthin. I wasn't expecting a reward or anything, but some simple courtesy would have been nice.

xeddog

[scott spencer]

I've owned a Freud SD208, DW7670, Systimatic S42Fine (42T/6T), and an Infinity Dadonator....they're all good sets, but IMO the Dadonator is the best of all, and it's hard to imagine that even the premium sets from Forrest, Ridge Carbide, or the Freud Super Dado will eclipse it with their 4T chippers vs 6T of the Dadonator. It's usually available for $180 shipped.

Lots of recent discussion about dado blades (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=128242) here.


Is that Oshlun set on Amazon too good to be true? Heck of a price at $72 and perfect reviews.

The Oshlun set is a copy of the original US made Systimatic S42Fine set. There are several that look similar (MLCS, Grizzly, HF), but the Oshlun does use C4 carbide. Most of the copies use C2 or C3. Holbren carries the Oshlun set for $80 (less 10% with SMC310 discount code), and free shipping over $75....it starts out as eligible for free shipping, but the discount may void that, so it'd make sense to add a cheap item like jigsaw blades to get the total back to $75. Holbren is a great supplier and a member here.

[Caleb Larru]

Is that Oshlun set on Amazon too good to be true? Heck of a price at $72 and perfect reviews.


I have the Freud SD208 and the Oshlun sets. I found that the oshlun cuts better than the Freud especially when cutting ply. I have told that to people before but they don't believe me until I show them.

The Oshlun would be a good set at twice the price. The only downside to it is the case it comes in. I made a storage case out of MDF so it isn't an issue anymore.

[Van Huskey]

Yes, I did contact Forrest and told them that if they sent me a prepaid shipping label I would return the duplicate order. They sent me an email with the label attached and I had it within an hour. Just the label. No thank you, no kiss my butt, no nuthin. I wasn't expecting a reward or anything, but some simple courtesy would have been nice.

xeddog


That would chap me as well, offering to correct their ~400 dollar mistake and not even a thank you!!! They double shipped to the one out of maybe 100 people who would say anything, no wonder most people don't feel a need to rectify issues like this.


I am a fan of the Freud 500 series but I haven't got any experience with any of the other premium sets. If I had to replace mine I would either get another 508 or if I had the extra cash the Forrest or Dial a Width.

[Tony Shea]

Well, I think I have once again changed my mind from the Freud SD508 to the Infinity Dadonator. Seems like an awfully good set for pretty much the same price as the Freud. It gets great reviews and kind of the like the fact that there are 6tooth chippers instead of 4. Not real sure if that makes much of a difference but seems as though it would be advantagous.

[Cary Falk]

If you are still interested in the Delta/DeWalt, you can get it from CPO Delta for $115 after $15 rebate. http://www.cpowoodworking.com/accessories/table_saw_accessories/dado_blades/35-7670.html

[Howard Acheson]

In most comparison tests, the Freud SD50x dado is rated the equal of the Forrest.

The Freud SD20x dado is almost always rated "Best Buy" in the same tests. The price of the SD20x is less than $100 and rated better than the DeWalt/Delta you were originally looking at.

[Tony Shea]

The Freud SD20x dado is almost always rated "Best Buy" in the same tests. The price of the SD20x is less than $100 and rated better than the DeWalt/Delta you were originally looking at.


According to whom is the SD208 rated better than the Dewalt DW7670? I guess I have not seen this review.

And the SD50x being equal to the Forrest is another new one to me. I sure as heck would not want to pay another $100 for a blade that is of equal quality. But I have a hard time believing that you'll find someone who has both sets and agree that the Freud is of the same quality. Especially when factoring in the longevity of the blades. I've heard that the Freud is prone to chipping after long usuage, making sharpening very difficult. But this is all heresay and really have no personal experience with any of these products.

It's hard tio ignore the talk about the Infinity Dadonator though.

[scott spencer]

Tony - The DW7670 has an MSRP that puts it against the other premium sets in comparisons, so it doesn't get "value" credit for actual street price. I've owned both sets...the SD208 is very good, but with only 2T per chipper, reviews or not, it simply doesn't cut as well as the DW7670 did in my shop. The 7670 was nearly as good as my $300 Systimatic 42 Superfine set....I wouldn't put it against the Forrest, SD508, or Dadonator at it's MSRP, but it's a real solid bang for the $100 bucks.

The Dadonator is the best of the 4 good sets I've had. If all else is equal, more teeth typically equates to a cleaner cut. "All else" is rarely equal, but I've used several Forrest, Infinity, and Freud blades that are all made with very high precision and state of the art machining, etc., so I'm speculating that in this case, more teeth does indeed make a cleaner cut. Forrest's info is a bit dated but it mentions higher tooth count than their competition as one of the features, so I can't help but think that Dado King would be even better than it is with 6T chippers vs 4T...same logic applies for the SD500 series and it's 4T chippers, which is considered a step up from the SD200 series with 2T chippers. If these each had 6T chippers, they'd have an advantage over their current configuration.

Chipping of teeth on the Freud sets is likely an isolated case, and not something that's chronic.

[Tony Shea]

Thanks Scott. That is the original reason I chose the Dewalt as $90 from Grizzly is really hard to beat. I still may buy it and wait but need another set in the meantime. I have heard many of the same opinions about the Dewalt as you have stated.

And that is very reassuring about the Infinity. It sounds like such a good set that I would be willing to spend the extra $ for it especially when the Dado King from Forrest gets worse reviews and cost an extra $100. But I would still like to have a cheaper throw around set like the Dewalt to complement my Infinity set.

[Jason White]

I have the DeWalt dado set. It's really great. They sell it under the Delta brand now, but it's the same set.

Worth the wait at that price. I think I paid $200 for mine.

Jason



I have a dilema with a dado blade I ordered. I ordered one from Grizzly last week, a Dewalt DW7670, for an incredible price of $89. Everywhere else was in the $130-$150 range. The decision was made due to all the good reviews as well as the price. Problem being is they just sent me an email that this blade is backordered for an estimated shippment on Feb 15. I just can't wait over a month before I get my dado set, I need it like yesterday.

So now I'm in a dilema of deciding which one I should get again. My budget is maximum $200 and would actually like to be under that a bit. I am contemplating the Freud SD508 but would absolutely love some opinions from some you guys here. I know that the Forrest would be ideal but just can't spend that much right now on a dado blade, especially considering where I'm at in my skill level. This will be my first dado set.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks Scott. That is the original reason I chose the Dewalt as $90 from Grizzly is really hard to beat. I still may buy it and wait but need another set in the meantime. I have heard many of the same opinions about the Dewalt as you have stated.

And that is very reassuring about the Infinity. It sounds like such a good set that I would be willing to spend the extra $ for it especially when the Dado King from Forrest gets worse reviews and cost an extra $100. But I would still like to have a cheaper throw around set like the Dewalt to complement my Infinity set.

Not trying to sway you as I am sure the Infinity is an excellent set, I think Forrest gets some mediocre reviews from time to time because people expect the King and WWIIs to be PERFECT, you know, they buy your wood for you, mill it and cut it to a cabinet scraper finish. People will complain about a BMW's quirks before they complain about an Infiniti which costs ultimately similar money becuse BMW is self and other described as the Ultimate Driving Machine. Forrest is touted as the king of blades much of the time but although it is good to be the king it is also hard to be the king if you now what I mean. Given the care Forrest gives to grinds and the price of the DK set I feel pretty comfortable that if they saw an advantage to 6 wing chippers the DK would have them, Forrest has never run from being at a premium price point and doesn't offer anything but a premium line. That all said I do not think you can spend $150+ on any dado set that I am aware of and not get exceptional cuts and just like router bits and every other cutter each different "mousetrap" will produce different results in different types of wood ie:one set cuts perfect dados in ply and less perfect grooves in oak, the other manufacturer's set may be just the opposite.

[Michael Drew]

I can’t help but think that Forrest is slightly overrated. Not saying they don’t make a heck of a product that isn’t worthy of that praise, but maybe they’re living on their rep a bit too much instead of improving their product to keep up with the competition (which there is a great amount of). I have been using a WWII / 48T for a couple weeks now. I bought it thinking it was going to be the blade of all blades and it would replace my 40T and 80T Freuds, but it doesn’t. The 80t makes a clearly better crosscut, and the WWII does not make a cleaner cut than the 40t Freud. But – the 40t Freud rips a bit better than the WWII. I’m kinda disappointed with the Forrest. Not saying it isn’t a great blade, but just not what I was expecting when considering all the praise and great press Forrest gets. Plus, I did pay a premium for it. I’ll have my Dadonator sometime this week. I’m looking forward to seeing just how well it performs. I have a lot of dado cutting to do on oak ply next week.

[Paul Ryan]

I have the Oshlun as well. I think many people are afraid of it because of the price. It is as good as dado sets for 3x's the money. For under $80 you can not go wrong. Personally I don't mind the box either. Mine stays in the box. All of the 6 tooth chippers site together, and the cutters are protected by foam. The box has a handle as well. You can buy the Oshlun for the same price as the Dewalt and it will be a better dado set guaranteed.

[Van Huskey]

I bought it thinking it was going to be the blade of all blades and it would replace my 40T and 80T Freuds, but it doesn’t. The 80t makes a clearly better crosscut, and the WWII does not make a cleaner cut than the 40t Freud. But – the 40t Freud rips a bit better than the WWII. I’m kinda disappointed with the Forrest.

Is the Freud a P410, if so I prefer it over the WWII as well. I have a 48T WWII also but have not had a chance to check it out but maybe next week.

[Caleb Larru]

I have the Oshlun as well. I think many people are afraid of it because of the price. It is as good as dado sets for 3x's the money. For under $80 you can not go wrong. Personally I don't mind the box either. Mine stays in the box. All of the 6 tooth chippers site together, and the cutters are protected by foam. The box has a handle as well. You can buy the Oshlun for the same price as the Dewalt and it will be a better dado set guaranteed.

Isn't it funny how people will quickly dismiss this set because it isn't $150-200? I argued with a buddy of mine who is a big Freud homer about it for an hour until I finally got it out and let him do some test cuts between the Freud and the Oshlun. He ordered one the next day.

[scott spencer]

I can’t help but think that Forrest is slightly overrated. Not saying they don’t make a heck of a product that isn’t worthy of that praise, but maybe they’re living on their rep a bit too much instead of improving their product to keep up with the competition (which there is a great amount of). I have been using a WWII / 48T for a couple weeks now. I bought it thinking it was going to be the blade of all blades and it would replace my 40T and 80T Freuds, but it doesn’t. The 80t makes a clearly better crosscut, and the WWII does not make a cleaner cut than the 40t Freud. But – the 40t Freud rips a bit better than the WWII. I’m kinda disappointed with the Forrest. Not saying it isn’t a great blade, but just not what I was expecting when considering all the praise and great press Forrest gets. Plus, I did pay a premium for it. I’ll have my Dadonator sometime this week. I’m looking forward to seeing just how well it performs. I have a lot of dado cutting to do on oak ply next week.

A good 80T blade should make a cleaner cut than a good 40T blade. Forrest makes some really good blades, but they're not magic...the laws of physics still apply. More teeth tends to equate to a smoother cut, but there's also more resistance and heat, thus more chance of burning and more limited operating range (like crosscuts and ply, poor at ripping). A 40T general purpose blade is a compromise by design...it's "good" at many tasks, but excels at none...versatility is the name of the game.

Your P410 should leave cleaner edge than the WWII, but it's not likely to cut quite as efficiently in really thick ripping. Whether or not Forrest is overrated depends on where you rate them to start. I think Forrest also tends to be slower to the market with new innovations these days than some others, but that's all just subjective observation. They are the marquis name, but are far from alone at the top....many people try Forrest as their first premium blade because they have earned a reputation, and are blown away by the improvement over $10-$50 blades. Others compare apples to oranges and say that the orange wasnt' as good in their pie as apple (Forrest)...ie: Freud offers several lines, not all of which compete head to head with Forrest. You also can't overlook the advantage of a new blade being compared to whatever was already in place...new, clean, and sharp has the upper hand everytime. When you compare new premium blades in a reasonably controlled setting (same saw, same material, etc), there are a handful of blades that compete favorably with Forrest...it's just physics. For ultra fine cuts, you need more teeth, for fast ripping you need fewer teeth....assuming high quality. It's funny though...with a general purpose combo blade, the objective is to be good enough to glue up off the saw, and most decent GP blades will do that...none are ready for a finish off the saw.

...too much coffee! :rolleyes: ;)

[scott spencer]

I have the Oshlun as well. I think many people are afraid of it because of the price. It is as good as dado sets for 3x's the money. For under $80 you can not go wrong. Personally I don't mind the box either. Mine stays in the box. All of the 6 tooth chippers site together, and the cutters are protected by foam. The box has a handle as well. You can buy the Oshlun for the same price as the Dewalt and it will be a better dado set guaranteed.

It's hard not to question your data to back that statement. I had the US made Systimatic set that the Chinese made Oshlun mimics...it was very good, but very comparable to the $100 DW7670. Are you saying the Oshlun is better than what it copied? That's not saying the Oshlun isn't good, but your statement sounds like more emotion than fact....how can you guarantee that the Oshlun is a better dado than the 7670? Sorry, but it can be easy to "feel" strongly about a good product, especially one that was a good deal, and not be objective about it.

[Tony Shea]

I feel as though Forrest is a little behind the curve as well when it comes to innovation. It seems as if they put a little more time into research and development they could be popping out some new products to keep up with companies like Freud or Infinity. It seems as though Forrest's bread and butter is in Combo blades and really are in no rush in to create to much outside of this box. I do see other special purpose blades they're offering but they aren't anything I chose over another brand for a fairer price. I am by no means saying anything bad about Forrest blades as I have never owned one and never dealt with the company. They odviously produce top quality blades and have earned a great reputation in doing so. I'm a hobbyist woodworker therefore spend the extra 2 mins in changing my blades for their intended purpose, therefore rarely use a combo blade.

[brian c miller]

I would check out Ridge Carbide, they are amazing blades. Every bit as good as Forrest.

Woodpeck has them for 209, and you can use welcome for a 10% discount if you are not already an e-club member.

[Gordon Loveday]

I too am looking for most affordable dado set. (First time Dado purchase)Is anyone familiar with the MLCS one that is on sale now?? It has 42T saw blades and 6T chippers. Is it worth the money??

mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/ec100309.html

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Terry Welty]

just got the Oshlun that I bought on sale... appears to be an awesome set... haven't used it yet... but kicks butt over the two craftsman dado sets it's replacing... didn't really need a new set but couldn't resist the sales price at Rockler.