Newbie asks,Dado set, best one?

[Doug Long]

Hello to everyone on the creek, I'm the new guy here,and just wanted to say I've enjoyed browsing the forums and got a lot of good info from reading your posts, so I finally decided to join in. I know this subject has come up before about dado heads, but I'm still very undecided about which set to get. I have the Frued 208, but am not very pleased with the results.I know I'll spend $200 + on a good set. I have some CMT blades and really like them, but I don't hear much about them. I have seen good reveiws on the Frued 508, but with my experience with the 208 I'm not sure. I want quality and clean flat bottom cuts to use for cabinet work. So what do you guys like and why?

P.S. Thanks for having such a great forum, I really enjoy it!!! :)

[Jeff Wright]

FWW mag selected the Freud as their editor's choice, and the Infinity as their best buy. I just ordered the Freud dado, but I have bought Infinity's router and shaper bits and am very pleased with them.

[Hoa Dinh]

Doug,

Take a look at this (http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=2912997&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14).

That's an excellent dado set. I've been using the same set for about 10 years now.

[Dan Owen]

Forrest Dado King. The best I have ever used bar none.

Dan

[everett lowell]

I'm with Dan on the Forrest dado king- I love mine, but I have to admit I have'nt any others.

[Jim Becker]

If I didn't own the excellent Forrest Dado King, I'd probably own the Freud SD508 as an alternative. Both are great setups. The SD208 that you currently own is a good set for the money, but it does not have a chipper design that is condusive to the same quality as the more expensive SD508, DadoKing or similar setups.

[Allen Bookout]

Freud 608 Dial-A-Width. Especially if you are going to be doing cabinet work due to the super easy adjustability. Get close and a few clicks and you are there. Cuts really good also. Did I mention how easy it is to adjust?

The Forrest has to be great and the Infinity blades that I have are excellent so I expect their dado set is also.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Dewalt 7670 is well thought of at $99--it's hard to beat.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Freud SD508 for $128 ($159 - 20% off with 20offpta code)


http://www.amazon.com/Freud-SD508-Super-8-Inch-Stack/dp/B00004RK0P/sr=8-1/qid=1172544881/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2704846-0142401?ie=UTF8&s=hi

[Doug Long]

Thanks guys for the replies so far, I still haven't decided. Like I said, I'm after precision, and would like some real world input,sometimes I think the mag reveiws are a little bias.

[scott spencer]

You might checkout the Ridge Carbide thru Holbren. Also the Forrest and Infinity are highly regarded. I've been pleased with my DW7670 so far but all I can compare it to is my SD208.

http://www.epinions.com/DW7670 (http://www.epinions.com/content_314538299012)

[Ken Milhinch]

The Forrest Dado King for my money. Clean flat bottoms and slices wood like butter.

[Darroll Walsh]

Yeah but is the Dado King worth $100 more than the Freud SD508?

[Rob Bodenschatz]

Freud 608 Dial-A-Width.

If you go with this, be sure to measure your arbor length. You may exclude yourself from wider dadoes if you don't.

[frank shic]

doug, here's another idea: BAG THE DADOS. for most of my cabinetwork, i use confirmat screws. on stuff that will be exposed on the sides, i use biscuits. think about all the steps you can eliminate: swapping the sawblade, adjusting the dado stack, swapping the blade insert, running test pieces for fit, adjusting the piece so that the dados go EXACTLY where you want them to fit, gluing it up and clamping it - not to mention that you'll probably need ANOTHER form of fastening like nails or screws! if you're dead-set on dado'ing, the freud dial-a-width looks pretty hard to beat.

[Dan Forman]

I have the Freud dial a width (608) and have no complaints, clean, flat bottoms. The easy adjustability is what sold me. I haven't used the others though.

Dan

[Ken Milhinch]

Yeah but is the Dado King worth $100 more than the Freud SD508?

It is in my opinion. The only Freud blade I have used in my table saw got itself bent out of shape when I experienced a kickback on a piece of 1/4" MDF. That blade still hangs on my walll to remind me of kickback safety, but it also reminds me of how disappointing the Freud blade was. Today I was using the Freud SD 208 cutting half laps on my radial arm saw, and I would have to say they were ok for what I was doing, (a bench top frame) but totally unacceptable for cabinetry work. In summary, I don't have a very high opinion of Freud blades, but I must confess I haven't used the dial-a-width version.

[Lou Ferrarini]

I have the Freud 608. I love not having to mess with shims.