Top 10 Best Dado Blade Set Reviews [Reddit Choices]
Make your woodworking projects safer and time-saving with the best dado blades. These are great blades that enable you to cut grooves and joints when you need to join two wood pieces. To select a suitable dado blade, you need to be keen because the blades vary significantly in various features.
While you might opt to choose a cheap blade to keep your budget low, you might not get the best results in your woodworking projects. It is excellent to get a high-quality blade with the right teeth and consider the blade’s compatibility with your tool.
We have researched quality dado blades to help you pick the right dado blade. Our product reviews highlight the outstanding aspects of top picks as well as their pros and cons. Additionally, we have a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you determine the ideal dado blades. With that information, you will have the confidence to select the right product.
Top 10 Best Dado Blade review 2022
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Dealing with grooves requires extra care, no matter how skilled a woodworker you are. You can only satisfactory results if you invest in the best dado blade. If you don’t want to end up with the wrong blade, you need to research extensively and compare different products.
When picking our top choices, we spent many research hours and tested a wide range of dado blades from many brands. We considered various aspects like power, size, insert plates, compatibility, and blade type. All these and other factors enabled us to sample these top 10 dado blade set.
1. Freud dado set review – 6″ x 10T Freud Pro Dado Set
Freud is a top manufacturer when it comes to the production of quality industrial saws. This model is well-crafted with the best materials and features an innovative design to give you the best performance and durable life. The dado blade features negative hook angles that make cuts with no splinters and flat bottom grooves.
The presence of 2 wing chippers and two blades make it suitable for tools with little power since it needs less feeding power. Woodworkers will enjoy flexibility when cutting laminates, hardwoods, and other materials. However, it is ideal to use the saw on non-ferrous materials. You will love the anti-kickback design of this saw that gives you safety when handling your projects.
You will also enjoy maximum performance with this blade because it features a superior construction. Therefore, the blade can handle more sharpening without compromising its precision. On top of that, it features a tri-metal brazing process that makes the blade impact resistant. So, if you need a durable blade, this is a top choice.
Pros
- A great blade that provides splinter-free cuts.
- It can handle frequent sharpening while maintaining its precision.
- This dado blade is durable and offers maximum performance.
- Anti-kickback design makes it safe to use.
- The excellent coating prevents build-up on the blade.
Cons
- It chips laminates.
- The inner cutters have a small diameter.
2. DEWALT Dado Blade Set 8-inches: Dewalt dw7670 review
This is a heavy gauge blade with 24 teeth for precise cutting. The dado blade features laser cut plates to give you accurate cuts. Its micro-grain teeth provide clean cuts on your projects while ensuring no splinters. On top of that, the blade is designed with 4-tooth chippers to provide smoother and flat bottom cuts.
You will also appreciate the stainless steel shims that give easy and fine adjustments on the width. Transporting or storing this blade when it is not in use is easy. This is because it has a quality storage case that ensures the blade doesn’t damage or chop the teeth.
This blade provides a versatile application for cabinet makers, professionals, and woodworkers who need quality. You can achieve rabbet cuts, half-lap joints, and dado cuts on materials like melamine, hardwoods, plywood, and softwood.
Pros
- It has a laser-cut plate for accurate cuts.
- The blade offers smooth and flat bottom cuts.
- It is easy to set up the blade.
- You will get excellent performance for the price.
- It comes with a robust storage case.
Cons
- Complaints of uneven teeth
- The blade doesn’t come with a manual
- It only works well with soft materials.
3. The Mibro Group 416381 8″ – Best Stacking Dado Blade Set.
Enjoy flat bottoms, lean edges, and square shoulders with this amazing dado blade. It works well on different materials like wood, composite wood material, and plywood. Moreover, you can use the blade to make a wide range of cuts like dado, tenon, rabbet, mortise, fillet, and groove.
The two blades feature a five beveled cutting tooth pattern followed by one straight raker tooth. Working with this blade is safe since it has an anti-kickback tooth profile to ensure the blade doesn’t fit the material quickly. All the teeth are well-welded into the blade, offering a centered and exact blade placement.
Moreover, it has larger carbide teeth, which makes the blade durable. The premium carbide ensures the carbide doesn’t fracture or chip when using the blade. Another great thing is the shims’ presence to get a fine adjustment on the dado set up the width.
Pros
- Nice storage case for easy storage
- Works well with various material
- Great for professionals, woodworkers, and DIY
- You can make different types of cuts.
- Extra carbide teeth promote the overall life.
- Anti-kickback design prevents quicker material feeding.
Cons
- Some users get uneven cuts.
- The blade is not accurate.
4. 8″ freud dado set review – freud dado blade set for all saws.
For a serious woodworker, then you need a quality dado blade set for your projects. Investing in the Freud stacked dado blade set will give you the desired outcomes for your woodworking projects. This blade has an excellent presentation, and it delivers beautiful cuts. You will find two blades, tree chippers, a shim set, and three spacers in the set.
The blade features a quality carbide crosscutting combination to give you maximum performance. Additionally, you will find a coating to ensure no build-up takes place on the blade. Therefore, the blade will always run cleaner and cooler.
Pros
- Great quality blade sets
- Easy to set up and gives clean cuts
- The blades are sharp and strong.
- Provides excellent flat-bottomed cuts
- The blade is super accurate.
- Great blade for the price
Cons
- Poor quality control
- Complaints of chipped blade
5. freud sbox8 box joint cutter set.
This is another Freud blade that works well for hardwood, softwood, plywood, chipboard, laminate, and non-ferrous materials. It is great for professionals and hobbyists who want to achieve high-quality cuts. This blade features a patented dial system to enable you to make accurate adjustments for accurate cuts.
Just like other Freud blades, this one features a quality material and an innovative design to give you superior performance. It features a titanium cobalt carbide for maximum performance. Additionally, the silver coating ensures no build-up on the blade’s surface. All the chippers and the blades feature an anti-kickback design for safety purposes.
Pros
- No need for a saw blade or dado set
- Innovative design for superior performance
- Excellent for softwoods and hardwoods
- You will get box-joint instructions.
- Offers quality cuts at an affordable price
- Great for novice woodworkers
Cons
- Blades don’t have the same diameter.
- It dulls easily
6. Oshlun dado set review. oshlun 8 stack dado set.
Woodworkers who are after premium cuts will get the best from this dado blade set. It features a high tooth count to give smooth and precise bottom dado cuts from ¼ inches to 29/32 inches. It features precision ground C-4-micron grain carbide tips that remain longer and cut on different materials with ease. So, you can use it on plywood, softwood, and hardwood easily.
It features full body chippers to provide easy setup with minimal vibrations compared to other types of chippers. On top of that, each set features in-depth instructions for setup, and you will also get a shim set to enable you to make fine adjustments.
This blade produces small score marks on the outer edges to ensure splintering and tear-out doesn’t happen. You will also get a carrying case to store the blade safely.
Pros
- The chipper provides maximum adjustability.
- Works well on different material
- Great blade for woodworkers who need quality cuts
- Convenient carrying case for storage
- High tooth count for smooth dado cuts
- It gives easy setup and reduced vibration.
Cons
- The shims are unsafe to use
- You have to tune it to work.
- It doesn’t provide flat bottom grooves.
7. irwin dado blade review – irwin model # 1811865, Stacked, 8-Inch.
This dado blade set is excellent for radial arm saw and table saws. You can use the blade to make shelving, groove cuts, and rabbets. You can cut grooves ranging from ¼ inch to 7/8 inch with this blade. You will find two outer blades, seven shims, three spacers, and three chippers in the package. This blade features high-quality craftsmanship making it great for finish carpentry and fine woodworking projects.
It features a top-notch carbide to give flawless finishes and extended life. On top of that, the blades feature precision tensioning to provide you with great quality cuts. They also have a nonstick coating that dissipates heat to enable you to get clean and true cuts. You can use this dado blade on plywood, hardwood, and melamine.
Pros
- Great and long-lasting blade
- It is great for cutting metal roofing sheets.
- Effective and durable
- It has a nonstick coating and is heat resistant.
- It provides accurate and smoother cuts.
Cons
- The blade is difficult to use
- End gran gets deep scratches.
8. diablo dado blade review – STCKD DADO BLD SET 8″12T
When choosing a blade for your projects, it is great to have quality in mind to get the best outcomes. A blade like this will take your woodworking projects to a higher level since it makes cuts with no splinters. Additionally, you will achieve the best flat-bottom grooves with this blade set. You will get two blades, a carrying case, shims, and two wing chippers.
It also features micro-grain titanium carbide that ensures durability and precise cuts. You can re-sharpen this blade several times when you need to make grooves from ¼- 13/16 inches in 1/16 inch increments. The blade also features a perma-shield and a nonstick coating to protect against corrosion, heat and gumming.
Pros
- It makes clean cuts.
- Great value blade for woodworking.
- Laser-cut arbors provide precise blade rotation.
- Durable and give accurate cuts.
- You will get a carrying case.
- The shims have a durable design.
Cons
- No negative reviews.
9. Freud 8″ x 22T Safety Dado Sets
Make rabbets, cutting slots, and dadoes in hardwood and softwood with this fantastic blade. It will serve you well when you need to make square shoulders and flat grooves with no splinters. The blade is razor-sharp on the outside to provide you with the ultimate precision you need. Additionally, it is safer to use since it features an anti-kickback design to give you a safe operation.
This blade has 5/8 inch arbors that cut dadoes entirely to give flat and clean cuts. It makes accurate cuts on the first pass, so you will not make repeated passes on your workpiece. The flexibility of this blade makes it work well with laminates, hardwoods, and other materials. However, please do not use it for non-ferrous materials.
The included five chippers save energy and time while the two-wing design eliminates wastes on your workpiece. Moreover, the shim allows you to fine-tune your cuts from ¼-13/16 inches with 1/16 increments.
Pros
- Quality dado blades with superb craftsmanship
- It provides clean and sharp cuts.
- Great for different materials and cuts
- Chippers save energy and time.
- It makes splinter-free cuts.
- Anti-kickback design for safe use
Cons
- Picture is misleading
10. freud super dado set – 8″ x 24T.
Get the Freud to help you make quality dado cuts on solid wood, laminates, and plywood. The blade provides flat bottom and splinter-free cuts on all your materials. This is the first dado set to include a thick chipper 3/32 inches. Additionally, it has an adjustable and flexible design to enable you to handle undersized plywood.
Therefore, you can adjust the cutting width in increments of 1/32 inches. The blade comes with a shim set to enable you to achieve fine adjustments. You can use the blade on radial arm saws or table saws to make various cuts like dadoes, rabbets, cutting slots, and grooves.
The sharp blade provides smooth cuts on the first pass, so you will not spend time making repeated passes on your material. You will also love the anti-kickback design that gives you safe use always. This blade also provides a long-lasting performance since all the components feature Tico Hi-density carbide to handle numerous sharpening.
Pros
- It provides accurate and smooth cuts.
- Premium quality components for durable use
- Anti-kickback ensures safe operation.
- You will get a carrying case for storage.
- Great for different materials except for non-ferrous materials
Cons
- Not ideal for saw tops
- The blade is excellent but poor packaging.
What Is a Dado Blade?
A dado blade is an example of a circular saw blade that works together with a radial arm saw or a table saw. It used to cut grooves and dados by woodworkers. They cut the grooves of a wood that is wider than the traditional cuts of a saw. They also interlock joints are common when making drawers, cabinets, bookshelves, and door panels.
We classify the Dado blades are into two categories depending on their appearance. Stacked dado blades appear like a series of cutters stacked together, forming a much wider when put together. On the other hand, the wobble blades use a single blade to make a groove cut on a material. They do not wobble but exhibit an offset rotation that results from those of the stacked dado blades.
Four Tips for Table Saw as A Safety Guide
You are not supposed to put on gloves when operating a table saw. This ensures that the tactile sense is not lost. Keep the floor that is in front of the saw free from the piled up sawdust and cut-offs. Wear proper ear and eye protection. Protect your eyes due to the projectiles. You can experience a hearing loss creep without any warning if you do not protect your ears.
Using A Feather Board
You use the feather boards to help keep hold wood for a straight cut against the fence. You pull out the feather boards for straight and smooth cuts when it becomes tough for you to keep the board aligned well with the fence. Your fingers should be slightly flexible when making cuts at an angle to allow you to maintain the firm while pushing the wood through.
Feather boards also allow you to hold and dig in your piece of wood in place if it begins to kickback.
Using A Splitter
A splitter in a dado blade, also termed as a spreader, you place it on the rear trunnion of the saw, making the saw stationary’s height. It rotates together with the blade but does not make up and down movements. When operating, you must remove it from the saw before having any non-through cuts.
Wear Proper Attire
Proper attire involves putting on safety eye-protection goggles, with a professional’s best design for your use when working with wood. You must keep your body, hair, and clothing off the spinning blade. You are not supposed to put on any forms of jewelry or ornaments while operating a dado blade. Ear and eye protection are worn must be of industrial quality.
Common Sense Operation
When operating the dado blades, common sense involves switching off the power supply during the blades’ changes. You are also supposed to keep your working space free from obstacles. Excessive sawdust is an example of barriers that may hinder the proper operation.
You are required to test and fit the blade properly before moving it free to use. You should also avoid reaching over the blade.
Four Most Uses of Dado Blades
Their main purpose is to interlock joints commonly found in the door panels, cabinets, and bookshelves. For this reason, you can use them for interlocking applications. You can use the dado blades to make perfect cut joints and grooves more quickly than other methods, and this process is a bit quick and more efficient.
Dado Joint
A dado joint is a strong woodwork connection you make when using a dado blade. It is easy to construct, even though it is strong. It is simply a three-sided channel on a one-work piece, which runs across the wood’s grain, where another workpiece fits. They form an incredible shear resistance since you capture the workpiece on three sides.
Tenon
A Tenon joint is an interconnection between two pieces of wood. As a woodworker, you should consider using the Tenon joints, especially when making a 90-degree adjoining. This type of joint is strong and durable, and for this reason, it qualifies to be the most preferred joint style when adjoining furniture.
An advantage of using the Tenon joint is that the wood’s contractions and expansions, because of humidity and temperature change less affect it.
Rabbet
A rabbet joint is a channel cut from a wok piece’s edge, where you join a second piece to the first piece by setting the end grain to a Rabbet. You can use the rabbet joints when you need to reduce the end grain amount visible from a corner. A Rabbet joint is much more robust when comparing it to the simple butt joints.
Finger Joint
This is a woodworking joint that results from making a complementary set cutting to interlock two pieces of wood or more that are then glued together. The joint’s cross-section takes after the interlocking fingers of two hands, thus obtaining the name. Each side of the profile makes the gluing surface area to increase, thus forming a strong bond.
Two Types of Dado Blades
Wobble dado blade
It is a single blade having an offset rotation. It wobbles away during the cutting process, thus creating an “s” pattern around the plate width. This is where you make your desires cut width adjustment.
This is a single wobble example of a dado blade that is single and has an offset rotation. It has a circular blade mounted on an adjustable multi-piece hub that varies the blade’s angle to the arbor shaft. The dado cut’s width increases as the angle go further from the 90 degrees radial normal. It wobbles away during the cutting process, thus creating an “s” pattern around the plate width. This is where you make your desires cut width adjustment. The magnitude of the vibrations from the dado blade varies with the angular offset of the blade.
Stacked dado blade
It is a series of stack blades, which create wider blades. You can intersperse these blades with spacers to make precise cuts. Stacked dado blades have chipper blades to the outside, which will help you determine the cut’s length.
A stacked dado blade comprises two saw blades that are circular and fixed on each side of the removable chippers’ sides. When the dado set spins, the outside blades cut through the dado walls; hence the chippers remove waste materials formed in between.
In the stack blades that create wider blades, you can intersperse these blades with spacers to make precise cuts. Stacked dado blades have chipper blades to the outside, which will help you determine the cut’s length. Consequently, when you change the dado width, you require removing completely the dado blade set away from the arbor.
Buying Guide: How to choose the best dado blades sets
For you to find the best and effective dado blade sets, there are a few characteristics you need to look at. Mainly, get a stacked set instead of a single wobble set. Choose a more tough material, such as titanium, and a carbide of high density.
When you want to experience a smooth cut in your woodwork, you should aim for a higher end of teeth or a shim set. When it comes to safety, opt for the dado blades capable of making safer and more accurate cuts.
What is the best wobble or stacked dado blade set?
For stack dado blade, consider Oshlun SDS-0842.
It produces smooth bottom cuts that range from 1/4 –inch and 29/32-inch. The 8-inch blade will allow you to make relatively deep cuts. This dado set will make you set up quickly because it causes fewer vibrations than the blades having wing style chippers. To prevent splintering, these blades produce score marks on the outer edges.
For a wobble dado blade, consider the one that has fewer parts. This will ensure you spend less time when setting up. After all, if you make accurate cuts for an almost perfect joint, then the wobble dado blade is best for you.
What size do you want, 8-inch or 6-inch?
Most of the dado blades come in two sizes, the 6-inch and the 8-inch. When you are in the market purchasing, consider the 6-inch stack. This is because it has a cut quality similar to that of the 8-inch version. The only advantage of it is that you will not work hard to spin the entire workpiece around.
The smaller the blade diameter, the closer you get to the cutting stop mark. The 6-inch blade will probably cut faster as it has an increased spinning speed compared to the 8-inch blade. The 6-inch blade is also cheaper to re-sharpen because it has fewer teeth.
What is the dado blades made from?
You use a dado blade on the table saw when you are necessarily making a wide groove, especially for a Dado’s joint. The dado blade consists of several components. There are dual blades, which look similar to the normal saw blades, referred to as plates. The teeth on the blades contain tooth grinds that are different from the normal blades.
It also contains chippers and shims. Chippers become handy when you want to make wider cuts. The chippers contain four teeth, which also help to remove any unnecessary material on its bottom. There is also a hand arbor to the left or right, which will help you when making a prototype dado.
What can the dado blade cut?
Dado cutting is usually the process of making an additional groove to aboard. When dealing with woodworking, you will use the dado cuts to make a slot of holding door panels or drawer bottoms. Dado blades can also serve any function when you need the slot in aboard.
You can make dado grooves easily and quickly with the help of a table saw or a router. Additionally, you can also use dado blades when you want to make carefully crafted parts of furniture or when you want to design several pieces of wood at once.
How to find best accurate cutting dado blades sets
When making specific radial cuts, you are required to opt for the dado blades, as it is one of the best options. Most of the best table saws are well equipped with the best blades, including the dado blades. Their advantage is that they can operate on four thousand rotations in a single minute. There are improved cutting blades as technology increases with an increase in innovations.
For accurate cuttings, you should look for a dado blade that operates on an electrical signal provided by the blade as a safety system. Whenever the blade encounters the skin, the safety system is initialized; thus, a spring coming off the blade in a concise period, hence preventing accidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dado blades are hazardous. This is because their edges are sharp, so you should handle them carefully. If you are not used to them or do not know how to manage them carefully, you are advised to keep them off.
You use them together with a radial arm saw or a table saw to cut grooves or dadoes in your woodworking.
Oshlun gives a lifetime warranty, and their products are relatively less expensive, making them ideal for you, saving your money and time. The woodworkers who have used them highly rate them for their efficiency.
Dado blades are illegal, especially in the U.K.; this is because, for you to order one, the authorities have to remove the riving knife and the guard, making it unsafe.
If the arbor hole’s diameter matches the arbor hole’s diameter on the radial arm saw or of the table saw, you can use an 8-inch dado on a ten-inch table saw.
The “DEWALT DWE7491RS” table saw is among the readily available table saws, which can accept both the dado sets and the dado blades. This model makes efficient as it makes quick cuts when making dado cuts. It also provides more room for making cuts when you are operating long workpieces.
There is no problem when using a Dewalt saw blade to accommodate a dado blade. This is because small to medium-sized table saws contain relatively small arbors that can safely accommodate any full stacked dado blade set.
Final Words
A Dado blade is an essential woodworking tool you need in your workshop. These blades are great for serious woodworkers who want to get the best from their projects. With plenty of dado blades on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose correctly. However, this doesn’t mean it is impossible to get a high-quality blade. The most crucial thing is to get a blade that meets your needs. All the above blades are great for professional and hobbyists, and they have different budgets to help you choose.
We have given you all the helpful resources you need when buying the best dado blades. With unbiased reviews and buying tips, you will get the right blade to suit your needs. Our overall pick is the Freud bade with Titanium Cobalt Carbide construction. The Mibro blade is kind on your pocket and provides smooth cuts. The DEWALT Dado Blade is suitable for professionals and woodworkers who are quality-conscious.
