Best Dado Blades - Top Picks, Reviews & Complete Buying Guide
by Scott Miller Updated on
Woodworking fans would know how significant it is to have a good set of blades so that your work can be done easily and efficiently.
If you do not want to get irritated by low quality blades, we suggest you to go through our reviews, based on experiences of both satisfied and dissatisfied users and decide which model is the best for you.
We offer you top 5 best dado blades on the market, and if you are still unsure about which one to choose after you have taken a look at the various options of blades, we have also included a helpful buying guide detailing everything you should know prior to purchasing a Dado blades set.
The best of the best and rightfully put on the first place is the Oshlun SDS-0842 8-Inch 42 Tooth Dado Blade Set.
Among many of the quality and excellent features that this model distinguishes from the others and that we could not but mention are its teeth, meaning that this dado blade has the most teeth of all the blades – 42.
This results in fast and accurate cut from, ¼” to 29/32 inches.
Furthermore, the blade is 8 inches long, designed for deep dadoes and it is very useful for all kinds of wood, even the hardest one.
Last, but not the least advantage is the instructions manual.
It is done well, and the steps to set up this product are explained in detail so you would not have trouble setting it up.
What people found as a weakness is the packaging, which is quite poor.
When the well-known brand is in question, you cannot but expect the excellent tools.
DEWALT did great once again and made an amazing Dado blades set.
DEWALT DW7670 was 8 inches stacked dado blade, which is very well made, resulting in accurate, fast and deep cuts.
It is true that it has only 24 teeth, which is not as many as with our top pick, causing it not to be that fast.
Another issue that caused it not to be on the first position is that the two outermost blades are at an angle so you do not get a perfectly straight cut.
The set comes in a fantastic case for storing safely unlike the previous model.
The Freud SD208 is not a low quality set, but considering its producer, which is a very well-known and respected company, users expected a better product.
However, the producers have made a model for DIY use, thus not be able to fulfill heavy-duty tasks.
The set has two eight-inch outside blades, a set of steel shims, three 1/8-inch chippers, and three 1/16-inch spacers.
This tool allows you to handily sharpen all the blades making them as good as new.
With this tool, you will produce grooves from 1/4″ to 13/16″ in 1/16″ increments.
There has to be some weakness as it is on the fourth place.
The drawback of this model is that the two end blades end up cutting more profound than the chippers in the middle, which results in an uneven groove.
This is a very important issue and our suggestion is to avoid this model, as you would end up struggling with cuts and that is not what you want from a dado blade set.
As you have gone through the descriptions of the models, you can take a look at our buyers’ guide, which is there to give you further information about the best Dado sets on the market.
If you are a well-informed buyer, you are less likely to regret your decision.
What is a dado blade used for?
Many people would think why they need a dado blade for, while experienced woodworker or wood maker would appreciate having one.
Many years ago, woodcutting work was time consuming, difficult and done by hand.
Nowadays, the technology has advanced and created dado blades which not only save us a lot of time, but also make your craftsmanship of a higher quality and more efficient.
A dado blade is attached to your table or radial-arm saw and is there to allow you to produce perfect rivets, tendons, or dadoes.
A dado set, or dado blade is actually a circular saw blade used with a radial arm saw, or table saw, and there are two types of dado blades.
What is a stacked dado?
As we already mentioned, there are two types of dado blades, a stacked dado and a wobble blade.
A stacked dado set includes two circular saw blades fixed on either side of a set of removable chippers.
How wide the groove is going to be is determined by these chippers.
Whit this type of dado, the two outside blades are those that cut the dado walls, while the chippers are there to remove any waste material.
This results in a clean groove.
A stacked dado is difficult to set up.
In case you have to change the width of the groove, you will have to remove the dado set from the table saw and reconfigure the chippers.
What about wobble blade?
The second type is the wobble blade, which is a single blade system.
This dado blade consists of a circular blade mounted on a hub making the operation easier.
It is adjusted on the table saw by screwing the arbor nut tightly.
Wobble Blade comes in one piece.
The process of cutting consists of the following operations.
Firstly, the blades will spin at high speeds, then it wobbles and cut through the material.
This piece of equipment is cheaper and easier to set up, but you have to know that this type will not produce the same clean grooves that a stacked blade will.
How to know what type of blade is the best?
If you have trouble determining what type of blade is right for you, we are offering you the factors that you should have in mind when purchasing one.
Blade Type – As we have already spoken about the two options that available in the market, you might have already noticed that a stacked dado blade is more accurate and precise than a wobble blade. It will give you great versatility as it can cut different size grooves. A wobble dado blade is less accurate but tends to be cheaper.
Compatibility – As it is set on your table or radial blade saw, you have to pay attention to its compatibility. This means that you have to check is the dado blade set you have chosen can be set on your saw. The majority of blades will work will work with most saws, but what you have to check is whether your saw can handle a standard speed of the blade. Furthermore, there are tables that do not have a long enough arbor to hold a Dado set and you should not apply anyway force or fashion an extension to the arbor. If your table saw does not have a long arbor this means that it does not have enough power for a full dado set. What you should do in this case is to align the fence and cut one side of the dado. Then you should adjust the fence and make a second cut to complete the dado.
Size –When choosing a dado blade, you should not worry about the size too much as this is not too significant. All the blades above mentioned are 8-inch blades, and this size allow you to create grooves for almost anything. You should have in mind that the bigger the blade is the more power your saw will need. If you have a low power saw the 6-inch versions would be appropriate for you. The 10 and 12-inch blades are also available on the market, but they are industrial size blades.
What types of joint are available?
A dado blade allows you to cut several different types of joints and they include the dado or groove, the rabbet, or the tongue and groove joint.
Dado Joint – A dado ends before one or both cuts meet the edge of the surface and they are frequently used when mounting shelves to the base of a bookcase. It can be combined with a rabbet on an adjoining piece and make the rabbet and dado joint, sometimes used in case goods.
Rabbet – It is groove cut into the edge of a piece of wood. A rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface into which it is cut.
Tongue and Groove – This is a method of fitting similar objects together. Tongue and groove joints are used to fit two flat pieces to be joined together and make a single flat surface.
Safety tips
You should have in mind that dado blades are very dangerous pieces of equipment.
The fact is that they are quite sharp and can spin at up to 7000 rpm.
What you need to do is to follow the instructions provided in the blades manual related to the setting up and the usage of blades.
Once your stacked dado is attached to your saw’s arbor you need to be sure that the arbor nut is long enough for the full size of the dado and you should never use a dado blade with the throat plate removed.
One more safety tip is not to use a stacked dado or wobble dado with a circular saw as they are only designed for the correct radial arm or table saw.
Conclusion
We have created this article in order to make your decision a little easier when it comes to purchasing the best Dado blade.
Among all the options out there on the market, we have singled out the three models which are worth considering and two that should be avoided.
Once you are familiar with all the above mentioned characteristics, you will be able find a great product.
We suggest that you do not hesitate to get the best Dado blade set the Oshlun SDS-0842 8-Inch 42 Tooth if the budget is not an issue for you.
This is a versatile set which will allow you to work with even the hardest of woods.
If you are not able to afford the best of the best, another Dado blade for you is the MIBRO 416381 8″ Carbide – a fantastic set at a great price.
Fantastic list and some of these are a really good deal. The local hardware store asks a good 15% more over some of them. I have been looking for a new one and I think I have made my choice thanks to your buying guide here. Much appreciated.
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I know nothing about dado blades but my husband has expressed wanting a new one for some time now.
I was looking for an easy to follow buyer’s guide so I can make sure to buy him one he would love.
I still don’t know enough about them, but I at least have a few in mind.
I will see what brother thinks and go with the one he thinks is best.
Fantastic list and some of these are a really good deal. The local hardware store asks a good 15% more over some of them. I have been looking for a new one and I think I have made my choice thanks to your buying guide here. Much appreciated.