Stacked Dado or "Wobble" Dado?

Hello All, I am considering buying a Dado blade for my Delta contractors table saw and was wondering which type is the best. The "stacked" Dado costs about $80 at the Home Depot while the "wobble" costs about $30. I assume the stacked is better since its more expensive and still sold, but is it worth the extra money. All opinions are welcome.

Thanks, Vince

Reply to
VINCENT BELANSKY
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We work with a stacked Dado at school and have gotten very clean cuts. My daughter uses the wobble type at her high school and the cuts aren't as clean...but that can be from teen abuse.

Reply to
Wilson

I,ve had both....like the stacked dado better...easier to set without guessing, and the bottom cut if flat, not curved.

Reply to
George Berlinger

No question about it, get the stacked. If you can't do the $80, then get the one at Harbor Freight for $20 when it is on sale. Don't do a wobble.

Reply to
Bruce

If you check the American Woodworker web site you'll see a review of stacked dado blades with the Freud SD 208 being a Best Buy at $90 (the 6" version SD

206 sells for $74 delivered at Amazon). As far as wobble-type blades go they say: "Wobble-type dado blades were not included in this test because we found their performance to be far inferior to the stacking types with little or no cost benefit."
Reply to
GRL

Router!!! Use your router instead! Much more fun to have another tool to grab than to stop and have to change over blades.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

I have NOT read any of the replies yet...

BUT...I bet most (vast majority) of the replies you get will agree with me ...................The STACKED set is definately worth the extra...

Better in almost every way...

Bob Griffiths

Reply to
Bob G.

Well , I have the wobble type, ( only because it was a gift ) and it is GREAT!! OK ,so it ain't so great. If you like dado's with rounded profiles ,then it is good. If you like dado's with nice crisp square lines, then maybe it's a bit lacking To be honest, I find that I make dado's with my regular saw blade and chipping away at the cut , rather than changing saw blades. My wobble dado now hangs on the wall of my shop underneath my saw/clock. At least my DULL saw blade that I made the saw/clock out of is still usefull. ;-)

my 2 cents

Doug

"VINCENT BELANSKY" wrote

Reply to
Doug

Forget the wobble, they will not make a clean cut.

I recently bought a Ridge Carbide 8" stacked dado set and used it seriously for the first time this afternoon. It works like a charm. Easy to set up and made a perfect slot for the alleged 3/4" plywood. It is really 23/32 and you can set the stakc to do exactly that, or shim it if the plywood runs oversized for some reason.

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Not cheap, but is is a good one. I'm sure other perform well also. Check Lee Valley, etc also.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

What I find fun is setting my wobble in my contractors saw, setting it to maximum width, turning on the saw, and watching the saw vibrate itself all over my shop. Like a sleeping beast coming to life! Chases the dog away, too! What can I say?!? I'm easily entertained!

Reply to
Mark and Kim Smith

------snip-snip--------

IHHO the following Harbor Freight cuts at least as well as my high dollar Forrest Set. The Forrest Set chippers have 4 teeth each but the HF has 6. The 6 teeth on the chipper makes a considerable difference. I've posted pictures here abouts showing comparison cuts of this unit. They have this set on sale usually for about $40.

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you might be interested in a study I made some time ago(and really needs to be updated with the above dado set)

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Reply to
Lawrence L'Hote

Wobble Dados are more dangerous in use, so much more that (at least) in Germany they are completely forbidden. Use the stacked one.

Reply to
Juergen Hannappel

Can you tell me what makes them so?

Reply to
LP

Aren't stacked dados also considered too dangerous in Europe, to the extent that saws are sold with stub arbors to prevent their use?

Charlie Self I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.

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Reply to
Charlie Self

LP asks:

Crank one up in 1/2" or larger configuration and then come back and ask that question. The sound and view will make your neck hair stand up straight.

Charlie Self I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.

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Reply to
Charlie Self

No.

Reply to
Juergen Hannappel

Juergen Hannappel responds:

Is it only in Limey Land, then? We've been told, repeatedly, that EU table saws have arbors shortened to make using dado sets impractical. I think the wobbles would still fit, but I'm working on hearsay.

Charlie Self I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.

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Reply to
Charlie Self

Most woodworkers prefer a stacked dado. I have a double wobble dado with a dial to adjust the width. I paid about $100 for it. Adjusted properly, it will cut a flat bottom. I'd probably look for quality rather than price or type, and look for a well-written instruction booklet.

Reply to
Phisherman

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