What size dado blade?

[Ken]

I am looking to purchase a dado blade for my tablesaw. I have a 10" jet contractors saw. What size balde should I go with? A 6" or an

8". Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Rob]

Your saw can handle an 8" but you probably only need a 6".

I bought an 8" but never cut a dado deeper than about a half an inch.

Go for the 6" and save some money unless you see the need to cut a really deep dado.

Rob

[GeeDubb]

Go for the 8". I use a crosscut sled that has a 5/8" bottom and a 6" wouldn't cut high enough for some of the notching applications I've done. You can always lower an 8" blade but you can't stretch a 6" up!

Gary

Rob wrote:

[John Crea]

If you are not going to be cutting real DEEP dado's, save some bucks and get the 6in dado

John

[Slowhand]

A good dado blade is expensive no matter how you look at it. If you want good results, buy a good dado. I have had experience with stackable dado's ranging from a craftsman, forrest, and the freud. Stay away from the craftsman. The forrest is very nice and cuts perfect dados but uses shims for adjustment. I own the freud SD 608 (dial a depth) and it cuts perfect dados. With that being said, your saw will handle both a 6" and an 8". If it were me, I would spend the extra dough and buy the 8". Have fun dadoing! SH

[Dr. Deb]

You can get an 8" Freud for about $70.00, if you shop around and the 6" is not going to be that much less. This is a perfect of the Brit phrase of "penny wise and pound foolish." If it were me, I would go for the 8" and its benefits, over the smaller 6".

Deb

[Dick Durbin]

My Jet contractor's saw works just fine with an 8" set. That's what I would suggest.

Dick Durbin Tallahassee

[Lew Hodgett]

You only go around once.

Nuf said.

[Larry C in Auburn, WA]

Just another thought for someone to chew on: The contractor saw will obviously fit an 8" blade and the cost isn't much greater over a 6" blade so the choice would seem obvious, but... Is there a power issue? Maybe there isn't an issue with the power needs of an 8" dado blade compared to a 6" one, but maybe there is. Should Ken be concerned about whether his contractor's saw has enough power for an 8" dado blade? For a given dado depth and width, an 8" blade will take a bigger bite than a 6" blade which will then tax the motor more.

[Henry Bibb]

For what it's worth, I use a Freud 8 inch on a Craftsman saw, with the original Sears motor. I doubt Ken would have a power problem.. :)

Henry Bibb

[Rob]

I used an 8" on a Delta contractors saw with a 1 1/2 hp motor before I bought my Unisaw it worked fine.

I'd still go with the 6".

Rob

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

So did I, but with a Jet.

I wouldn't. Think crosscut sled.

Barry