Most woodworkers buy only one set of dado heads, so it’s important to find one that works well at the right price. Author Steve Latta tested 15 sets of 8-in. stacked dado sets with carbide teeth. He and his students compared more than 500 samples of dadoes cut cross-grain in red-oak veneer-core plywood and in particleboard-core melamine. They evaluated tearout, how deeply the outside blades cut a visible scribe, and whether the bottom of the cut was flat and smooth. Freud’s SD508 8-in. dado head produced excellent cuts in both plywood and melamine, with no visible scoring marks and smooth bottom cuts. Author’s choice for Best Overall.
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This tool is designed for convenience. The battery and pins are easy to load, and the safety lock operates with the same finger you use to pull the trigger. The depth of set is adjustable, there’s a work light, and there’s a hook for hanging the tool on your toolbelt. A gauge lets you keep track of when you’ll need to recharge.
While this sander is among the least expensive models in the test, its performance ranks among the best. The stock removal was excellent, and dust collection was solid when used with a vacuum. It handles really smoothly, too, and has a tall body that fit my hand nicely whether I was holding it from above or around the waist.
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