Replies

1. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 08, 2005 11:39pm | #1

   Haven't tried them all, but I do have a Freud and a Forrest -- and the latter wins hands down.

   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   Dustmight | Aug 08, 2005 11:53pm | #2

   Wood Mag's review made a similar claim...

1. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 09, 2005 12:55am | #3

   I suppose I should feel my opinion has been validated if some mag agrees with me .............The thing is the Freud set up is maybe half the cost of the Forrest. What you get with the Forrest is virtually no splintering with plywood, and just a little bit (of splintering) with the Freud.********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   LarryN | Aug 09, 2005 02:16am | #4

   Hands down, the best in my opinion, is the new Dewalt. I have had the Freud Super Dado for years and liked it. Then I was asked by a Dewalt rep to bring 2 friends to the B & D plant in Baltimore to test and give feedback on the new Dewalt stack dado. We didn't know it, but they had the Dewalt in one saw and the Freud in another. There was no difference. A few weeks later, I found a package on my front porch. It was the final version of the Dewalt. I was amazed at the quality of the cut. It was better than when we tested. The first cut I tried was a piece of oak plywood. There was absolutely no chipout. Not even a tiny piece. It's still the same a year later and I use it every day in my one man shop.

    

   I'm brutally honest and I'm not just saying this because of the test and the gift. If I had the chance to try it without the test, I would buy it in a heartbeat. The price is about $150-$160. The case is another engineering masterpiece. There's a place for everything and big plastic wing nuts to hold the outside blades in one side and the chippers in the other. The shims that come with it are held in place when the top is closed.

    

   My Freud is in a cabinet I made for it and it hasn't been used since I got the Dewalt. I know the Forrest is considered the best, but I don't see how it could be any better than the Dewalt. And the Dewalt is almost half the price.

1. 
   jazzdogg | Aug 09, 2005 03:53am | #5

   Larry,

   Do you have the model number?

   Is yours a 6" or and 8"?

   Thanks,-Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

2. 
   LarryN | Aug 09, 2005 04:47am | #6

   Jazz, I'll look for the model number tomorrow, but it's the only stacked dado Dewalt makes. It's 8 inch.

3. 
   jazzdogg | Aug 09, 2005 05:28am | #7

   Thanks, Larry!-Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

4. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 09, 2005 06:26am | #10

   Do you know if this is one of the blades they are manufacturing in England? A magazine friend told me he thought they were putting out some very good blades from this plant.********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

5. 
   LarryN | Aug 10, 2005 05:11am | #11

   Yes. The Dewalt rep and the guy from the factory in England came to my shop in the very early stages. The very first dado set they brought left a lot to be desired. It had been completely changed by the time we went to B & D.

    

   Larry

2. 
   ohcomeon | Aug 09, 2005 05:34am | #8

   I'd be curious to hear from anyone using the new Infinity Dadonator.  FWW gave it rave reviews, on par with the Forrest, and also much less $$.

1. 
   Ricks503 | Aug 10, 2005 03:56pm | #16

   I would like info on the infinity too.  I have heard it has received a number of excellent reviews.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1

3. 
   KesslerCraftsman | Aug 09, 2005 05:44am | #9

   I've got the Forrest and, although the price is high and the wait is long, the cut is nothing short of incredible!

   BTW, I'm a different Larry!  Smile.

   lp

4. 
   troys | Aug 10, 2005 06:16am | #12

   Have a Freud Super Dado (8") and have been very happy. Saw (pardon the pun) one on e-bay being sold buy the Sears outlet store and it went for 50 bucks. Anyway I like mine.
   Troy

5. 
   troys | Aug 10, 2005 06:17am | #13

   Almost forgot. Mine had a heavy coating of lacquer on it when I bought it. Be sure to clean which ever brand you get or you will have trouble getting the with of your cuts right.

6. 
   DougU | Aug 10, 2005 07:32am | #14

   I have the 508 Freud, works good. We have a Forrest at work and I like it a bit more but either are good.

   Doug

7. 
   forestgirl | Aug 10, 2005 09:29am | #15

   I have the Freud SD300 6" version and like it alot, but haven't used any others.  However, if I were to buy another I'd probably get the new Freud Dial-a-Width Dado, which they make in both 6" and 8".  It is a true stacked dado not a "wobble" dado, with a dial adjustment -- no shims needed. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

8. 
   bones | Aug 10, 2005 04:15pm | #17

   Can't speak for all, but I have owned three sets.  I love the dado king from Forrest.  Expensive but good. The other two I wont even mention.

9. 
   tarsalas | Aug 10, 2005 08:54pm | #18

   I have seen that Freud makes several 8 inch dados, ranging in price from $100 to $280.  With the obvious exception of the dial-a-width dado, is there a difference between the different Freud models?

1. 
   charlesm | Aug 11, 2005 12:22am | #19

   We offer the DD208 and SD208 in the lower price bracket. These have 12 tooth outer blades and 2 wing chippers with negative hook angles for use in solid wood, plywood and laminates. The SD308 has 22 teeth on the outers and 2 wing chippers and a positive hook angle for use primarily in solid wood. The top end is the SD508 which is 24 teeth outer and 4 wing chippers with negative hook (essentially the same parameters as the SD208 and DD208 but with twice as many teeth) and it has an extra 3/32" chipper for faster setups in plywood and laminates.Charles M
   Freud America, Inc.

1. 
   tarsalas | Aug 11, 2005 12:35am | #20

   Thanks.  I did not expect a reply straight from the source!

2. 
   jazzdogg | Aug 11, 2005 03:44am | #21

   Hi Charles,

   Thanks for the info. How does the dial-a-width stack up (so to speak) against the ones you mentioned?

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   charlesm | Aug 11, 2005 05:30am | #22

   The SD608 Dial-A-Width is virtualy the same as the SD508 Super Dado in terms of specs and cut. The difference being the lack of shims.

1. 
   jazzdogg | Aug 11, 2005 05:52am | #23

   Thanks, Charles!-Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie