Freud 8 In. Professional Stacked Dado (SD208)

Do yourself a favor and set this stack up the way one does who wants it right the first time.Lay the stack on your cast iron table saw. Build the stack as in directions.Then lay actual, or a scrap off cut of the board or panel you will be cutting the dado for up against the cutters.Feel for a perfect match. Carbide too high, add a shim. Too low remove one. When you get the stack exactly even, then measure your shims and find the combination that will give you three thousands more that what was even. More times than not, this method will get you right the first time!I read the reviews. I received the package. Within 20 minutes I cut my first dado. And “come on people” with 95% five star reviews, do you really think that there is anything wrong with this stack? Let me say that some people could complain about free gold bricks. This thing cuts the best dado I have ever seen. It was so clean, so flat and the blades cut so effortlessly that I couldn’t feel them enter the wood. It ran with absolutely no vibration (less than my thin kerf blade). The components are very substantial, and you get enough shims to do anything you want. I actually set it to 3/4” as directed. Made the cut without shims, and then measured the cut. I could have added one shim and made the dado perfect for the scrap board I was using in this test, but I just took that dimension dialed in my planer to cut the board .003 thinner than the dado width and it fit perfect. There was absolutely no signs of multi cut in the flat bottom of the cut. I ran my nail across the width thinking it was there and I just couldn’t see it but nothing but perfect cut. I then checked the dado depth with my depth mic, and it was perfect. Now I don’t have a $5000.00 Saw Stop setup, I have a well maintained 3hp contractors saw that I bought in 1990. The arbor is obviously better than some of the saw arbors that people have been using to get the kind of results they complain about from this stack. As I went to install the set, I thought of all the complaints I’ve read about this set. With every individual plate I installed, I waited for either a tight fit, or a loose condition. They fit so perfectly that as I checked the fit by trying to get some wiggle on the arbor, there was none! It was like the set was custom fit for my saw. The set ran so smooth and quiet compared to anything I put on this saw, it was hard to believe. If I were younger, I would buy two of these. You will never have the opportunity to get one this good this cheep in upcoming years. But I’ll be gone by then, and I’m not concerned about buying one for whoever ends up with my tools. If you are making half lap joints, please be sure your blade tilt is parallel with table. I read where one person commented on review that the dado bottom showed steps as the move over multiple blade widths. I wish people would review the product instead of their inability for deductive reasoning

After researching and shopping around for a dado set, I finally decided on the Freud SD208. Bear in mind, for the last 30 plus years, my personal set was a Craftsman Kromedge 8" 'Satin Edge' dado set, which wasn't all that bad. While the chippers were carbide, the 2 main blades were not. I could still cut plywood, but solid wood looked more like I was cutting my dados with a torch! Our shop had a nice 10" Freud set, but I've retired and no longer have access to itMy main priorities for a replacement set were; 1) good carbide, 2) good clean cut and flat bottom, and 3) price that won't break the bank. Obviously that last point eliminated the 10" sets, and even if you could find a decent price on a 10" set, chances are you're going to sacrifice on the carbide and/or cut. As far as my intended use, since retiring I now just make cabinets, bookcases, and woodwork for family, friends and fun. So my budget was under $150.The first thing I noticed removing the blades from the case was how big the carbide teeth are on the main blades. The alternating bevel teeth are big, but the main chipper looks huge. Installing the blades, the shaft hole fits snug but doesn't catch like some of my old blades.The shims require a little patience as the thinnest ones can fall in the shaft threads, but from my experience that's just the facts of life. It cuts effortlessly, clean, and smooth. I'm satisfied overall, with only two small issues. First is, the smallest dado you can cut is a full 1/4" (using just one blade), which makes my drawer bottoms a little sloppy. I want a little clearance for expansion, but this is too much. I tried using one chipper blade as they're thinner, but that's not what they're designed for and it splintered the wood. Of course this has more to do with modern plywood dimensions, but dado manufacturers know the industry trends. Second, while there is a good assortment of shims for a wide variety of widths, I would like to see included in the set a 1/16" chipper. I have one in my old set and it seems like I used it in almost every setup I encountered. I don't know if even more expensive sets include them or maybe they're a thing of the past. And I know the shims give an almost infinite variety of widths. But after 30 plus years of using one, it was my go-to blade. I consider these minor nuisances, and the plus factor of beefy carbide teeth clearly outweighs my narrow dado issue.If I were to purchase another set today, I wouldn't hesitate to get this one. I've never had a bad experience with Freud, they are a top-notch company. I'm still using re-sharpened 20 year old Freud blades in my shop today!

Awesome dado stack at a reasonable price. Lots of possible configuration for precision dados. Comes with 2 outside cutter blades, 3 chippers, 3 spacers and a variety of thin shims in a range of thicknesses. I bought this to use on my SawStop pro and it fits great. If you have a Sawstop you need the dado brake and you will need to adjust the spacing every time you switch back and forth, which is not a huge hassle after you do it a few times. This would be the case with this saw and any dado stack. I like the blade holder it comes with. Make sure to hold on to the paper that comes with it because it shows you how many blades, spacers, shims, etc you need to achieve a give width of cut. Make sure none of the carbide tips are touching and are staggered when you install the stack so as to not chip any of the carbide teeth. My only complaint is that there are no detailed instructions on how to use a dado stack so if you are a beginner and never used one before I recommend watching some youtube videos.