Dado Blade Sets

A dado blade set primarily consists of two outer carbide-tipped saw blades that cut the clean edges of a groove, and a series of inner chippers (usually ranging from 1/16-inch to 1/4-inch thicknesses) that remove the remaining material between those outer edges. The set also includes thin metal shims for micro-adjusting the exact width of the cut to match standard plywood thicknesses precisely.

Stacked dado blades typically feature outside saw blades with 24 to 30 teeth and chippers with 2 to 6 teeth, which provides an optimal balance for clean, tear-free cross-grain and rip-grain cuts.

The two main types are stacked dado blade sets (comprising two outside saw blades and several chippers) and adjustable dado blades (which use a single angled hub to vary the groove width).

The Freud Diablo 8-Inch Stacked Dado Set (D804) is widely considered the best overall dado blade set for woodworkers, offering exceptional value, clean splinter-free cuts in plywood and hardwoods, and precision shim adjustments for dead-on flat-bottomed dados.

A standard 6-inch dado blade set typically cuts to a maximum depth of 1 inch to 1-1/8 inches, depending on the arbor height and throat plate clearance of your specific table saw model.