WOODPECKERS DADO SET
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| The Ultra-Shear dado set has a few unique aspects. The first you’ll likely notice is each chipper has 12 teeth. These have a spoke-like shape to reduce their weight. |
The second set of blades I’d like to look at from Woodpeckers is the newest addition to the Ultra-Shear line: their dado set (or their “Ultimate Dado Set 2.0” to be exact). There are a few things that make this dado stack stand out among others and improve on its last iteration.
THE CHIPPERS.
The first thing to catch your eye on this dado set will likely be the chippers. To minimize how many chippers you need to add to a stack,
Woodpeckers included three thicknesses: a thin 1⁄16" chipper, two 1⁄8" chippers, and a broad 1⁄4" chipper. Additionally, each chipper has 12 teeth rather than the usual 4. Now, you may be thinking that this sounds like one heavy dado stack, but they found an interesting way to cut down on the weight — page 22 gives you a good view of how. The 1⁄8" and 1⁄4" chippers are shaped like spokes, with cutouts inside to minimize material.
OUTER BLADES.
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| The Ultra-Shear dado set has three sizes of chipper: 1⁄16", 1⁄8", and 1⁄4". This saves on the number of chippers you need to install. | The negative hook angle of the outer blades’ teeth helps cleanly shear the sides of a joint, while the positive hook angle and high tooth count of the inner chippers creates a flat bottom. |
There are two things to note about the outer blades on this dado set, starting with the hook angle. As you can see in the right photo on the opposite page, the teeth on these chippers have a positive hook angle, set slightly forward, which helps cut a nice, flat bottom on a joint.
However, the outer blades are set at a negative hook angle. This aids their shearing action as you cut, making for cleaner edges on the joint and minimizing the risk of chipout with more fragile materials, like a plywood face veneer.
The second note regarding the outer blades is that they can be swapped out for a set of flat-top blades, similar to the 1⁄8" grooving blade. This option is excellent for cutting exposed dadoes; while you could make a few cuts with a grooving blade, the dado can do it all in one fell swoop, no fangs or ears included.
ASSESSMENT.
So, is the Ultra Shear dado set worth the buy? With a pricetag of $350 for the standard dado set and $380 for the flat top one (or $700 for both), these are high-end options for dado blades. While Woodpeckers does reside on the higher-budget end of woodworking tool man-ufacturers, the performance here doesn’t disappoint.
The additional teeth do make for a cleaner dado or groove, and having a flat-top dado set is certainly a boon in the shop. For what it’s worth, this dado set also runs a bit quieter than most, likely because the chippers don’t have long arms batting at the air as the blade spins.
If you’re looking to upgrade your dado set, there’s a lot to appreciate here. If you’re just building out your shop and looking for your first dado set, this maybe a pricier option than many, but you’ve learned why. Regardless, if you’re willing to spend the money on a high- quality dado set, then I don’t think you’ll go wrong with this one from Woodpeckers.
