2011 Street price: $299
Chippers: 6 (1/16″, four 1/8″, 3/32″)
Maximum cutting width: 29/32″
Outer blades: 24-tooth
Chipper style: Four-wing
Carbide: C4; Hook angle: -10°
If you follow blade articles, you already know that Forrest has ranked high or even dominated most categories for years. It’s a reputation for quality and performance the company has earned by developing superior products. And, in this dado test, the Dado King definitely didn’t underwhelm. Crosscuts in cedar were surgically sharp; melamine and oak ply were nearly so. It whisked maple so cleanly on the bottoms, you’d think they were made from a single ultra-wide blade. Wow.
You get a 3/32″ chipper here along with a full selection of other sizes, a seemingly indestructible case and magnetic shims. But, at this time when budgets are tight, the venerable Dado King hits the price ceiling for this group of blades at $299. Distributors may offer it for less, but the rationale to buy it over one of the other top-flight dadoes selling for $100 less seems tougher to justify.
