Skil 6 In. Carbide Tipped Dado Set

First impressions and setup

I put the Skil dado set to work on a 10-inch contractor saw that accepts a 5/8-inch arbor. Out of the box, the components looked clean and straightforward: two 6-inch outside cutters and a handful of chippers that stack to cover widths from 1/8 inch up to 13/16 inch in 1/16-inch steps. The clear anti-stick coating was evenly applied and made cleanup easy before first use—no gummy residue and no burrs on the carbide tips. Everything slid onto the arbor without fuss.

Assembly is what you’d expect from a traditional stacked dado. The chippers are clearly sized, and the increments are honest, so if I stacked for a 1/2-inch groove, I got something very close to that. For critical joinery, I still verified with calipers and made test cuts, which I recommend with any dado set. There are no micro shims included, so dialing in oddball plywood thicknesses took a little creativity; a wrap of painter’s tape on the workpiece’s tongue or a second pass cleaned that up when needed.

Compatibility and capacity

The 6-inch diameter is an advantage on lower-powered saws. The thin 0.11-inch kerf and smaller circumference keep the load light, so my saw spun up quickly and didn’t bog down, even in wider stacks. On the flip side, you give up a bit of maximum depth compared to an 8-inch set. For shelving dados, rabbets, and lap joints in typical casework, I didn’t feel limited, but if you regularly cut deep trenches or thick tenons, that reduced depth is worth noting. The 5/8-inch arbor spec matches most jobsite and contractor table saws, and the smaller diameter is handy on saws that are restricted to 6-inch dado blades.

Build and design choices

A few design notes stood out:

• Carbide-tipped teeth extend the edge life. After several sessions in hardwood, plywood, and softwood, the edges remained consistent.
• The anti-stick coating genuinely helps with friction and cleanup. Resin buildup was minimal, and pitch wiped off with a basic blade cleaner.
• There are no expansion slots and no anti-kickback shoulders. That matters for heat management and feed control. With sensible feed rates, heat never became a problem for me, but this is not a “fast and loose” set—it rewards steady, measured cuts.

Skil lists 36 teeth per blade. On a 6-inch outside cutter, that’s a fairly high count, which favors clean shoulders over raw stock removal. The chippers do the heavy lifting, and as with most budget-friendly stacked sets, you’ll see shallow “bat ears” or ridges on the bottom of the groove from the chipper spacing. It’s not a flaw so much as a design norm at this price and size. For structural joinery, those ridges don’t matter; for visible dados, a light sanding or a final scoring pass cleans them up.

Performance: grooves, rabbets, and lap joints

On straight dados in poplar and maple, the set tracked true. I checked runout with a dial indicator and didn’t see anything alarming; the stack felt balanced on the arbor, and I didn’t have to chase vibration with extra washers. Shoulder walls were crisp, and the thin kerf helped my saw maintain a steady pitch.

Bottom surfaces were what I’d call “moderate” in finish quality. They’re flat enough for glue-up without fuss but not glass-smooth. If your benchmark is a premium dado stack designed to burnish the bottom, this won’t match that result. For cabinetry carcasses, shelves, and backer grooves, I was satisfied.

Rabbets in oak end grain came out square, and chip evacuation was decent. With no anti-kickback shoulders, I paid closer attention to feed rate—push blocks and a featherboard helped keep everything behaving. For lap joints, the set produced tight, repeatable fits once I dialed in thickness with test pieces.

Plywood and veneer tear-out

Plywood is always a good test. On prefinished maple ply, I saw a bit of fuzzing at the veneer exit, which is normal with stacked dados that don’t have scoring teeth. A zero-clearance dado throat plate and a slower feed mitigated that; a light scribe on the show face with a marking knife gave me clean edges when it really mattered. Baltic birch performed better, with minimal tear-out. If you do a lot of veneered ply and demand pristine edges, plan on scoring or backing your cut, or step up to a set with dedicated scoring geometry.

Heat, noise, and vibration

Without expansion slots, you might expect the blades to ring, but in practice the noise was typical for a dado stack. Heat never spiked for me, likely helped by the anti-stick coating and the relatively thin kerf. I didn’t experience significant discoloration on cut walls, and I didn’t smell that telltale “hot blade” scent unless I pushed the feed too aggressively in dense hardwood.

Safety and technique

Because the cutters lack anti-kickback shoulders, it’s important to manage the cut.

• Use a flat-topped rip blade for a scoring pass if the edge is critical.
• Keep feed pressure firm but moderate—don’t bear down trying to hog out material.
• Use featherboards and a sacrificial fence for rabbets.
• Install a proper dado throat plate to support the work and contain chips.
• On a radial arm saw, proceed with extra caution; climbing tendencies are real with dadoes. I preferred the table saw for most cuts.

Those small steps made the set predictable and safe in my shop.

Durability and maintenance

Edge retention has been solid. Carbide-tipped teeth stayed sharp through a few small projects without a touch-up. The anti-stick coating made post-session cleanup quick; resin came off with a soft brush and cleaner, leaving the surfaces slick. I didn’t baby the set, but I also avoided hitting staples or hidden screws—carbide is tough until it isn’t. Stored with separators, the cutters didn’t nick each other.

Long term, I’d expect to send the outside cutters for sharpening before the chippers. Keep an eye on any small ridges worsening over time; that’s your cue for service.

Accuracy and repeatability

The step increments are honest. If I stacked for 3/8, I landed there within a hair—close enough that sanding a tenon or a light shoulder plane pass brought everything home. For plywood that runs thin or thick, the lack of included shims means you’ll either live with a slightly loose fit or improvise. I used thin brass shims from my own kit on a few cuts; blue tape also works in a pinch. Once set, the stack stayed put; I didn’t have to re-tighten mid-session.

Who it’s for

• DIYers and hobbyists running smaller table saws who need a capable, lighter-load dado set.
• Cabinet builders working on structural joinery where a “moderate” bottom finish is acceptable.
• Jobsite setups limited to 6-inch dado blades.

Who might want to look elsewhere:

• Furniture makers demanding burnished-bottom dados with flawless veneer edges straight off the saw.
• Users who prefer the added safety margin of anti-kickback shoulders.
• Shops that routinely cut deep dados or heavy tenons where an 8-inch set’s capacity helps.

Recommendation

I recommend the Skil dado set for light to moderate joinery on table saws that benefit from a smaller, thin-kerf stack. It’s easy to set up, runs true, and delivers clean shoulders with a serviceable bottom surface. The anti-stick coating and carbide tips make maintenance simple and edge life respectable. Just be aware of its design trade-offs: no anti-kickback shoulders, no expansion slots, and a finish quality that’s solid but not premium. If you work thoughtfully—test cuts, proper throat plate, steady feed—you’ll get reliable dados, rabbets, and lap joints without overloading your saw. If you need show-surface perfection or deep-cut capacity, step up to a higher-end, larger-diameter set; otherwise, this 6-inch stack is a practical, dependable addition to a small-shop kit.