# Hole Saws



## Animal (Jan 25, 2008)

Hey guys.

What brand of hole-saws do you use at work? I need to pick up a set for wood and light metal cutting, but I'm not sure what to get. I've seen a few people packing around Lenox kits, but I was at Home Depot today and saw a Ridgid set that looked OK -- made in USA, except for the case. Any opinions on the Ridged vs. Lenox? Or any other brand suggestions to look for?

Thanks!


----------



## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Any set that utilizes "bi-metal" construction should work fine. Both Lenox and Ridgid are fine brands. Ideal, Greenlee, Irwin, Blu-Mole, and deWalt also have fine hole saws.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Hole-saw hint: When using a toothed hole saw to cut drywall, run the drill in reverse. That will save the teeth from getting dull, and won't take much longer to cut the hole.


----------



## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

I personally don't like the Ridgid saws that much, I like Lennox much better.


----------



## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

For wood cutting you can't beat the new Milwaukee holesaws, they have like two teeth and are really fast on wet framing members. For metal I like Lenox the best.


----------



## ohmontherange (May 7, 2008)

I use Lenox & Ideal


----------



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Lenox!

I must say, I have used their "One Tooth" saw in wood and hated it. That thing grabbed so many times my arms still hurt years later.


----------



## Rong (Feb 23, 2008)

gilbequick said:


> I personally don't like the Ridgid saws that much, I like Lennox much better.


 I myself prefer Lennox myself.


----------



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> Lenox!
> 
> I must say, I have used their "One Tooth" saw in wood and hated it. That thing grabbed so many times my arms still hurt years later.


We started getting the Milw. two or three tooth ones at the shop a while ago, they are fast but if they bind you better be holding on. I have been getting those short pattern carbide tipped greenlees for metal cutting, they are fast and accurate.


----------



## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Always had great luck with Greenlee...:thumbsup:


----------



## Aiken Colon (May 16, 2008)

What do you guys think of the bi-metal MK Morse cups?

Chris


----------



## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

are those morse cups blue?


----------



## Aiken Colon (May 16, 2008)

nolabama said:


> are those morse cups blue?


Red, I believe. I know they make the "one-piece" holesaw called The Real McCoy or something like that.

Chris


----------



## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

I have not had good luck with the Morse brand holesaws...they just don't seem to cut as smoothly as the Greenlee's do, the teeth also seem to break off a lot. The one piece Real-McCoy holesaws seem to be OK when used with drywall, plaster or wood but they do not seem to hold up (they bend) when used on metal....just my opinion! Morse seems to make decent hacksaw blades though!


----------



## Animal (Jan 25, 2008)

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It seems that most people are satisfied with Lenox saws, so I bought the 10 pc electricians kit from them.

My next question is: What kind of step-bits do you all use (or Uni-bits, or whatever you happen to call them)? Is there a major difference in quality between Irwin, Dewalt, Greenlee, Lenox, etc? Everyone at work seems to use the Greenlee bits, but they're fairly pricey. Is it worth the cost, or are you mostly paying for the name?

Also, do any of you know how to sharpen (or where to bring for sharpening) your holesaws and step-bits?

Thanks again!!


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Animal said:


> .....Also, do any of you know how to sharpen (or where to bring for sharpening) your holesaws and step-bits?....


I just buy new ones.


----------



## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

few days ago i saw a supposed "electrician" break 2 pilot bits and then finally drill 4 holes (3/4) before he "wore out" the hole saw.


----------



## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

Animal said:


> My next question is: What kind of step-bits do you all use?
> 
> Also, do any of you know how to sharpen (or where to bring for sharpening) your holesaws and step-bits?


I've got 2 different sized Lennox bits and I like them very much. I've had both of them for a long time now and they still cut great. When these go dull I'll buy Lennox again.

There's no good way to sharpen a hole saw, it just doesn't work. I doubt you could effectively sharpen a step bit either. There are just to many different angles to them. When the saws or bits go dull, just buy new.


----------



## Animal (Jan 25, 2008)

Ahh, thanks for the advice Gil. I think I'll buy Lenox step-bits then (I also notice that somebody listed them in their required tool-list in another thread, so that's a good sign).

The reason I was wondering about sharpening is that since they're fairly expensive (for an apprentice, at least). How long can you expect a step-bit to last with good care and fairly regular use (i.e. daily or several times per week)? We use them to drill into boxes, panels, strut, etc.

Also, what constitutes "good care" for step-bits? How can I take good care of my little investment? :icon_wink:


----------



## JRent (Jul 1, 2008)

Animal said:


> Also, what constitutes "good care" for step-bits? How can I take good care of my little investment? :icon_wink:


Borrow one from someone else, that will keep your bit like new:thumbsup:


----------



## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

I keep mine in the packaging. When you're done using it, put it back in. That will keep it from getting banged up, and also make it easier to find in your bag. With moderate use mine has lasted around 2 years. Hole saws don't make it nearly that long.


----------



## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

I don't have enough patience to use bimetal hole saws. I got a brand new Lenox one a few months back for a job and it took forever to cut through the plywood and even longer to get the plug out of the saw so I could cut the next hole. I saw another worker cutting holes for can lights in a tongue and groove ceiling and he was taking less than 60 seconds per hole from start to finish and doing it with a cordless 14 volt hand drill. I bought one of the hole cutters myself and it is great because it is adjustable I can make it the exact size I need for any box or can and it takes 1/3 the power of a hole saw and no getting torqued around when the hole saw gets stuck. My DeWalt 1/2" cord drill is only rated for 3-1/2" max hole in wood but I was able to cut over 8" holes for some commercial light cans in a plywood soffet at a shopping center. This same company (holepro.com) was showing a new type of hole cutter at NECA that have tungsten carbide tips. Man do they cut fast. At least 5 times faster than a brand new hole saw and the cut plug just falls out when you are done. They were cutting wood, Hardie board, and even brick and ceramic tile with the same hole cutter. Really amazing hole cutters.


----------



## Aiken Colon (May 16, 2008)

Here, Ideal has these as well:

From 2" - 7" adjustable hole saw


From 6-1/4" - 10-3/8" adjustable hole saw

They're good for drywall and ceiling tiles.

Chris


----------



## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

You can't beat Starratt for quality and service. A little more expensive than some others out there but you gets what you pay for,

Frank


----------



## Tuckahoe Sparkplug (Oct 3, 2008)

I work in the food manufacturing industry as an industrial electrician and the majority of the enclosures we use are of stainless steel construction for washdown purposes. Needless to say, hole saws and step bits have a limited life. It's a 'gimme' that we are going to have to replace them pretty often. Plasma cutters are OK, but just not as handy. I wish tool makers would make more cutting tools geared toward stainless like they have done with knockout punches.


----------



## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

Tuckahoe, have you tried the Ruko line of step bits?


----------



## Aiken Colon (May 16, 2008)

This is kind of odd. In another thread, Random is talking about how he got an insulated tool kit from Grainger and it's made by a company called Jonard Tools (was suppossed to be Knipex). I looked up the company and found that their corporate HQ is based in "Tuckahoe, NY". You from there SparkPlug?

Chris


----------



## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

Tuckahoe Sparkplug said:


> I work in the food manufacturing industry as an industrial electrician and the majority of the enclosures we use are of stainless steel construction for washdown purposes. Needless to say, hole saws and step bits have a limited life. It's a 'gimme' that we are going to have to replace them pretty often. Plasma cutters are OK, but just not as handy. I wish tool makers would make more cutting tools geared toward stainless like they have done with knockout punches.


I have a set of the carbide tipped Hougan Rotabroach holecutters that are made for stainless sheet metal applications. They were a little expensive, but nothing else really seems to last.
I’ve noticed that some of the standard sheet metal holecutter kits that Greenlee and Milwaukee now sell, look suspiciously like Hougan, but not sure if there’s anything to that. 

Relton’s HS Series carbide tipped hole saws look very nice too, but way more expensive. I think they start at around $60.00 for the 3/4” and go up exponentially from there. A little too rich for my blood right now.


----------



## Tuckahoe Sparkplug (Oct 3, 2008)

Actually, no....I live in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain foot hills and they affectionately  refer to us as Tuckahoes in this area.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

If you take care of them, don't drill a lot of SS, unibits and hole saws will last a long time. Try a little lubrication.


----------



## g17guy (Oct 2, 2008)

Get some hole cutters for stainless, here is a pic of the ones I use. I forget who makes them as I just order the size i need from the shop.

Oh don't forgett to use lots of butterfields.


----------

