# RemGrit hole saws



## Mantis Toboggan (Jun 24, 2010)

Anyone use RemGrit hole saws for plaster? I've heard that using the grit type holesaws worked well, but the RemGrit say they are for ceiling tile and drywall, none of them say they could cut plaster.

Do you guys have good luck using these on plaster?


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I was checking them out the other day. I agree with them. They are built way to fine and light weight for heavy use. I picked up a lightoleir hole saw kit today and so far its well worth it. It went throgh the plaster along with my new dewalt hole hawg like they were both "Mad" at the plaster ceiling. And it has a cover to minimize the dust. Awesome tool.


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## Mantis Toboggan (Jun 24, 2010)

captkirk said:


> I was checking them out the other day. I agree with them. They are built way to fine and light weight for heavy use. I picked up a lightoleir hole saw kit today and so far its well worth it. It went throgh the plaster along with my new dewalt hole hawg like they were both "Mad" at the plaster ceiling. And it has a cover to minimize the dust. Awesome tool.


I have a Lightolier adjustable hole cutting kit. It's got a single cutter and a counter weight that you put into the other side. I've never used it. I once tried that Greenlee 6" high hat cutter in sheetrock but it kept binding up and twisting my cordless drill around. If I had a Hole Hawg on it I would probably be missing some teeth.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

I ve had the same 6" and 4" remgrit whole saw for four years and they work great with plaster, no sign of dulling and they have never cut anything other than a perfect hole in plaster or drywall.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Mantis Toboggan said:


> I have a Lightolier adjustable hole cutting kit. It's got a single cutter and a counter weight that you put into the other side. I've never used it. I once tried that Greenlee 6" high hat cutter in sheetrock but it kept binding up and twisting my cordless drill around. If I had a Hole Hawg on it I would probably be missing some teeth.



You need to learn how to use large hole saws properly.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

480sparky said:


> You need to learn how to use large hole saws properly.


Those adjustable one are garbage, but to get them to work properly does take some practice. I still havn't been able to find a 5" carbide hole saw yet and use the adjustable one for the 5" cans.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> Those adjustable one are garbage, but to get them to work properly does take some practice. I still havn't been able to find a 5" carbide hole saw yet and use the adjustable one for the 5" cans.



Exactly 5"?


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

Hey man I've mastered using those cheap adjustable hole saws for cans.

Seriously, high gear and a light touch and you will get more than your moneys worth.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Exactly 5"?


and 3/8ths


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> and 3/8ths



Wow. That was hard to find. :whistling2:


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Wow. That was hard to find. :whistling2:


I didn't say I looked very hard, Milwaukee has just come out with a new line of carbide bits, I just picked up the 3 1/2" for light boxes.


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## CrossThreaded (Jun 27, 2010)

480sparky said:


> You need to learn how to use large hole saws properly.


Any advice?


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## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

The carbide grit hole cutters are a very expensive way to go and they only come in a few sizes. Over the course of a year we install light cans with at least 20 different cutout sizes and this includes holes over 8" in diameter for commercial CFL lights. For the cost of just the 4 common hole sizes for incandescent light cans (4-3/8, 6-3/8, 6-5/8, 6-7/8) I would spend more than instead buying a Hole Pro X-230 adjustable hole cutter that will adjust for any cutout size I need from 2" up to 9" diameter and I get the exact size I need so no more oversize trim rings to stock. The Hole Pro dust shield catches 100% of the dust and holds the cut plug until the shield is flipped over and then the shavings and plug fall right out into a bucket and I am immediately ready to start the next hole. I can put in a can light in a retro job and not move a single piece of furniture or bother with a tarp or a shop vac and I save an hour or more on every job. The only place I use a carbide grit hole saw is with ceramic tile and even then I use one of the Hole Pro shields to catch the dust and cut the total time by 2/3. A carpenter showed me a neat trick with the adjustable hole cutter which is to move the blades in by 2 measure marks and I can make perfect size plugs from a piece of scrap sheetrock and then when I make holes to pull wire I can put the plugs in the wall and it is ready to mud and paint. I can adjust the cutting depth of the X-203 hole cutter for inspection holes or even light cans where I am not 100% sure about what is behind the ceiling or wall and cut just the first 3/4" and not worry about cutting into wiring or plumbing or tearing up the insulation. The Hole Pro X-230 has twin blades so there are no balance bars to screw on and no wobbling or jerking like the single blade models (and I have the Nora, BES, and Labor Saving Devices single blade adjustable hole cutters that now stay permanently in the shop). The twin blade models cut faster and have a 5-year warranty and are a lot easier to adjust and use. I have seen a lot of guys use hole saws with half a basketball but then I see guys use a ball peen hammer to make holes for cable runs too (they just won't be working for me).


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## Frank Winters (Jul 28, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> I didn't say I looked very hard, Milwaukee has just come out with a new line of carbide bits, I just picked up the 3 1/2" for light boxes.


What type of ceiling boxes do you use that require a 3.5" hole?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Round cut in's, they take some notching with a keyhole saw afterwards.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> Round cut in's, they take some notching with a keyhole saw afterwards.


You're using the wrong kind of round cut-in. Get the kind with the three-sided metal strap on the back, and you don't have to notch the hole with a saw. Drill & install.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Thats what I use, I notch a tad where the metal is to get it in their. The other kind I don't like because some fixture's base's are smaller than the box OD. And you see a blue or white ring.


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## Frank Winters (Jul 28, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> Thats what I use, I notch a tad where the metal is to get it in their. The other kind I don't like because some fixture's base's are smaller than the box OD. And you see a blue or white ring.


The other kind as in the type with 3 wings that fold out? If so, I agree. I also don't like cutting those out since it's not a very uniform cut.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Frank Winters said:


> The other kind as in the type with 3 wings that fold out? If so, I agree. I also don't like cutting those out since it's not a very uniform cut.



Those Carlon ones take forever and a day to properly cut in.








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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Frank Winters said:


> The other kind as in the type with 3 wings that fold out? If so, I agree. I also don't like cutting those out since it's not a very uniform cut.


Exactly:thumbsup:


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Those Carlon ones take forever and a day to properly cut in.


 Afterwards it looks like your circle hole threw up. I bet Magnettica hates those boxes the most.


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## pjmurph2002 (Sep 18, 2009)

I wish I could find a Rem Grit for a 5" hole saw. I have had great luck with the 4" & 6" recessed can hole saw.


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Those Carlon ones take forever and a day to properly cut in.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah and they are not rated to support a ceiling fixture to boot.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

pjmurph2002 said:


> I wish I could find a Rem Grit for a 5" hole saw. I have had great luck with the 4" & 6" recessed can hole saw.


A 5" hole, or a 5-3/8" hole for a 5" can?


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Mr. Sparkle said:


> Yeah and they are not rated to support a ceiling fixture to boot.


I use that blue one with the wings to hang ceiling fans, mostly in the rooms of children.


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## Nildogg (Jul 29, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> I use that blue one with the wings to hang ceiling fans, mostly in the rooms of children.


 
The consequeses would never be the same.


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## pjmurph2002 (Sep 18, 2009)

480sparky said:


> A 5" hole, or a 5-3/8" hole for a 5" can?


For a 5" recessed can


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

pjmurph2002 said:


> For a 5" recessed can


Try a Lenox.


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## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

Lenox like all the others only makes a rim grit in a 5-3/8" size. I run into a similar problem when dealing with putting high hats into ceilings with drywall laid over plaster and need 1-1/2" of cutting depth or more (greater than the 1-1/8 cutting depth of my Hole Pro adjustable hole cutter with its tungsten carbide blades). I need 3-3/4, 4-1/2, and 6-1/4 inch diameter holes for Halo cans and there are no rim grit in those sizes. For the 6-1/4 I can use a 6-3/8 and just have a sloppy hole but not even that option exists for the 3, 4, and 5 inch cans which is why we are big fans of the adjustable hole cutters that we can set at any size we need and have exactly the right size hole.


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## Allwire Electric (Jan 18, 2012)

Any 4 1/8 hole saw will cut this box in properly with no trimming. seriously?


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## ohiosparky99 (Nov 12, 2009)

The hole pro X-230 is probably one of my favorite tools and best investments, will cut a hole in almost anything and is adjustable, yesterday we used to cut 3 4" holes in a roof for a new 1200 amp service, it cut through 2 layers of shingles and 5/8 OSB in about 10 seconds a hole


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## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

It looks like Milwaukee, Lennox and Greenlee now all make the 4-3/8", 5-3/8, 6-3/8, 6-5/8, 6-7/8" regular and grit edge RC hole saws. Milwaukee also makes a 3-1/8".

I have the Greenlee’s, which I like both because the blades are replaceable and I can interchange the same hole saw body with either their regular toothed blade or the grit edge blades. The only thing that can sometimes be a problem is that the cutting depth is limited to 1-1/2". 
I also have the Hole Pro cutter along with their arbor adapter so I can use my Greenlee RC hole saws with the hole pro’s dust collector shield.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/accessories/drilling-accessories/hole-saws/recessed-light-hole-saws

http://www.lenoxtools.com/pages/Product.aspx?productId=CarbideGritLightingHoleSaws

http://www.mygreenlee.com/GreenleeD...xt_page=1&adodb_next_page=2&adodb_next_page=1

http://www.holepro.com/holesawadapter.html


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