Best Hole Saw – Top Rated Kits

What is a Hole Saw?

Many of you may know a hole saw as a hole cutter. A hole saw is a saw blade that is shaped like a circle and is capable of cutting a hole through a workpiece without cutting through the core material. Hole saws are used in drills and normally have a pilot drill bit at the center in order to prevent the saw teeth from walking.

Since a hole saw is capable of cutting material without having to cut up the core, it is one of the most preferable tools for cutting holes.

You will see more details on the advantages of hole saw at the end of the but lets get down to the nitty gritty now you most likely did a search for the ‘Best Hole Saw’ or ‘Hole Saw Reviews’ so that’s what we are going to give you.

Below is a handy quick comparison chart of all the best hole saws we review throughout this article if you want a quick overall. You are best to take your time and read all the reviews though as it will give you a better idea of the features for each product.

The Best Hole Saws on the Market

Image	Title	Prime	Buy
Top	Milwaukee 49-22-4185 28-Piece All Purpose Professional Ice Hardened Hole Saw Kit	Prime	CHECK AVAILABILITY ON AMAZON
Top	Bosch 25-Piece Master Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit HB25M	PrimeEligible	CHECK AVAILABILITY ON AMAZON
Top	DEWALT D180002 Standard Electricians Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit	PrimeEligible	CHECK AVAILABILITY ON AMAZON
Top	Greenlee 660 Kwik Change Stainless Steel Hole Cutter Kit, 7-Piece	PrimeEligible	CHECK AVAILABILITY ON AMAZON

Milwaukee 28 Piece Hole Saw

If you’re searching for something that is capable of making a cleaner, more consistent cut, then the Milwaukee hole saw might just be suitable for you. Each one of the hole dozers have been coated with thermoset paint that is low friction. This is great, because this means that there will be faster cutting speed in woods, and you will get even more holes per battery charge.

Features

Plug Jack

This kit comes with a Plug Jack. This is a handy all-access slow design that will give you full access when removing plugs. The plug jack makes it so that the user will have access lower into the cup, even if the material is thick – this will eliminate downtime between making holes.

Durable

This product is made out of top of the line material and is super durable.

Ice Hardened

I must also include the fact that the Milwaukee hole saw is ice hardened. This means that it can last longer (up to 50 percent longer) that the other hole saws. In order to ice-hardened these, the manufacturer had to put them through extreme cold temperatures. By ice hardening, the durability and strength drastically improved.

Matrix II Bi-Metal Teeth

For greater durability, the company included Matrix II Bi-Metal teeth.

Cuts Metal and Steel

Take note that this product is not capable of cutting through concrete, which is perfectly understandable. It can, however, cut through metal and steel without any problems whatsoever.

22 Hole Saws

Included with this kit, you have 22 hole saws. In my opinion, this is more than enough saws to take care of all of your hole cutting needs.

Pros

·         Ice-hardened

·         22 Hole saws

·         Nice case to store it all in

·         Deep gullets

Cons

The only real con I came across with this kit would be the price. Just remember, the price you pay for this kit is well worth it due to the quality of the parts and the fact that you are getting 22 hole saws is definitely a plus.

I believe the Milwaukee 49-22-4185 28 is a great option, because you will be getting 22 hole saws, which will help take care of all of your cutting needs.

Bosch 25-Piece Master Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit

If you’re looking for a nice hole saw kit that is convenient, then I recommend taking a look at the Bosch 25-piece master bi-metal hole saw kit. In total, this kit comes with 11 hole saws, which is a decent amount.  I see that it says “25-pieces,” so you would probably expect more than 11 hole saws, but this is still a decent amount.

Features

11 Hole Saws

As I said in the beginning, this kit comes with a total of 11 hole saws. Along with this, they come with a nice progressive teeth design. They are designed in a manner so that they cut faster.

Different Teeth Sizes

There are smaller teeth which are great for making crisp cuts – I recommend those for thinner materials. Then, you have those that are designed with larger teeth – I recommend those when you’re cutting through materials that are thick.

Great with Wood and Soft Materials

This product is great for wood and other soft materials. However, it’s not all that good for cutting through ceramic or metal.

Pros

·         11 different hole saws

·         A low price tag

·         Progressor tooth design

Cons

·         Not good with harder materials

All in all, this is a suitable option for you if you only plan on cutting wood and other soft materials. If you plan on cutting harder materials, then this wouldn’t be a good option. The price is great, and the quality is high – that is exactly what I like to see in my tools.

Dewalt D180002  Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit

If you’re looking for a good hole saw that would be the best for jobsite use, then I would recommend the Dewalt D180002. With the innovative deep-cut design nesting behind this kit, there is an increased functionality. Due to the M3 steel constructions, this tool has been built to withstand the abuse that takes place at jobsites.

Features

Deep Gullets

I like how the hole saw kit comes with gullets that are extra-deep. I don’t find these type of deep gullets on a whole lot of the other brands. With this feature, you should be able to make deeper cuts.

Hardened Backing Plates

The hardened backing plates are definitely something that makes this product stand out from the crowd. With the hardened backing plates, part of the hole saw isn’t going to be a failure point.

Cuts through Wood and Soft Materials

This hole saw is great for cutting through wood and other soft materials. However, it isn’t great for cutting through hard material like metal.

Pros

·         Hardened backing plates

·         Extra-deep gullets

·         Can withstand jobsite abuse

Cons

·         Can’t be used on metal

If you’re looking for a hole saw that can cut through wood and other soft material, then this one right here would be suitable for you. The hardened backing plates and the fact that it has extra-deep gullets are two great features that you wouldn’t want to miss out on.

Greenlee 660 Kwik Change Stainless Steel Hole Cutter Kit

This kit is great for both the beginner and the professional. The blades are of tungsten carbide, which just so happen to be the strongest on the market. There’s a strong chance that these blades are so good that they will outlast your actual drill, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

Features

Tungsten Carbide Blades

The blades are made of tungsten carbide blades. These are one of the strongest blades on the market. With these type of blades, you don’t have to stick to just wood and other soft material. While you can certainly cut through wood, you can quickly punch holes through tougher material, like metal and so on.

Ejector Spring

The ejector spring is a feature that I wished every hole saw had. It makes dealing with the slug easy for sure.

Pros

·         Does great on metal

·         Strong

·         Easy to remove the slug

Cons

·

The gullets are a bit on the shallow side

If you’re looking for a kit that is capable of cutting through tough material such as metal, then this one right here will do the trick.

Advantages of Using a Hole Saw

Save Energy

When it comes to using hole saws, you aren’t going to need as much power. In return, this is going to save energy and if you’re using a portable power tool, it will increase the battery life.

Efficient

When it comes to using the hole saw over a normal drill bit, the hole saw is more efficient. This is because the amount of material you’ll be removing is what is being cut, and this will require less power.

Different Hole Sizes

One of the biggest advantages of using a hole saw is the fact that you will be able to cut different hole sizes. There are so many different sizes of hole saws to choose from – you can purchase kits that comes with 11+ different sizes.

Common Uses for Hole Saws

There are many different uses for hole saws. In this section, I’m going to give you a list of the common uses:

Installing light fixtures – You can use it in order to make holes in ceilings so that you can properly install light fixtures.

Door hardware installation – Often times, hole saws can be used in order to make holes in doors so that you can install hardware like dead bolts.

Making connections in pipes – You can use a hole saw to make an additional connection in existing pipework.

Installing drainage pipes – If you need a hole for a waste or drainage pipe, then a hole saw can do that as well.

Cutting holes for electrical cables – If you need to run wiring from one room to the next, then you can use a hole saw to do this. This is why you will almost always see an electrician with a hole saw.

Making a birdhouse – You can use a hole saw for many fun DIY projects, such as making a bird house. You can use a hole saw to make a nice clean entrance hole for the little birdies.

Tips for Using a Hole Saw

You may have an upcoming project that requires you to drill large-diameter holes – you’ll want to do this as cleanly and quickly as you possibly can. This is where a good hole saw will come into play.

Unlike those traditional bits, if you’re not familiar with using hole saws, they can be a bit on the tricky side. For this reason, I am going to give you some of my own personal advice that will help you get the most out of your hole saw …

Preventing Blow Out

I noticed that when the hole saw exists the cut, it almost always blows out the back, which will leave behind a splintered surface that looks raggedy in appearance. When blasting holes through wall studs or floor joists, this isn’t that big of a concern, but when you’re working your way through finished surfaces like a door, it is a concern.

Here’s some advice for you that will help you avoid blow out: Take a scrap board and use a clamp to hold it to the back of the piece you’re working on, and drill into that piece. From one side, drill halfway through, then go through the opposite side to finish working your way through it.

Enlarging Existing Holes  

The center pilot bit guides the hole saw through the workpiece. If you’re working with a project that requires you to enlarge existing holes, that pilot bit is a bit on the useless side due to the fact that the bit doesn’t have anything to drill into.

Don’t worry, because I have a technique that I use to get past this obstacle. Start out by making vertical and horizontal lines to represent the center of that existing hole. Take a clamp and put a piece of plywood over the hole. Transfer those centerlines onto the plywood.

Now, take the pilot bit of the saw and put it on the intersection of those lines and start by drilling through the plywood, and then through the workpiece.

Metal Drilling

When drilling through metal, I recommend using an oil. The oil will lubricate the hole saw and make it easier to drill through metal. The oil will also help flush those metal chips from the kerf, making it so that the saw teeth can properly do their job. Plus, the oil helps reduce friction, keep the hole saw cooler while it’s doing that tough job.

Instead of putting oil directly on metal, take a kitchen sponge and put it between a 2 pieces of scrap wood. Take the hole saw and drill through this. You’ll end up with a circular piece of sponge – take it and stuff it into the saw. Put oil all over the sponge, and now what you have is a hole saw that is self-lubricating.

Just don’t drill cast iron with this, because cast iron is something that you need to drill dry.

Plug-Removal

I don’t know about you, but when I first started using a hole saw, extracting the wood plug from inside it when I was done really got to me.

Using a screwdriver to pry the plug out is the most common method, which is okay, but it is tedious to say the least. Instead, try this: from each side of the piece you’re working on, drill halfway in. this will leave the plug sticking from the hole saw. Then, all you have to do  is grab the plug and pull it out.

Conclusion

I hope this article has provided you with the information to find the best hole saw for your needs

If you are the type of person that enjoys DIY projects out in the woodshop, or if you plan on doing some repairs around the home, then a hole saw will come in handy.

Regardless of who you are, I recommend having one in your tool box, because you never know when you’re going to need one.