Hole saws- which one is the best

[rvieceli]

you gotta love algorithm based dynamic pricing.    [huh]

the 28 piece set is now $40 dollars cheaper at ZORO. Most of the other sets are about the same BUT the 15 piece set is now $360 dollars HIGHER at ZORO. 449 vs 89 at HD  [eek]

Ron

 

[semenza]

you gotta love algorithm based dynamic pricing.    [huh]

the 28 piece set is now $40 dollars cheaper at ZORO. Most of the other sets are about the same BUT the 15 piece set is now $360 dollars HIGHER at ZORO. 449 vs 89 at HD  [eek]

Ron

Yes, $40 not $30.

Seth

 

[Cheese]

What's different about them? Geometry or access holes?

Access holes, the early models had 3 narrow slots that a standard screwdriver wouldn't fit thru.

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[ear3]

Thanks guys for liberating more money from my wallet.

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[rst]

He who dies with the most toys wins... [wink]

 

[semenza]

Sooooooo.....

          I ended up going with Lenox over the Milwaukee. Reviews , videos, my own use of a couple older Lenox and Milwaukee indicated that they were very close.  I wanted to be able to cut fairly precise, clean holes and disks. The Lenox being roughly twice the price of the Milwaukee it was a tough call without first hand knowledge.

          I decided to buy an individual 2 3/4"  saw from each since neither set included that size and try them myself. Anecdotal and non- scientific but it did the job on making my decision and I am glad I did my own testing. I used the PDC and cut several holes in 3/4" veneer plywood and solid poplar. I did not try them in metal. I didn't have any to test on and wood is my primary use.

    Both are quite good. And I don't think either brand would disappoint for general purpose use.

        The Milwaukee grabbed more than the Lenox. It seemed to take more downward force to get it to cut and also much more gentle rocking than the Lenox. I was able to easily cut holes without rocking the Lenox at all.

        The Lenox holes were more precise in size than the Milwaukee (even if I didn't rock the Milwaukee). Lenox holes were generally within 1/64th" of the correct size. Which I later confirmed with several different sizes after choosing to keep the Lenox. The Milwaukee holes were often 1/32" - 1/16" too large. Use in a drill press would probably halve those numbers.

        The Milwaukee ejected saw dust clearing the hole much better, which is a good thing, but in the end didn't seem to actually help the results. And the Milwaukee teeth clogged more.

      I suspect the Milwaukee tooth design would do better if hitting nails. It  appears to be quite sturdy. And may be better suited to construction lumber in general. I don't know I didn't do a comparison on those.

   
  In the end I decided the Lenox would serve me better.  The above makes it seem like it is a clear winner ( for me it is) but the Milwaukee is very good as well. I would not hesitate to buy the Milwaukee, especially at half the price, if my intended purpose was more general purpose and less woodworking. It isn't like the Milwaukee didn't cut well, just not as good in my own testing.

Seth

       

         

       

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Did you go for carbide tipped or bi-metal?  I have the big daddy bi-metal set and love them. 

 

[semenza]

Did you go for carbide tipped or bi-metal?  I have the big daddy bi-metal set and love them.

The Bi-metal Big Daddy set.  And I have started filling in other sizes too. I have used several so far and I really like them.

Seth

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Did you go for carbide tipped or bi-metal?  I have the big daddy bi-metal set and love them.

The Bi-metal Big Daddy set.  And I have started filling in other sizes too. I have used several so far and I really like them.

Seth

Curious if you'll do anything fancy for how you'll store them or just loose?  The kit is convenient but once you start filling other sizes like you mention they don't nest the same, so I have others that just sit outside the kit.  I'm not really bought into Systainers other than what the tools come in as I'm hobby/shop based so the most my tools move is to my in-laws acreage to do work there and they come right back.  The cost of outfitting Systainers goes a long way to other tools when I don't need portability so much. But still curious if you're storing everything together in something, systainer or otherwise.

-Zach

 

[Peter_C]

Curious if you'll do anything fancy for how you'll store them or just loose?  The kit is convenient but once you start filling other sizes like you mention they don't nest the same, so I have others that just sit outside the kit.  I'm not really bought into Systainers other than what the tools come in as I'm hobby/shop based so the most my tools move is to my in-laws acreage to do work there and they come right back.  The cost of outfitting Systainers goes a long way to other tools when I don't need portability so much. But still curious if you're storing everything together in something, systainer or otherwise.

-Zach

There is a point that a full size tool box is the best storage solution. I can not imagine how many Systainer's it would take to hold hand tools...at least for me. At the least cabinets with drawers to mimic a tool box, but wood drawers just can't handle the same amount of weight as a metal tool box.

Edit: In thinking about it, I have forgotten how many "red" blow molded plastic boxes I have thrown away to pack the contents into a tool box for space efficiency. Often even my construction blow molded tool boxes get tossed in favor of a tool box system IE: Ridgid, or Milwaukee Packout tool boxes, that can hold more than one tool type.

 

[semenza]

I will be storing them in a tool chest drawer. For the work I do I won't need the full set to be portable. If I need them on site I will know what the cutting will be ahead of time and take a small range of sizes to take with me.  When I get the drawer together I will post pictures.

Seth

 

[Cheese]

I just store them nested into 2 groups. Because of their similarity incrementally in sizing, it works well and saves space.

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[semenza]

Anyone know what arbor I need in order to have enough thread space to screw two hole saws on to the same arbor for enlarging holes? None of the ones in the set I bought will work.

Seth

 

[cubevandude]

I've never seen anything that will work that way.  Drill the hole size you want in a scrap pc of wood, then clamp it over the other hole and use it as a guide.

 

[RJNeal]

Seth, I remember seeing them for sale. I thought they were call whoops bits or something like that. I didn’t lee valley or Garrett wade have them?
I always wanted one of those darn things.

 

[Cheese]

Oops arbor sold by Starrett. An arbor with concentric threads. A 1/2-20 and a 5/8-18 thread.

 

[RJNeal]

Thanks Cheese man.

 

[Peter_C]

I've never seen anything that will work that way.  Drill the hole size you want in a scrap pc of wood, then clamp it over the other hole and use it as a guide.

I do it another way. I screw or clamp a piece of wood to the backside, then drill the hole normally. Just need something to keep the guide bit centered.

 

[Cheese]

Thanks Cheese man.

https://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/KA19-N

They are pretty slick...in the 15 years or more that I've owned one, I've used it about 6-10 times. As others have noted there are work-arounds, however, for the small amount of space it takes up amongst the hole saws and for the few $$ it costs it's a great option to have.

They appear to be pretty goofy looking but they do make sense because they are so simple. Their only purpose is to replace the 1/4" diameter pilot drill in the arbor with a hole saw that's then used as the pilot to center the oversize hole saw. There are no extreme loads being put on the Oops arbor as it is only being used as a method to center the undersized hole saw and all of the forces that the larger holesaw incurs is still being directed to the original arbor.

For example L to R:
1 3/8" hole saw with a 5/8-18 internal thread for an arbor.
Standard arbor having a 5/8-18 external thread and a 1/4" pilot drill.
Oops arbor having both 1/2-20 and 5/8-18 external threads.
3/4" hole saw with a 1/2-20 internal thread.

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The 1/4" pilot drill is removed so that the Oops arbor can be installed in its place. The Oops arbor will accept hole saws that have both 1/2-20 and 5/8-18 internal threads.

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The new enlarged hole saw is threaded onto the original arbor while the original sized hole saw is threaded onto the Oops arbor.

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The Oops arbor with the pilot hole saw is inserted into the original arbor which holds the larger holesaw and is secured with the original setscrew.

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Holesaw arbors with both 1/2-20 and 5/8-18 external threads can be utilized.

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[semenza]

Yup, that's it. Oops arbor.    I think I have also seen that some regular arbors have just enough thread length to hold two saws.  But the Starret looks like a much better option.

Thanks,

          Seth