There’s no telling what type of material you’ll encounter on any modern remodeling project. Clean wood, wood with nails, fiber cement, shingles, thin metal—all are on the table, especially if the remodel needs major changes like wire work, roofing or plumbing.
An often-overlooked tool in dealing with such tough tasks is the humble hole saw. Hole saws are handy for a variety of things but play a key role in creating perfectly round holes for showers, sinks, light fixtures and more.
As remodels grow in sophistication and complexity, so do building materials. Wood is tougher. Metals are forged to be stronger. Even tile, fiber cement and shingles are sturdier. In other words, remodeling professionals need a next generation, do-it-all hole saw that can take on the toughest material. Here’s five reasons why.
1. Do you feel the need for speed?
We all know time is money when it comes to remodeling—why waste it when using a hole saw? Standard bi-metal hole saws get the job done, but the latest and greatest are designed with speed in mind. This boils down application-specific body and tooth designs, which can provide up to 5X the speed due to limited downtime and ease of cut. Buy a hole saw made for the exact material you’re drilling through and make your next remodel easier.
2. Never fear—long-lasting hole saws are here.
The market standard for hole saws is bi-metal—bi-metal teeth and bi-metal body. The best, however, take advantage of carbide teeth, cutting-edge body designs, varied tooth counts and next-level tooth geometry. These upgrades may seem small, but they translate to up to 50X longer saw life, even when put to the test against “rough-in” material like shingles and nail-embedded wood. Premium built hole saws will save you time and money.
3. Thinking deep? Drill deeper!
In the current remodeling landscape, tougher often means thicker—thicker wood, thicker shingles, and thicker tile. Standard hole saws can only go so deep, typically only drilling 1-5/8” in one pass. This can actually waste time, as it forces users to stop what they’re doing, eject the saw’s plug, and begin again. In the worst cases, users actually have to drill multiple times on a single hole. Newer, premium hole saws provide 40% deeper cuts, drilling up to 2-3/8” in a single pass. The end result? Less downtime, deeper holes, and increased output overall. Drill, baby, drill!
4. Productivity you can be proud of.
Seasoned remodelers know cutting—be it with a hole saw, circular saw or reciprocating saw—is never as cut-and-dry as it seems. A pipe is often right next to a piece of wood, which is right next to a thin sheet of steel, which may be protected by—you guessed it—another piece of wood. Premium hole saw manufacturers know this shouldn’t stop you from cutting holes, and the best suppliers offer quick-change mandrel systems. This important connection enables users to quickly switch between different saws with little-to-no down time. The combination of body design, teeth design and innovative mandrel systems can save users offer up to 5X the results of a standard hole saw. Do yourself a favor—upgrade to a hole saw system that saves you time, money and energy.
5. One mandrel to rule them all.
Every job brings a different problem to solve and investing in a brand with one mandrel to fit all applications is another smart play. Premium hole saw ranges don’t just cut offer a lineup to cut through wood or rough-in material, but everything between. This is because the best ranges feature application-specific designs—each the result of researching on-the-job pain points heard directly from users. There’s much more attention to detail with tooth count, body design, plunge depths and power tools—even with a variety of material. If you need to cut a perfect circle into tile, granite, marble or even glass, for example, there’s a diamond grit hole saw out there for you. Want to cut a perfect circle into an electrical panel or steel stud? Go find yourself a metal cutter—they’re out there!
Investing in a range of hole saws—and a quality mandrel system with expanded options for future sizes needed and applications—is a smart play for serious contractors. Explore the full line of hole saws to find the best one for your job.
