20 Best Hole Saws For Metal (2023 Updated)

I’ve been an electrician for 9 years and purchased numerous hole saws and I decided to try the 9 piece dewalt electricians kit. Worst decision ever. A very big waste of $75. The arbor bits are terrible.

I ordered the D180005 14 PC hole saw kit and when it arrived the mandrels/arbors do not match the picture of item. There is also no label on the inside of lid like the picture of item. Have always been a Dewalt fan but this really upsets me!.

Had the pleasure of tested dewalts hole saw kit, it came in a very sturdy plastic case which is convenient for storage and keeps all the pieces together. It was a very easy kit to use, reading the instructions was not necessary, was self explanatory.

Tested it on wood and metal and loved the fact that it was a set that could go through either option without having to switch. I’m one of those people that uses his impact cordless drill a heck of a lot more than my actual drill so it would have been nice to have the bit be able to fit into that.

Other than that great proud and I’ve used it several times.

This hole saw has a unique design. The opening on the side is angled to enable you to remove the plug with the least amount of effort. The depth of the cut is just right for going into a deep door without having to remove the hole saw, and start on the opposite side.

The shank is large, so don’t expect to use it in an ordinary impact tool without an adapter. I’ve used an adapter on it, and it works fine. The manufacturer doesn’t recommend this, and will void the warranty if you use the impact tool with the adapter.

2 different sizes were purchased to drill holes in a zinc counter top for plumbing. They were sturdy and the holes were perfect. This was a good purchase.

This hole saw cut through sheet metal wit-h no issues. Required very little deburring/preparation for a final finish. Saved me a lot of time/effort over less quality hole saws I have used. Well worth it- I plan on buying the set.

No instructions but you can logically figure out how to put it together but taking it apart is horrible. To take the blade off you will need a tabletop vise, large screwdriver and cordless driver(with hammer action).

I place the screwdriver through the holes in the saw and open up the vise so it can stop the screwdriver from turning. Then I use a 11/32 6 point bit driver on my electric driver in reverse. The blade will come off easily.

Annoyingly the adapter for the larger hole saw still stuck on the arbor will not allow the case to close. so go back to the vice and clamp the vice down hard on the adapter and spin it off with the electric driver as well.

Now everything is disassembled and goes back in the box. To date I have not had the arbor adapter stuck in the saw, if that happens to me my plan is to put the adapter in the vise like before but use a long screwdriver through the blade holes to twist it off.

Kudos to Milwaukee, who makes a lot of great things, to manage to make a great hole saw a horrible product because of the arbor and case. I rated it average because I used it and figured out how to get it apart and I had everything on hand to do it.

The hole saws are excellent! a) This thing needs some instructions b) The case design should allow the adapter to remain on the arbor and close. Why? I normally use larger hole saws and seldom use the smaller ones so I would like to keep that attached.

A simple case design tweak could accommodate this. c) Desktop vise and driver should be listed as additional tools required. Unless you have better instructions. d) Also need a driver instead of the 1/8 hex key.

I tried using the hex key to the point where I thought it would break and hurt myself. I realize you sell much better arbors separate from this but my use case does not justify it and I wanted a self contained kit with these blades.

Please take the feedback seriously.

Just like every other reviewer, I used this once and discovered that there doesn’t seem to be any way to remove the arbor so I can use the other saw sizes. So I paid for five saws and can only use one of them.

Unless I go out and buy additional arbors at $20 a pop for each saw. This saw kit and an accompanying drill are the first Milwaukee tools I’ve ever purchased. If this is their business model – selling partially functional, incomplete tools that require additional purchases to actually use – this will be my last Milwaukee tool.

P. S. – Requiring users to disable ad blockers to post this review reduces trust in you even more. What does an ad blocker have to do with posting a review? Sounds more like you want to scan user info through the web broswer.

As a builder, I have come to rely upon Milwaukee professional tools and accessories as they are known as “The Best of the Best!”. One of these tools is the Milwaukee Dozer hole saws. These carbide tipped hole saws with the quick change arbor come in many different sizes.

These tough saws cut through metal like a hot knife cutting through butter. I have used these saws to drill countless holes for lock preps in blank heavy gauge metal doors. These Milwaukee hole saws stayed sharp door after door.

The quick change arbor allowed me to change to a different hole saw size quickly. However to save time, I just purchased a few extra arbors for my most common used hole saw sizes. I also have multiple Milwaukee battery powered drills that I attach these preassembled hole saw /arbor combos to further save time.

Time is money in the building trade. Additionally, the design of the hole saw allows for easy removal of the cut out material. I like most other professional builders and tradesman highly recommend these high quality Milwaukee tools and hole saws!.

Great hole saw; no issues so far. However, I find it disingenuous that there are 21 unique Reviewers offering (5) star reviews for 61 (5) star comments. Most were sweepstakes entries, too. If the goal is to showcase positive reviews using a weighted average metric, then your algorithm needs work.

The saw’s utility and longevity speaks for itself. Having said that, BUY the hole saw.

I was hesitant to get these because of the bad reviews I read on them. have to say I was worried for nothing! I used 3 different sizes and had zero problems. They cut cleanly, had every size I needed, had no issues going through every material I needed it to (wood paneling/OSB/2×4’s), and switching saws was simple.

Anything thicker than in inch you have to flip the piece over and come in from the other side, but it still had zero issues with doing that not did I. Anyone who complained that they broke after a single use, or that they didn’t cut, or whatever, clearly didn’t have a clue of how to properly use them.

I’ve used tons of hole saws over the years and these worked as well as any of the more expensive brand names. Use them correctly and use the right tools to set them correctly and you’ll be as totally satisfied as I was.

the set has many size options. The holesaw set came inside a plastin case which keeps intact all parts needed to drill a hole. These hole saws are made of thin steel and were packaged well oiled. I would not think to drill metal however, for drywall the saws worked well.

I have not used the saws in wood so cannot comment on wood performance. the only comment is the lack of a push out hole inside the saw which was not a big deal for use in drywall. I liked this product as it did the job, was packaged well and was inexpensive.

The only thing that makes this less worse than HF jack stands is that it’s flaws won’t kill you. The machining on this tool is p*** poor at best. Just spent 30 minutes trying to grind and straighten out a couple of the saws.

So badly made, nothing is square. This would work perfect for cutting holes in foam or cake. It does work on wood so you could cut holes in your house to let rodents in. Otherwise buy something more worth your hard earned money.

ZERO STARS is more like it.

I bought this for a few reasons, one it was on clearance, and I need a hole saw kit to build a desk with my daughter, which it worked out perfectly for. However, where it really shined was using it for some suspension work.

I needed to replace the bushings on my Nissan Xterra, and I didn’t have a hydraulic press, this hole saw was the perfect diameter to cut out the bushing part for me, and then I just cut the metal sleeve to remove and used a ball joint press and a hammer to put in the new one.

So needless to say, these hole saws put in some major work, and didn’t fail, even with continuous usage the blades didn’t dull.

This works very very well. Love the case to keep everything organized. Took me a minute to figure out how to use the slide lock. Mine was stuck and took a little muscle too move it. Sprayed a little lube on it and it works great.

Unlock the bit and screw the hole saw on and line it up with the 2 nipples and lock it in. Makes it very secure and no tools needed. Love it. So many options for the price. Couldn’t be happier.

Never used a hole saw before. Decided to buy the entire Hercules set as a long term bargain, instead of spending almost half the cost of the set on just a mandrel and single 2″ hole saw to cut the couple of holes I needed in my 3/4″ plywood entertainment center.

Carefully drilled 1/4″ pilot hole, started the hole saw in reverse to gently cut through the plywood surface veneer, switched to forward rotation to cut most of the way through, repeated the process on the back side to complete the cut.

Perfect results and barely noticeable wear on the hole saw teeth. Nice blow-molded case. Happy with my purchase and would recommend.

This set has the sizes I need for a few projects around the house. They work well in wood, and if you take your time in steel with proper lubricant. Like most mid range sets you shouldn’t force these to do more than they are ment for, don’t over heat them.

The pilot bits and mandrels work well and lock into place so good round holes can be made even with a hand drill. Always good to have a set of these around , and having a set in the case ready to go is helpful.

We are trying to cut “plugs” of various sizes and two types of wood. oak and pine. to plug holes in floor where old radiator pipes connected the radiators. This pack is a great bargain as we needed varying sizes and buying the hole saws individually was much more expensive.

These went right through thick pine and hard oak.

The product did what I bought it to do. Actually came in for a different cheaper version, but for the money it was worth the upgrade. The man that helped me swayed the decision also, since he had this set of drill bits he could advise me on what I was getting.

He was very helpful.

I needed a few hole saws for my projects upcoming and these fit the bill just right. This set worked well for me. Great bargain, as money is a little harder to save and come by now days.

Amazing value. Worked really well to make holes in sheetrock for my spot lights. Drilled around 17 holes. The blade seems to be still in good condition.

Wanted to drill holes into MDF stereo cabinet. I found that the bit could have had a bit more bite to it; it was slow to drill the hole. It worked great for the five holes I drilled; however, I would say that it seemed to dull towards the end so I don’t know that this would be a good purchase for heavy duty repetitive use.

Perfect for a project here and there.

Turns out I have a metal door and this kit is not designed for metal, even though it was next to bi-metal hole saw blades. You might say I should have read the fine print, your right. I could not see the fine print, I am old and I left my reading glasses at home.

Three stars because I could not use it after driving forty five miles to the nearest HF. I will keep for other projects.

At least on the toolset I received. The chuck of the device spins very slightly off center, causing rotational wobble of ~2mm at the end of the drill bit. Thus, a 2″ hole saw will drill a ~2 1/16″ circle.

I doubt this will dramatically affect most applications of this hole saw set, though.

I bought this for cutting a hole in my kitchen sink escutcheon, which it did perfectly using a drill press. I guess I’d prefer them to be sold separately.

I really only needed the large one…but the set was cheaper than the individual mandrel and saw part. Did what I needed it to do…but now I have extra parts lying around.

This Starrett STRHS102AXFCH0400 missed the mark by miles. It’s advertised as Fast Cut Bi-Metal Hole-saw. It cut to a depth of between 1 – 11/2 mm with cutting fluid at slow speed using a 110 volt drill and failed miserably.

In the past I have used several different sized Starrett cutters ranging from 16 – 125 mm to cut through mild steel plate thicknesses between 3 – 5 mm and all have performed admirably several times. I would Not recommend this product.

Purchesed 8 x 25mm starrett cutters to drill 57 holes into 4 inch steel pipe. I was impressed and amazed with the cutter. I managed to get 21 holes drilled with just one cutter (with Lubricant) managed to get all holes drilled with 3 cutters definatly worth the little bit extra cost.

Knocks spots off more inferior or cheeper products that claim to do the same.

I used this arbor and associated hole saw to drill a hole in my plastic water butt overflow. It worked well and gave a neat accurate hole. Buying the holesaw and arbor separately is more expensive (there are combined versions available) but should be cheaper in future as other sizes of holesaw in the A1 size range will fit.

I’ve used countless hole saws to cut into steel. I usually use Diablo ones that are cheaper than Milwaukee, but my store won’t stock them and my usual tool store was closed. This hole saw was dull within minutes of being used out of the package.

It was used at low (proper) rpm with lubrication and not much pressure on the drill. (The same way I successfully make holes using cheap ones). After just over a minute of cutting it was useless and wouldn’t cut anymore, not even a flake of metal would appear.

Complete waste of money, and now I have the challenge of trying to return it. Would of got a much better cut from a cheaper Diablo, and even been able to use it for more cuts afterwards. Expected more from Milwaukee, especially considering it was a better brand and cost almost twice as much as the usual hole saws I buy.

I’ve even had better luck with princess auto/ harbor freight hole saws. It would work for wood, but definitely not for metal (which is is supposedly capable of cutting). Never again.

Used this tool to drill 1-1/4″ holes in 1/4″ thick steel pipe. I was amazed at how quickly the job was done. This tool thinks that steel is like frozen butter and after 3 holes it is still as sharp as it was when new.

The hardest part in drilling holes was getting the pilot hole drilled, but once was done the hole saw chewed through steel with very little force required.

I bought this several weeks ago to cut some hole but needed an extension which the the manufacturer does not produce. The shank does not fit any normal extension. The hole saw is not useful if you have to drill deeper holes.

Would not buy again!.

You would think that a 6-inch Hole Saw would be a bear to handle cutting through wood – anything. Normally they are – not this one. I purchased the Spyder #600111 6-inch Bi-Metal Rapid Core Eject Hole Saw, in order to cut 30 (6″) holes in the ceilings of a job I’m doing (I’m installing ~30 – 6″ round LED ‘Wafer’ High-hat style lights).

The ceilings are going to be 5/8″ sheeted plywood as a base and then 3/4″ thick x 5-1/2″ wide T&G (1-3/8″ thick) finish. No way was I going to use a Jig or Reciprocating saw. But first I put together a 2’x4′ plywood display for the customer, with 2 LED’s different K values, so he could see which LED he preferred (3000k or 4000k), then screwed it to the bottom of the exposed ceiling rafters.

I used my Milwaukee 18-volt Drill with a fresh battery; spun the 6″ Spyder Hole Saw onto a Milwaukee Arbor (that works just fine) preparing to cut out the two holes in the plywood. Given its large size, I was anticipating the hole saw was really going to bind up a number of times; and the torque of the drill would wrench my hands and arms (I didn’t have the handle to my drill with me to give me some leverage against any binding of the hole saw).

So, I braced myself. A 2″ hole saw binding up is bad enough, I sure didn’t want to feel that of a 6″ doingso. So I proceeded cautiously. Did it bind up? Yes, but surprisingly it was minimal, not nearly as severe as I thought it would.

Plus, it cut through so fast/effortlessly, that it didn’t have much of a ‘chance’ to bind up. That was a nice surprise. The size of the cut appears to be a true 6-inch. I kind of wished it cut just a hair or so larger than the 6″, as the brackets for the hold-down spring clips for the LED Wafer lights are a bit tight (over 6″ by 1/32″ or 1/64″ on either side).

Though ‘snug’, the wafer lights go in easy enough. So, I was impressed by the performance of the Spyder Hole saw, especially considering it is a large 6″ diameter hole saw. My verdict: Great product with a great price – especially compared to facing paying what other well known hole saws would have cost me.

PS. Standing upon a ladder/platform, and drilling upwards above your head, a 6″ diameter hole into 1-3/8″ wooden ceilings is no picnic. Drilling even one hole would require some effort, time and careful diligence.

But since I have so many 6-inch holes to cut out in the double thick wooden ceilings (5/8″ ply’wd + 3/4″ T&G = 1-3/8″). I decided to purchase Spyder’s #600281 6-inch Rapid Core, Carbide Hole Saw to do this particular job.

Not that the Bi-Metal wouldn’t do the job well. But it is clear that the Carbide Hole saw has the advantage of cutting even faster and hopefully even more smoothly. I’ll save the Bi-Metal saw for other jobs.

PSS. I ordered the Rapid release Arbor by Spyder. While the Spyder Hole Saw fit my Milwaukee Arbor. I still had to use a screwdriver to pry out the wooden plug (I use two screwdrivers, one on each side thru the slots to pry out the plug – faster removal).

The Spyder Arbor slides back at the push of the button, causing the material to be forced out and ejected from the saw.

I did not receive a “deep cut” hole saw as pictured but one that was short. Otherwise, the quality is good and the price is decent for what I got. It is just not what was advertized and I will not be able to use it.

Exelent tool. This saw is so sharp when I handled it I kept it wrapped in a rag to keep from cutting myself. It measured exact diameter 6″, perfectly round and centered. All I could ask and for a reasonable price.

I would recommend this tool to anyone.

I needed to run some electrical wiring and wanted some holes in red iron in my metal building. This kit made short work of it. The starter hole drill bit was quick and the teeth on the hole saw blades cut through in only 20-30 seconds.

Very impressed. A similar kit from the other well known names would have been at least 50% more expensive.

Hercules hole saw was bought to install a UV Light system in an AC unit. It took longer to attach the hole saw to the drill than it did for the hole to be drilled. I’m very happy with the price, quality, and function.

I had a rain barrel to drill the faucet correctly. Perfect outcome, no complaints. Plus it has an adapter for other mfg hole saws.

Starrett 32mm Hole Saw / FCH0114. These hole saws in my opinion are the best available, they may be somewhat more expensive than others on the market but you get what you pay for with this brand.

To be fair not used it yet. But it is a reputable brand. So far as I am aware UK manufacture.

I needed a 4″ hole saw for installing some recessed lights. Never bought an entire set of Milwaukee hole saws but by now I have a box of them from different projects. This 4″ was as good as all the rest.

Specific comments: ** The online description says “imported. ” A few lines later it says “Made in USA. ” That contradiction is explained on the blister-pack, which says “Made in USA of imported materials,” so it’s both imported and domestic.

** The hole saw pictured online differed from the one received. See pic. The geometry of the slots for extracting cut discs is different. Does it matter? No. Both geometries work fine–better than the earlier design with the single straight slot.

** This hole saw is designed and rated for cutting metal. My drywall ceiling was no challenge at all–beautiful clean cuts. ** Although I have a few Milwaukee arbors, I actually used this Milwaukee hole saw on a DeWalt arbor.

Same threads. Same locking pattern. DEWALT DW1803 Heavy Duty 7/16-Inch Shank Quick Change Mandrel (Fits Hole Saws 1-1/4-Inch – 6-Inch) ** You get just the hole saw, no arbor–which is exactly as pictured and described.

** For cutting drywall I was able to mount this hole saw on a 3/8″ Hitachi cordless drill. That’s for drywall. For cutting anything tougher, even thin paneling, I would use a 1/2″ drill. There is a lot of rotational momentum in a 4″ hole saw, both when starting and stopping.

Even if you don’t burn out the motor of a smaller drill you could ruin the clutch just from starting and stopping. I found a small time saver that works with drywall for extracting the cut-out discs.

Instead of prying them out, just cycle the drill once or twice while pointing the drill down. The drywall plugs fell out easily. Lubrication is vital when cutting metal, but unnecessary when cutting drywall.

For wood, a few swipes of wax or paraffin can speed the cut and reduce heat build-up. I hope you find this review to be of some help.

I purchased the 3 in carbide hole saw to build a fishing rod rack. I also got the Diable mandrel for this particular size hole saw. I am very pleased with the results, ease of use, and overall performance of both of these items.

I used these items on my drill press. Once the pain on the carbide teeth wears, this hole saw’s performance got better. After drilling 36 holes, the bit continues to make excellent cuts on 2 x 4 lumber, and 3/4 in red oak plywood.

Given the size and need for accuracy, a handheld drill was not an option for this size hole saw bit. I find that once a hole saw size is larger than 1. 5 inches, the diameter of the hole saw and maintaining stability during the cuts, a regular drill is not as good as a drill press.

The drill press was the ideal tool to make the holes I needed. I have a few Diablo products. All have performed flawlessly. I highly recommend this product.

These saws work great on wood, fast and relatively clean cut. They stay sharp much longer than those without the little carbide tips. I doubt that theyre actually useable on metal as advertised, but who knows, maybe theyll hold-up on soft metals like copper.

Ive used really cheap hole saws from that Chinese tool store and they literally get dull after ONE USE. These Diablo Freud saws are DEFINITELY worth the extra money. It is a drag that you have to buy the arbor (?, or whatever its called) to use the actual saw, but once you have it you can use any of the other size saws.

I didnt think Id ever need other sizes when I bought my first saw, but sure enough, I now have 3 different sizes.

did 1. 5 inch holes in half inch steel. very aggressive. clamped solid at 120 rpm drill press with cutting oil, it bombed after 5 holes. all carbides were gone. sharpened what was left but the steel was to soft to cut anymore.

A typical essab bit lasted ten holes and was still going strong for 1/4 of the price. recommend it for wood though.

I needed this tool for cutting holes in stainless plate, a little over reccomended thickness but when cut from both sides, the holes were perfect. One word of warning to occasional users though. Becaues of the extra torque required to cut large diameter holes you will need a gutsy drill to do the job.

My bench drill cuts 12mm+ holes in thick steel with no bother but the 75mm hole cutter put so much drag on the motor it kept stopping. Use plenty of cutting lube and take your time. On my drill at 3mm thick stainless it took 20 minutes per hole to cut.

Considering the limited alternatives, it was time well spent but be prepared for a long job. A higher HP motor would reduce this time. Good tool, cut several holes with no sign of wear.

After making the mistake of buying a cheap version, the Starrett was a much more sensible purchase. It was tried out first on a piece of 3mm brass, which it went through as if it wan’t there, producing an exactly sized hole with only a tiny burr on the downward side.

Plus a single length of tightly coiled swarf, useless but pretty! Moving on to 2mm stainless steel, this required more pressure, but nothing like as much as expected, and the hole once more was exactly to size (well, two hundredths of a millimetre oversize, as was the brass).

Again, there was a very light burr on the downside, easily removed in one pass of a deburring tool. A perfect tool for the job, well worth the money. Buy it, don’t waste your money on cheaper offerings.

Bought and used Starrett TCT Holesaws before. Had failures before, but the design has changed for the worst. I have only drilled 2 (yes two!) holes in 16g 304 stainless steel sheet, and lost all but one of the TCT teeth!!!.