As the world’s largest manufacturer of saw blades, Starrett has been at the forefront of tool and saw blade manufacture for over 130 years. From humble beginnings in Athol, Massachusetts back in 1880, Starrett has never quit when it came to product development and is currently recognised as the UK’s number one hole saw manufacturer.
With the hole saw market continuing to expand year on year, the company has climbed to the rank of fourth for supply and production in the world and in the UK where many of their hole saws are made, are holding an incredible 45 percent market share in sales, with no plans of slowing down yet.
If these facts aren’t enough to inspire you to try the products for yourself, let us explain more about the products and how they can be used.
Which hole saw will suit your application?
We caught up with Graham Munro, from Starrett UK’s Technical Support team to find out more. Graham, please explain to us difference between Starrett’s hole saws, what they are designed for and who you would recommend these products to?
Within the range there are three main hole saw categories, characterised by tooth material, first let’s break it down into each product category:
Bi-Metal range
The Bi-Metal Cordless Smooth Cut is dedicated to cutting thin materials this hole saw features a limited range of diameters specific to users needs (16-51mm). They feature a safety collar that won’t allow the saw to go all the way though, limiting the cutting depth to 3mm. What’s fantastic about this saw is the superior smooth hole it cuts, quickly and with no kick back.
Within the Bi-Metal range, we’ve also got the Fast Cut and Deep Cut. I would describe these two hole saws as work horses; they are heavy duty, cut a lot deeper and are offered in a much wider range of diameters (up to 210mm). Perfect for keeping in any toolbag, they will cut through all types of steel, and when used at the recommended speeds they will achieve great tool life.
Tungsten Carbine range
Moving onto the Tungsten Carbide Tipped range, our Carbine Tipped hole saw is a specialised product, used predominantly on fibreglass, so they’re perfect for luxury yachts. It can also cut through lath and plaster – as used before plasterboard was invented – and would normally completely destroy a standard hole saw. Not only that but it makes light work of computer/suspended flooring, where for a standard hole saw, the glue in the chipped wood would burn out the saw from the high temperatures created.
Within the range, we’ve also got the Carbide Tipped Multi Purpose, which is ideal for any electrician or carpenter for drilling through MDF. Take for example a bar made of veneered MDF, to install hundreds of downlights would be a very time-consuming task, but with this hole saw you’ll see incredible speedy cutting performance. It will also prove exceptional on travertine tiles, those glazed floor tiles, just like what the colosseum and half of Rome is made of.
Our Carbide Stainless Steel and Carbide Deep Cut hole saws will suit those where time is money and slowing down isn’t an option. These hole saws will take a quarter of the time a standard hole saw will take, but oddly they shouldn’t be used at high speeds, as the slower they turn the faster they’ll cut. The difference between the two is that the Stainless Steel will cut to a depth of 5mm, whereas the Deep Cut can cut up to 20mm deep.
Diamond Grit range
Both the Diamond Grit and Tile Drill hole saws are perfect for drilling porcelain, marble and glass. They’re ideal for plumbers, electricians and bathroom fitters. You must always use them with water to keep them cool and achieve long product life.
Lastly for the Diamond Dri-Core Drill, the clue to the difference is in the name – ‘Dri’ – so you mustn’t use water with it. Its ideal for plumbers or gas fitters for cutting pipes through walls or fitting extractor fans, but please note that this hole saw cannot be used on reinforced concrete.
And for general customers, who want a failsafe method to work out which product works best for their application, what would you recommend?
Easy, Powercalc! Accessible on our website from mobile, tablet or computer devices, you simply enter the material you want to drill, pick the hole saw diameter, enter the material thickness and it will work out which hole saw you should use, with the product highlighted in red being your best choice. Not only will it recommend the right saw, but it will suggest the perfect arbor (where applicable) and provide operating instructions for the user.
This free helpful tool can be accessed anywhere, so even if you’re sitting outside the tool shop and not sure on what you need, a simple look up will provide you with all the details in a mere few clicks.
To try this free and helpful tool yourself, please CLICK HERE.
