The Complete Guide to Hole Saws - RS

As implied by the name, a hole saw is made to cut a circular hole of much wider gauge through a workpiece than standard drill bits can create on their own. As with most power tool accessories, the key to choosing a high-end, well-made hole cutter is to look out for a combination of robust construction, quality materials and accurate, tidy machining.

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Specifics such as tooth design and overall shape will vary depending on what material the hole saw in question is intended for use on, but almost all products supplied by reputable hole saw brands will have a few traits on common.

As a general rule, the cylindrical walls of a good hole cutter bit are deliberately manufactured to be rather thin in relation to the overall internal diameter of the tool. This helps to reduce friction between the teeth and the work surface, and in turn means less user force is required to break through a workpiece, putting less strain on the drill’s motor as the hole is drilled.

The diameter of the hole created will depend on the rated width of hole saw you purchase. Usually these holes will be made in some form of sheet material - see the sections below for specific examples and applications - although hole saws can also be purchased at varying lengths/depths as well as different diameters. Buying a deeper hole saw bit may allow for clean circular cuts through even fairly thick materials (provided the drill in question is properly set up and specced to handle them safely, of course).

Hole Saw Mandrel Buying Guide Chart

Hole saws are affixed to the base of the mandrel by passing the mandrel drill bit through a center hole in the hole saw. The hole saw is then screwed onto the mandrel collar base screw. Most hole saw mandrels (but not all) also have strategically positioned drive pins that match corresponding holes in the bases of hole saws, on the outside of their center holes. The pins help to stabilize the saw.
Major parts of a hole saw mandrel:

• arbor shaft (shank)- affixes to drill chuck.
  
• collar- the middle section of the mandrel.
  
• collar base- the part of the collar on which the hole saw attaches.
  
• collar screw- positioned at the center of the collar base.
• drill bit- protrudes from the collar screw.
• drive pins- attach to corresponding holes in hole saws.
  

1. The arbor shaft size (diameter) and the drill chuck size must match.

2. The collar screw thread size and the hole saw thread size must match.
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  Manufacturer Compatibility Systems
Many manufacturers of hole saws and their mandrels develop their own compatibility naming systems to simplify shopping. There's nothing wrong with using manufacturer compatibility systems if there's a certain brand name of mandrel and hole saw that you like, but it never hurts to know the specifics too. Although these systems can be convenient and work very well when buying mandrels and hole saws from the same manufacturer, getting a replacement mandrel for your hole saw from the same manufacturer isn't always an option.
This is where knowing specific measurements and how they relate to compatibility comes in handy. In addition, many manufacturers use the actual measurements instead of a unique compatibility naming system. In any case, it's best to understand the measurement specifics discussed below when shopping for hole saw mandrels.
[Back to top]   Match the Hole Saw Mandrel Shank to the Chuck
The first compatibility feature to match is the hole saw mandrel shank size (diameter) to the drill chuck size. Most hole saw mandrel arbors are designed to fit "jaw type" drill chucks, and the measurements in this section refer only to jaw type drill chucks. Some hole saw mandrels are made for SDS chuck systems, in which case, the measurements here do not apply.   Chuck Sizes
Jaw type drill chucks come in three sizes:

• 1/4" (less common)
  
• 3/8"
• 1/2"
  

The chuck size partially reflects the power of the drill as well. For hole saws, drills with larger chucks can accept larger hole saws, and, generally, will be increasingly powerful to handle the workload of the larger saws.
Because of the way that jaw type chucks work (by closing around installed bits), larger chucks can also accept bits and adapters of smaller diameters. Drill chucks cannot accept bits and adapters with shanks larger than their chuck size. [Back to top]
  Hole Saw Arbor Shaft Diameter
Hole saw arbor shafts come in three diameter sizes:

• 1/4"
• 11/32"
• 7/16"

• round
• flats
• hex
• SDS
  

• 1/2"-20 thread size, and
  
• 5/8"-18 thread size
  

Mandrel Arbor Diameter            Thread Size Availability

               1/4"              →           1/2"-20 only

             11/32"            →           1/2"-20 and 5/8"-18

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              7/16"             →           1/2"-20 and 5/8"-18 So, each of the two thread sizes corresponds to a given range of compatible hole saw diameter sizes. Smaller hole saws for mandrels with 1/2"-20 thread sizes, and larger hole saws for mandrels with 5/8"-18 thread sizes, generally.
We say "generally," because there's quite a bit of variation in this range of compatible hole saw diameter sizes (dictated by mandrel thread size) among manufactures.
Despite this variation, we offer the chart below to show what two plausible hole saw diameter compatibility ranges might look like in relation to a mandrel's thread size:

Mandrel Thread Size                 Hole Saw Diameter Compatibility Range
 

         1/2" - 20             →          9/16" to 1 & 3/16"  

         5/8" - 18             →          1 & 1/4" to 8 & 9/16"   Here are three guidelines to make choosing hole saw mandrel thread size easier:

1. If you already have the hole saw you need, great! Figure out its thread size and find a mandrel with the matching thread size.

2. If you're not shopping to match a mandrel to a specific hole saw, keep the approximate sizes of the holes you want to drill in mind when selecting mandrel thread size.

(Or, if the drill's chuck size will allow it, you can just buy two or more mandrels for your drill and be ready for any size of hole saw.)

3. Remember that hole saw mandrels only come in 1/2"-20 thread size for 1/4" arbor diameter mandrels.

This means you will only be able to use hole saws sizes compatible to 1/2"-20 thread size mandrels if your drill has a 1/4" chuck size. [Back to top]   Select Additional Hole Saw Mandrel Features
Like other power tool accessories, hole saw mandrels are often designed with special features that either improve performance or meet special application needs. Here's a list of some of a few mandrel accessories and features that shoppers can consider in addition to compatibility measurements:

mandrel extensions- long mandrel arbor extensions are often sold separately to lengthen the reach of hole saws.

locking mandrels- many manufacturers have developed mandrels with additional locking mechanisms that stabilize the hole saw.

quick change mandrels- some mandrels are specifically designed for fast changing between hole saws.

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