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I have been frustrated by the sticking and burning encountered when using traditional hole saws. This set from Avenger fixes all of that and more. Click image to enlarge

Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set

Tough, accurate and frustration free

Text, photos and video by Tom Hintz

Posted - 7-2-2014

Being able to cut clean, precise large diameter holes in our woodworking and DIY projects can enhance both functionality and appearance of our projects. The Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set (#43904) is designed to make this an easy task using common tools you already have. This set will be of particular interest to anyone who has fought with lesser hole saws that do more burning and splintering than cutting. If you have ever struggled to get the cut-off plug out of a bargain hole saw, the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set is worthy of your attention. There is a better way.

The Basics

If you have used some of the cheaper hole saws, the cutters in the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set will immediately get your attention. These are made from real steel, not simply stamped out. The body is heavy duty with the mounting flange area tougher yet. The mass on the threaded end insures that these cutters are not going to flex or warp. I also noted the clean, burr free threads, a clear sign of quality manufacturing.

These cutters also have oversized openings (gullets) ahead of the cutting teeth giving chips and dust plenty of room for escape. These openings, along with the high quality tapered pilot drill, make removing cut off plugs much easier than with traditional hole saws that routinely elicit words we cannot repeat here.

Rather than a serrated edge, the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set uses true carbide teeth cleanly brazed to the body just like the teeth on a table saw. The teeth are a bit wider than the sides of the cutter body so clearance is always being created to allow far more air to circulate. Between the more efficient cutting of the carbide teeth and the exceptional air flow, we don’t see the sticking and burning that can be so frustrating with traditional hole saws.

The triple tooth configuration (left) both cuts better and makes it's own clearance to eliminate sticking and burning. The arbor for the larger bits (right) uses a pair of retractable pins to prevent the bit housing from turning on the arbor or getting stuck. Click images to enlarge

The Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set in this review includes hole saw bodies for 2'', 1-3/4'', 1-1/2'', 1-3/8'', 1-1/8'', 1'' and 3/4''-diameter holes. You also get a 5-1/2''-long arbor and a 3-7/8''-long arbor both with tapered pilot bits. The tapered bits in both arbors can be replaced if need be. The larger arbor has lugs that engage holes in the larger cutting bodies to eliminate the slippage so common with traditional hole saws. You also get a very nice fitted storage case that not only protects the components, it lets you see what is missing when you are putting things away.

In the Shop

Though I used the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set mainly at the drill press I also tried them in a hand held drill with very good results. The carbide teeth cut very well and reduce torquing but we have to be realistic and recognize that the larger diameter bits are best used in a drill press when that is available.

The triple carbide teeth on all of the cutters and the clearance they create makes way more sense than any other design I have tried. I did wonder if the width of the teeth would let the cutter wander as it cut but that did not happen. The Avenger Carbide Hole Saws cut straight and do it with surprising speed. The three carbide teeth simply work far better than the traditional serrated edge on the hole saw cup.

Another benefit of the carbide teeth turned out to be the ease with which the cut plugs can be removed. The large amount of saw dust and debris often prevents the plugs from simply falling out most times, but using the deep gullets in the cutter body, the plugs are easily pushed out with a dowel or screwdriver. Throughout the evaluation I never had a plug get stuck in any of the Avenger Carbide Hole Saws.

These bits work easily enough for the smaller ones to be used in a hand drill (left) but the larger sizes are more at home in a drill press (right) when that is available. they cut great either way. Click images to enlarge

During my testing, which used every species of wood I could dig up in the shop, the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set performed great. While these bits do work in a hand-held drill when necessary they shine in a drill press. Part of that comes from the stability of clamping the work piece down and the consistently straight path of the bit but the overall quality of the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set and the three-tooth design are why these bits work so well. The quality of the manufacturing means that these bits will continue to work for a very long time.

Conclusions

The Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set is a great tool accessory for everyone to have whether you are a DIY’er only or a full on woodworker. This set has a solid range of sizes that you can actually finish projects with.

The Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set is selling for $169.99 (6-30-2014) and is worth the money. Compare this set to more traditional hole saws and the price looks even better yet. You can spend close to the same money and not get anything near the quality of the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set. So if you like to get good value for your tool dollars the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set should be at the top of a very short “must see” list.

Visit the Rockler page for the Avenger 10-Piece Carbide Hole Saw Set - Click Here

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