Carbide hole cutter?

[JJWalecka]

Anyone used the carbide tip hole cutters?

Worth the money?
How long do they last?

 

[infinity]

I have been using a similar one of those for about 3 years. The nice thing is the shoulder stops the bit from going all the way into the enclosure. IMO they're worth the money, if you drill at the right speed they will last a long time.

 

[ptonsparky]

They are nice. Cutting oil and not to high of RPM makes for a nice cut. Pricey.

 

[Cow]

I don't like that style. I've used both the Ideal and Greenlee quick change hole cutters, they make holes just like a hole saw does. Once you get the pilot through, the hole cutter seems to walk around on the material just a teensie bit making it take longer than the Greenlee Ultra Cutters I've been using for years now. Ultra Cutters don't have the super deep throat like the one you have pictured so sometimes you have to hit a hole from both sides, but they cut faster IMO. With a little cutting oil and slow speed with lots of pressure they blow right through stainless too.

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-930-...225137&sr=8-11&keywords=greenlee+hole+cutters

I probably get a year plus out of the cutters since I don't run them fast, 1st gear on my Dewalt.

 

[ceb58]

Best thing since sliced bread. :happyyes:

 

[jeremysterling]

I have the Lennox brand. I like it a lot. When I have a lot of 2" KO's to do, I use the 3/4 size chucked up in a 1/2" corded drill to make my pilot holes for the hydraulic KO set. Makes really quick work of it. Lots of feed pressure and a quick squirt of cutting oil and your through in very little time.

I prefer the Lennox to the Greenlee because of the pilot bit size. The Lennox uses a 1/4" pilot bit like most holesaws, so I can use any 1/4" jobber bit to make my pilot holes. I think the Greenlee uses a 3/16" pilot bit.

I don't use the little spring much, but I keep them just in case I change my mind and start using it.

The klein you have pictured has a 1/4" bit so I would be OK with it.

 

[masterinbama]

I bought one of these several years ago. Kept a log on the 1-1/8" cutter and drilled over 300 holes in standard galvanized panel tubs with no discernible dulling.


http://www.ohiopowertool.com/p-311-hougen-electricians-fabricators-kit-14005.aspx

 

[Strathead]

I bought one of these several years ago. Kept a log on the 1-1/8" cutter and drilled over 300 holes in standard galvanized panel tubs with no discernible dulling.


http://www.ohiopowertool.com/p-311-hougen-electricians-fabricators-kit-14005.aspx

My two cents, I agree with you and Cow. The Greenlee link that he offers is the same patent as this one, so shop for the best features and price. Greenlee just bough tthe right to distribute the Hougen patent. Hougen is a big name in drills. I like them far better than the carbide tiped ones, because they are less expensive, and I think they cut better when they are fresh. If you look at the cost of one of these for 1/2 and 3/4, compared to a unibit, you should conclude that they are a far greater value. I stopped carrying a unibit that went any larger than 1/2" (actual, not pipe size) when I discovered them.

A little trick... If you need to drill out a hole larger, get a blank 4" cover, zip screw it under the hole, and use it for you pilot bit guide, you will be through the metal in seconds.

 

[kwired]

I don't like that style. I've used both the Ideal and Greenlee quick change hole cutters, they make holes just like a hole saw does. Once you get the pilot through, the hole cutter seems to walk around on the material just a teensie bit making it take longer than the Greenlee Ultra Cutters I've been using for years now. Ultra Cutters don't have the super deep throat like the one you have pictured so sometimes you have to hit a hole from both sides, but they cut faster IMO. With a little cutting oil and slow speed with lots of pressure they blow right through stainless too.

http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-930-...225137&sr=8-11&keywords=greenlee+hole+cutters

I probably get a year plus out of the cutters since I don't run them fast, 1st gear on my Dewalt.

My two cents, I agree with you and Cow. The Greenlee link that he offers is the same patent as this one, so shop for the best features and price. Greenlee just bough tthe right to distribute the Hougen patent. Hougen is a big name in drills. I like them far better than the carbide tiped ones, because they are less expensive, and I think they cut better when they are fresh. If you look at the cost of one of these for 1/2 and 3/4, compared to a unibit, you should conclude that they are a far greater value. I stopped carrying a unibit that went any larger than 1/2" (actual, not pipe size) when I discovered them.

A little trick... If you need to drill out a hole larger, get a blank 4" cover, zip screw it under the hole, and use it for you pilot bit guide, you will be through the metal in seconds.

I have a few of those Ultra cutters cow gave a link for. I too like them better than the carbide tipped cutters. They cut just as good, cost less, and is like a hole saw - probably helps keep cost down- the arbor is separate component from the cutter, so when you need to replace you only replace cutter and not entire assembly. I need to get a few more larger cutters - then I may not use KO punches much at all anymore.

 

[Strathead]

I have a few of those Ultra cutters cow gave a link for. I too like them better than the carbide tipped cutters. They cut just as good, cost less, and is like a hole saw - probably helps keep cost down- the arbor is separate component from the cutter, so when you need to replace you only replace cutter and not entire assembly. I need to get a few more larger cutters - then I may not use KO punches much at all anymore.

One more thing, always use cutting/tapping fluid on the bit. I ALWAYS have a little can of Rapid Tap!

 

[K8MHZ]

Best thing since sliced bread. :happyyes:

Ageed. They are the cat's meow. Take care of them and they last quite a while.

They make just about perfect holes and in not much time.

 

[renosteinke]

One detail to mind is: what are you drilling?

Believe it or not, there are different grades of carbide - a saw might be designed to cut masonry, and still have big teeth. READ the fine print. You can 'get away with' using a carbide saw on the wrong material, at the cost of greatly reducing its' life.

Along with that, keep in mind that a slow spin with a hard, steady push is the way to drill. Sometimes I almost want to curse the folks who made hole saws to fit in standard drills, as there is such a temptation to squeeze the trigger all the way. That's what's nice about the 'hole hogs;' they spin a lot slower than the usual drill.

 

[templdl]

One detail to mind is: what are you drilling?

Believe it or not, there are different grades of carbide - a saw might be designed to cut masonry, and still have big teeth. READ the fine print. You can 'get away with' using a carbide saw on the wrong material, at the cost of greatly reducing its' life.

Along with that, keep in mind that a slow spin with a hard, steady push is the way to drill. Sometimes I almost want to curse the folks who made hole saws to fit in standard drills, as there is such a temptation to squeeze the trigger all the way. That's what's nice about the 'hole hogs;' they spin a lot slower than the usual drill.

I believe a very slow speed to be important as higher speed cause heating which hardens the steel being drilled being counter productive.
I haven't had to drill through stainless steel with a jobbers bit in quite a while but I know that the bit can be destroyed unless you have the patience to drill at a very, very slow RPM. With a higher RPM the heat will cause the SS just to get harder making it an impossibility to drill through.
Have any of you heard of that?
As such, with carbide, the carbide should last longer if you keep the heating down using a slower speed and cutting fluid allowing for the carbide to cut. It is important to understand that two bits turning at the same RPM the cutting speed of a larger diameter bit that has a greater circumference is faster then that of a smaller diameter bit that has a smaller circumference. As such it is important to reduce the speed of larger bits.

 

[kwired]

One detail to mind is: what are you drilling?

Believe it or not, there are different grades of carbide - a saw might be designed to cut masonry, and still have big teeth. READ the fine print. You can 'get away with' using a carbide saw on the wrong material, at the cost of greatly reducing its' life.

Along with that, keep in mind that a slow spin with a hard, steady push is the way to drill. Sometimes I almost want to curse the folks who made hole saws to fit in standard drills, as there is such a temptation to squeeze the trigger all the way. That's what's nice about the 'hole hogs;' they spin a lot slower than the usual drill.

So I am supposed to get the hole hawg out to drill an entry for 1/2" raceways into a box? I'm pretty good at keeping the speed of my cordless drill at an acceptable speed for this task.

I believe a very slow speed to be important as higher speed cause heating which hardens the steel being drilled being counter productive.
I haven't had to drill through stainless steel with a jobbers bit in quite a while but I know that the bit can be destroyed unless you have the patience to drill at a very, very slow RPM. With a higher RPM the heat will cause the SS just to get harder making it an impossibility to drill through.
Have any of you heard of that?

Not only heard, experienced it, or seen others do it many times. Worst thing with stainless is a bit that is not sharp. It will not drill that easy and will tempt the operator to speed the drill, making things hotter and will only make it harder yet. Even when you give up with the dull bit and get a sharp one - it will drill harder than usual because of the hardening done by the first attempt.

BTW I have used the Ultra cutters in stainless and they are best thing I recall using to make KO's in stainless.

 

[Fulthrotl]

I believe a very slow speed to be important as higher speed cause heating which hardens the steel being drilled being counter productive.
I haven't had to drill through stainless steel with a jobbers bit in quite a while but I know that the bit can be destroyed unless you have the patience to drill at a very, very slow RPM. With a higher RPM the heat will cause the SS just to get harder making it an impossibility to drill through.
Have any of you heard of that?

stainless galls when drilled quickly... it work hardens, and then
the only thing that will cut it is a carbide end mill, or a plasma cutter.

let's say you are drilling 1/2" holes in 3/8" 308 SS plate....
don't ask how i know this, you don't want to know.... :happysad:

the best cutting oil is/was the clear rapid tap that looks
like lighter fluid... smells like it too... you can't buy it
in calif any more... too many voc's.

titanium dioxide bits, 135 degree split point.

as slow as you can make it go, and with as much pressure as
possible. you want to be able to watch the flukes going by and
almost be able to count them... that slow.

same with holesaws... i like the carbide ones... i have a
1/2 and a 3/4 that are probably over 5 years old now.
still working well.

if i have large holes to hole saw, i put a pilot bit in one chuck
and the hole saw with a piece of drill rod in place of the
pilot bit in another chuck, drill the pilot hole, and then use
the drill rod/hole saw to cut.... once you've tried it, you will
always do it that way..... i've had to cut holes thru robertson
decking that overhung on the web flange, and have drilled
the pilot and then used the drill rod trick to drill thru the deck,
and it doesn't walk at all.

 

[220/221]

The greenlee kit has 1/2" to 1.5" that fit onto a single arbor.



Best tool to come along in decades. They last a loong damn time unless you do something stupid with them.

And, only just over $100. They used to be more expensive. I've been using them for many years. No more scrounging for hole saw parts. Everything is in one small kit in a decent box.


Buy one today.....seriously.

 

[twoelk]

I like these

 

[Cow]

The greenlee kit has 1/2" to 1.5" that fit onto a single arbor.



Best tool to come along in decades. They last a loong damn time unless you do something stupid with them.

And, only just over $100. They used to be more expensive. I've been using them for many years. No more scrounging for hole saw parts. Everything is in one small kit in a decent box.


Buy one today.....seriously.

I just remembered another reason I don't like them. When it binds up, I reverse my drill and instead of reversing the cutter from the material, it unscrews itself from the arbor instead. Annoying to say the least.

Once the cutter is engaged to the arbor, it should stay that way. Forward and reverse shouldn't make a difference.

 

[kwired]

I like these

Looks like a fine tool, but like any other punch you still need a hole before you can make it larger. If I have to drill a 1/2 KO first just to be able to put the drawstud in why not drill a larger hole in first place? At least for up to 1" or maybe 1.25 KO sizes. It is a one step process and saves time. Larger holes may still be worth using the punch, depends on your drills' abilities, and other things.

 

[mivey]

why not drill a larger hole in first place?

I like the cleaner look of the punch. Other than punch sets, I have the old-style hole saws so maybe I have missed out by not getter some newer saw technology.