Hole saws are the accessory nobody budgets for and everybody ends up buying twice. You start with a cheap boxed set off the shelf, the arbor strips on the third downlight, and by the following week you are back at the counter paying full whack for the two sizes you actually use. Meanwhile the other eleven saws in the case have never come out of the plastic.
This is a roundup of what is worth owning if you cut holes for a living rather than once a year. The honest answer for most trades is a small trade-specific set plus singles bought as you need them – not the biggest case on the shelf. Prices below are UK retail, checked at the time of writing, and marked inc or ex VAT where they were confirmed on a live listing.
Quick Verdict
For electricians, the Starrett KFC06021 six-saw set is the one to buy. At £64.99 inc VAT from Screwfix it covers 16mm to 51mm – which is every hole a spark cuts in a normal week – and it ships with two arbors so you are not swapping pilot bits between sizes on a ladder.
For plumbers, the Starrett KFC07021 seven-saw plumbers set does the same job around the sizes that matter for pipe, waste and tank connectors. It has been sitting at £62.99 inc VAT at Screwfix, down from £69.99.
If you want one case that covers everything and you cut metal regularly, the Milwaukee Hole Dozer 17-piece set is the serious option at £179.99 inc VAT (£149.99 ex) from Toolstation. Thirteen saws from 20mm to 76mm, two arbors and two pilot bits. There is a ten-piece version at £119.99 if you can live with a narrower spread.
If you are drilling masonry rather than sheet material, none of the above is the right tool and you want a diamond dry core – covered further down, because plenty of people buy a bi-metal set and then wreck it on a brick wall.
Bi-Metal, Carbide or Diamond? Pick by Material, Not by Price
Three families of hole saw exist and they are not interchangeable. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a set gets binned early.
Bi-metal is the default and what almost every trade set contains. High-speed steel teeth laser-welded onto an alloy steel body. It cuts timber, plasterboard, plastic, and mild or stainless steel sheet up to around 3mm wall thickness. It is the right choice for downlights, back boxes, pipe penetrations through joists and studwork, and consumer unit gland holes. It will not survive masonry.
Carbide-tipped runs longer than bi-metal in abrasive board materials – cement board, laminate worktop, fibreglass, tile backer – and in thicker steel. It costs roughly double per saw. Worth it for kitchen fitters and anyone regularly going through worktop or tile backer board, hard to justify otherwise.
Diamond dry core is for masonry: brick, block, stone, and the occasional bit of reinforced-free concrete. Different arbor system, different technique, and it needs a decent hammer-off rotary drill rather than a combi on hammer. The 52mm and 117mm sizes cover most extractor and boiler flue work.
What Actually Decides Whether a Set Is Any Good
Sizes, not saw count. A twenty-piece set sounds like value until you notice it has eleven sizes below 25mm and nothing near 68mm. For a spark, the sizes that matter are 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 51mm and 68mm – the last for downlights, which is why so many electricians end up buying a 68mm single separately. For plumbers it is 22mm, 28mm and 32mm for pipe, plus something in the 57mm to 65mm range.
The arbor system. This is where cheap sets fall over. A good arbor has a proper hex shank so it does not spin in the chuck, a slotted or ejection-assisted design so the plug comes out without a screwdriver, and a threaded fit that does not seize. Sets shipping two arbors – one small, one large – save you swapping every time you change size. Quick-change arbors are genuinely faster if you are doing a full first fix.
Cut depth. Standard is 38mm to 41mm. That is fine for plasterboard, sheet steel and single-layer timber. It is not enough for a double layer of fire board or a thick worktop, where you want a deep-cut saw at 50mm plus. Check before you get halfway through a hole and stall.
Plug ejection. Slotted barrels let you get a screwdriver in and lever the slug out. It sounds trivial until you have done thirty downlights and had to dig each one out with a scriber. Starrett and Milwaukee both do this properly; budget sets often do not.
At a Glance – Hole Saw Sets Compared
UK prices checked at the time of writing. Inc VAT unless stated. Availability and promotional pricing move, so check before ordering.
| Set | Pieces | Size range | Arbors | Price | Best for |
| Starrett KFC06021 Electricians | 8 (6 saws) | 16-51mm | 2 (A1, A10) | £64.99 inc | Sparks – first fix and back boxes |
| Starrett KFC07021 Plumbers | 9 (7 saws) | Plumbing sizes | 2 | £62.99 inc (was £69.99) | Plumbers and heating engineers |
| Milwaukee Hole Dozer 17-pc | 17 (13 saws) | 20-76mm | 2 + 2 pilot bits | £179.99 inc / £149.99 ex | One case that covers everything |
| Milwaukee Hole Dozer 10-pc | 10 | Narrower spread | Included | £119.99 inc | Milwaukee quality on a budget |
| Bosch bi-metal set | Varies | Varies | 1-2 | Indicative £45-£110 | General mixed trade use |
| Diamond dry core kit (52/117mm) | 3-5 pc | 52-117mm | SDS+ / chuck adaptor | Indicative £130-£200 | Masonry, flues, extractor holes |
The Best Hole Saw Sets for UK Trade
Starrett KFC06021 Electricians Set – Best for Sparks
Six saws at 16, 20, 25, 32, 40 and 51mm, plus two arbors, for £64.99 inc VAT at Screwfix. Starrett make the teeth themselves and it shows – these cut mild and stainless sheet and tube up to 3mm wall cleanly, with 41mm cut depth and a slotted barrel so the plug comes out without a fight. Screwfix customers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across fourteen reviews, which is a small sample but consistent with what Starrett sets are like in the van.
The gap is 68mm. There is no downlight-size saw in this kit, so budget for a 68mm single on top. Annoying, but every set in this class has the same hole in it and buying one good single beats buying a twenty-piece case to get one saw.
- PERFORMANCE: Fast Cut Bi-Metal Hole Saws contain an extra cobalt HSS tooth material, and a new 5.5 TPI positive rake tooth design ensuring a smoother and faster cut
- PRACTICAL: HSS teeth and a non-binding clean edge design ensure a smooth, clean, and fast cutting hole saw blade; Sharp tooth shape and durability make this bimetal hole saw one of the best on the market
- EFFICIENT: Specifically suited to cutting up to 3mm stainless and mild steel sheets, the fast cut will also cut through tubes with a wall thickness of up to 3mm (1/8”); Get 41mm (1.5/8”) hole saw depth
- EASY TO USE: Make sure the hole saw wears the wood surface as you insert it; Slowly cut into the material with the saw when it starts to cut; As soon as the hole saw passes through the other side of the wood, stop the drill
- PENETRATION: 30% extra gullet volume for better material penetration
Starrett KFC07021 Plumbers Set – Best for Plumbers and Heating
Same build quality, sizes arranged around pipe and tank work rather than back boxes. Seven saws in a nine-piece kit, currently £62.99 inc VAT at Screwfix against a £69.99 list. If you are cutting through joists for 22mm and 28mm copper, notching studwork for waste, or putting connectors through a cylinder cupboard, this is the set that has the sizes you reach for.
Bear in mind it is still bi-metal. Coring through a brick external wall for a condensate or flue run needs a diamond core, not this.
- PERFORMANCE: Fast Cut Bi-Metal Hole Saws contain an extra cobalt HSS tooth material, and a new 5.5 TPI positive rake tooth design ensuring a smoother and faster cut.
- PRACTICAL: HSS teeth and a non-binding clean edge design ensure a smooth, clean, and fast cutting hole saw blade. Sharp tooth shape and durability make this bimetal hole saw one of the best on the market.
- EFFICIENT: Specifically suited to cutting up to 3mm stainless and mild steel sheets, the fast cut will also cut through tubes with a wall thickness of up to 3mm (1/8”). Get 41mm (1.5/8”) hole saw depth.
- EASY TO USE: Make sure the hole saw wears the wood surface as you insert it. Slowly cut into the material with the saw when it starts to cut. As soon as the hole saw passes through the other side of the wood, stop the drill
- PENETRATION: 30% extra gullet volume for better material penetration.
Milwaukee Hole Dozer 17-Piece – Best All-Rounder
£179.99 inc VAT, £149.99 ex, from Toolstation. Thirteen saws covering 20, 22, 25, 32, 40, 44, 51, 57, 64, 65, 67, 68 and 76mm, two arbors spanning 14-30mm and 32-152mm, and two pilot drill bits. Note the 68mm is in there – so if you fit downlights, the effective price gap against the Starrett set is smaller than it looks.
The tooth geometry is the selling point: 3.5 TPI with a positive 10-degree rake and deep gullets. In practice that means it clears chips instead of packing up, which is what actually kills a hole saw in thick steel. Milwaukee rate it for steel up to 1000 N/mm², stainless, acid-resistant steel, cast iron, aluminium, timber, MDF, plasterboard and PVC. Cut depth is 41mm.
At three kilos in the case it is not something you carry up a loft ladder for one hole. It lives in the van and you take out what you need.
- The kit comes with 17 hole saw blades in 9 sizes: 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch, 1-1/8 inch, 1-3/8 inch, 1-1/2 inch, 2 inch, 2-1/8 inch, 2-1/4 inch and 2-1/2 inch with Case
- Rip Guard offers exceptionally strong tooth form with added steel behind cutting edge
- Plug Jack provides an all-access slot design for fast plug removal
- Bi-metal construction with 8% cobalt for increased wear resistance
Milwaukee Hole Dozer 10-Piece – The Sensible Compromise
£119.99 inc VAT at Toolstation, same tooth design, fewer sizes. If the 17-piece is more spread than you need but you want Milwaukee’s cutting performance, this is the one. Check the exact size list against the holes you actually cut before ordering – the value of any set is entirely in whether the sizes match your work.
- 13-Pc general purpose hole Dozer hole saw kit
- The product is easy to use and easy to handle
- The product is highly durable
Bosch Bi-Metal Sets – Widely Stocked, Middling
Bosch sets are on the shelf everywhere, including Toolstation, and they are perfectly serviceable. They tend to sit between the budget own-brands and Starrett or Milwaukee on both price and life. If you are a general builder cutting a few holes a month rather than a first-fix spark, a Bosch set is a reasonable buy and you will not think about it again. Prices vary widely by kit size, so treat any figure as indicative and check the listing.
- PROGRESSOR Holesaw 14pc Set
- Content: 14-piece Progressor holesaw set 11 holesaws, 1 Power-Change adapter, 2 HSS-G pilot drill bits
- 11 holesaws, 1 Power-Change adapter, 2 HSS-G Pilot drill bit
Diamond Dry Core Kits – For Masonry Only
Once you are through brick, block or stone, bi-metal is the wrong tool and no amount of pressure will fix it. A diamond dry core kit – Marcrist are the UK name most trades know, with Armeg as the other common option – handles it. The usual trade kit pairs a 52mm and a 117mm core with an extension rod, a chuck or SDS+ adaptor and a pilot drill, and covers extractor fans, boiler flues and soil pipe penetrations.
Expect to pay in the region of £130-£200 for a two-core kit, though this is an indicative range rather than a confirmed price and it moves with the retailer. Two things worth knowing before you buy: run them dry and at moderate speed on a rotary drill with hammer switched off, and take dust seriously – dry coring masonry generates respirable crystalline silica, and on-tool extraction is not optional under COSHH.
- PROFESSIONAL DIAMOND CORE DRILL BIT SET; Heavy-duty diamond core drill bit set engineered for fast, accurate drilling in concrete, brick and block.
- HIGH PERFORMANCE CORE DRILL BIT DESIGN; Each core drill bit features premium diamond segments for efficient cutting and extended service life, making this a dependable core bit set for demanding trade use.
- ROTARY USE - SDS PLUS & 3-JAW COMPATIBLE; Versatile diamond core drill set designed for rotary drilling only, compatible with SDS Plus and standard 3-jaw drills via the correct adaptors.
- LOW VIBRATION SOLID BARREL CONSTRUCTION; Durable solid steel barrel ensures stable drilling and cleaner core extraction, a reliable masonry core drill bit set for site and trade use.
- DRY CORE DRILLING CAPABILITY; Versatile core drill bit suitable for dry use and compatible with dust extraction systems, ideal as an SDS core drill bit set for cleaner site work.
Buyer’s Guide: Matching the Set to the Trade
Electricians. Prioritise 20, 25, 32 and 51mm for cable and gland work, and 68mm for downlights. A two-arbor set is worth the extra over a single-arbor one. Buy the 68mm separately if the set does not carry it.
Plumbers and heating engineers. Pipe sizes first, then a mid-size for tank and cylinder connectors. If you fit boilers, budget for a 117mm diamond core as a separate purchase – it is the flue size and it comes up constantly.
Kitchen and bathroom fitters. Worktop and tile backer chew through bi-metal. Carbide-tipped singles in the sizes you use for tap holes and waste are worth the premium, and a deep-cut saw pays for itself the first time you go through a 40mm worktop.
General builders and maintenance. A mid-range mixed set covers most of it. The one upgrade worth making is a decent arbor with proper plug ejection – it saves more time than any tooth technology.
Getting More Life Out of Them
Slow down. The single biggest killer of hole saws is running them too fast. Large diameters want low speed and steady pressure. If you can smell it, you have already blued the teeth and taken most of the life out of that saw.
Use cutting fluid in steel. A smear of paste on the teeth before you start in sheet steel will roughly double the number of holes you get. Nobody does this, and everybody complains their hole saws do not last.
Pilot the plug out. Drill a small hole through the waste side before you start, and the slug can be pushed out from behind rather than levered.
Back off in thin steel. Let the saw cut rather than leaning on it. Pressure in sheet material just skips the teeth and rounds them off.
Keep the arbor threads clean. A seized arbor is what turns a good set into a bad one. A wipe of grease on the thread every few months is enough.
FAQs
How many hole saw sizes do I actually need?
Four or five for most trades. Look at what you cut in a typical month and you will find the same handful of sizes come up again and again. Everything else is better bought as a single when the job demands it.
Can I use a hole saw in an impact driver?
No. Hole saws want steady rotational torque, not impacts. Use a combi drill or a decent cordless drill driver on low gear. An impact driver will hammer the arbor thread loose and give you a poor hole.
Why does my hole saw stop cutting halfway through?
Usually the plug has packed into the barrel and there is nowhere for the chips to go. Back it out, clear the slug, and use a saw with deeper gullets or a slotted barrel next time.
Is a 68mm hole saw the right size for downlights?
For most standard UK downlights, yes – 68mm is the common cut-out, but check the fitting’s stated aperture rather than assuming. Some fire-rated units want 70mm or 75mm.
Do I need a different hole saw for stainless steel?
Not a different type, but a good bi-metal saw run slowly with cutting fluid. Cheap sets will not survive stainless. This is where Starrett and Milwaukee earn their price difference.
The Bottom Line
Buy for sizes, not for piece count. Most trades are best served by a trade-specific set of six or seven saws plus the one or two singles that set leaves out – which for electricians means the Starrett KFC06021 at £64.99 plus a 68mm, and for plumbers the KFC07021 at £62.99. If you want one case that covers the lot and you cut steel regularly, the Milwaukee Hole Dozer 17-piece at £179.99 is a genuinely good buy rather than a case full of sizes you will never use.
And keep a diamond core kit separate for masonry. It is the purchase people put off, and it is the one that stops them ruining a good bi-metal set on a brick wall.
Related reading
