OK, I’m finally fed up with my 20+ year old $2.99 hacksaw, with a blade that wanders from here to eternity. Surprised to find no discussion of brands in these archives, and the only one I found in the back issues is the Starrett K153–reviewed 13 years ago.
It looks like a great tool, and is still being made. Any others I should consider?
Thanks.
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Replies
Lenox makes a nice one. I got the Stanley Fat Max and the handle pinches my hand. Picked up a DeWalt at HDT and like it. HDT had both the Lenox and DW. Not on the site but in the store.
http://www.heavydutytools.net/Scripts/contactUs.asp
http://www.lenoxsaw.com/handhack.htm
Lenox for me too.
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., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
I bought the Lenox 4012, in the link provided above, and it is pretty nice for a hacksaw.
I'd recommend it and buy another if/when I loose this one.
I have a Bahco and like it a lot.
Consider this.....
You're not getting any younger.
Make that cordless, and you got a sale.
I think that is (or atleast was) cordless too
Lenox here too ..... the 4012. Costs a bit more than $2.99 but well worth it imho.
Ridgid makes a good hacksaw, you'll probably have to look at a plumbing supply to find one though.
Whatever brand you get, "high tension" is the key to good cuts.
Almost all "high tension" hacksaws very strongly resemble the Lenox. You should also be aware that Klein makes TWO hacksaws: one like the Lenox, and then there is "the heavy one."
Personally, I prefer "the heavy one." The extra mass actually seems to help the saw keep from binding.
If you got 20 yrs. outta the last one, why are you lookin' to spend more than $2.99 this go round.
I forgot I even owned a hacksaw until my neighbor asked to borrow one a few weeks back.
I should probably ask for it back. Then again....why bother?
Aint that why I own a Sawzall?
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
I'm trying to figure out a time that you would need a hacksaw over a recip....
and coming up blank.....
Only time I really ever use mine is to cut the bolts on stools...
I'm trying to figure out a time that you would need a hacksaw over a recip....
the time when U don't feel like digging out the sawzaw and carrying one more freaking tool up to that bath job yer trying to punchlist out of ...
like say ... installing a shower door?
just grab the hacksaw ... that "good one" U just bought .... outta the tool box
and zip right thru.
a hacksaw is one tool that's worth every little penny to "upgrade".
makes all the difference in the world.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I don't disagree, as I've bought "good" hacksaws the last few...
But, still not much you can't do with a recip that you can with the hacksaw.
Showre door is a good example, but we sub that out.
"but we sub that out."
wow ... U sub out all your hacksaw work ...
pretty specialized!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
yeah, but he's really good with it!
I don't know if my opinion matters much anymore, I ride a desk most of the time
"I don't know if my opinion matters much anymore,"
I thot U were gonna remind me U are married!
Jeff
btw ... just asked my wife ... she confirmed ... neither of ours does ... Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
some people have given me that title Hack Saw... or was that Hack with a Saw?
saw hack?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I've had a Malco for ever it seems, even stash spare blades in the frame. It's been real good.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Morn'in tab1!
Rather than suggest a model & brand, I'll suggest a few observations & ideas I've come upon over the years.
A SHORT TREATISE ON HACKSAWS
1) High tension is the only way to go, in my humble opinion, with a comfortable handle. (I like 1 of my hacksaws due to a lever-type tensioning device in the handle, VERY quick to change blades.)
2) Blades should hook on captive pins rather than loose pins. (2 of my saws have 2, rivet-like pins that have to be threaded thru the saw frame & the blades to secure the blades. A royal PITA when you drop the the pin & spend valuable time to fabricate new pins or try to find the dropped ones.)
3) Pin positions @ 90* & 45*; this allows you to tilt the saw over to cut in confined quarters by repositioning the blade when needed.
4) A thumb rest on top of the saw frame to help support your hand not holding the handle end of the saw. Hacksawing goes best when you can get a two-handed grip on the saw & really bear down on the cutting stroke, while holding the saw in the proper orientation.
5) Try to use the full length of the blade on each stroke, blades last longer & you prevent binding should you "overstroke" to a section of unused blade. By using all of the blade length you prevent any unused portions of the blade. The used portion quickly looses some of the factory blade "set" & cuts a narrower kerf than a new section, this can cause binding in the new section, if you have any!.
6) Try to cut on a rock-solid bench with a vise whenever possible. You just have to try a wobbly bench vs. a solid bench to appreciate just how enormous the difference is!
7) Try to keep a cadence of 1 stroke per sec. and reduce the down pressure on each return stroke. Like filing by hand, hacksawing goes best & the blades last longest when you lift the saw up slightly from the cut on each return stroke. You can quickly lose the edges on a file or a hacksaw blade by riding the tool backwards over your material.
8) Consider using a lubricant if you have a lot of sawing to do. A few drops of oil go a long way to reduce friction & lengthing blade life.
9) Consider buying two saw frames. I keep 1 saw set up with its blade mounted backwards so I can cut on a pull stroke rather than the normal push stroke. On some jobs the material has more support when you pull stroke thru it (assuming you don't have access to the other side of the material, that is!).
10) Get a good selection of blades @ different TPI (teeth per inch), I like 16TPI for normal cuts but will go to 24 or even 32TPI on very thin material. Use the coarsest blade for quickest cutting without allowing the material to drop within the gullets of the blade teeth. If the material is thin enough to drop into the gullet spaces, you can quickly snap off a tooth or two.
11) Don't cut with a dulled blade. Its just not worth the aggravation. Have lots of new blades handy & change them out when you have to. (With XMAS coming up, they are a great thing to ask your kids to buy you!) I like blade storage within the saw frame for this reason. Keep some new blades always on hand.
12) Use good blades, I've tried the el'Cheapo ones & got literally seconds of life out of them before they lost their edges.!
13) Learn to recognize a material that is too hard to cut with a hacksaw. The blade will "skate" over the material without digging in, no matter how much you can bear down on it. Move on to another cutting method, abrasive cuttoff, as an example.
14) Try to start your cut with the very first few strokes angled so a few of the blade teeth are in contact with the material, & use lighter pressure until the cut is established. Once established, you can increase pressure and adjust your blade angle to cut more aggressively.
15) Consider getting a stab-type blade holder in addition to your regular type frames. It is sometimes very handy to do your cutting from one side of the material only. (Such as from inside a hole, or on a piece of flat material where the length of cut exceeds the cutting depth of your saw frame.) Set up the blade to cut on the pull stroke, this keeps the blade under some tension during the cut which helps to prevent it from bending in the cut. Keep the blade clamping mechanism tight, I've literally yanked blades right out of the stab holder when the clamp gets loose. (Besides, some guys, like me, like things tight!)
16) In the same vein of the previous sentence, RIGIDITY is of para-mount importance. I dislike telescoping frames for the potential loss of rigidity, the hacksaw frame must be rigid, to keep your cutting tool stiff!
Sincerely,
STAINLESS
Excellant treatise, thanks Stainless
Felicitations, sharpblade.
Thanks for the kudo. The pleasure was mine.
Sincerely,
STAINLESS
I have a DeWalt DWHT20547L Hacksaw overall satisfied with it. Stanley STHT20138 hacksaw is a great choice for DIY, too.