Pictures are small because they were taken with my crappy cell camera. I can take bigger and better pics tomorrow if anyone needs them.
Well, I was the recipient of the new hole saw, and I must admit that I like it a lot. Here's the info on the packaging:
Manufacturer: P & R Co. (Price & Rutzebeck, Inc, Oroville, CA)
Tradename: Holcutters(tm)
What's nice about this hole saw is that the Cutter and the Arbor are two separate pieces:
This means that you can use the same Arbor and just swap out the different size Holcutters. The Arbor I was sent was the 3/8" Arbor - intended for use with drills with a 3/8" chuck. The screw on the Arbor can be loosened to remove the drill bit in the center, allowing you to sharpen the bit or replace it should it become bent or dull.
The Cutter I received was the 1-1/8" Holcutter(tm). The packaging states "For Use on Materials up to 1/8" Thick". It lists 'Sizes Available from 11/16" to 3"' and has recommended Cutter speeds for a few metal types:
Tool Steel - 170 RPM
Mild Steel - 340 RPM
Soft Aluminum - 2600 RPM
Installation is easy. The Cutter has a threaded center that just screws onto the Arbor. There is a hex washer on the Arbor that the Cutter screws flush to. After drilling, the Cutter can be difficult to loosen, so a simple turn of the washer (sometimes with a pliers) will loosen it.
Okay, onto using it. I was given a beat-up Ms. Pac to turn into a 60-in-1 for a client's Xmas gift to his kids. Obviously, I need some button holes:
I started with the hole on the right. I first made a pilot hole using a 1/8" bit (like I usually do with my old hole saw), then started with the new Holcutter. Since my drill doesn't have an RPM setting, I started slowly. The center bit enlarged the pilot hole, but as soon as I broke through, it wanted to either turn the entire control panel, or not turn at all (if I held the control panel still). After a few tries of trying to get the cutter to freely turn in the hole (it wouldn't - only staying in the spiral groove it first made until the blades hit the panel, then trying to turn the entire panel), I used another bit to make the center hole a bit larger. Unfortunately, this made the pilot hole a bit bigger than the bit on the Holcutter, so it wiggled a bit while cutting through, which is evident by the slightly sloppy edging of the hole.
For the hole on the left, I decided to not use a pilot hole. I placed the bit of the cutter where I wanted it, started slow, and it drilled through pretty easily, but again it caught after making it through and tried to turn the entire panel. This time - after I removed the bit - I reversed the direction of the drill, and was able to break thru the hole so that the cutter was turning freely in the guide hole. Then I made a nice clean cut through the panel (and overlay).
Perhaps a faster drill speed would have elminated the problem with the bit getting stuck in the hole. As my corded drill did not not have an RPM setting, I probably went slower than recommended.
Now, as for the things I like about this bit (besides being able to change the size of the cutter):
1) Cutting a hole without a pilot hole gave me a very nice hole in less than 30 seconds. Much faster than my old worn hole saw. The decreased time also meant less heat buildup which can mess up an overlay if you need to drill through one.
2) The little "step" edging on the bit means the bit will not drop through when the cutter breaks through. Your bit will only go through about 1/8" before stopping. This means less chance of damage to any wiring, desk, workbench, legs, etc that might be under or supporting the panel while you are drilling.
FINAL OPINION: I would buy this bit should I ever need one. Not sure what these normally cost, and I'll be inquiring to p1001 about the cost of the cutter to make trackball cutouts. Hopefully the price isn't so high that it makes more sense to just buy cheap Home Depot hole saws several times...