Lenoxย effectively took a tool that has not changed much since its inceptionย and was able to add a new level of ease-of-use to their line of Holeย Saws with their new Speed Slot technology. Lenox Speed Slot hole saws use a stair-stepped, angled slot on the side of the hole saw that facilitates easier plug removal. To further improve the Lenox hole saw line, all the holeย saws feature an enhanced tooth geometry, a thinner kerf design, and aย coating that is supposed to contribute to the efficiency of theย cutting process. What all this equates to is a product that justย about any professional tradesman will instantly appreciate.
Out in the field, most tradesmen will tell you that removing the plug from a hole saw is one of the most significant drawbacks to using them.ย Depending on how wedged the slug gets stuck inside the hole saw, itย can sometimes mean that you have to completely disassemble the holeย saw from the mandrel to get the plug out. This is exactly the design reasoning behind the Lenox Speed Slot hole saws. Fast and easierย removal of the plug after cutting wood or metal means higherย productivity and less downtime.
The Lenox Speed Slot hole saws are made of a bi-metal construction, which means that the high-speed steel teeth are welded to a high-strength carbon steel base. The high-speed steel teeth helpย to ensure long tool life by remaining sharper longer, even when usedย for cutting metal. The carbon steel base ensures that the bit canย withstand shock and extended use without fatigue. The entire line ofย hole saws is compatible with any standard hole saw mandrel. It is also worth noting that the new line of Speed Slot Hole Saws is 10% taller than the previous models, which should make drilling through and removing the slugs of 2X building materials much easier.
Lenox Speed Slot Hole Saws Testingย and Use
Toย test out the bi-metalย Lenox Speed Slot hole saws, we relied less on simply drilling holesโwe knew it could do that. Our review spent a little more time and focused on taking out the plug when we were done. We loaded up the hole saw on a standard screw pin-type mandrel and went to town onย a piece of 1X pine.
After our first hole, we took a screwdriver and, utilizing the stepped leverage points, we were easily able to eject the slug. To see if we could get a plug stuck, we drilled the nextย few holes intentionally crooked so that the plug was not really roundย but rather wedged inside the hole saw at an angle when we were done.ย Again, using the stepped Speed Slot, the plugs came out easily. Next,ย we drilled a hole in a 1X piece of solid oak just to try it on a hardย material.
To our surprise, the hole saw burrowed its way rather quickly through the hardwood, and just as easily as before, the slug popped right out without having to disassemble the hole saw from the mandrel. After some more drilling, we gave up on trying to jam up the hole saw because, time after time, the Speed Slots proved to be a slick way to remove the plugs. It is worth noting thatย the holes that we drilled in both the soft and hard woods were prettyย smooth with very minimal jagged edges when we were finished.
Conclusion
Theย bi-metal Lenox Speed Slot hole sawsย are the way to go if your jobย involves using these types of tools a lot. Not only is the Speed Slotย innovative, but the thinner kerf and other improvements over theย previous models really make it easy to pick one of these hole sawsย for the job. For our Value rating we gave these hole saws a score ofย 9/10 because you get more features for no extra cost over theย previous models.
For our Performance rating, we gave these tools a well-deserved 10/10 because with such a simple tool, you might not think that there is much room for improvement, but Lenox really did their homework and designed a real winner that makes life on the job site easier.
