Customer Reviews for Klein Tools 7/8 in. Carbide Hole Cutter

This Klein Tools Hole Cutter will be used primarily for conduit as I am rewiring my workshop and many of the electrical boxes on hand do not have knockouts.The 7/8 inch size is needed for the 1/2 inch conduit. There are many very useful features found in this hole cutter. The pilot hole drill bit is surrounded by a spring. My old hole cutter required pliers to pry out the metal piece but the spring in the Klein cutter pops the piece out. The pilot hole bit is replaceable and the allen wrench for the screw is included. The cutters are very sharp and did not even get hot after drilling a test hole. Another great feature is the flange that keeps the cutter from passing through the hole. A small length of tubing covers the pilot bit when in storage. A very nice reclosable container that stores the hole cutter and allen wrench is also included.

This carbide hole cutter cuts quick, precise holes in a variety of materials. Integrated flange prevents the operator from drilling beyond the sheet metal. Split point pilot drill bit prevents bit walking. Always ensure that you and persons in the vicinity wear approved eye protection. It cuts quick, precise holes in stainless steel, mild steel, iron, copper, and brass sheet up to 3/16-Inch (5 mm) thick. The split point pilot drill bit prevents bit walking. There's a integrated flange prevents the operator from drilling beyond the sheet metal.

I used the carbide hole cutter to help create some indents for cabinet hardware that I was putting in. I also used it to cut some holes in wood where I wanted to line up to 2 by 4s in order to create some holders for my tools that attach to my workbench. Really easy to use with a drill; and overall pretty happy with the consistency in the holes. Easy to clean

The Klein carbide hole saw is a top quality tool. It is the best cutting hole saw I have ever used. It easily cuts through steel and didn’t seem to dull the teeth. Included is a plastic storage container along with a hex wrench to replace the drill bit. Also the saw has a spring mounted inside to discharge the drilled core. This hole saw will last a long time and provide good service.

The KLEIN tool carbide hole cutter is a great tool. It is made from heavy duty materials was very sharp. The cutter bit through the material very easily leaving a clean hole. I needed a metal support brace where a pipe ran and the bit worked great leaving a clean hole for the pipe. I would highly recommend this and other size bits for DIY'ers to professional workers.

This is a nice drill bit, especially when you get into bigger diameter holes. It has a inner bit that helps to keep it centered and stable. It also has a spring around the inner bit to kick off the piece of metal that gets trapped between both bits to save a lot of time if you have a lot of holes to drill. It seems to be very well made and it doesn’t take long to drill with this bit.

The Klien Tools hole saw is a quality piece. The cutting blades are carbide tipped for wear resistance and long life. This cutter is for sheet metal up to 3/16 and there is a flange that keeps you from cutting too deep. The shank is 3/8 so it will fit most standard drills. There is a pilot bit that can be moved or replaced with the loosening of a set screw, allen wrench included. The tool also comes with Klien Tools warranty. I gave it a good rating because of the cost.

Welcome to the strange world of electrical parts sizes. A 1/2 inch thinwall conduit (EMT) actually measures about 5/8 inch inside and just under 3/4 OD. The fitting for that conduit fits into a steel electrical box with a “1/2 inch knockout” hole which actually measures 7/8- inch. That’s where this wonderful drill bit (actually a hole cutter) comes in. Quite often the knockout locations on a larger piece of electrical equipment such as a circuit breaker panel aren’t where you need an opening. Perhaps your wiring or conduit would work better and be cleaner if it entered the box in a different location. It is usually allowable to drill additional holes in these panels as long as they don’t interfere with other components or interior parts and it is done in a “workmanlike manor”. Actually, many electrical panels don’t even come with knockouts at all, and the electrician is expected to cut them in where needed. This Klein 7/8 hole cutter is designed for the 1/2-inch EMT fittings, NM cable clamps and other fittings that are designed to fit the “1/2-inch” hole into electrical boxes and enclosures. The best part is that it works great. It is carbide-tipped, so it works fast and cuts a clean precise hole, unlike hole saws. Little if any filing is needed to remove burrs. It also works well for drilling holes in steel studs, since often there are no factory holes in the studs where you need to run conduit The cutter portion of this tool is removable from the pilot bit in case it needs replacement or sharpening, and an allen wrench is also included for that purpose. It is also designed with a spring around the pilot bit to pop out the center slug. While it comes with a paper giving recommended speeds for various metals, and a plastic display box, I would have liked to see a box that was more durable for long-term use that would protect it, with the speed chart permanently attached to the box. I take good care of my tools and expect them to last a long time, and a good storage case shouldn’t be too much to ask for the price. I found this cutter to be well designed, and should be a real time-saver as opposed to a traditional knock-out set. I suggest using it like a traditional hole saw and drilling straight to avoid binding, and don’t exceed the recommended speed. For most users with battery drills this will seem very slow, but I suspect going too fast would damage the cutter and create an undesirable cut.

The Klein tools 7/8 inch carbide tipped hole cutter looks like a quality made tool. It can cut precise holes in stainless steel, mild steel, iron plate, copper or brass sheet up to 3/16 thick. The pilot bit can be replaced and it comes with the Allen key. The drill bit is meant to be used only in the forward cutting direction, so not in reverse. This hole cutter should last for quite a few holes.

the perfect drill accessory for anyone that install or works on electrical home or commercially. This hole cutter will make a perfect cut for attaching 1 / 2 inch electrical fitting to metal or plastic box's. this all metal cutter has 5 Carbide cutting teeth. there also replaceable centering pilot drill bit to allow for straight hole every time and a spring to asst. in ejecting the cutout disk. the drill bits is designed to cut metal up to 3/16 inch thick or 5 mm. the cutter will require a 1/2 drill chuck to work on a corded or cordless drill. built in stop to not plunge to far into a electrical service box.

Klein Tools 3/4 in. Carbide Hole Cutter Klein Carbide Tipped Hole Cutter is a high quality tool for hole cutting. The hole saw is designed for long term use and durability. The compact design is great to get into tight spaces when required. The hole cutter has a shoulder to keep the hole saw from going into the hole upon completion. This product is also designed for stainless steel hole cuttingThe pilot bit is easily changed with a screwdriver. The internal spring also keeps the knockout from getting stuck in the hole saw and pilot bit. The drilled hole is clean and smooth with little burrs to clean off. The carbide coating will keep this hole saw sharp for use over and over. It is well worth the extra money for the long lasting and quality of this tool.

This well designed hole cutter makes quick work of cutting three quarter inch diameter holes in a variety of materials. I have used it with no problems on mild steel and brass. I always clamp the work piece in my drill press with a scrap of wood below and find that the cutter makes very cleanly finished holes that require a minimum of cleanup afterwards. This cutter works more quickly than my 3/4 inch twist drill because so much less material has to be removed. Even on thin stock there is very little distortion on the part being cut.

The positive feature is the design of the basic carbide cutter. Normally, the “pocket” where the carbide insert sits prior to brazing is “L” shaped. On this tool, they actually have a partial pocket where the base of the carbide insert is supported on three sides. Very robust. The carbide cutter easily cuts through steel sheet metal. An interesting feature is having a spring inside the tool, to help force out the plug. However, I had a problem with this tool. The first hole I needed to drill in thin sheet metal, and I was forced to drill at about a 15 degree angle. Anyway, the pilot drill bit snapped deep inside the tool when drilling my first hole. I’m sure the bit is through hardened, and it appears to be a brittle material when heat treated. I suspect there would have been a better alloy steel which wouldn’t be so brittle. This drill bit is shorter than a standard bit, so if you what to use a bit you have on hand, you need to chop it off. They note on the box that the replacement pilot drill is P/N 31874. The pilot drill portion is a stepped drill bit, which is nice. The cutting size for this tool is ¾” diameter. I initially thought this is the size hole you need for the clearance hole needed for ½” conduit fittings, since Klein is a major player in the electrical field. However, I discovered that requires a 7/8” hole. If it had not been for the failed pilot drill, I would have easily rated this 5 stars. However, I had to lower it to 3 star.

I wanted to see how the cutter worked and wanted to see how the holes turned out. I had a piece of 3/16" mild steel to test the cutter. 3/16" is the maximum thickness as per the instructions on the cutter. On the very first cut with this hole saw, about half way through the cut the pilot drill bit broke. It sheared off. It was very surprising as Klein usually has very high quality tools. This one may have just been defective, but I do not know for sure. I replaced the pilot bit in the center with a regular metal cutting drill bit to test the carbide hole saw portion of the tool. The regular drill bit worked great and the hole saw portion worked very well. It cut a very smooth hole. Except for the pilot drill bit, this hole saw worked great. Be careful with the pilot bit.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Works good and makes the job easier

Cut through metal with ease!

Works good. Little pricey but gets the job done.

I ordered this cutter to make 4 holes in 1/4" stainless steel plate which was at the upper end of the recommended thickness. It did a fine job, cutting cleanly, however by the end one of the carbide teeth had come loose.

Even with extremely slow rpm this ripped several teeth off on the first hole. I got two uses out of it on 0.065 wall 304 Stainless and it’s a paper weight now. Absolute junk. Since I’ve been using a Milwaukee 3/4 hole saw issue free for 10 + holes on the same material.

very durable and good quality

Excellent quality product. Great for cutting quick & accurate holes in thin sheet metal to make electrical connections.

Sorry to have to post so low a rating on Klein tools which I love. This tool cuts fantastically. Drills holes in electrical boxes for conduit connections with ease. Problem is, the pilot drill broke, and I can't find a replacement, even on the Klein website, so a $30 plus purchase including sales tax is now useless. It does take a regular size drill, so if you want to cut the drill down and resharpen it and grind the little flat on the side where the setscrew holds it in, which is what I did, you're ok. Next time at Home Depot, I'm gonna try the Milwaukee pilot drills to see if they fit.