Steve Williams of Liss Electrical gives us his thoughts on the Mandrex holesaw kit.
The problem with getting cables from A to B is that there’s always something in the way! Sometimes you can go around it, other times you need to go through it, and let’s not forget that you also have the task of choosing which tool from your arsenal is going to get the job done, in the quickest and easiest fashion.
In the past you’d grab an auger or flat bit for wood, an SDS for masonry and a holesaw for both plaster and thin metal. Modern building materials, like the insulated sandwich or SIP, have now made this a job for more than one tool. And, if you need a wide hole, this one little obstacle can eat up half a day in blood sweat and tears alone.
With these factors in mind I was intrigued to have a play with the new Mandrex one-click Arbor, holesaw kit – available from Apex UK – when the opportunity recently arose.
I should start by saying that I usually take my time with my holesaws, letting the teeth do the work and waiting until the time comes to try and prise the cut material from the hole saw. At the end of the day only a young apprentice leaves a holesaw with stuff wedged in it – right?
This particular product deals with this issue be featuring longer and wider relief cuts in the side of the saw, making the clearing out task a breeze. In fact I attempted every trick in the book to try and make the unclogging process a nightmare – cutting on an angle and also letting the saw cool right down so it contracts on to the material – but each was overcome fairly easily.
I was also impressed by the quality of all the individual parts in the Mandrex system. The auger section is nicely machined and there is the correct level of hardening on all of the saws.
There are also some unique features that need shouting about, not least the ability to use one holesaw as an auger for a larger holesaw, which is a god send for those who find the original downlighter hole to be too small. Using the hole enlargement adapter set enables the user to mount 2 hole saws on 1 arbor and keeping the same centre hole.
Another interesting aspect is the range of arbour adaptors so that you can use any brand of holesaw and convert it to a quick one-click compatible one.
The benefits don’t stop there, however, as I’ve discovered that Mandrex manufactures a complete range of hole saws for all materials, including brick and tile, and these are produced in some surprisingly large depths, 165mm & 300mm deep which is especially useful for those messy SIP panels. Even the kit boxes have been thought through, allowing you to put together your ideal kit because of spare spaces for additional hole saw sizes.
I really did give this tool a run for its money and found that it was up to each and every task I put in front of it. If you’re fed up of buying over-priced Chineseum kits, or tired of swapping augers, this could be the product for you!
For more details about the Mandrex holesaw system, available from Apex UK, visit: www.apex-uk.co.uk
