My local Home Depot has set up most of their Black Friday 2019 and holiday season tool deals, and also several displays that will be part of a Pro Black Friday sales event that will take place sometime between now and Thanksgiving. I came across a new Milwaukee Hole Dozer hole saw promo.
In previous years, Milwaukee has had larger Hole Dozer hole saw promo sets for the holiday season and Pro Black Friday sales events. This year’s set is smaller, with only 5 hole saw sizes.
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Either you get the older-style Milwaukee Hole Dozer hole saws, or the product imagery has not yet been updated to reflect the new styling. I’m guessing that what you see is what you get, which is okay.
You get 5 hole saw sizes: 1″, 1-1/4″, 1-1/2″, 2″, 2-1/2″, a small arbor, 2 pilot drill bits, a spacer and adapter, and a hard case.
These are bi-metal hole saws.
Here’s the fun part. How much does the set cost?
My store has it currently priced at $40, and when walking and talking about all the promos with a local Milwaukee rep, we saw signage that confirms it will be $30 for Home Depot’s Pro Black Friday 2019 sales event. Online right now, it’s $35 at Home depot’s website.
There are 3 different prices for this hole saw set!
Price: $30 (for Pro Black Friday 2019, coming soon)
Discussion
This set looks to be an *okay* value.
Last year, Home Depot had a Milwaukee 17pc hole saw set for $40. That set came with 9 hole saws, 2 arbors, and 3 additional pilot drills. The year before, they had a 16pc, also with 9 sizes, and one less replacement drill bit, also for $40.
So, 9 hole saws plus 2 arbors and a couple of pilot drills, for $40.
Here, we have 5 hole saws plus 1 arbor and what looks to be size adapter hardware that lets you use the small arbor with the larger hole saw sizes.
Some other retailers have this 9pc set priced at $50. Home Depot says it “was $55.”
$40 is way too much compared to what you got with past years’ Black Friday and Pro Black Friday specials. $35? Still not a great value. $30? Would you get my feelings if I just sat “meh?”
This is of course all relative to Black Friday and holiday season tool deals. In the context of Milwaukee’s typical hole saw set pricing, $30 is a great price. It’s compared to past years’ deals that puts the value in question.
Then again, a lot of tools were less expensive in recent years than they are today.
Unless there will be other Hole Dozer sets featured in Home Depot’s 2019 Black Friday or Holiday sales plans, this is a good starter set for those looking to try Milwaukee’s hole saws, or perhaps a “replenishment” pack if you don’t need any more than these particular sizes of hole saws.
But in the context of Black Friday and seasonal promos go, this is a lukewarm deal. Still, these are good hole saws, and you’re not going to see this or similarly sized sets sell for less.
All of the Home Depot stores near me have 4 to 5 dozen of these hole saws sets in stock. My store had one display in the “gift center” alcove, and another in the main aisle along with other typical Pro Black Friday sales event tool promos.
Ben V
I’m still patiently waiting for a better deal 🙂
fred
How about this big Lenox set for $149:
https://www.toolup.com/Lenox-308042000G-Big-Daddy-Speed-Slot-Bi-Metal-Hole-Saw-26-Piece-Set
Evadman
I burn through 3/4, 1, 1.25 and 1.5 inch wholesaws like they are candy when I’m notching cromolly and erw tubing for welding. Last year, I got a few of the Klein sets from here: https://toolguyd.com/klein-tools-dremel-rotary-tool-deals-08212018/
Sadly, they were not the right size, but the price was right. I did test, and find that those lasted a similar number of cuts as other brand holesaws. $3 each is a fantastic price, next cheapest for similar quality I have found was about $6.
If Milwaukee was in the $4 or less range in black friday,I would buy a ton of them so I would never run out again. I’m tired of running to Menards or home depot and paying around $10 each. Speaking of which, I’m pretty sure the set I keep buying from Menards is $30 all the time and the same sizes as this set. I just give away the bigger ones I have no use for. I will check next time I’m there.
matty67
Have you used/tried the carbide models? I’m an electrician so a little different materials than you, but we did a remodel on lath and plaster, with the metal mesh in it for extra goodness, and the bi-metal/ice hardened cups and sawzall blades just melted against it. Carbide cut fast and clean and kept going. It was seriously impressive how much better it was.
JR3 Home Performance
Yeah, I don’t use bi-metal anymore, they are pathetic in comparison. Maybe there’s an application where they work better but I don’t know what that is. The big hawg’s are the way to go.
Big Richard
Same here. I don’t use bi-metal recip blades much either. The Big Hawgs are great for wood or cement board, not so much for metal. MK Morse are my go to for general purpose hole saws and metal hole cutters.
http://www.mkmorse.com/CarbideTippedHoleSaws
http://www.mkmorse.com/ctholecutters
Lenox would be my second choice.
https://www.lenoxtools.com/Pages/Product_productId_CarbideTippedHolesaws.aspx
https://www.lenoxtools.com/pages/carbide-tipped-hole-cutters.aspx
Frank D
I probably should have bought last year’s bigger holiday set.
Debated about it, but it still seemed quite pricey.
Figured they’d be back.
My little hole saws are small, old and pretty worn. Something better is on my wish list, but, every time I look at MW it is close to $100 or $200 for the standard and extensive set. Which large case of course still doesn’t integrate with packout.
I’d pay the premium more easily if I could click it into the stack and done … rather than having another unique shape and size blow mold box. As part of my organization I’m trying to move away from all the medium bags, individual soft cases, random boxes, bins, …
Jaycob P.
That’s lame. I missed the 17 piece set last year and was hoping it would be back this year. Maybe they’ll have something different on actual Black Friday, but otherwise I’ll pass and look for a better deal on a different brand.
Stuart
This will likely be it. I believe it was two years ago when they had a different set for Pro Black Friday, a 15pc set with more cups than the 16pc set.
schill
I’m also regretting not picking them up in previous years. I always waffled back and forth and ended up not getting them. I may pick these up, anyway.
Of course, what I need right now is a 1 1/8″ hole saw – which isn’t included in this set.
josh Morris
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-Hole-Dozer-General-Purpose-Bi-Metal-Hole-Saw-Set-14-Piece-49-22-4026/204354239
14 piece set for 40
Robert
Go carbide or go home.