Best Hacksaw Blade For Cutting Steel (Upgrade Your Tools)

A proud homeowner has a lot of things up his sleeve that he likes to flaunt. But do you know what his most prized possession is? It is the toolbox! We have friends whose dads like tiny things in life, and even they like to own or arrange or show off (whatever you call it) their toolboxes and run drills with them. And as you would guess, one of the essential tools in the box is the hacksaw.

We’ll bet you there is no other tool that goes so seamlessly through solid metal wires, plastic, woods, and pipes then this one. But due to frequent use or no use at all, your hacksaw blades can suffer, getting in your way to accomplish tasks. Hence, this article aims to find you the best hacksaw blades for cutting steel and whatever you’d like. Let’s start off then!

Product Reviews on the Best Hacksaw Blade for Cutting Steel

First off, it is time for hacksaw reviews! The following are the reviews on the hacksaw blade for metal cutting:

Made for professional users that need hacksaws that scream excellent service, this one from Klein Tools is a gamechanger. It is a dual-purpose hacksaw made by one of the leading hand tool manufacturers in the USA and hence boasts a high-quality construction that you would like as an addition to your toolbox! Compared to another popular one, the Lenox High-Tension saw does not convert to a jab saw; however, offers the same convenient blade storage and better ergonomics.

Key features:

Pivot Lock: With the help of the pivot lock, you can adjust the tension on the blade and regulate the type of cut you get on your material. For straight cuts and to ensure a longer blade life, this is very handy and important!

Safe Double Sawing: As this is a dual-purpose saw, you get a thumb guard on the frame to let you do double-hand sawing easily and safely.

Soft grip: For heavy-duty work for a long time, the pistol handle ensures soft grip throughout the sawing.

The Good
  • Solid, tension-adjustable hacksaw.
  • Top frame has a convenient blade storage facility.
  • Sturdy and heavier than most cheap alternatives.
  • Smooth operation.
The not so good
  • The weight may add to hour-long sawing fatigue.

Unlike the previous Klein Tools 701-S, this one from the top manufacturer is not meant for dual-purpose operations and is smaller in size but has the same 12-inch blade that gives the fast, precise cuts Klein is proud of. What more goes into the quality workmanship? Let’s look at the features that make it worthwhile of the best hacksaws:

Key Features:

Easy Flush Cutting: The alternative 45-degree mounting allows you to flush cut without any sort of frustration and can cut through tenons, dowels, and other protrusions like a boss!

Rigid Frame: Since this is an all-metal frame, it does not twist upon thorough and hard-using the saw, making sure you do not waste time fixing it.

Tight Blades: The blades don’t wander like cheap saws, and on top of that, the wing nut tension adjustment makes for one of the best blades!

The Good
  • Includes a metal reciprocating saw blade for enhanced usage.
  • Has blade storage in the handle for increased convenience.
  • Comfortable grip.
  • Easy to change the blade.
The not so good
  • Has no instruction on the adjustment of the wing nut.

The last one on the list is from Dewalt, another popular tool manufacturer that gives you handy tools at seemingly reasonable prices. So what makes this one so unique? Larger in size compared to both the 701-S and 702-12 by Klein, the Dewalt hacksaw is heavier. But it has a similarity with the Klein 702-12; it has the 45 degrees mount for flush cuts and 90 degrees for standard cuts.

Key features:

Long Reach: If you need to cut through tight spaces, the blade can cut you some slack with its low profile and attach to the front frame for a long reach, without you having to change positions!

Conversion: You can easily convert it into a jab saw on the front handle for those small openings and rough incisions during construction.

Interchangeable: The blades can be switched for cutting wood, metal, PVC, etc., if the current one does not satisfy you or wears.

The Good
  • Can be easily converted to a low-profile saw by detaching the front end and blades.
  • Sturdy enough to handle sawing easily.
  • Has a large comfortable handle.
  • Blades can be used in various configurations.
The not so good
  • Does not come with any instruction on usage.

Hacksaw Blade Types

There are 3 basic kinds of metal hacksaw that we will be talking about here.

Regular

When you buy a toolbox fresh off the hardware store, the hacksaw that you get inside is the regular blade hacksaw. It can be made of a range of materials, none of which is iron. So you may get tin or aluminum. Usually, the teeth are arranged on the saw in an alternate fashion while touching each other. This makes the initial phase of working with the saw harder. However, once you have scored through some dedicated woodcutting, it is easier to work with.

Raker

If you were to cut iron pipes, you would need blades made of high-quality materials. The best way to cut such metallic pipes is to use raker blades. Raker blades are easily identifiable with their characteristic teeth positioning in groups of three. The sharp blades may cause you to wait before you get the final cut (since it is meant for heavy work, it will take time) but is the best in business.

Wavy

Working with wavy blades is especially meant for thin metals. It does not necessarily need to be soft, but the wavy teeth on the blade are more thin than soft iron pipes.

Choosing the Right Hacksaw Blade

A hacksaw guide is important for you so as to not buy unnecessary and hard-to-use items. Here are three things in a hand hacksaw you need to pay attention to.

Frame

The frame of the hacksaw looks like the English letter “C” in a sharp font. One side of it has the pin, while the other has the handle. A hacksaw blade is fitted with the wingnuts and a sliding screw with the pin.

You will find two types of the frame on a hacksaw: A fixed frame, in which blades of only a specific kind can be fixed or attached; and an adjustable frame, where you can work with the distances between the parts and attach blades of multiple sizes, long or short, as you need. All you have to do is pull the pins, adjust the blade position, and you’re set!

Blade

After thorough hardening and tempering of high-speed steel or tungsten steel, these hacksaw blades are made. You will need to pay attention to 3 factors here:

Nature

By nature, we mean that when you purchase a blade or the hacksaw itself, you should be aware of the possibilities of the blade adjustment, as we mentioned before, and other things about a blade.

Such as, what is the hacksaw blade’s lifespan? How long will it last you if you frequently use it for DIY projects, or what happens to the blade if you rarely use it?

You also need to have an idea of what the tooths of the blade are made of. Are these Carbide-tooth blades, or do they have the stainless steel ones? Once you are aware of the fundamentals of the blade through the manufacturer, you will know if it is right for you or not!

Types of Blades and Teeth per inch

An important part of blade selection is the tooth counts. These teeth can be cut on one or both the edges of the saw. When picking, remember that the thicker the metal or whatever you cut, the lower should be the number of teeth per inch you buy. You normally get the four grades mentioned below:

  1. Course Grade Blades, which are used to cut thick brass, steel, copper, and aluminum. These have anywhere around 14-18 teeth per inch.
  2. Medium Grade Blades are used to run through high-carbon steel, aluminum, brass, tool steel, cast iron, etc., and contain 20-24 teeth per inch.
  3. Fin Grade Blades, which can be used for thin iron pipes, tubes, and sheets. You get to see 24-30 teeth per inch on them.
  4. Superfine Grade Blades can be used to cut ultra-thin sheets of heavy-duty solid metals and carry 30-32 teeth per inch on them.

Two other forms of the blade are Air Hard Blades, which are especially used on cast iron/mold iron, and Flexible Blades, which are shock-resistant and cut through curves, pipes, and thin sheets.

Size

Hacksaw blades are normally of a length of 8/10/12 inches. You will have to pick a size depending upon the construction work or hobbyist work that you will be doing.

Teeth Setting

There are 3 settings on a blade that you will witness. The regular setting has one tooth pointing to the left, the next to the right, and every fifth tooth is straight. An alternate setting has two teeth pointing to the left, two to the right while keeping teeth straight between them. In a wavy setting, no such straightness is seen, and a few teeth are pointing to the left, while the others point to the right.

Hacksaw Handle

You get rubberized handles or wooden handles on your hacksaw. Commonly, the straight handles are wooden, and the pistol-like handles are rubberized. However, you can get aluminum handle construction too.

Installing a Hacksaw Blade

In order to install a hacksaw blade, you have to do the following:

  1. Turn the wing nut on the handle counter-clockwise and loosen it to remove the old blade that you want to be replaced.
  2. Now remove the pins that retain the blade in its position. Now is the time to take off the blade.
  3. Attach a new blade with the pins and make sure they point towards you and not the inner side of the frame.
  4. Take the wingnut and turn it clockwise to make the blade tight. Try cutting a thin sheet now. If you see the blade wobbling, tighten the nut further, and you’re done!

Maintaining a Hacksaw Properly

Maintaining a hacksaw can be a tough job if you don’t know what you’re protecting! For proper maintenance, you should always remember to safeguard yourself or whoever is operating the hacksaw. Hacksaw uses will never be safe unless you are wearing protective rubber gloves and defensive goggles. Often while cutting, small metal particles and dust fly around. We don’t want that getting into your eyes! So use it safely. Also, remember to clean it off before you store it and thus save the blades from rusting.

Tips for Cutting Metal Safely

You can follow these other tips to cut the metal or anything you’d like safely:

  1. Select the correct blade! We couldn’t emphasize this enough. Don’t get fascinated by the TPI count or structure. Get what blade will be right for the job.
  2. Make sure your blades are tight.
  3. The teeth on the blade can be arranged forward or backward according to your preference, but if it is single-edged, it should be facing you.
  4. Make one-way cuts in the opposite direction of the teeth. These make cutting and scoring easier.
  5. Ensure steady sawing without rushing.
  6. Don’t forget to use cutting fluid to reduce tension and heat on the blade.

FAQs

What are the things that you can cut with a hacksaw?

Metal/wood pipes, sheets, slabs, curves, tubes, anything!

What is considered to be the best hacksaw blade?

One that has the right blade adjustment, teeth setting, and adequate handle to do the job! From our pick, it would be the Klein Tools 701-S.

For what reasons does a hacksaw blade break?

Faulty alignment and scoring too fast are the main reasons.

What do you mean by a hacksaw?

A hacksaw is a tool used to cut through metal, wood, or other materials using a sharp teeth blade.

What kind of blade should I use to cut steel?

Depends on the thickness of the steel. You can use anything between a Super Fine Grade Blade to a Coarse grade one in increasing order of thickness.

Final Words

And we’ve reached the end of the hunt for the best hacksaw blade for cutting steel! For the right reasons, we will be picking the Klein Tools 701-S in case you want something that is meant for professional use, is double-edge, comfortable, and convenient.

If you wish to change any of the attributes, simply refer to our guide on choosing the blade, and you’ll be good to go!

Leave a Comment