Saws… A road test by The Building Experience 

We thought we would carry out a very scientific trial of three popular saw brands as we are continually arguing on site about which one is the best.

The Test

We tested our saws on three different construction materials.

An 8x5” Green oak timber. Used in period renovations, hi-spec new builds and cart lodges. This is a hard material used in big dimensions. It is usually hand rather than machine cut and will shrink and move once installed. As such, accuracy to the last millimeter is not critical as joints will open up over time. A good green oak saw needs to be sturdy and fast.

100mm x 50mm Softwood. The classic! 4x2 softwood studwork. Miles of this stuff gets used on building sites and diy projects every week in the UK so you need the right saw. Because the studwork is normally nailed rather than jointed a good fit is critical. A good studwork saw needs to be quick and accurate.

12mm Plywood. Cutting sheet materials is a very laborious pastime so its best to get it over as quickly as possible. But the bounce in these large sheets makes cutting tricky so a strong and quick saw is best.

The Contenders

I quote below from the manufactures the various attributes of the saws. Take with a large pinch of salt!

Bahco 244-22 Hard Point Hand Saw 22

 Price on Screwfix 2/5/08 £6.29

"8 teeth per inch The Bahco is a universal saw designed for general purpose cutting of all types of timber. A Universal tooth with high frequency hardened teeth giving up to five times the life of conventional teeth. Fast efficient cross cut and rip performance including chipboard, hardboard and hardwood. Screwed plastic handle."

Stanley Jet-Cut Heavy Duty Saw 3-15-288

Price on screwfix.com 2/5/08 £8.88

 " Machined set three-sided Jet Cut teeth for easier sawing. Traditionally designed saw has ground teeth which offer professional performance.  Manufactured using new “Hardening technology” for long lasting sharpness. Provides an aggressive, fast cutting experience. Chrome nickel alloy steel blade holds its edge. Extra wide handle designed for comfort and control. Excellent value for general household use. Dimensions measure approximately 50cm / 20” / 7TPI. Eight-points per inch."

Irwin jack plus 880

Price on screwfix.com 2/5/08 £6.39

"FINGER-REST For maximum control. Water based lacquer gives four times better rust protection than traditional lacquer. 0,85MM BLADE with high quality C75 steel is stable and ensures maximum power transfer. Light and strong ultra sonic welded soft-grip handle for increased grip and enhanced comfort. Hard Point teeth (HP) stay sharp 6-8 times longer than nonhardened teeth. 90° & 45° angles integrated in the handle for ease of marking out. New triple ground tooth design makes the 880 Triple Ground 25% faster than the double ground version."

Results

There is not much to choose between the Bahco and the Jack, both have a very similar tooth setting, weight and feel. The Stanley Jet-Cut is a little different. The teeth are coarser, longer and set at a sharper angle. The saw is also much heavier.

The Stanley is by far the quickest saw for cutting through all the materials. Even through the oak you can feel it slicing through the fibres with consistency and relative ease. It makes light work of the softwood and the stiff blade is excellent for cutting through the flexible plywood. The Bahco and Jack were a little slower to cut through the oak. The smaller teeth do not penetrate as deeply as those on the jet cut and the teeth tend to become clogged with sawdust. On softwood the difference between the saws is less obvious. The jet cut is quicker but the smaller toothed saws have an advantage in accuracy. At the start of the cut it is much easier to get a cleaner start with the smaller saws, the coarse teeth on the Stanley mean the start of the cut can meander all too easily, albeit allowing for incompetence from the monkey using the saw!

The Bahco feels like a superior saw to the Jack. It seems to cut quicker and the teeth are a little keener to bite into the wood. But there is not a huge difference between the two.In conclusion, bearing in mind that all these saws are disposable, and all retail at less than £10, one is unlikely to be much better than another but there are still differences. For quick, coarse cutting the Stanley Jet-Cut comes out on top but it would be risky using it on work where greater accuracy is required because it is a touch unrefined. The Bahco is a better saw than the Jack and offers better all round pereformance. It can tackle large oak beams, but would be equally useful for architraves or skirtings. If you only want one saw in your toolbox make it the Bahco. If you like to have the best tool for every job and have a decent amount of larege dimension timber to cut, treat yourself to a jet-cut.