Suitable for
The material for which the saw was originally intended to work.
Each material has its own requirements for the shape and size of the teeth, the material of the blade, etc.: for example, wood allows large teeth (4 – 6 TPI, see below), but for metal they must be very small. Therefore, sawing “non-native” material with a saw is highly discouraged: at best, it will be ineffective, at worst, damage to the tool or damage to the workpiece is possible.
In addition to classic saws
for wood or
metal, more specific tools are also produced — for example,
for drywall or
foam concrete. A separate category is
multi-purpose saws suitable for several types of materials (specific options should be specified separately). Note that in saws with interchangeable blades (such as bow or jigsaw blades), you can install different types of blades, adjusting them to a specific material. However, for them, the purpose is indicated by the complete canvas, and such models are considered multi-purpose only if several different types of canvases are initially supplied in the kit. In addition, “omnivores” can be saws with a non-replaceable blade having a specific design and sharpening of teeth. When choosing by this parameter, it is worth remembering that tools of the same purpose may differ in type (see above), and, accor
...dingly, in the specifics of the work for which they are intended.Blade length
The total length of the hacksaw blade.
The value of this parameter is directly related to the saw type (see above). The general rule for choosing is as follows: the blade should be twice as long as the thickness of the largest workpiece that is planned to be sawn. This will provide an optimal range of motion to avoid unnecessary fatigue, and the tool, on the other hand, will not be too bulky. However, a long blade tends to spring back, so when working with hardwoods or other difficult-to-cut materials, shorter saws can also be taken. And in models with interchangeable blades (beam and jigsaw, some
mini-saws), length data will be required to search for spare blades.
In general, for simple household tasks for sawing wood, a length of 280 – 300 mm is considered optimal. For a private house with a garden, simple construction work, you should pay attention to larger models — up to half a metre. And the largest
two-handed saws can have a length of 1000 mm and even more. More detailed recommendations on the optimal blade length for certain tasks can be found in special sources.
Hardened teeth
The presence of hardened teeth in the saw blade (in models with removable blades — at least one of the complete blades).
Hardened teeth usually have a characteristic dark coating that stands out from the base material of the blade. They have increased hardness and strength, which significantly increases the life of the hacksaw before blunting. On the other hand, it is impossible to re-sharpen a tool with such teeth — you will have to change either the entire hacksaw, or at least the blade.
