X-425 1-7/8" to 17" Twin Blade Adjustable Pro Hole Saw Cutter Cuts Sheetrock, Plaster, Plastic: Includes Tungsten Carbide & HSS Blades

Don't get discouraged by negative reviews here - this hole saw works! For my home theater upgrade project, I needed to drill multiple large holes in the ceiling for Dolby Atmos speakers in the ceiling. To add to the complexity of this, the ceiling is made of sandwiched drywall and MDF board. Also, the maximum thickness of speaker mounting tabs were less than both drywall and MDF added together. I was able to get around this by countersinking the speakers in the ceiling - drill 13.5" hole first in the drywall and then 12" in MDF for mounting. Like most folks here mentioned, be patient and use the clutch on the drill. First hole took probably 30 minutes, 4th one - 10. If you have a drill with multiple speeds - use the slower ("L" or "1") setting for more torque. Final result came out better than I expected. In the end, is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Being home owner that likes to do home improvement projects around the house, I'm sure it will come in handy in the future.

excellent build but very hard to stabilize when used with gypsum board

I don't own the X-425, but I suspect I soon will since my X-305 was sold a few years ago... note of caution for all... it's never just one hole. These Hole Pro(s) should be kept as family heirlooms. I loved, loved, loved the X-305. I cut exactly one 10" hole in 5/16" acrylic and it was AWESOME (clean, circular, just lovely). I'm not entirely sure why they are so expensive, but since several models are being discontinued (per other stores that used to carry them), I'm feeling it might be time to jump back in and purchase another one for that next hole... which, for me, will also be in (3/4" or thinner) clear acrylic. What is selling me on the X-425 is the idea (to be confirmed or denied) that the X-425 can do everything the X-305 can do when making holes 12" or smaller... plus an extra five inches for non-plywood, non-OSB, etc... So for the review "I love these things..." - easy to use, just drill slowly and steadily, apply even pressure on the surface, and use the correct blades - AND for anyone with more insight than I have - can the X-425 do everything the X-305 does and more? To be determined...

I bought the Hole Pro to make holes in speakers. I had to cut a 15" hole. The Hole Pro can be quite violent in use. The user needs to set their drill clutch or sustain injury to your wrist. I burned out one drill trying to cut through 3/4" birch plywood. I made sure the blades were parallel with the wood being cut and tried different speeds. I let the drill do the work but it was just not stable enough - the blades are too far apart for such a large hole. It made a fairly clean cut but not for furniture or speakers. I would think that in soft pine or sheetrock it would work great. But for my application it didn't work well at all. I'm going back to a router and circle jig. I also didn't like the adjustments on the drill. You need to make sure each blade is the same exact distance from the center chuck too or be prepared for lots of kickback. I also found the adjustment vague when settng the size hole you want. I ended up drawing out my circle, finding center and then adjusting the cutting blades. The instructions also didn't give much help in technique. I practiced a few cuts and tried both blade types but in the end I gave up and returned the item. I was left with one hole that looked OK and a burned out drill.

Comes in a huge blow-molded case - bigger than needed. If you take your time it will cut through ceiling drywall and ceiling tile accurately and with less cleanup than other methods - best use is when this is an issue. If making dust etc. is less of an issue - or you need to cut through multiple layers of material (e.g. drywall and plywood) - you are probably better off, laying down a tarp/ setting up a zip wall etc. then marking off the circle - drilling a pilot hole, using a jigsaw - and then vacuuming up. Am I sorry I bought this? No - because it offers a decent option when dust and debris are big issues.

Searched far and wide for a hole saw to cut in 10 recessed lights that were an odd diameter (6 7/8"). Short of having a holesaw custom built for that, To the tune of $350, I was out of luck. Then I found this. I cut 10 lights into a tongue and groove pine ceiling with no issues and a perfect hole, all 10 times. Once the cut was almost complete it would "jerk" a bit, but that was due to a small cut on the other boards near the primary one to be cut. Minimal dust, and pretty easy to handle. I have successfully cut 34 recessed lights in my home remodel in the following materials: Tongue and Groove pine Drywall 1/4" ply wood Fiberglass (boats/yachts) And a combo of bead board over drywall. I highly recommend this tool.

I can make holes up to 6" in diameter lots of ways. Larger than that there are very few choice and larger than 12" there is only two ways, by hand or with a Hole Pro X-425. When we have put 13" speakers into ceilings the X-425 is very fast to use and cleanup time is cut by 99%. We use the X-425 for 16" Solatubes and for making access holes. With a 16" round hole we can cut a new piece from sheetrock and have it mounted inside the hole with a tight fit and ready to mud and paint in 10 minutes or less. Even our Super Hawg stud drills can drill with bi-metal hole saws only up to 6 inches in diameter. We have cut 15" speaker holes in particle board enclosures but I do not think that the drill would be powerful enough to make holes this large in plywood. Nothing takes more drill power to cut through than plywood. For sheetrock or plaster ceilings this tool will save time cutting and in cleanup and we only need one guy to make the holes (used to have someone cut from the ceiling while a second person held a cardboard box up to the hole.

I tried this item and found that while it may be the ideal solution for cutting through drywall, it is not well suited for cutting through heavier materials, especially as the size of the hole is increased. It may be possible to cut a 3-4 inch ply board hole, but I wouldn't attempt using this item to cut, for example, a 12-inch ply board hole. Soft material, like wall board, with some practice, should not be a problem when it comes to using this item to cut larger holes.