We check out the best Junior Hacksaw, UK. There are two types of handsaws, designed to cut metal, the standard 12″ (300mm) hacksaw and the junior 6″ (150mm) hacksaw. If you do any type of DIY or home repair, then we would recommend owning both of these along with some spare blades.
All hacksaws have a standard frame and handle with a blade along the bottom. They are all 6″ long (150mm) and the main difference is in the handle type. The cheaper and basic hacksaws have a standard grip, and the better ones have a pistol grip. You can see the difference in the handle types just below.
Standard Grip
Pistol Grip
What is a Junior Hacksaw Used For?
Junior hacksaws are mainly used to cut small metal or plastic pipes, tubing or metal and plastic conduit. Many homeowners also use these to cut curtain rail poles and carpet trims. Junior hacksaws can also be used to cut wood and plastic.
They are smaller and fit easier into a tool bag or tool box. They are also lighter to carry around. As they are half the size of a standard hacksaw, they can also reach into places where a larger hacksaw can’t get to.
How much do junior hacksaws cost?
In the UK, they range in price from as little as £3 and go up to £35. The price varies depending which brand you buy, the type of frame you prefer, and the overall quality of the hacksaw. A pack of junior hacksaw blades cost around £2-3 for a pack of 10 blades.
Top 10 Junior Hacksaws
|
Rank |
Name |
Easy to hold |
Sturdiness |
Cutting |
Value for Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Wiha SB 246 Injection Insulating Junior Hacksaw |
94% |
92% |
94% |
80% |
|
2 |
Bahco 268 Mini Hacksaw |
92% |
92% |
90% |
90% |
|
3 |
Eclipse Professional Tools 70-14JR Junior Hacksaw |
80% |
85% |
90% |
98% |
|
4 |
Irwin 10504409 Junior Mini Heavy Duty Hacksaw |
90% |
92% |
90% |
88% |
|
5 |
Neish Tools Junior Hacksaw |
82% |
85% |
90% |
88% |
|
6 |
Presch Junior Hacksaw |
90% |
90% |
90% |
80% |
|
7 |
Draper Redline 67816 Junior Hacksaw |
80% |
84% |
86% |
95% |
|
8 |
Roughneck ROU34310 R6H Junior Hacksaw |
90% |
86% |
86% |
90% |
|
9 |
Hilka 43907006 Pro Craft Heavy Duty Junior Hacksaw |
90% |
82% |
86% |
90% |
|
10 |
Stanley Junior Hacksaw 0 15 |
90% |
82% |
90% |
90% |
1. Wiha SB 246 Injection Insulating Junior Hacksaw
BEST FOR ELECTRICIANS
94% buyer satisfaction based on 100+ online buyer reviews
This jigsaw is the highest rated by buyers in the UK and also one of the most expensive.
The reason for that is that it is used mainly be electricians and has an insulated handle, which offers full protection up to 1,000 volts.
This saw is mainly used to cut cable ducts, conduit, armoured cable or pipes
It has a small screw near the handle which is easy to use and allows for the fast changing of blades
It is very strong and sturdy and the bright colours make it easy to find.
2. Bahco 268 Mini Hacksaw
BEST HACKSAW FOR METAL
92% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
This is the junior hacksaw we would recommend for UK homeowners as it is very good quality at a sensible price.
It has a solid steel frame that has been zinc plated to prevent rust
The pistol style handle is made from hard plastic and formed with finger grips to make holding the saw much easier and more comfortable
Adjusting and changing the blade is fast as it has a simple blade tensioning wheel at the rear of the blade.
It comes with one blade that is 32TPI and made from an alloy.
3. Eclipse Professional Tools 70-14JR Junior Hacksaw
SECOND CHEAPEST
90% buyer satisfaction based on 1,500+ online buyer reviews
This is one of the biggest selling junior hacksaws in the UK and that is mainly down to the low price.
This Eclipse model has a basic frame that is made from steel which has an epoxy coating that will help prevent it from rusting
It comes fitted with a metal cutting blade that has 32TPI which is standard for a junior hacksaw that cuts metal
The blade can be replaced by squeezing the frame inwards and popping the blade off and then replacing it (can be fiddly)
4. Irwin 10504409 Junior Mini Heavy Duty Hacksaw
BEST HEAVY DUTY
90% buyer satisfaction based on 1,200+ online buyer reviews
The Irwin brand are known for making high quality tools and their junior hacksaw is no exception
At under £7, this heavy duty junior hacksaw is also very good value for money
It has a solid steel frame with a neatly shaped and contoured handle that makes this one very comfortable to use
A key feature of this one is how easy it is to adjust the tension using the screw which also makes changing blades really quick
It is very well made.
5. Neish Tools Junior Hacksaw
BEST WITH EXTRA BLADES
88% buyer satisfaction based on 400+ online buyer reviews
This hacksaw is the standard handle design and it is made in Sheffield to BS6271 standards
It comes with a blade fitted and you also get a pack of 10 spare blades and that does make this junior hacksaw good value for money.
This saw isn’t anything special but it does what this type of saw is supposed to do.
Some buyers say it is hard to change the blade as the frame is hard to squeeze in.
6. Presch Junior Hacksaw
BEST SELLER ONLINE UK
86% buyer satisfaction based on 1,500+ online buyer reviews
This Presch junior hacksaw is currently the best seller online in the UK
The handle is a pistol style and has been rubberised for more comfort and better grip.
The blade is one of the best on the UK market and is made from a combination of High Speed and High carbon steel and the points of the teeth have been hardened.
The frame is made from steel and it has a tensioning screw which works really well and also allows for fast and easy blade changes.
7. Draper Redline 67816 Junior Hacksaw
CHEAPEST ONLINE
86% buyer satisfaction based on 700+ online buyer reviews
This is the cheapest junior hacksaw we could find online from the popular British Draper brand
It has the standard junior hacksaw grip
The frame is made from plated steel and has a small finger guard
It does come with a blade fitted
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and only need to do a few cuts then this one will do nicely.
8. Roughneck ROU34310 R6H Junior Hacksaw
BEST GUARANTEE
86% buyer satisfaction based on 500+ online buyer reviews
This Roughneck model comes with a 25 year guarantee as their brand is very confident in the quality of all their tools.
As you can see, it has a pistol style handle and the frame is made of coated steel
It comes with one blade fitted
Like many others, it uses an adjustable screw to tension the blade and also to quickly change a blade.
It is very well made, with a yellow handle that helps find it faster.
9. Hilka 43907006 Pro Craft Heavy Duty Aluminium Junior Hacksaw
BEST DESIGN
86% buyer satisfaction based on 300+ online buyer reviews
Hilka is a well known brand for making quality tools and this one is indeed very well made and feels nice and solid.
It has a pistol style handle with a lighter aluminium frame
The handle is rubberised for comfort
It comes with one blade and like other brands uses a tensioning screw for tensioning and blade changing.
10. Stanley Junior Hacksaw 0 15 218
BEST STANLEY
86% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
The Stanley brand is well known in the UK and popular with many homeowners
They make a few junior hacksaws and this model is their best one and sells really well in the UK.
The frame has a square rigid tube design making it light and strong.
Blade changes are easy using a lever built into the handle for quick release of the blade.
It comes with one blade and a spare one.
Junior Hacksaw Buying Guide
We like to include a buying guide as it can really help people, unfamiliar with tools, to fully understand products and to help find the best one for their own needs.
What is the best hacksaw to buy?
There are 3 different types of hacksaw:
- Standard hacksaw – this hacksaw is 12″ long (300mm) – designed for heavier metal cutting. Read more
- Junior hacksaw – this hacksaw is 6″ long (150mm) and fits neatly inside a tool bag or tool box and better for smaller jobs
- Mini hacksaw – with both the standard and junior hacksaw you are limited in the cutting depth which is the distance between the blade and the frame. Mini hacksaws don’t have a frame so they allow you to reach difficult to reach positions
Component Parts of a Junior Hacksaw
- Frame – the frames of pistol grip junior hacksaws are made from steel and usually coated with either zinc or epoxy to prevent them from rusting. The frames of standard grip junior hacksaws are made from sprung steel which is more flexible as you have to squeeze the frame in to change the blade.
- Handle – The frames on pistol grip junior hacksaws are usually made from a hard plastic with finger grips. Some have a rubber handle which makes them more comfortable. The handle of the standard grip is the same as the frame and made from spring steel.
- Blade – All junior hacksaws use a 6″ blade (150mm) As these are designed primarily to cut metal, they will have 32 teeth per inch (32TPI). These blades only cut on the push stroke.
- Cutting depth – With a junior hacksaw, the depth you can cut is limited by the distance between the top of the blade to the bottom of the frame as shown above.
- Adjustment screw – This screw can be loosened and tightened to adjust the tension on the blade, When fully loosened it allows you to change the blade.
Which Type of Junior Hacksaw is Best?
Your choice will always come down to the task that you need it to do. All of these small junior hacksaws are designed to cut most materials, especially plastic and light metals. The pistol grip style is easier and more comfortable to use and offers more control.
A major complaint with all junior hacksaws is that they can feel quite fiddly in the hand. Pistol grips improve that a lot though anyone with larger hands may still find these hard to work with. Likewise, if you are wearing gloves this can get even more difficult.
Best Junior Hacksaw Blades
When doing our research, and from our own experience, one major frustration is buying the best hacksaw blades. Before showing you our recommendation, we want to explain the two most common reasons why hacksaw blades break.
- Too much downward force applied to the blade. When sawing anything you should always let the blade do the cutting. You do need to apply some force but this should be a gentle pressure. Too much force bends the blade or simply breaks it. Cutting metal with a small saw and a small blade takes time, a lot of time!
- Using a blade for too long. Metals are tough and wear blades out very quickly. The teeth become dull quickly and that slows down cutting and the blade will break. Always have spare pack of blades if you plan on doing a lot of cutting.
Best Junior Hacksaw Blades for cutting metal
92% buyer satisfaction based on 2,000+ online buyer reviews
We would highly recommend the Spear & Jackson Eclipse 71-132R Junior Hacksaw Blades for cutting metal
These will fit almost any junior hacksaw frame
The blades are made from hardened steel with 32 teeth per inch, ideal for cutting most metals
The blades are made in Sheffield known for its steel works and high quality products
This is a pack of 10 and at around 34p a blade are also very good value for money.
Best Junior Hacksaw Blades for cutting wood
92% buyer satisfaction based on 2,000+ online buyer reviews
We would highly recommend the Presch junior hacksaw blades for wood
These will fit almost any junior hacksaw frame
The blades are suitable for soft wood, hard wood, hardboard and profiled woods (also can cut plastic)
The blades made from hardened steel with wave set coarser teeth than metal cutting blades. These have 14 teeth per inch so do fine cuts.
This is a pack of 10 and at around £1 a blade
Normal metal cutting junior hacksaw blades can cut wood but the teeth are too fine (32TPI) so wood tends to stick between the teeth. These have 14TPI so the sawdust doesn’t get clogged and they will cut faster and still a very neat and fine cut.
Junior Hacksaw Summary & Conclusion
You can buy junior hacksaws at B&Q, Screwfix and most general hardware stores. You can also buy them online at Amazon UK and many other tool stores.