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Best handsaw for the job, not for the star line

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a specific cut in mind, a deck board, a length of skirting, or a pipe in a cupboard, and the amazon.co.uk star lines all look healthy. A 4.7 from 2,085 reviews does not say whether the saw is an 8 ppi panel saw or a 15 TPI trim saw. This page names the best handsaw in this set for a stated job, and who should leave that pick on the shelf. The [handsaw comparison](/hub/power-saws/handsaw) holds the seven listings and the GBP prices from 20 October 2026. Peter F. did not run a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a specific cut in mind, a deck board, a length of skirting, or a pipe in a cupboard, and the amazon.co.uk star lines all look healthy.

Our top picks

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822

Best overall

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822
8.3/10about £10.79
View offer
Bahco Bahco 2600-22-XT-HP panel saw

Rank 2

Bahco Bahco 2600-22-XT-HP panel saw
8.6/10about £13.85
View offer
Draper Draper Venom 80874 second-fix saw

Best value

Draper Draper Venom 80874 second-fix saw
7.4/10about £6.50
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A first saw for boards, posts and general timber
  2. 2.Second fix, MDF and plastic
  3. 3.Decking boards and a van full of spares
  4. 4.The saw to leave on the shelf

A first saw for boards, posts and general timber

If the job is decking, sleepers, sheet goods or ordinary household timber, start with a western push panel saw near 550 mm and a coarse pitch. The Bahco 2600-22-XT-HP is the top pick for a stiff 550 mm plate, about £13.85 with 4.6 from 349 reviews. The included name states 9 TPI, and the bullets include a reusable plastic tooth protector. A teeth row that prints 22 does not match 9 TPI, so check the maker line. The Spear & Jackson B9822 Predator is the default when you still need length at a lower price: about £10.79, 4.7 from 2,085 reviews, 8 points per inch, with a 560 mm blade-length row. It does not take the top place because the Bahco scores higher on stiffness and includes a tooth protector. Why 8 ppi is not 15 TPI is on the handsaw buying guide.

Second fix, MDF and plastic

When the cut shows, and the saw has to live in a bag, drop to about 350 mm and a finer pitch. The Draper Venom 80874 is best value: about £6.50, with 4.5 from 832 reviews. The bullets state 12 PPI. Draper's page states 11 TPI and 12 PPI. The same file includes snagging and one slightly rusty blade on arrival. The OX Pro, about £7.43 with 4.7 from 356 reviews, is the toolbox saw for trim, MDF, plastic or acrylic if you can live with a pitch clash. The title says 15 TPI and the teeth row says 14. For a pure length choice, use panel saw vs toolbox saw.
Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822

Testsieger

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822
8.3/10about £10.79
View offer

Decking boards and a van full of spares

Decking boards are a panel-saw job. Reviewers put the Predator on decking and logs, and the Bahco's stiff plate is the reason to pay more when a long rip has to stay straight. Replacement is on the hardpoint handsaw page. Buy the triple pack of three B9822 saws, about £28.95 with 4.8 from 30 reviews, only when you will wear out three identical 8 ppi saws.

The saw to leave on the shelf

Leave the Hanpex, about £15.99, 330 mm, 4.1 from 21 ratings, unless the job is a tight cupboard, PVC, drywall or plastic. A metal line on the materials row does not make it a timber panel saw. Non-UK reviews dominate the file. For a joist, a stair string or a load-bearing stud, call a carpenter. Stop if the sheet may be asbestos cement.

Common questions

What is the best first handsaw for DIY?
For boards, posts and general timber, the Bahco 2600-22-XT-HP is the top pick because reviewers cite a stiff plate and the listing includes a tooth protector, at about £13.85. If that price is too high, the Predator B9822 at about £10.79 is the 8 ppi alternative with a much larger review count. If your DIY is only skirting and small offcuts, the Draper at about £6.50 matches that smaller job, with snagging as the trade-off.
Which saw is best for skirting only?
Use a 350 mm finer saw, not the 22 inch Predator. The Draper Venom is the best-value second-fix option if you accept snagging and the 11 TPI / 12 PPI split between Draper's page and the amazon bullets. The OX Pro is the better name for MDF, plastic or acrylic if you can accept 15 TPI beside a teeth row of 14. Both are easier in a cupboard than a 550 mm plate.
Which handsaw is best for decking boards?
The Predator is the saw reviewers already put on decking, at 8 points per inch and about 560 mm. The Bahco is the one to choose instead when you want the thicker XT plate and you will pay about £13.85 rather than £10.79. A 15 TPI toolbox saw will cut a deck board and it will do it slowly, with a shorter stroke. Coarse pitch is the better match when the face does not have to look planed.
Is the triple pack worth it?
It is worth it when three identical Predator saws will be used, because about £28.95 is roughly £9.65 each against about £10.79 for the single. It is not a way to buy one saw. The pack has 30 reviews next to 2,085 on the single ASIN, and one review reports bend after heavy use. Hardpoint teeth are not sharpened back to life.
When should I skip the Hanpex?
Skip it for any general timber job, a first toolbox, or decking. The 330 mm adjustable saw is listed for pipe, drywall and tight spaces at about £15.99, with 4.1 from 21 ratings and a weak UK review file. Use it only when the cut is awkward access in PVC, plastic or drywall. Even then, a metal-cutting claim on the materials row is not a test result, and corrosion is already a complaint in the file.

Related pages

How to use a handsaw

Handsaw

Handsaw buying guide: length, pitch and a blade you replace

Hardpoint handsaw care: store the blade, then replace it

Panel saw vs toolbox saw: a 550 mm or 350 mm length

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.

  1. BuildWiz: Hand saw guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Homebuilding: Saw TPI (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. RS: Hand saws guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Axminster: Hardpoint handsaws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. HSE: Woodworking ACOP L114 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Draper: Venom 80874 second-fix saw (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 20 October 2026)