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

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are standing over a board in a UK shed, or packing a site bag, and the amazon.co.uk packets do not agree with each other. One title says 8 points per inch, another prints 15 TPI beside a teeth row of 14, and a hand saw still carries an rpm figure. This handsaw buying guide is the order of decisions before a logo: length for the job, tooth pitch for the finish, then a hardpoint edge you replace rather than file. The [handsaw comparison](/hub/power-saws/handsaw) holds the seven kept listings and the GBP shelf prices from 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are standing over a board in a UK shed, or packing a site bag, and the amazon.co.uk packets do not agree with each other.

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.What you are actually buying
  2. 2.How to read TPI and PPI on these packets
  3. 3.Choose the length before the brand
  4. 4.Hardpoint life, and the rows to ignore

What you are actually buying

A handsaw, as UK retailers use the word, is a hand-powered saw with an open blade. You supply the stroke. Battery and rpm rows on the Draper Venom 80874 do not add a motor. Seven listings stayed after a reciprocating saw, two hacksaws, a pull saw and a folding pruning saw were removed. What remains is mostly a western push saw with a plastic or TPR handle, a blade around 350 mm or 550-560 mm, and impulse-hardened teeth. Inter DIY treats hardpoint teeth as not designed for routine resharpening, and Axminster says you do not file them. You are choosing a disposable blade.

How to read TPI and PPI on these packets

Tooth pitch decides whether the cut is fast and coarse or slower and cleaner. A higher number leaves a tidier edge and clogs sooner in wet softwood, which is Homebuilding's rule of thumb, not a timed test. On Draper's page the 80874 is 11 TPI and 12 PPI, while the amazon bullets print 12 PPI only. The Predator is 8 points per inch. The Bahco name says 9 TPI, and a teeth row prints 22. Do not copy 22 as the pitch. The OX title says 15 TPI and the teeth row says 14. Length is on the panel saw versus toolbox saw page.
Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822

Testsieger

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

Choose the length before the brand

A panel saw around 500-550 mm has no spine, so the blade can pass through a thick post or a sheet. BuildWiz puts that band on structural timber, and 250-350 mm toolbox saws on visible trim. Here the long saws are the Predator at 560 mm and the Bahco at 550 mm. The short saws are the Draper, the OX and the Vigaoc, all at 350 mm. The Hanpex is 330 mm, for pipe and drywall, so it is not a short panel saw. Inside a cupboard the long nose hits the carcass, which is where the Draper at about £6.50 fits.

Hardpoint life, and the rows to ignore

Once length and pitch match, treat the teeth as a consumable. Axminster is plain that chipboard and other abrasive boards dull hardened teeth quickly. You replace the saw. Storage sits on the hardpoint handsaw page. Bahco's bullets name a reusable tooth protector. The Predator row does not. Ignore rpm and battery rows on a manual title. The Draper file shows 4,500 rpm and an AAAA battery. If a saw arrives blunt, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 11, is the frame.

Common questions

Should I buy a 550 mm or a 350 mm handsaw first?
Buy the length that matches the longest cut you actually make. A 550 mm or 22 inch panel saw, such as the Bahco or the Predator here, is the better first saw when you rip boards, cut posts or break down sheet. A 350 mm toolbox saw is the better first saw when the work is skirting, architrave and small timber in a bag. You do not need both on day one. If you only cut trim, the long saw spends its life hitting cupboard sides.
What does 8 points per inch mean next to 15 TPI?
Eight points per inch, as on the Predator, is a coarse universal pitch for faster, rougher cuts in general timber. Fifteen TPI, as claimed on the OX title, is a fine pitch for a cleaner edge in trim, MDF and plastic, and it is slower. Draper's maker page for the 80874 prints both 11 TPI and 12 PPI, so do not assume the two units match on every packet. Homebuilding's band is 7-10 TPI for rough timber and 11-15 TPI for a finer finish.
Can I sharpen a Predator or a Bahco hardpoint?
No. Inter DIY states that hardpoint teeth are not designed for routine resharpening, and Axminster tells owners not to file them. The hardened tips last in ordinary wood, then you replace the saw when chipboard or MDF has rounded them. A file either skips across the hard layer or removes it. If you want a saw you can sharpen, you are looking outside this comparison.
Will chipboard ruin a hardpoint tooth?
The Predator and OX listings name chipboard or MDF, so the saw will enter the sheet. Axminster says abrasive board dulls hardened teeth quickly, which means you replace the saw if sheet is the weekly job. A finer TPI does not cancel that wear. Clean softwood is the kinder diet for the same blade.
Is the triple Predator pack better than one saw?
Only when you already know you will wear out more than one 8 ppi panel saw. The pack is three B9822 saws at about £28.95, about £9.65 each if you use all three, against about £10.79 for the single. The pack ASIN has 30 reviews, not 2,085. One review reports bend after heavy use and a second pack that felt less sharp. If you wanted one Bahco for the stiffer plate, the pack is the wrong answer.

Related pages

Best handsaw

Handsaw

Hardpoint handsaw care: store the blade, then replace it

How to use a handsaw without letting the cut wander

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)