Best Hand Tool Cutters
The Hakko CHP 170 micro soft-wire cutter has an 8mm long jaw set at a 21-degree angle for flush-cutting terminal wires up to 16 gauge (1.3mm). Dolphin-style nonslip hand grips with curved fore-edge provide comfort and control, and Parkerized surfaces prevent glare and increase corrosion resistance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The handles protect your palm when cutting, softening the feel when applying cutting pressure. Warnings on handles reminds you to ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION and CUT WIRE MAX THICKNESS 1.3 mm. Spring back handles feel firm and just right for repeated cuts."
"I guess it can't be helped, since the sharp points have to be thin for the cutter to cut. Ah well because of the blades that goes misaligned when you squeeze it hard, this doesnt cut female fan header pins off a strip well."
"These wire cutters have worked well for me so far."
"I generally use these to clean up small wiring like telecom or when i am doing small board mount soldering and i need to clean up some jacket issues or even small overflows of solder."
"I tend to grab these cutters as opposed to a small cuticle scissors or nail clipper as the black tips show exactly where you are cutting when faced with shiny wire and shiny atty posts."
"I literally keep one of these about every two feet on my twelve foot bench so I'm never more than arms reach away from one."
"I tried to cut ducting wire which is really thin but very springy and it managed to chip the cutter."
"I've used it just a couple of times at this point so I can't speak to it's ultimate longevity but it works well. The cutter I was using before I got these was just tool large for the task and I couldn't seem to get flush enough to the board."
The Klein Tools Klein-Kurve Wire Stripper and Cutter handles 10-18 AWG Solid Wire and 12-20 AWG Stranded Wire. Holes for looping and bending wire.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Cutting action like diagonal cutters, not like regular strippers with a scissor action."
"I'm glad I ordered them rather than use my old methods of making due with a box cutter to strip the jacket, wire cutters to cut and strip and pliers to curl the ends of the wires."
"I thought my my old stripper was a good one, but this one is far superior."
"This tool will serve me well for years!"
"While in the U.K., I always noticed these next to the fame German tools in the "fancy behind the glass" areas of tool stores."
"Very nice wire strippers."
"One of the best tools I keep in my tool pouch I do solar panel and I work with a lot of PV wire on the roof and it is absolutely an essential tool especially when I'm doing number 6 green ground wire 6 gauge it's the only strippers I've ever had that strip 6-gauge wire in one shot without having to be very gentle and not cut the wire super amazing very handy tool love it love it love it would never ever ever give it up not even for my life LOL."
"I am well pleased with these Stripping pliars, and cutting the wires also."
Style: Punch Down Tool. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I then tried just pressing the handles of the tool together one time, and had no further problems or issues with use of this tool and all terminated connections worked perfectly."
"The hardest part for me was getting the 8 individual wires into the cap in the right order, which has nothing to do with the tool itself. In terms of actually using the tool, the printed instructions are useless, but I found this video to be extremely helpful."
"Where as with my old crimp tool, the handles were open so I could wrap the handles around the middle of a long cable and cut it (not necessarily as part of a crimping job). Make sure the part of the cable you want to cut is lined up here with the excess to be cut off fed through the telecom strip blades."
"My IT practice might see me terminating Ethernet cables a few times a year."
"This punch down tool has every bit of quality and performance that rivals the top infamous industry brands at a good price."
"I think this crimper deserves 5 stars because it functions essentially the same as a $40 tool but for less than half that price. The TRENDnet RJ-11/RJ-45 Crimp/Cut/Strip Tool TC-CT68 (Blue) has 4 levels of stop (you can even see the notches) before it depresses all the way and releases."
"This product works!"
"Not anywhere near as well as I expected for a name brand product. I've found a cheaper model that looks identical and works perfectly so this is no longer in my bag."
Best Bolt Cutters
Cutting edges additionally induction hardened, cutting edge hardness approx 64 hrc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I really don't want take a chance on denting the cutter head I like the Knipex brand, so I thought this would be a good choice."
"I bought the Knipex cutters to trim the bolts on about 50 cabinet knobs I was installing. I researched the various tools out there to make my life easier and found just the right one."
"These cutters just work - you want to cut stainless wire [snip] done - the evil death cutters these replaced caused a lot of scratches and cuts trying to gnaw through what I was trying to cut, the end result was usually a disgusting mess - these cost a bit more but in the long run cost a lot less in blood - band aids and replacing el cheapo crud cutters every few months - more than happy with these and would recommend to anyone.."
"From barb wire to field fence to electric high tensile wire fencing."
"They are also sharp enough to cut thin cloth even after 1000+ cuts of 16g galvanized steel wire."
"This things will cut piano wire like a champ - something most pliers are notched instantly on."
"For super thick cutting or extremely hard material like inconel or very thick rods the cutters with the "notch" might be better."
"I love my Knipex tools as I feel they are some of the best built tools out there."
Best Pipe Cutters
Tube cutter cuts EMT, Copper and stainless steel. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I couldn't find my old copper pipe cutter from the mid 70's I was forced to look at my local big box store. It's not for big pipe,and if you work it right with the correct oil you just might be able to keep this cutter in your toolbox for 45 years. It's not designed for large diameter wall pipe, but in a jam I bet if you take it slow this cutter will do what you ask of it."
"I was cutting PVC in my basement watching TV with my kid and wife and my wife did even realize how I was cutting the PVC because I was so quiet with it."
"Actually used this to cut a galvanized gas pipe."
"Have also tried it on PEX, but a bit harder to get good cut (ratchet cutters seem to do better on that)."
"I bought this to cut down Intermetro posts and it worked like a charm on 4 posts."
"This is a really nice pipe cutter."
"Clamp it down, turn, tighten,repeat as needed, finish the cut."
"I have used this tool to cut a lot of EMT conduit for various projects."
Best Rebar Cutters & Benders
It is made out of Steel and aluminum for durability and light weight, and provides dust-free operation. Cuts engineered wood flooring, PVC and vinyl tile, vinyl siding, pressboard lab and fiber cement siding.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This device is a real timesaver and more importantly cuts down on the dust tremendously which is a big plus. The small washer that is underneath the knob for adjusting the protector can be replaced with a fender washer which has a larger surface area."
"We found it works best to cut with the finished side of the board facing up, we’ve had no splintering that way at all."
"This was a game changer for my first DIY laminate job!"
"Our builder was amazed my this tool!"
"MUCH better approach and perfectly acceptable edges, not to mention that they will be hidden by the baseboard trim."
"Cutting gauge was crooked and needed correction."
"I've cut flooring for almost 1000sf so far and it's still working great."
"We ordered this on June 9th, 2015 and we started working on the floors in the middle of July. Now since we ordered this product ahead of time thinking we get all the materials and tools first then start when we have time, the return time frame has expired."
Best Tile Cutters
This extra power is great not only for cutting laminate and engineered wood but also for cutting a variety of other flooring materials such as vinyl flooring, vinyl siding, VCT tiles, and rubber or foam tiles. Guillotine-style cutter cuts up to 13-Inch wide and 5/8-Inch thick.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Sounds like it is going to break the cutter when cutting but very sturdy, durable, portable & easily assembled."
"Cut my work tine in half and eliminates all dust from cutting with a saw indoors."
"Very nice but not all the parts well very sharp can cut yourself very easy."
"I installed flooring inside an idea first floor, this tool always you to cut and keep moving without going into another room or outside with a power tool."
"Works great for cutting laminate wood flooring."
"Works great cuts 5/8 engineered bamboo like butter."
"I do floors for a living and this tool is great but the only thing is I can't find a blade replacement."
"Worth its weight in gold."
Best Tube Cutters
This advanced blade design combined with the ratcheting mechanism reduces the amount of hand force needed to cut through hard plastic material. Every tool that bears the RIDGID brand is engineered to the same high standards of quality, strength and endurance, as was that first heavy-duty pipe wrench more than 80 years ago. Every tool that bears the Ridgid brand is engineered to the same high standards of quality, strength and endurance, as that first was heavy-duty pipe wrench more than 80 years ago. Designed for cutting plastic (PVC, CPVC, PP, PEX, PE, rubber hose) and multilayer tubing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Only 4 start because the curved front portion where the pipe sits is rounded, presumably to prevent scratching on the pipe."
"Some of the reviews talk about small hands not being suitable for this tool."
"I think it is meant for hard pipe rather than soft spiral corrigated tube though."
"So far I have used this on 3/8" nylon fuel injection hose and it made perfectly clean square cuts in both new and old hose."
"FAR superior to any of the $15 ones you find at the big box stores, Powerful and clean cuts."
"I use these frequently at work for cutting PVC conduit and they have worked well and have much cleaner cuts then using a saw."
"I really had high hopes for this PVC cutter."
"Well made , speedy tool that works as advertised ,light in weight yet strong ."
Best Wire Cutters
The Hakko CHP 170 micro soft-wire cutter has an 8mm long jaw set at a 21-degree angle for flush-cutting terminal wires up to 16 gauge (1.3mm). Dolphin-style nonslip hand grips with curved fore-edge provide comfort and control, and Parkerized surfaces prevent glare and increase corrosion resistance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The handles protect your palm when cutting, softening the feel when applying cutting pressure. Warnings on handles reminds you to ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION and CUT WIRE MAX THICKNESS 1.3 mm. Spring back handles feel firm and just right for repeated cuts."
"I guess it can't be helped, since the sharp points have to be thin for the cutter to cut. Ah well because of the blades that goes misaligned when you squeeze it hard, this doesnt cut female fan header pins off a strip well."
"These wire cutters have worked well for me so far."
"I generally use these to clean up small wiring like telecom or when i am doing small board mount soldering and i need to clean up some jacket issues or even small overflows of solder."
"I tend to grab these cutters as opposed to a small cuticle scissors or nail clipper as the black tips show exactly where you are cutting when faced with shiny wire and shiny atty posts."
"I literally keep one of these about every two feet on my twelve foot bench so I'm never more than arms reach away from one."
"I tried to cut ducting wire which is really thin but very springy and it managed to chip the cutter."
"I've used it just a couple of times at this point so I can't speak to it's ultimate longevity but it works well. The cutter I was using before I got these was just tool large for the task and I couldn't seem to get flush enough to the board."
Best Wire Rope Cutters
332-722 Features: -Heat treated, precision ground, shear action cutting blades. The Greenlee 722 cutter is designed specifically to cut small diameter steel wire and wire rope, including aircraft cable. (0.34 kg), so it's very handy to use and fits easily in a tool pouch. (6mm); cuts aircraft cable up to 3/16" (5mm); cuts hard steel wire up to 3/32" (2.4mm); cuts copper/aluminum cable up to 15/64" (6mm).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These are really well constructed wire cutters."
"Just wanted to write a review to let other electricians know that this tool will cut 3/16 steel cable commonly used as guy wire on rigid steel service masts."
"I wasn't sure that this tool could cut steel cable and leave a clean, un-splayed end that I could stick into a cable-stud."
"This tool cuts effortlessly, and more importantly doesn't fray the cut end of the cable."
"- I tried my largest wire cutter, and a dremel cut-off wheel, but kept leaving frayed ends."
"This cutter worked great on my ATV winch cable."
"I found that with moderate pressure this cutter would easily snip through roughly 1/4" vinyl-covered steel cable."
"Cutting a 5/32 dia stainless aircraft cable."