Side Cutter Shootout! Reviewing and Comparing 8 of the Best Side Cutters / Flush Cutters
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- Опубликовано: 2 фев 2015
- TL;DR:
11:30 - Cutting comparison
I have 8 different side cutters (or flush cutters) on hand, and review and compare them against each other to help you make your decision when it comes time to purchase your next pair.
I soldered a ton of random resistors into a perfboard and use each cutter to snip the leads on the board, and go over my impressions of each model as I do so. I also choose a single winner as my best recommendation for everyone to buy.
Brands Tested/Reviewed:
Hakko (CHP-170) - $4.37 - amzn.to/2B1LyRE
Lindstrom 7190 - amzn.to/2W8m7qd
Lindstrom 8140 - amzn.to/2Mox8PO
Knipex
Xuron - amzn.to/2W7Ppp0
Excelite - amzn.to/2T6eUVS
Plato - amzn.to/2Mo7qLf
Gear I use:
DJI Osmo Pocket Gimbal/Camera: amzn.to/2FSkgAj
Zhiyun SMooth 4 Smartphone Gimbal: amzn.to/2AXbHkd
My mic is discontinued but this is its competitor: amzn.to/2W9rTYC
GoPro Silver: amzn.to/2Mq6hmt
Garmn Virb 30 Ultra: amzn.to/2WcoOab
(Affiliate links) 
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Forgot to mention another factor affecting the "butter" results. Some tools are engineered to have a slight "over-bite". That is, the cutting edges do not actually meet but are offset. This can be noticed with close examination. The over-bite construction (even a microscopic amount) reduce the "snap!!" feeling and is a feature to decrease the dulling caused by flush-edged cutting. The more the over-bite (off-set) the less the "snap". Hope this helps.
I personally like the Xuron cutters...because they are made very close to where I live in Saco Maine...and I always prefer Made in USA.They are expensive around 20 bucks compared to most cutters...But I dont mind and they are of a decent quality that lasts a long time..
Thank you! Very helpful! Just ordered a few Hakko flush cutters since I seem to go through them so fast...can't wait to try them out!
Thanks for this great video. The variations in "butter" cuts vs. the other "flying" cuts is largely due to the metallic characteristics of the leads. Cheaper components are made with high alloy ratios of steel. In fact, they can be picked up by a magnet. They produce the "flying" cuts more often than components with industry standard "tinned copper" leads, which allow for softer feel when cutting. Might I suggest that when making the "butter" vs "flying" cut comparison (not flush cutting comparison), cut that same lead (away from the board, leaving some lead to cut again with another pair of cutters). This will give you apples-to-apples. I tried it and got more conclusive results. Thanks again for your time and opinions. Regards
Your spot on and damn right brother. I absolutely LOVE my Hakko cutter's. So much so that I ordered 2 pairs of them. Funny thing is I'm still on my 1st pair and there going strong after a year of abuse and constant building. Even 18g N80 isn't an issue. They have a finer point then the Coil Master's, and have outlasted them by months. Definitely the best affordable cutter hands down
Would have been nice to see a test of how "flush" you can get with various ones. Cutting performance is one thing. Sometimes I use these to clean up 3D prints and have only used the Hakko's and at times they don't really cut as close as I want so was hoping there was something better out there.
I think Knipex are the best. Yeah, they're expensive. But they hold an edge like no other.
I use the Hakko for my jewelry design and love love them.
Good video! The Hakkos are indeed the cheapest flush cutters on Digikey, just under $5.
They also have ESD and/or carbide tipped flush side cutters in stock for big bucks: $227 each (Apex 2476TX2, Swiss), $182 (Swanstrom M4051C, USA), $181 (Ideal-Tek ES248TX.CR.BG.ITU, also Swiss) which are all (as expected) gorgeous. If you DO want to cut piano wire (steel) Digikey's cheapest carbide tipped cutters are $33 (Gedore 1829025)
+omsonic I've never heard of either brand (perhaps they aren't popular in the United States?) but I imagine they wouldn't change the conclusion of my video, which is that a cheap pair of hakko side cutters will get the job done just fine. Thanks for commenting!
I bet the Hakko cutters are not even made of hardened tool steel. They should be easy to re-sharpen but they will get damaged cutting steel and other harder-than-copper metals.
The Lindstroms are much harder metal & will survive abuse (at least the old white handle ones made in Sweden were like that). That’s the difference between them.
thank you,this video helped a lot.
knipex are below 20 bucks in germany, hakko/piergiacomi around 10. resharpened my hakkos a lot and use them things you shouldn't use nice cutters for, but they do it fine. the knipex ones do cut without the lead flying away, sometimes i take of half the solder joint because they just go through it like melted butter. one of my knipex ones has a little slide on metal thingy which retains the lead until you release them, which is really nice if you have a very clean workbench, which i don't.
The Rockwell Hardness of the Hakko CHP-170 is HRC 55-56 while the Lindström cutters are at 63-65. The Japanese Engineer brand cutters/ micro nippers which aren't part of your review are HRC 58±4. In other words, the Lindstrom cutters would be able to cut harder wire but of course it is still advisable to use them appropriately. A good test is if you can bend the wire easily with your fingers, the cutter should be able to cut it without a problem.
Can i use the plato for gundams?
I agree the Hakko CHP-170s are so much bang for your buck but the Lindstroms are just so beautifully made and can cut harder wires with its 63-65 HRC rating. I do use my Hakko quite a bit but use my Lindstrom 8142, 8152, 8162 and my Japanese Engineer - NS-04 and NS-06 a lot more.
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Hi my friend I got a question can those players cut through 18 g stailes steel wire
Have anyone used Swanstrom side cutters? They also seem to be very well made (in the USA). I have their needle pliers and quite impressed with the tool quality.
In school (electronics) we had to buy a toolbox from them so everyone had the same tools, the side cutters included was the most useless piece of metal in history. They could barely cut through thin resistor leads and the padding on the handles split open and fell off. I had to buy myself a new pair when the tip of the cutters suddenly broke off... So be aware, some cheap cutters are just not worth it, nothing is more painful than bad tools...
But a great review, appreciate that you took the time to compare all the pliers and discuss them.
Your Lindstrom cutters, the 8140 and 7190 are Mirco Bevel and Flush cutters respectively, which leave a very tiny bevel on the metal you are cutting. The Ultra Flush cutters such as the 8142 cut leads that are truly flush. Just FYI - not that it would really make that much of a difference.
The Plato ones cost about $2 on Aliexpress i just got a pair of Daniu for $3 i think.. from banggood..i'm trying to find out what the diff would be if i got an expensive one from Piergiacomi. like the TRR-58A.. i assume for an amateur guy like me the cheap ones would do.. i am getting the PN-2005 form Piergiacomi just because i cant find the cheaper option
I've found tin snips are great for cutting components off of a reel. For example crimp terminals etc.. The tin snips have one end that is nice and flat where I set the terminal, and then the other side obv is the reel.
The Lindstrom cutting heads will out last your cheap cutters by a factor of 20X also. You did say 20 X cost. An important consideration aside from throw away tools. Many of us techs don't like to be repeat buyers and discarder's of tools of less quality.
I too, have CHP-170s
My pair of Lindstrom 8140 is still making the nice snappy sound whenever cutting wire and its 8 years old. Lindstrom also sell the 8160 which is intended to cut piano wire all day long and isnt that much larger than the 80 series.
Pretty much all tools will cut perfectly when you first get them, the price just dictates how long before the cutting surface is ruined and how often you can cut oversize stuff without damage. Ya do have to keep in mind though, with really ultra flush cutters, the blade isn't beveled in order to cut totally flush and this makes the blade more easy to damage.
Ben Wilson I concur. I do like the cheapos though, because I have no fear or regret in abusing them and using them for cutting things outside of their intended uses. (though I do have some gnarly linesman's pliers, bolt cutters, and a sawzall for the really tough jobs.) Perhaps in ~5 years I'll make a followup video to see how they all stand up to the test of time, and it would be worthy of breaking out my macro glass for some edge analysis. Could be fun!
For cutters Erem (776E) is the king. Once I tried them that's all I own including their tweezers. It's the quality of the steel and precision of the blade to blade alignment. Since I fix beats headphones the wires have a fine synthetic braid inside them and if your cutters aren't super sharp you'll be jumping around from cutters to scissors every time.
love my Snap-on E710BCG although expensive. Also all flush cut snips can be sharpened by honing the flat side. Just my 2c
Good to know!
I have a wiha z 46 0 03 138, the leads never go flying that's why I like them. But the handles are bad, they are too soft, and does not hold tight on the instrument itself. So I had to glue them.
Compare them by cuttin like paper with them, show if jaws align edge to edge or not.
Give me EREM Swiss made, the Rolls Royce of pliers and cutters.
While they're good cutters, they're overpriced, their carbide line of cutters even more so, not a fan of $200-$500 cutters when you can buy similar quality carbide cutters with the same level of craftsmanship for 1/4 the price
If the blades of the cutter have more overlap, wouldn't that cause them to cut better with fewer chances of pieces flying off?
Anyway thanks for having this vid up, helped me decide to try out some Hakkos, though I'm mostly going to use it on plastic.
Let's see some Aven, Erem, Swanstrom, Tronix! They're on a whole other level.
If I look for the Hakko CHP-170, or any other name combo that finds me that model, they're 30€+ on Amazon Italy. With your link, it's 5$ + 10$ shipping. Still too expensive for what they are, but just so you know, that's why it's nice including links to the products!
Thanks for the tips about how to choose between cheap and expensive, saved me some money.
(In the end, I bought the Plato 170 that i found at 3€ on Amazon.it)
Try a schmitz plier too. Schmitz and Knipex have tungsten carbide cutters too.
i dont know if someone told you but the way the Lindstrom cuts is because of patent designed called "lead-catcher" hence why the leads don't fly out
You are so right, i use a pair of Piergiacomi pliers (which i believe is the OEM that also makes these ''Hakko'') and yess they are awesome! I'm also sharpening them by myself lol ! Super comfortable handles also! I also have a pair of Lindstroms non serrated needlenose pliers and i also love them but.. You said it all! Good test man! very informative!
Black Phoenix Thanks! A man can never have enough tools!
+Black Phoenix It looks to me like Piergiacomi PG-TR30 are the same like Hakkos in this video.
i love my lindstrom flush cuts, but only use them on my bench.
i carry a cheaper set in my bag and on site.
anyways, a good technician always has their flush cuts.
How are the Hakkos at cutting plastic, like for models kits?
They work really well for that. They're pretty sharp. I don't do models but I cut everything under the sun with the hakkos due to their low replacement price and they cut through plastics fine. I'm not sure how they'd compare to a specialized tool but I'd imagine it would work fine. Let me know if you get a pair for that purpose
Plastic is the leading material that dulls "metal" cutters fyi. Get dedicated plastic cutters for the best result and long wear
the 7190 looks more like a nail nipper... if u wanted to, could u actually use it for manicure instead?
Old thread, but.....I have had a pair of Lindstrom 8141 that I have had since around 1990, that weren't even new when i got them - used constantly in a manufacturing production line, day in day out for years before I nabbed them. I have used them for electronics, cutting cable-ties, and also used to cut my fingernails and toenails for the last 30 years. Still sharp, still do all of these great. They are the only tool I ever use to cut my nails - unless I have an emergency torn nail situation away from home or work.
Europeans should look for Piergiacomi cutters. The HAKKO ones are rebranded Piergiacomi cutters. ( piergiacomi.it ) The Piergiacomi branded ones are easier to find in Europe than Hakko branded cutters.
Great info; thanks!
Thank you! That's very good to know.
Thanks for "cutting" to the chase.
(Honestly appreciated)
is the hakko good with salt water, and not if i have to keep oiling after every use because i plan to use these for salt water fishing
In my experience, when a tool doesn’t say where it’s made, I GUARANTEE it’s made in China!
got to say lindstrom brand will beat the rest.
what no Gedore or EREM ?
well considering the kind of job you want them to do.. all side cutters do.. you don´t even considered to look at the cut and how "flush" it is. Well you also consider cutting after soldering ok, what is hobby level, why would you need a "precision tool". Try those tools on multi stranded wires with 28 AWG or smaller strands like on shielding and try to become a clean cut line with standard tools.. thats where precision starts to make sense
I would never throw away a pair of cutters - even cheap ones - just because they're dull. Sharpening tools is not difficult nor time consuming; any credit card-size fine diamond stone would do. Sharpening tools seems to be a lost art...
have 2 from snap-on. lifetime warranty $20. each
Travis Jones guess who makes them for Snap-On?
I love Piergiacomi
You can only get the tip in thats what she said😂
Tronex
I think a better test for side cutters would be to take some thin flex with very very fine copper strands and then see if the cutters cut through every single strand.
‘What’s going on RUclips’?? What’s that suppose to mean?!!
absolute load of rubbish, your winner was the best value for money and not the best cutter
If you listen to what he said. He says they all cut the same
The Hakko are an amazing flush cutter. Been using them for years.
I would avoid the blue lindstrom rx series. They just don't have the quality of the yellow ones.
Ben Wilson Noted!
So much salt from all the ladies who are trying to justify their purchase of $30-$200 cutters
In Poland Knipex 7861125 go for 19 USD. I will have to pick up a pair. Thanks for review.
"I'm not here to make a dime" yet you have to watch not one, but two ads to view the video..
The creator is not able to control that, dude. In fact, RUclips isn't designed to serve 2 ads in a row, so it was probably a bug.
@@lehanjones242 the channel seems monetized to me.i know you do get to choose that
@@jasonu.3020 Honestly, if you make content you have the right to monetize your videos. Also, even u monetised videos still have ads because RUclips still takes their cut.
@@lehanjones242 you're missing the point. He specifically starts the video saying that he's not making the video to get money, then monetized the channel to get money. That's all I'm pointing out.
belzer is way way better