Bicycle Mechanics - Absolute Best Quality Cable Cutters

Hey guys, so to go along with the thread a few threads down called "best quality tools" I'd like to inquire on a specific tool.

So, who do you think makes the absolute best cable/housing cutter out there and why?

Shimano - try to find an old pair NOS with the blue & gray handles. But the new model still blows doors on the other brands commonly available.

Felco.

I use Hozan. Quite expensive but appear to be very well built. They continue to work flawlessly.

The Felco C7 is the best one I've tried. For $64 wholesale, it better be good :D

why why why why why. what makes a 60 dollar cable cutter any better than a 25 dollar one? can an expensive one cut cable and housing cleaner without squishing the lining at all?''

ok so I am not the OP but my cheap cable cutter that I have had for maybe a year now and i had no real complaints about seems to be squishing my cheap index shifting housing's liner together so well that it is pretty much impossible to get open and I sometimes have to snip a couple more mm's off the cable housing and try again, maybe even again after that. this was never an issue before. Is this happening because it is a cheap tool and has gone dull prematurely?

why why why why why. what makes a 60 dollar cable cutter any better than a 25 dollar one? can an expensive one cut cable and housing cleaner without squishing the lining at all?''

ok so I am not the OP but my cheap cable cutter that I have had for maybe a year now and i had no real complaints about seems to be squishing my cheap index shifting housing's liner together so well that it is pretty much impossible to get open and I sometimes have to snip a couple more mm's off the cable housing and try again, maybe even again after that. this was never an issue before. Is this happening because it is a cheap tool and has gone dull prematurely?

Kid - Cheap cutters don't last and die fast. Try some good ones. And watch those split-ends. Seriously!

How often do you use them? 3X a year?

I have a Park CN-4 that I've had for many years and it still does a good job on shift housing and all inner cables. Now, I work on maybe six bikes a year so it's not had daily use by any means but it's been more than satisfactory as a home shop tool.

I find that any bike specific cable cutter isn't the best tool for cutting spiral wound brake housing. A good pair of side-cutter pliers does a far better job of getting it's cutting edges between the coils and making a clean cut. A few strokes with a file smooths off any spurs and it's good to go.

+1 Shimano blue/grey handles

Otherwise research Snap On and Knipex.

Pennywise & pound-foolish; another vote against cheapies, and for the old blue/grey.
I had some crappy automotive/motorcycle cutters that worked great the first 3 or 4 times, then either the blades dull or the rivet got soft--frayed cable ends and problems followed.
But my blue/grey have cut dozens of cables & housings over the years (including some thicker, motorcycle clutch cables) and are still perfect.

I've used Pedro's cable cutter for a while and I'm very happy. It still cuts like new and it was in the $20 range.

It sounds like you guys hold the Shimano TL-CT10 in pretty high regard. I'll lurk around eBay and hopefully get one for under $50.

I use the blue/silver shimano. They're still not as good as a Dremel for housing, though.

So if you're in the market, get a Dremel, they have thousands of other uses also.

Here's one for you:

http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00945714000-1?hei=400&wid=400&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

I use a set of locking pliers/Vise Grips for all my cable cutting needs. Just set the jaws completely closed and at medium clamping tension so they 'pop' when you latch it down. Sometimes for housings it will bend the tip a little. All you have to do correct this is take an awl and insert it into the innermost part of the end of the housing, twisting the handle back and forth as you push it in. That will restore/ensure roundness. If you do get burrs (rare), then you can use a file, as someone else mentioned, or run it across a grinding wheel for a few ticks at a thirty or so degree angle.

my cheap cable cutter seems to be squishing my cheap index shifting housing's liner together so well that it is pretty much impossible to get open and I sometimes have to snip a couple more mm's off the cable housing and try again, maybe even again after that. this was never an issue before. Is this happening because it is a cheap tool and has gone dull prematurely?

Try cutting housing with a scrap length of cable running through where you are cutting. Then push the scrap cable bit out with the actual cable you're gonna use.

Dremel tool with a cut off wheel. Cheaper than the more expensive pliers, and so, so many more uses.

I got mine at Home Depot and paid about $70.00 I can provide the brand and model later. they are great for cables and housings.

I have some older Park's that work just fine. Don't know about the newer ones.

I use the blue/silver shimano. They're still not as good as a Dremel for housing, though.
For housing, I just use dikes, then grind the end flat on the bench grinder. Why bugger up my expensive cable cutters on housing?

great cable cutters are like a perfect pitch in baseball - just a thing of beauty. the right tool for the right job

For housing, I use a rotary cutoff tool when I'm in the shop. NO distortion of the housing, though it can melt the lining a little. (So I quickly flare it with a nail.)

Best cutter I've used is the Shimano.


Why? Who knows? All I know is the results are better.

Dremel tool with a cut off wheel. Cheaper than the more expensive pliers, and so, so many more uses.

This. Both housing and cable.

seems to be squishing my cheap index shifting housing's liner together so well that it is pretty much impossible to get open and I sometimes have to snip a couple more mm's off the cable housing and try again, maybe even again after that. this was never an issue before. Is this happening because it is a cheap tool and has gone dull prematurely?

Try tightening the pivot screw; tight enough so that it seems that the cutters feel like they are starting to bind. I read that tip here on BF, tried it and "viola" my Park cutters work well now.

The Felco C7 is the best one I've tried. For $64 wholesale, it better be good :D

+1 (although I paid less than that)

Try tightening the pivot screw; tight enough so that it seems that the cutters feel like they are starting to bind. I read that tip here on BF, tried it and "viola" my Park cutters work well now.

+1 on this. There is a pair of park cutters at my local co-op, and they are so over used and worn out, I need to do this before every use.

Dremel tooth with the fibre reinforced cutoff wheel.
Awesome tool, many uses, lasts forever.

Well,not the wheel, but the Dremel.

Dremel tooth with the fibre reinforced cutoff wheel.
Awesome tool, many uses, lasts forever.

Well,not the wheel, but the Dremel.

The problem with dremel is it sprays a bunch of tiny plastic particles into the air. That's a health hazard

Okay so tightening the pivot screw and cutting cables with cable in the housing. good tips.

My cutters are still cutting cables and housings pretty much problem free, aside from the lining squishing. when they stop cutting cable cleanly I'll spring for some good ones. I generally do maybe one cable job a month, but I did like 3 full cable replacements In december. I would have thought even a "cheap" 25 dollar cable cutter would be able to handle that much use before starting to noticeably Dull. Its not like I place anywhere near the demands on it that a shop tool would recieve.

Okay so tightening the pivot screw and cutting cables with cable in the housing. good tips.


Completely unecessary and waste of hand force to cut through the cable including the housing. Only an inefficient mechanic would do it that way.

The problem with dremel is it sprays a bunch of tiny plastic particles into the air. That's a health hazard

Good point. Think I'll lay in some dust-masks.

For the cable itself, +1 on the Dremel. I run Campy Delta brakes and completely unfrayed brake cable ends are essential with them.

For the housing, I just use a cheap pair of cutters, then use the bench grinder to square off the cut end.

The problem with dremel is it sprays a bunch of tiny plastic particles into the air. That's a health hazard

Makes those high-end cutters seem real cheap. You spend less on lungs anyway.

Completely unecessary and waste of hand force to cut through the cable including the housing. Only an inefficient mechanic would do it that way.
Probably a trade-off. Mechanics choice. Cut through cable+housing OR cut through housing then fiddle with awl, nail, compass point, whathaveyou to reopen the end of the housing liner.

Completely unecessary and waste of hand force to cut through the cable including the housing. Only an inefficient mechanic would do it that way.

Look. I have allready explained that my cutters are probably going dull. up until very recently I was having no problem opening the plastic lining with an awl or something else pointy. now, at least with 1 particular type of cheap shifter housing the thing is practically welding the sleeve closed. I understand that this is not somthing that would ordinarily be advisable. or nescessary. That said, If doing so means i can squeeze some more use out of my newb cutters then so be it.

yeah it may be innefficient, but as for a waste of hand force...what am I, a 3 year old? cables are the easiest things besides paper I ever have to cut with any sort of shears.

I've been very happy with this one, and it even works on housing too. I thought it was more expensive. I thought I paid $70 or at least $30 but I found it for $12. You'll be very very happy with it.

MIDWEST P6300 CABLE CUTTER

http://biketestblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/tool-review-midwest-snips-model-p6300.html

http://www.midwestsnips.com/news_10.php

http://cgi.ebay.com/Midwest-cable-cutters-New-l%23-P6300-Made-in-the-U.S.A_W0QQitemZ230422988512QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100112?IMSfp=TL100112224003r3662

http://cgi.ebay.ca/MIDWEST-P6300-CABLE-CUTTER-NEW-USA_W0QQitemZ320443833573QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Electrical_Equipment_Tools?hash=item4a9bf0dce5

So, no one here uses simple bolt cutters? They are inexpensive at Harbor Freight & bullet-proof until you start doing things like using them to cut through metal tabs when you're dismantling cars (ask me how I know). I have an 8" bolt cutter & an 18" bolt cutter. The 8" is perfect & consistent for any cable with no false cuts, fraying, dulling, etc. It works equally well on housings & I re-open the housing ends with an awl & trim any rough or uneven edges with a file or dremel (I also squirt a bit of Ballistol through the housing/liner) as prep. The larger cutter would do the same but is heavier.... it also make for a quick way to remove things like rusty chains, bulk configurations of cable & housing or even sections of frame (kidding...but it would) whne you're dismantling an old bike.

Do any of these other housing cutting tools consistently give you cable ends that are open, clean & ready to install? if so, I'm sure they tool's worth having. I didn't buy these cutters as ''bike tools" but rather they are standard fare for my tool box. I found them stupid-cheap at HF and figured i'd give them a try....and, like with many things there the experience has been good. I probably use the small cutter at least a couple times a week. I've alway got some kind of project or modification I'm working on.

The problem with dremel is it sprays a bunch of tiny plastic particles into the air. That's a health hazard

+1, but... I kind of assumed that anyone reading this forum would take appropriate safety precautions. Any power tool has the capability of doing great harm- either immediate or long term- if not used properly.

A dremel may seem harmless, but I can show you scars...

i use a harbor freight air compressor and wiz wheel, around $100. more expensive than a dremel but it has more uses to.

MIDWEST P6300 CABLE CUTTER works perfectly on bike housings

these are my favorites http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/search.shtml?searchQuery=knipex+95+61+190&op=search&Ntt=knipex+95+61+190&N=0&sst=All

133167

The problem with dremel is it sprays a bunch of tiny plastic particles into the air. That's a health hazard

I have a bench mount holder for my dremel. Makes it very easy to use the cut off wheel. Slide the dremel in, tighten a thumb screw and you have a bench mount tool. If I was concerned about the plastic bits, I would just lay my shop vac hose on the bench and run the vac while cutting.

I have a bench mount holder for my dremel. Makes it very easy to use the cut off wheel. Slide the dremel in, tighten a thumb screw and you have a bench mount tool. If I was concerned about the plastic bits, I would just lay my shop vac hose on the bench and run the vac while cutting.

That kind of plastic wouldn't be an inhalation hazard - you just wouldn't want to get it in your eyes. Safety glasses.

What makes a Felco cutter worth the $? If you're a working mechanic, you are using it all the time--for the time it will wear, it's damned cheap. If you are cutting either inner wires, or linear derailleur cable housing, the Felco jaws close in a circular shape which doesn't flatten derailleur cable housing and doesn't fray brake or derailleur inner wires. For brake cable housing I use Channel Lock linemans' pliers. They are very heavy-duty pliers and have a good cutting jaw.

So, no one here uses simple bolt cutters?
Tried it in extremis. A poor alternative. First, bolt cutters are extremely dull. Second, the blades are directly opposed. They aren't designed for shearing, but for crushing (which is why they don't work on flat pieces like your metal tabs). Third, the force is applied from two opposing directions, easily crushing a tube. A good housing cutter applies force from four directions at 90° angles. It tends to compress rather than crush a tube. That's why you have to do so much work to clean up the ends.

Ever tried to cut cable with a bolt cutter?

Harbor Freight has a Dremmel knockoff that works very well ,,at lots less $,,, Or you can use the same type cut off wheels on an air die grinder...
Bud

Wow, you guys are really thorough. I have a Dremel tool, but I'm trying to think about convenience. I am the mechanic of my high school cycling team (both mountain and road), so would a Dremel be more "worth it" than a good pair of snips? I feel like the snips would make a lot quicker work of this stuff...

I wouldn't trade my blue & gray Shimano cutters for anything. Even the facer I'm looking at.

uh...i'm not sure I'd describe the 20 seconds to cut, awl & clean as much work...but I'm sure I'd bill it as such if I were charging by the hour! But, good points about the method of cutting...I should get some 1st-hand experience and compare. I do it enough that it's worth it.


Ever tried to cut cable with a bolt cutter?
yes...and that's what I was saying, it was clean & consistent. Perhaps my cutter has exceptionally sharper cutting surfaces. With a swift cutting motion, I've never had an issue with cables. Thinking about it, maybe this is something unique to the small bolt cutter vs the 18"+ bolt cutters that most people think of when they think of these things.

Good points to think about. I'm glad I dropped in on this thread.

uh...i'm not sure I'd describe the 20 seconds to cut, awl & clean as much work...but I'm sure I'd bill it as such if I were charging by the hour! But, good points about the method of cutting...I should get some 1st-hand experience and compare. I do it enough that it's worth it.


yes...and that's what I was saying, it was clean & consistent. Perhaps my cutter has exceptionally sharper cutting surfaces. With a swift cutting motion, I've never had an issue with cables. Thinking about it, maybe this is something unique to the small bolt cutter vs the 18"+ bolt cutters that most people think of when they think of these things.

Good points to think about. I'm glad I dropped in on this thread.

It's not much work, but I've had a few days before our road races where my garage has been lined with bikes. At Least my high school has a team, I guess. Anyway, I'm just saying that my stand is on the other side of the garage than the workbench, without an outlet. I could run an extension cord for the Dremel, but my question is actually "What's the difference?"

Thinking about it, maybe this is something unique to the small bolt cutter vs the 18"+ bolt cutters that most people think of when they think of these things.

Oh, yes. Sounds like you're using mini bolt cutters. (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM161716223P) I imagine they still tend to crimp housing to a greater degree than cable cutters. But if they work for ya, they work for ya.

What makes a Felco cutter worth the $? If you're a working mechanic, you are using it all the time--for the time it will wear, it's damned cheap. If you are cutting either inner wires, or linear derailleur cable housing, the Felco jaws close in a circular shape which doesn't flatten derailleur cable housing and doesn't fray brake or derailleur inner wires. For brake cable housing I use Channel Lock linemans' pliers. They are very heavy-duty pliers and have a good cutting jaw.

The first shop I ever worked at had a set of Felco C7s. They were horribly abused (used to cut spokes out of old wheels and stuff), and stood up to it. When S.I.S. was introduced, we got some Shimano cutters. The used, abused Felcos outlasted the new, properly-treated Shimanos. I decided to invest in a set of C7s for myself, and they're so old now that I have no idea when I bought them or how much I paid. Good stuff, I still use them every workday.

Oh and yeah, the Channellock 369 linesman's pliers is a treat too :beer: