What's the big deal with using cycling-specific cable cutters?
 

I don't really see why it is so important to use bike specific cable cutters to cut brake housing. If I just use standard diagonal cable cutters (everyday run of the mill kind) it might pinch the housing a little but nothing that can't be pinched back, right? And even if the cut is a little jagged, can't you just file down the ends?

Am I missing something completely, or am I right and park tool is just trying to scam me? :notamused:

Dremel > anything else

It's the shift housing ("compressionless" comprised of parallel wires) that are easier to cut with a bike-specific cutter. The brake housing can be easily cut with regular wire cutters.

It's ok to use whatever tools that work for you.

Alright cool thanks for the help! I think dremel sounds like the way to go.

At one point I was using my linesman pliers to cut the housing about 1/4 inch long and then the Dremel cutoff wheel to do the final 1/4 inch trim for a really nice clean end. Just keep a scriber or sharpened spoke handy to re-open the center liner plastic tubing while it's still hot and melted so your cable fits with no drag. Slice it with an abrasive wheel and then right away do the tapered needle bit on the inner liner.

Park Tool has been notified. Improper tool usage will not be tolerated. Expect a visit from some big mechanics in blue aprons...

Nobody is scaming. It's called capitalism. Park Tools (or any other company) is not gonna tell you, We have this tool, but u don't really need it.

That's why u come to forum like this and hopefully use the SEARCH button, but asking again is OK too.

Use whatever u have.

If u do lots of bikes however, a Park Tool maybe more efficient.

Personally, I really like the notched bike cable cutters, since they trap the cable and apply cutting force from all sides at once. With my diagonals, the cable tends to get squeezed toward the open end of the cutters, as only one side is applying the cutting force.

I used to use a smallish pair of bolt cutters. Clean cut on all types of cabling, including inners and brake outers.

Tools are like bicycles. There is cheap trashy stuff that you can get by with, but it probably won't last long, especially if you use it on old beater-style bikes. As a home mechanic the mid-range stuff is good enough, in my opinion. The elitists would have you believe Park is the only tool to use, but then they obviously have the money to burn.

Park tools are sold in bike shops, don't you think that's a big deal? In my experience, shearing type cutters with curved jaws can be used to cut bicycle cable and housing. The catch is that they are actually designed to cut multi-strand steel/copper cable, you know, stuff that has no similarity to what's used on bikes. The real non-sarcastic catch is that the nicer ones actually cost more than bike specific Shimano or Park tools.

For the record, the search returned no conclusive results, and I thought it would be a pretty simple question to answer, but thanks for the lesson on the internets.

Quoted for truth. A Dremel and a cut-off wheel work better than any other tool for cutting cable and housing.

I wish the world was black&white (well maybe not, it'd be boring). Seldom there is a CONCLUSIVE answer for anything, so what else is new. U read 20(?) posts, throw away the singler-liners, throw away the "I love it 'coz it's red!", hopefully by then u get 5for/5against, then make your decision based on budget/skill.

Yes, using a household cutter would probly fry the cable end somewhat but I can deal with it, I twist it back with a plier, put on the end cap and done. If u can't then perhaps a specialty tool is your answer but even that doesn't necessarily guaranteed perfect result. My rule of thumb is, only buy specialty tools if you have no other option, u got tons$, or u going into the business.

Brake cable housing (spiral wound) actually seems to cut better with a good set of diagonal cutting pliers as the jaws can slip between the coils. They generally leave a burr but a file cleans that up nicely.

Shift housing (parallel inner wires) and both brake and shift inner cables are best cut with a dedicated cable cutter as it makes a cleaner cut and has less tendence to unravel the cable wires.

Note to jsmithepa: I think your sense of humor need some work. :)

The Shimano cable-cutters works WAY better than the Park ones. The Park one tends to crush the 1st coil in the brake-cable housing.

Right, so that's why I recommended regular side-cutter pliers for brake housing. The Park cutters work very well on shift housing and on both type of inner wires.

Maybe the Shimano cutters are better for brake housing but since they have the same type of action as the Parks, I don't see why they should. However, I have no personal experience with them.

As a bike shop mechanic, I have used side cutters (dikes), linesman's pliers, Park Tool, Pedro's and Felco cable cutters as well. I like the Felco brand best as it cuts the cleanest and stays sharp the longest in my experience. Side cutters or linesman's pliers do squash the housing, requiring more work and time to groom the housing to eliminate excessive friction as the cable slides through the housing.

Cables can be cut with good results with SHARP dikes. A Dremel tool is oftimes suggested as an excellent cutting tool and I'm sure it does an excellent job as we always finish off housing cuts on the grinding wheel at work.

Cheapest way to go are sharp dikes, a good file and something sharp and slender to reopen the plastic liner in the housings after cutting. A sharpened spoke works well.

The BEST way,- if you don't want to spend the money and plug in a Dremel tool- are Felco cable cutters (portable, not dependent on electricity, relatively inexpensive and an excellent investment in quality work) and a file or bench grinder.
HAPPY CUTTING!!!

While I'm a huge Dremel and cutoff wheel fan this technique has no place in a shop where time is money unlesst te customer is willing to pay extra for the time and fussing needed. But for home users there's no doubt at all that a cutoff wheel and inner tube reshaping while still soft is THE way to go if you want your housing ends to be as low drag as possible. I finally bought the Park tool but I do find that I only get a clean and drag free cut about two out of three times so I often still end up at the grinder dressing the end of the housing before adding the ferrule.

Quite frankly you answered your own question of sentence 1 right there in sentences 2 and 3. And as for those rapscallions at Park Tool, shame on them for peddling boat anchors in the name of tools.

[per some of the posts we read here I mebbe otta spelled that "pedeling" or "peddleing"]
alf

I use a pair of scissors.

Nothing beats an old VAR cable cutter.

-Kurt

Nothing but my laser cable cutter. ;)

:eek: lasers.... I want one :D

I just use a big pair of side cutters and then straighten then end out a bit.

cable cutters
 

Hello. If you are only cutting brake cable housing, then pliers are generally fine. However, proper cable cutters are almost essential for cutting the actual cable, otherwise you have the cable end in a disgusting state and it won't poke through whatever holes there are in the actual brake.
Pat