Best Overall
IRWIN VISE-GRIP Wire Stripping Tool / Wire Cutter
Best Bang For the Buck
DOWELL 10-22 AWG Wire Stripper Cutter Wire Stripping
Best For Professionals
4-in-1 Lineman Plier Pro Lineman Tools 9” Combination
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Whether you ’re an electrician , automobile mechanic , or DIYer , a calibre pair of telegram cutters can make an indispensable accession to your toolbox . The name “ conducting wire stonecutter ” can be deceiving , though , since most of them incorporate one or more extra features that give them multipurpose functionality . telegram strippers , bolt cutters , and rebuff or needle - nozzle plier jaw are just some of the uncommitted options to choose from , depending on your specific need .
After reviewing oodles of wire cutters and put some to the trial , our favorite is theIRWIN Vise - Grip Wire Stripping Tool / Wire Cutter . Available at a budget - favorable price gunpoint , this tool do well , allowing us to cut , slip , and frizzle 10 to 22 - gauge wire with ease .
To get the low - down on selecting the right telegram - cuttingtoolfor the business , read on to discover the type available , how they take issue in calibre , and how to choose the good wire cutters for your next labor .
Our Top Picks
While a basic pair of telegram cutters is sufficient for tackling small jobs , not every couplet will work for every project . look at the following top - betray selection in several different categories .
Whether you need to make out and strip telegram , crimp terminal connectors , or even cut small bolts , Irwin ’s telegram cutter and strippers can do it all . This tool features an 8 - inch grip covered with a comfort - bag stuff and pop the question maximal cutting leverage with minimum fatigue . We wish that the telegram cutters on the end of the jaw are initiation - hardened for increased durability , and the phonograph needle - nose end makes seize onto small - bore wire a breeze .
For increased versatility , the Irwin wire cutters also have telegram strip slots that accommodate 10 to 20 AWG wires and a crimper for splicing wires with terminal connecter . It even offers a small bolt cutlery , up to of cut small bolt with enough preciseness to leave enough lead screw thread for nut to jockey onto .
What our examiner articulate : Tom Scalisi , a Bob Vila writer and product quizzer , notes in theBest Wire Strippersthat he was “ affect by the identification number of functions on the Irwin telegram stripper , especially because it hail at a very attractive price spot . In add-on to abridge and stripping wires from 10 to 22 gauge in sizing , this handy dick offers crimping ability . ”
Get the Irwin wire cutter atAmazonorMenards .
Best Bang for the Buck
Do n’t be fooled into thinking the DOWELL wire cutters are a humbled - quality option just because they ’re so low-priced . They ’re made with durable , erosion - resistant high-pitched carbon blade that maintains the blade ’s sharp edge for longer than comparably priced cutters that use lower quality textile . These durable constituent can make out , crimp , and strip a wide reach of wire sizes .
These belittled conducting wire cutters feature a 7 - column inch comfort suitcase handle for well-to-do operation and a spring - loaded chemical mechanism for easy one - handed use . The main disadvantages are that the pivot point is n’t as sturdy as some mellow - end manikin , and it does n’t put up needle - olfactory organ jaw for grabbing and manipulate wires . But taking all the other impressive features into account , DOWELL ’s carver offer an incredible time value for the price .
Get the DOWELL telegram cutters atAmazon .
Best for Professionals
For professional - ground level newspaper clipping business leader and lastingness , consider these chrome vanadium steel heavy - duty wire cutters that keep up a needlelike cutting edge while offer superior erosion resistor . In addition to the cutter and plier jaw that typical lineman pliers have , these carver tender a crimper and an electric conducting wire stripper for optimum versatility and functionality .
The 9 - in handle offer increased purchase for maximum cutting and twisting power , and it ’s envelop with a comfort - grip material that reduces weariness . The principal disadvantage is that it only offers five overlooked wire uncovering slot , which specify the tool ’s overall multipurpose functionality . That being said , these stonecutter provide pro - grade features without breaking the bank .
Get the Lineman Plier Pro conducting wire ship’s boat atAmazon .
Photo: Amazon
Best Flush
Klein Tools D213-9NE Pliers, 9-Inch Side Cutters
Klein Tools ’ argument of pliers and cutter have been used by professional and DIYers for decade , and this pair of moneyed carver does n’t let down . The foresighted 9 - in hold and a lasting pin point nigh to the jaws combine to offer a immense amount of cutting leveraging . To compliment this purchase , the cut blade are trigger indurate to grow an fabulously heavy steel that stay sharper for longer . lastly , the ergonomically designed handgrip fit snugly and well in your hand .
The main downside to this cutlery is that it ’s fairly expensive , and the higher price may be hard to justify for the average homeowner or episodic DIYer .
Get the Klein Tools wire cutters atAmazon , The Home Depot , orLowes .
Photo: amazon.com
Best Diagonal
IGAN Diagonal Cutting Pliers, 7-inch Ultra Tough
If you need a conducting wire cutter strictly designed for systematically make powerful gash , then IGAN ’s diagonal conducting wire cutters may be just what you ’re looking for . Its blades are made with induction - harden , high - carbon steel for maximal lastingness and longevity , and a sturdy pivot point is in close law of proximity to the cutting jaws for easy and powerful cuts . The comfort - grip handles are coupled with a fountain - adulterate mechanics for easy one - handed operation , derogate tiredness from prolonged use .
Get the IGAN wire cutter atAmazon .
Best Needle-Nose
LAOA Needle-nose Pliers with Stripper
If you want a flush telegram carver that can access tight outer space and catch small wires , LAOA ’s needle - nozzle pliers and conducting wire cutter have you covered . The long-wearing installation hardened , high-pitched carbon sword blade and plier jaw do n’t just make out and seize telegram ; they also sport a hair curler and a couplet of conducting wire baring slots .
The spring - loaded , comfort - grip handle is comfortable with an anti - slip hold . The primary con is that these wire tender want a lot of force to achieve an effective crimper . Some users have also complain about the locking mechanism .
Get theLAOA wire stonecutter atAmazonorWalmart .
Photo: Amazon
Best Spring-Loaded
Klein Tools 11055 Wire Cutter and Stripper
Those seem for a basic set of conducting wire cutlery and strippers made of high - quality materials will apprize these from Klein Tools . The phonograph needle - nozzle bakshis ready it easygoing to grab and bend wires , and the cutter consistently delivers clean cuts . The double - dipped , curved handle was comfortable for extended use when examination , and we appreciated the labeled AWG size on the wire stripper tool .
The only fault we found was the deficiency of a crimper , which is often necessary when working on computers or do automotive work . The thumb release is also slightly stiff , but overall , these are a reliable , high - calibre pair of telegram cutter .
What our examiner say : Glenda Taylor , a Bob Vila writer and ware tester , notes in theBest Wire Strippersthat “ The sharpened stripper notches oblige wire from 10 to 20 calibre in size . We were capable to trim through wire cleanly , using the marked hole in the base of the shear steel . ”
Photo: Amazon
Get the Klein Tools telegram cutters atAmazon , The Home Depot , orAce Hardware(2 - bit set ) .
Best with Crimper
Greenlee Stainless Steel Wire Cutter/Stripper/Crimper
Those do self-propelled or information processing system work may need a crimper , stripteaser , and wire ship’s boat . This Greenlee pecker combines all three functions and even has a needle - nose hint , pee-pee it sluttish to grab and turn little wires .
While this model does n’t specialize the size of the wire it cut , it can strip 10 to18 gauge solid wire and 12 to 20 gauge strand conductor . The coil saltation makes it gentle to operate , and the putz sport a safety lock to keep it closed when not in utilization . Other features of these stainless steel wire cutters include the ability to fleece 6 - 32 and 8 - 32 dash and vinyl radical cushioned handles for a well-situated grip .
Get the Greenlee wire cutter atAmazonorAcme Tools .
Photo: Amazon
How We Chose the Best Wire Cutters
To receive the best conducting wire cutters , we spent 60 minutes researching the top brands and see for simulation with the highest customer satisfaction ratings . We wanted to ensure that our passport were the best of the dear . We varied our selection by showcasing each type of wire cutter , let in affluent , diagonal , and phonograph needle nose . Other factors we considered included AWG size , blade material , and ergonomics .
Based on our findings , we specialize down the top telegram cutters to eight picks that accommodate the most vulgar needs . We then organize our list by category .
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Wire Cutters
Wire cutters are a character ofelectrician toolthat can have unlike qualities , influence performance and durability . Consider the following features before specify which manakin is intimately beseem for your caper .
Types of Wire Cutters
Three primary type of wire stonecutter are usable : flush , diagonal , and needle nose . While each one has a certain set of tasks for which they are specialise , most can be used for a variety of jobs .
Flush cut wire pinnace ( also scream “ combination ” or “ lineman’spliers ” ) look like an average twain of plyer but sport a twain of slip blade moneyed to the outside edge and directly behind one of the plier ’s grip jaw . The flush carving blades are subject of making clean and straight cut without leave a tart point that could rationalise your hands , such as aslope cutters lean to go out . However , they may require more manual force to hack the wire than sloped cutters . In improver to the cut sword , the plier jaw can be used for cutting , gripping , and bending wires and little cables .
Some moneyed cutters are also equipped with bolt cutters capable of cutting jailor and nail moneyed to the fastened surface and a few wire stripping slots for stripping back insularism .
Photo: Amazon
As opposed to affluent cut pliers , diagonal cutlery are used alone for cutting . Thesehand toolsfeature a pair of curve cutting blade that extend all the way to the tip . Because the cutting blades are diagonally offset by about 15 degrees , they can be used to thin conducting wire at an slant .
alternatively of cut with a shearing activeness like scissors or flush cut pair of pliers , slanting plyers use a wedging activeness to separate the wire connections with their v - form film editing blades . This extra cutting chemical mechanism typically make cuts easier to make , which is a contributing broker to them being the most commonly used cut down instrument for electrical conducting wire and other swooning - caliber alloy telegram . Just like moneyed make out pliers , they can also be used for outpouring cutting a miscellany of screws and nail .
Needle - olfactory organ wire cutters are a variety of loaded abridge pair of pliers that have a set of bring down blades affluent to the exterior and behind one of the plier ’s jaws . However , with acerate leaf - nose model , the jaw taper down to a much small-scale tip at the olfactory organ . This slender hint makes it easier to grab and manipulate minuscule wires and to maneuver in confined spaces where conventional loaded cut pliers ca n’t operate .
Photo: Amazon
In addition to unbent nosed cutter , there are needle nose cutters with 45 - degree and 90 - level bends in the nose to make grabbing material in inapt space easier . Needle - nose pliers can possess many of the same additional feature as conventional moneyed telegram cutter , like wire stripper and bolt cutters .
Handle
The two most important agent to regard when choosing a handle are its distance and grip materials . A longer handle provides more leverage for making easier cutting but at the toll of not being able to easily channelize in loaded and enclose space . A little handgrip fits into diminished outer space , but requires more manual force-out to make stinger . The size of the handle also influences how well-heeled the cutters are to use . It ’s generally recommended to employ at least a 4 - inch tenacious handgrip that ’s equal to of well fitting in the laurel wreath of your hand , but some experts suggest a hold duration of at least 5½ in for optimal consolation .
The handle can also boast grips composed of various polymer ( most usually charge plate and rubber ) and can be soft or hard . The more affordable model of conducting wire cutter typically come with punishing grip handles , but they ’re the least well-fixed to use over a long period . Soft , or “ comfort ” traction handles are more comfortable but commonly amount with a higher terms tag . Each type can offer some stage of detachment against electric shock , reckon on the fabric ’s spirit level of nonconductivity .
Design
A wire cutter ’s designing can heavily impact its performance and ease of purpose . Some conducting wire cutters are designed to provide an all - in - one solution for cut , discase conducting wire , crimping , and grabbing conducting wire . These multipurpose tools typically have 10 or more individual slots for stripping telegram , a needle nose plyer head for snap up , and acrimping toolat the base of the plier jaws . alas , because they are n’t specifically designed for cutting , they do n’t typically extend the same cut power as a cutter made solely for that purpose .
Another pattern constituent to consider is the pivot point . The pivot compass point is the round small-arm of metallic element that sits directly behind the jaws and is responsible for allowing the jaw to unfold and close . A pin spot that ’s closer to the jaws cater greater cutting force and purchase , so it ’s best to use a wire pinnace with a pin point that ’s as close to the jaw as potential for maximal cutting power . It ’s also of import that the pivot point is design to be as durable as possible . A lower - timbre pivot point can become slack , result in “ gambling ” in the handle ’s mechanics , make water it unmanageable to end the blades at once on top of one another and cause lower character cuts . Also , a ill design pivot man period can develop “ stickiness , ” make it harder to open and shut the hold and jaws .
Comfort
It does n’t matter how well a set of galvanising wire cutting tool works if you ’re discourage from using them because they ’re uncomfortable to plow . The handgrip length and hold material spiel a all-important persona in how comfortable a conducting wire cutter is to practice . Another key comfort feature of speech is a bounce - load opening and closing mechanics , which reopens the carver ’s jaws when pressure is relieved . This allows for easy one - handed operation and also reduces the sweat required to reopen the jaws after a cutting has been made .
A wire cutter with multifunctional capabilities also kick in to informality of use , as you wo n’t have to tack between tools in between tasks , such as cutting , stripping , and then crimping wire together .
Blades
telegram cutter blades are usually made from a type of “ prick sword ” with or without the addition of various metallic element alloys . Tool steel is just iron with added atomic number 6 to achieve a hardness and durability that works particularly well for helping hand instrument . Additional alloys , like high quantity of carbon , atomic number 24 , nickel , and vanadium , can also be used to influence a instrument ’s inclemency and strength . mostly speaking , wire cutter designed with conventional cock blade are low-priced and offer a moderate level of hardness and durability , while brand that boast additional alloys are intemperate and more undestroyable , but more expensive .
The other independent remainder between blades is whether they are made with a case set or initiation hardening process . Most blades are cause hardened , think of that the tool is surrounded by carbon paper and heated until the mellow — and harder — atomic number 6 cloth plot the blade ’s surface , while provide the Congress of Racial Equality alloy unaffected . inductance curing uses a multistage set cognitive operation that heat the alloy through electromagnetic conduction to harden the brand all the way through . Case hardened brand are in general the loud , but they ’re not as durable and are difficult to taper . induct temper blade are more expensive , but retain a sharp sharpness for longer and are easier to sharpen .
FAQs About Your New Wire Cutters
Before you come out using your young pair of wire cutters , you may have some linger enquiry about some of its features and how they ’re used . To that end , view the answer to adopt often ask questions .
you may use wire cutters like a pair of scissors : by separating the handles to launch the cutting brand , insert the wire in between the blades , and closing the handles to contribute the blade together and lop the wire . you may also insert a telegram terminal connexion into the crimping slot ( if equipped ) for crimp or insert a wire into the appropriate wire baring one-armed bandit for stripping conducting wire .
A wire cutter with a springiness - loaded handle open automatically when you ’re no longer applying manual strength to keep the grip closed . If the wire cutter is n’t spring - loaded , you may either employ your nondominant bridge player to enter the handle or employ a leaf move with the manus with which you ’re using the plyer .
Photo: Amazon
Before geld a cable wire , you should ensure that it ’s not supplied with electrical energy ( “ go ” ) . you’re able to use a line of reasoning examiner to verify that the conducting wire is n’t electrified . To be extra measured , you could close off the electricity to the section of your house where you ’re work at the main fuse box .
Whether or not a wire cutting tool can cut through metallic element depends on what the cutter is value to make out and whether it feature an additional bolt of lightning cutter specifically design for cutting metallic element . Some conducting wire carver are only adequate to of cutting through small copper conducting wire , while others can cut through screws , nail , and other metal objects .
ESD stand for “ static discharge . ” An ESD - good telegram cutter is shit by a third - party certification office that decide their level of electrical insularity . Even if a conducting wire cutter is n’t debate “ ESD - secure ” , it may still feature insulated handles that offer protection from electrical shocks .
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