Need side cutters. Side cutters

Wire cutters are one of the types cutting tool, used in everyday life when performing various repair work. With their help you can cut various types materials without disturbing the structure of the element and obtaining good quality cutting Issued different kinds nippers, differing in their purpose. Let's consider their features and scope of application.

Purpose of the wire cutters

By their design, the cutters are universal tool for cutting metal and plastic products using the lever principle. They can cut the wire electrical wire, power cable, the thickness of which is 5–7 mm.

Wire cutters are used when installing and dismantling equipment and are widely in demand for performing electrical work. What criteria should be used when choosing this type of cutting tool, taking into account the scope of its application?

Design Features

Since this tool is used to cut material, its selection should be made based on the requirements for performing this function. There are two main elements in the design of the cutters:

• handle for easy handling of the tool;
• cutting lumps, which are also called sponges.

The type of cutters is determined by such design parameters as the shape of the cutting edges, the features of their location, and geometric dimensions.

Distinguish following types nippers according to the location of the cutting edges and purpose:

1. End jaws - jaws are located perpendicular to the surface of the handles.
2. Side cutters, otherwise called side cutters, are characterized by the location of the jaws at a small angle to the handle or on the same plane with it.
3. Power cutters (bolt cutters) – used for working with metal rods.

Typically, to ensure electrical safety the handles of this tool are made using insulating material. Nippers for electrical installation work have high-quality insulation, allowing you to protect your hands from electric shock. Based on the design of the handle, there are two types of electrical wire cutters: insulating and insulated.

The difference between these types of handles is that the coating of insulated cutters is made of dielectric, and for insulating type products it is additionally equipped with cutting inserts. By design, the handles are lever guides; their surface does not wrinkle or slip under the hand, and is resistant to moisture, technical oils and substances with high chemical activity.

Types of wire cutters

Based on the type of design of the working parts of the tool, there are 3 types of cutters: end cutters, side cutters and bolt cutters. All types of presented wire cutters can be purchased in the GSM kit online store. You can choose the kuachki yourself on the page http://gsm-komplekt.com/category/kusachki-bokorezy-/.

End

They are used during installation work, in construction, and when laying electrical networks. For the manufacture of the working element, reinforced steel with a chrome-plated surface is used. The cutting edges of this type of nippers have high strength and are sharpened in a special way, which ensures high-quality performance of the work for which they are intended. The tool handles, made of dielectric, are resistant to high operating voltages.

The working element is at an angle relative to the tool head. The operating efficiency of the most powerful cutters of this type is ensured by additional reinforcement and hardening with high-frequency currents. Issued various models products that can be used to cut wires made of different metals and having different thickness, - from aluminum to steel.

For diagonal wire cutters designed for cutting steel wires with a thickness of 1.2 mm, those made of mild steel - no more than 2.0 mm, and copper wires whose diameter does not exceed 2.6 mm, the heads are located at an angle to the surface of the handle. The hinge on the axis, which ensures the mobility of the working parts of the tool, is highly resistant to the constant impact of monotonous loads.

For the manufacture of professional side cutters, tool steel is used that undergoes heat treatment and multi-stage hardening. The handles of this type of nippers are comfortable to grip and can withstand impact forces of up to 75 kg.

Special nippers

One of the varieties of this type of cutting tool is bolt cutters. They are designed for cutting rods whose thickness does not exceed 12 mm. Representing a double lever in design and equipped with long handles, they first apply the applied force to an intermediate link that increases its value, and then to the cutting surface.

Another type of special cutters are products used for cutting small electronic parts. They have a mirror surface, open evenly, and are equipped with a device that removes static electricity. After watching the video presented to your attention, you can get acquainted with information about power cutters used for working with reinforcement.

Types of nippers by area of ​​application

By area of ​​application, the following types of nippers can be distinguished:

• pin cutters and reinforcement cutters for working with wire and reinforcement;
• electrical, designed for cutting cables;
• professional used to perform cosmetic procedures.

The first type of pliers is used when working with unheated wire up to 4 mm thick. For their manufacture, T8 steel is used, the hardness of which is 42 HRC. The handles of the handles, reaching a length of 210 mm, are made of polyvinyl chloride and have reinforced linings, which are coated with powder paint.

Electrical wire cutters are used for cutting insulated aluminum and copper cables, the working diameter of which does not exceed 35 mm. For the cutting edge, knives made of heat-treated alloy steel are used. Knives are made using the method of volumetric stamping of steel using a hammer falling from a height.

The strength of the cutting edges ensures cutting the cable without significant deformation of the cut and the wires located inside. The products are equipped with fiberglass and rubber handles.

Professional nippers are a tool used in cosmetic procedures such as manicures and pedicures. They have small sizes and are intended for removing cuticles. For the production of professional cutters, durable stainless steel, used to make surgical instruments.

The metal undergoes a special heat treatment, thanks to which its hardness reaches 50 HRC. The cutting edges of the products are sharpened with high quality, this ensures long service life of the tool.

The tool is a type of wire cutter. the main objective consists of cutting hard materials (wires or wires) by squeezing with a blade, while the working cutting surfaces are located on the side. Using side cutters you can cut through single-core wires (copper or aluminum) large section up to 10 squares.

The tool itself is very durable, as it is made of high-tech metal. It is comfortable due to the handle, which is made from special material, preventing hand sweating when working for a long time.

Operating principle

The mechanism of side cutters is based on the principle of a lever. The action is based on a spring; it activates the return mechanism, that is, it returns the handles to their original state, which significantly reduces the effort when biting off hard material.

The master chooses the cutting force independently. To do this, simply move the wire to the required distance in relation to the hinge mechanism.

When you need a snack thin material, only the tips of the sponges can be used. When working with a thick wire, the place for biting is located closer to the hinge, then the handles are squeezed.

Please note, do not allow the cutting parts to move apart, as this may cause the blades to break. All side cutters are equipped with insulated handles. They are electrically safe and easy to use and do not slip.

Varieties

When purchasing a tool, it is necessary to take into account that all nippers differ from each other in structure, size, and shape. To understand the types of tools, consider the following types side cutters:

Standard ones are used for cutting wires with a cross-section not exceeding two and a half millimeters. They are popular among ordinary consumers.

Professionals prefer reinforced side cutters, which are made according to the principle of increased strength using alloy steel. They are widely used for plumbing, construction or installation work.

The high-voltage type is designed for work under voltage electric current up to a thousand volts. They are equipped with a heat-treated surface and insulated handles.

The next type is mini side cutters. Distinctive feature consists in the presence of long narrow jaws that are used for thin wire.

Not replaceable for installation computer networks, network equipment, for household work V hard to reach places. Very multifunctional and compact.

You can also highlight:

• Insulating. These are universal side cutters; models have insulated handles.
• Insulating. They are designed to perform the assigned tasks with current, and are completely made of safe material.

They have standard differences in size: 150; 160; 180 millimeters in length. A thick wire is cut with a tool 180 mm long.

Purpose of the tool

The main scope of application is for economic needs, necessary in construction or when performing repair work. In electrical networks they are used for cable installation, aluminum and copper wires, which have a voltage of up to a thousand volts.

Mechanics are used to work with metal or plastics to cut products. There are mini manicure side cutters and reinforced ones that will cut through steel reinforcement.

The dialectical instrument works with electronics. Micro side cutters for electronics and precision work are distinguished by the presence of triangular-shaped working parts at an angle of 40°.

In order to determine which side cutters are best to choose, you need to decide what work tasks it should perform. Look at the photos of side cutters in advance, this will help you navigate your choice.

Further, the main selection criterion is, of course, the quality of the material from which the tool is made. So, high-carbon tool steel is used for manufacturing. It is important that the blade is free of nicks and other damage.

The handle itself must be made of high-quality, safe material that can withstand shock up to 1000V. It must also be ergonomic to fit the installer’s hand.

And, of course, pay attention to the manufacturers of side cutters; not only the price of the tool depends on this, but also the service life of the product itself. Give preference to reputable manufacturers who have a rating in the sales market.

Photos of modern side cutters

Following a tip from a respected DiHalt, I bought such a miracle at a local industrial electronics store:

They are sold oiled, in the best traditions of Soviet mechanical engineering. True, no brand, no information about the plant. I talked with the seller - he says they are selling old stocks, there will be no more. So it's time to stock up. Price – about 500 rub.

Despite its clumsiness and brutality, the cutting edges are perfectly adjusted. You can see traces of yellow solder that was used to solder the Pobedit pads.

What are the benefits of using Pobedit in side cutters? It greatly increases durability.

The hardness is a little short of diamond. As a result, they hold an edge for a long time, unlike “plasticine” Chinese side cutters, which become dull over time. And with sharp side cutters, biting the leads (usually copper, occasionally steel) is easy and pleasant, the effort is minimal. Moreover, I have worked quite a lot with these side cutters and their sharpness is still such that they can easily cut hair. If you don’t bite the piano strings with them, it seems to me that they will last for decades.

Actually, if appearance making them more beautiful, making handles from good plastic (I put heat shrink on them) would be a super tool.

Quality of grinding in comparison with the Chinese:

Verdict: We knew how to do good things, but has this ability survived today?

UPD. Based on a tip from a reader osmos7 I'm correcting myself. the jaws are made of R5M6 steel, not hard right. This becomes clear after polishing and testing for hardness.

If you are a non-professional electrician, a radio technician, do not make crafts from wire and do not assemble electronic circuit boards, then you can quite cope with cutting nails and other simple tasks. metal products, after you purchase regular side cutter pliers.

But if you periodically perform such operations, then it is best to acquire tools specially designed for this.

After all, even the name of the tool almost completely indicates to us the principle of operation - “side cutters”, they cut with the side edge of sharp jaws. The wire cutter tool has a similar name and principle of operation. In wire cutters, the blades of the jaws are perpendicular to the handles and the distance from the object to the hinge is constant, so the force at the cutting point depends on the compression of the hand.

With side cutters, you can adjust the cutting force by moving the object to be cut further or closer to the hinge. The handles are made large, but the jaws themselves are not. Because of this, they have a very large moment of force at small area sponges occurs due to compression of the handles. It’s like in physics: if we lose in distance, we win in strength. If we need to cut a narrow copper wire, let's do this with the very tips of the sharp edges. Cut a thick nail, place it next to the hinge and squeeze the handles.

How to choose side cutters?

For ease of use, side cutters are selected according to your hand. There are mini side cutters. Even a lady can work with this. They have narrow cutting edges, allowing them to cut through thin wires even when making chains.

Please note that they must have a self-unclosing mechanism. This tool is easy to use even with one hand. Electrically insulating handle material may not even be required. Good electrical protection on tool handles, for electricians, for example, is prerequisite. Due to frequent work in mittens or rubber gloves, the size of side cutters should be chosen larger. Self-unclamping is desirable, but not entirely required.

What types of side cutters are there?

There are several types of side cutters. Since this tool is used for cutting metals of different structures and properties, it is necessary to take into account their characteristics when choosing.

Standard side cutters. The most common type, you can buy these in every hardware store. They can bite wires whose size does not exceed 2.5 mm in diameter.

Reinforced side cutters. They are used by specialists when carrying out any installation or plumbing work. The working surface of such a tool is made of carbon steel. Made only from hardened metal, giving them increased strength.

High voltage side cutters. Made especially for electricians. Used when working with live wiring. These side cutters isolate voltage up to 1000V, these side cutters are insulated thanks to heat-treated surfaces and plastic handles.

Mini side cutters. A popular tool among programmers and computer scientists. They are used by computer network installers, system administrators and mini-PBX adjusters. Very compact and highly functional.

standard reinforced high voltage mini

Side cutters can be any length and any size. They differ in the shape of the jaws and the type of their connection. The performance of the tool primarily depends on these ordinary parameters.

If the side cutter jaws are long and thin, such a device is ideal for cutting through the thinnest wires. Such properties are irreplaceable, for example, in radio electronics. They can also be very useful if the wire is in a very narrow and hard-to-reach place. Some side cutters are equipped with a special recess on the jaws. This tool easily removes the coating from the wires and removes the insulation.

Thematic video: BISON PLIERS AND SIDE CUTTERS

N.B.
Since the review was written by a person far from metallurgy and the daily use of this instrument, during the discussion quite a few remarks and clarifications arose. I strongly recommend that you read not only the text of the review, but also the content of the comments to it.
Brief summary of comments.
1. On the websites of companies selling these products and in some reviews of tool users, there is an erroneous point of view about the material from which the soldering is made. You should refer to the manufacturer's data. Pobedit is not used in the production of these side cutters. The soldering is not carbide. The working edges are made of high-speed tool steel R6M5 (may the readers forgive me for being tongue-tied; due to the nature of my activity, I have nothing to do with the field of metallurgy). The side cutters themselves are made of St45 steel.
2. Side cutters should be used for their intended purpose and should not be used to cut through something that cannot be cut through. Their lot is copper, aluminum and other soft metals. Not nails or springs, not hardened steel products. The working edges are quite sharp, but at the same time fragile and by no means durable. If you don’t want to quickly see dents on them or broken ends, use a tool taking into account its features.
3. The design of the instrument lags behind the requirements of the time, remaining at the level of the middle of the last century.
4. The price is significantly higher than that of other products in this group of products; you should clearly understand the benefits for yourself and calculate the possibility of self-sufficiency of this tool when using it.
5. There are several modifications of this tool on sale (straight-oblique jaws, presence or absence of a locking screw, springs).
6. When ordering online, there is a certain probability and risk of receiving a tool with working edges that are far from ideal.
7. Problematic structural elements include the central rivet, which after some time may become loose, which in turn will lead to a slight lateral play and uneven convergence of the working edges.
As a result, the output is the same as the input - the feasibility of the purchase is very debatable, if not controversial, and must be determined in each specific case potential buyer individually. If you follow the operating rules, the tool's capabilities are enough for home needs.
I express my sincere gratitude to the people who took part in the discussion of the subject of the review.

annotation
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1. Easier (2 times) to use compared to analogues. Less effort should be applied to the tool. Apparently due to the sharp and durable working edges.
2. Higher personal self-esteem of the owner, based on ownership, I won’t say that it’s exclusive, but it’s quite rare and original instrument. Obtained with difficulty, not in a nearby hardware store. Not a brass comb, but still......
3. The money was spent within the country, and not invested in the economy of its eastern neighbor.
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1. Price, I won’t comment here, income and opportunities to amuse yourself and satisfy your needs and desires are different for everyone.
2. “Bare” handles. Without additional movements (“collective farm” of heat shrinkage) it is simply inconvenient to use.
3. The rough appearance of the product, out of the box they look rather unsightly and not aesthetically pleasing, especially in comparison with modern foreign instruments. Not to mention the abundant initial lubrication.
4. The need to comply with a fairly wide list of certain conditions and rules when applying it (see below).
5. Awareness of the fact that if a tool is damaged it will be difficult to replace it, hence the desire for rare, prudent, prudent, thrifty use.

The reasons for writing this review were the following:
1. Reviews of various side cutters from China appear on the resource with enviable regularity, and the item from the current review is always mentioned in the comments. Therefore, as its owner, I wanted to express my point of view as a person whose activities are not related to the frequent use of this tool.
2. Since one of my previous reviews was favorably received, quite highly appreciated by the community of resource users, and I even recently broke my own record for “pluses” on this site, I wanted to tell you about some more successful and more -less in demand, useful purchase completed via the Internet.

Introduction
Many admirers of the resource have a certain craving, weakness, addiction to a certain category of goods: flashlights, knives, and other intricate objects of a phantasmagoric appearance and unknown purpose. This is understandable, especially if you remember the final phrase from the movie “Some Like It Hot” or the lesser-known saying Aliena vitia in oculis habemus, and tergo nostra sunt. I also have this “Achilles heel” - a passion for cutting objects, especially those with carbide tips. I have already written about some of them (review on quite objective reasons was rejected by the mysku administration, I had to post it)
Today, having looked at all the goods that were purchased and delivered for Lately from China, I clearly realized that there was nothing worthy of attention among them, and that what was of any interest was still on the way. The situation is typical, very well described in chapter 5 of the book “Lost in the Taiga” by Leonid Repin. I think that I am familiar to you and not by hearsay.
And then I remembered these side cutters. I had some doubts about the possibility of writing a review due to the fact that this domestic product was purchased remotely, but through a domestic store. Having asked permission to write and publish it, having received the go-ahead from the site administration, I wrote this text.

Purchase and delivery process
Ordering through the store’s website is not difficult; you just need to fill out the appropriate form, select the delivery method (in my case, Russian Post) and pay for the purchase. About 2 weeks later, I was able to pick up a small box at the post office, which contained the side cutters themselves wrapped in packaging material (with plenty of lubricant) and accompanying documents - invoices. The total amount was made up of the price of the product and the price of delivery by Russian Post (448+178=626 rubles)

A story of love and lust
I first learned about the existence of these side cutters in nature from the materials of the same resource. I immediately wanted to become their owner and this desire was not dampened either by the price of the product or the dubious need for them for me - a sybarite, a refined city dweller, an intellectual, home handyman, and even then, one might say, with a stretch. In short, I wanted it and that’s it, no matter what.
Before the purchase, an analytical search was carried out (based on Internet materials using the context in the search line “IN-0004”).
The Internet provides us with some information about a product. However, they are quite enough to decide on a purchase. From them we learn that:
1. The soldering tips are made of pobedit and cannot be used to cut hard materials (for example, nichrome) - otherwise holes in the edges are guaranteed.
2. You shouldn’t cut with the tips of the solders, they are fragile and break off.
3. Can be found on sale in stores selling jewelry tools.
4. The cutting edges of the tool are fragile; you should not drop it, throw it, or take objects to break it.
Well, this information is also available on the Internet:
Pobedit side cutters are designed for cutting wires. Made of carbon steel in accordance with GOST 28037-89. Used for cutting wires and thin wires when performing work in electronics and precision mechanics. Made of steel St45 (GOST 1050-80). The cutting edges (plates) are made of steel grade R6M5 (GOST 19265-73). The plates are soldered with L-68 solder (GOST 28037-89). Length - 125 mm. Weight - 76 g. Hardness of cutting edges: 52-60 HRC. Chemical composition soldering: C (0.82-0.90) / Cr (3.8-4.4) / W (5.5-6.5) / Mo (4.8-5.3) / V (1.7-2.1) / Co (<0.50). Выдерживают испытание на прочность режущих кромок трехкратным перекусыванием стальной углеродистой пружинной проволоки диаметром 1,25 мм (методика испытаний по ГОСТ 28037-89).
There are side cutters and a review on YouTube:


I haven’t seen side cutters for sale in stores or markets around the city. An acquaintance, while passing through Yoshkar-Ola, also did not see the product on free sale.
Side cutters, they are also wire cutters
Let's inspect the goods

Traditionally, we will evaluate the composition of the alloy used in the manufacture of side cutters.
Lever


Working edges

Since the tool is used at home, the working condition quite predictably has not changed over the 15 times it has been used. But really, a little scary, I even made a reminder and attached it to the instrument. You obviously shouldn’t count on the fact that side cutters are capable of cutting through a rail.


Professionals, I think, have their own view and their own assessment of this tool and its merits; for amateur craftsmen, information about side cutters may be of some interest, although perhaps more abstract than practical.
I was pleased with the purchase. If you want to purchase a product, I advise you not to rush. Let your thoughts settle. Think for a couple of days: do you really want to become its owner, so as not to reproach yourself later for wasted money.
Factum est factam. Experientia est optima magistra.
Especially for GN - “Judge not, lest ye be judged...”
PS
In addition, as a bonus to the review of side cutters, I would like to recommend a cool electrical tape made in Japan.


I bought it from a local online store, because the price on ebay exceeds all reasonable limits.

If you find it somewhere at a reasonable price, buy it, it’s worth it.
Therefore, let me take my leave, with best wishes for success in everyday life, work and leisure, sincerely yours, resource user from NN.


Photo from personal archive.