Cable/Housing cutter recommendation?

Wrench Force makes good tools as well. In fact, a couple of years ago,
Trek, in a fit of pique (or at least one Trek dealer) had them marked
down to $11.

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

Felco, there is no other as good.

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

For cutting cables, I wrap the part I want to cut with electrical tape
(seems to keep the cable end from unwinding/fraying while the blade is
going through) and use a pair of Kobalt (Lowes' house brand) cutters.

I use the Kobalt cutter for brake housing, too. I just need to clean up
the end a little after by sniping off a folder over piece or using
needle nose pliers to straighten out the end.

And for housing, I use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use it
often enough to justify the cost.

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

Here is my cheap, infallible, solution.
I use any cutter; then, I gently grind off some 2-3 millimeters from
the irregular end.
A gimlet for the housing does the rest.

Sergio
Pisa

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

A $3 pair of diagonal cutters.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

G.T. said:

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

A $3 pair of diagonal cutters.

Greg

I'll second that. Open it out with a nail afterwards and inspect if
there are any burrs that might need filing, but there rarely are.

Donga

Sean M. Cunningham said:

Quoted message said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

Quoted message said:

For cutting cables, I wrap the part I want to cut with electrical
tape (seems to keep the cable end from unwinding/fraying while the
blade is going through) and use a pair of Kobalt (Lowes' house
brand) cutters.

I use plain 6" diagonal wire cutters meant for cutting steel (Utica).
It cuts cables and housings equally well. Good cables are hardened
and have good memory, so the spring back to their helical shape after
cutting. If they don't you have soft low quality cable.

As for cable housings, it only takes a cut through one turn of the
coil and it also should snap back regardless of which type of wire
cutter, assuming it isn't so broad that it splays the coil beyond
yield.

Quoted message said:

I use the Kobalt cutter for brake housing, too. I just need to
clean up the end a little after by sniping off a folder over piece
or using needle nose pliers to straighten out the end.

Quoted message said:

And for housing, I use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

I think that is excessive. Ive been cutting housings for many years
with no problem using diagonal cutters. Don't try using sharp edged
electronic cutters because they are meant for cutting copper and
aluminum wire and will ruin their edge on hardened steel.

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use
it often enough to justify the cost.

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Jobst Brandt

Quoted message said:

Sean M. Cunningham said:

Quoted message said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

Quoted message said:

For cutting cables, I wrap the part I want to cut with electrical
tape (seems to keep the cable end from unwinding/fraying while the
blade is going through) and use a pair of Kobalt (Lowes' house
brand) cutters.

I use plain 6" diagonal wire cutters meant for cutting steel (Utica).
It cuts cables and housings equally well. Good cables are hardened
and have good memory, so the spring back to their helical shape after
cutting. If they don't you have soft low quality cable.

As for cable housings, it only takes a cut through one turn of the
coil and it also should snap back regardless of which type of wire
cutter, assuming it isn't so broad that it splays the coil beyond
yield.

Quoted message said:

I use the Kobalt cutter for brake housing, too. I just need to
clean up the end a little after by sniping off a folder over piece
or using needle nose pliers to straighten out the end.

Quoted message said:

And for housing, I use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

I think that is excessive. Ive been cutting housings for many years
with no problem using diagonal cutters. Don't try using sharp edged
electronic cutters because they are meant for cutting copper and
aluminum wire and will ruin their edge on hardened steel.

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use
it often enough to justify the cost.

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

Dear Jobst,

I'm sure that the difference in the end result is important in some
way.

Can you point it out?

Cheers,
Carly Smarmy

Quoted message said:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Jobst Brandt

Ozark Bicycle said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

For cutting cables, I wrap the part I want to cut with electrical
tape (seems to keep the cable end from unwinding/fraying while the
blade is going through) and use a pair of Kobalt (Lowes' house
brand) cutters.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I use plain 6" diagonal wire cutters meant for cutting steel (Utica).
It cuts cables and housings equally well. Good cables are hardened
and have good memory, so the spring back to their helical shape after
cutting. If they don't you have soft low quality cable.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As for cable housings, it only takes a cut through one turn of the
coil and it also should snap back regardless of which type of wire
cutter, assuming it isn't so broad that it splays the coil beyond
yield.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I use the Kobalt cutter for brake housing, too. I just need to
clean up the end a little after by sniping off a folder over piece
or using needle nose pliers to straighten out the end.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And for housing, I use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think that is excessive. Ive been cutting housings for many years
with no problem using diagonal cutters. Don't try using sharp edged
electronic cutters because they are meant for cutting copper and
aluminum wire and will ruin their edge on hardened steel.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use
it often enough to justify the cost.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

Quoted message said:

I'm sure that the difference in the end result is important in some
way.

To what end result (a redundant and obscure reference) are you
referring and what do you want to know. Your question hovers in the
ether looking for definition.

Quoted message said:

Can you point it out?

What is "it" and what do you want to know about "it"?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Jobst Brandt

Ozark Bicycle said:

Quoted message said:

Sean M. Cunningham said:

> What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

Quoted message said:

For cutting cables, I wrap the part I want to cut with electrical
tape (seems to keep the cable end from unwinding/fraying while the
blade is going through) and use a pair of Kobalt (Lowes' house
brand) cutters.

I use plain 6" diagonal wire cutters meant for cutting steel (Utica).
It cuts cables and housings equally well. Good cables are hardened
and have good memory, so the spring back to their helical shape after
cutting. If they don't you have soft low quality cable.

As for cable housings, it only takes a cut through one turn of the
coil and it also should snap back regardless of which type of wire
cutter, assuming it isn't so broad that it splays the coil beyond
yield.

Quoted message said:

I use the Kobalt cutter for brake housing, too. I just need to
clean up the end a little after by sniping off a folder over piece
or using needle nose pliers to straighten out the end.

Quoted message said:

And for housing, I use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.

I think that is excessive. Ive been cutting housings for many years
with no problem using diagonal cutters. Don't try using sharp edged
electronic cutters because they are meant for cutting copper and
aluminum wire and will ruin their edge on hardened steel.

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use
it often enough to justify the cost.

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

Dear Jobst,

I'm sure that the difference in the end result is important in some
way.

Can you point it out?

Cheers,
Carly Smarmy

Good first try, but you really need to post a new thread with Jobst's
name in it, then post updates to the thread every few days.

--
Tom Sherman - Post Free or Die!

[email hidden] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it for
too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I wouldn't use
it often enough to justify the cost.

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Diagonal cutters do not work *well* on SIS constant length housing,
unless you have a set with unusually long handles. You're trying to cut
through several pieces of wire at the same time, with an aggregate
width 4 or 5 times that of coiled ("brake"😉 cable housing.

I use a set of 10" Vice-Grip pliers like these:
http://www.hechinger.com/web/catalog/product_detail1.aspx?pid=59120&catid=193939
to cut SIS housing. The cutting jaw is close to the jaw's pivot, so it
doesn't take a lot of hand force to cut through SIS housing.

The downside of the Vise-Grips is that they tend to squash the housing
and liner. I've never had one so squashed that it couldn't be reshaped
into useful form, though.

Jeff

Jeff Wills said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it
for too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I
wouldn't use it often enough to justify the cost.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do not work *well* on SIS constant length housing,
unless you have a set with unusually long handles. You're trying to
cut through several pieces of wire at the same time, with an
aggregate width 4 or 5 times that of coiled ("brake"😉 cable housing.

Quoted message said:

I use a set of 10" Vice-Grip pliers like these:

http://tinyurl.com/y76gdt

Quoted message said:

to cut SIS housing. The cutting jaw is close to the jaw's pivot, so
it doesn't take a lot of hand force to cut through SIS housing.

I don't see what you use as a cutter, but the wires in SIS housing are
small stainless wires that are easy to cut.

Quoted message said:

The downside of the Vise-Grips is that they tend to squash the
housing and liner. I've never had one so squashed that it couldn't
be reshaped into useful form, though.

So what is your complaint. It works and is simple to cut with
diagonal cutters.

Jobst Brandt

Jobst Brandt said:

Jeff Wills said:

Quoted message said:

> The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
> compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it
> for too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I
> wouldn't use it often enough to justify the cost.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do not work *well* on SIS constant length housing,
unless you have a set with unusually long handles. You're trying to
cut through several pieces of wire at the same time, with an
aggregate width 4 or 5 times that of coiled ("brake"😉 cable housing.

Quoted message said:

I use a set of 10" Vice-Grip pliers like these:

http://tinyurl.com/y76gdt

Quoted message said:

to cut SIS housing. The cutting jaw is close to the jaw's pivot, so
it doesn't take a lot of hand force to cut through SIS housing.

I don't see what you use as a cutter, but the wires in SIS housing are
small stainless wires that are easy to cut....

Many models of Vise-Grip [TM] locking pliers have cutting shears formed
in the jaws next to the hinge. These are visible as the dark line to
the right of the teeth in the picture at the link Jeff Wills posted.

--
Tom Sherman - Post Free or Die!

Johnny Sunset said:

Jobst Brandt said:

Jeff Wills said:

>> The Dremel probably takes a lot longer than a tool made to cut
>> compressionless housing, but there's many other things I use it
>> for too. It would be nice to have a housing cutter, but I
>> wouldn't use it often enough to justify the cost.
> Diagonal cutters do it in several milliseconds. By the way, the
> housing is constant length, not compressionless. Ordinary coiled
> steel cable housing lengthens when bent. It does not compress.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sis-cable.html

Quoted message said:

Diagonal cutters do not work *well* on SIS constant length housing,
unless you have a set with unusually long handles. You're trying to
cut through several pieces of wire at the same time, with an
aggregate width 4 or 5 times that of coiled ("brake"😉 cable housing.
I use a set of 10" Vice-Grip pliers like these:

http://tinyurl.com/y76gdt

Quoted message said:

to cut SIS housing. The cutting jaw is close to the jaw's pivot, so
it doesn't take a lot of hand force to cut through SIS housing.

I don't see what you use as a cutter, but the wires in SIS housing are
small stainless wires that are easy to cut....

Many models of Vise-Grip [TM] locking pliers have cutting shears formed
in the jaws next to the hinge. These are visible as the dark line to
the right of the teeth in the picture at the link Jeff Wills posted.

I've used both Vise-Grips and dikes. The cutting shears on the
Vise-Grips are relatively blunt and I never got as quick and clean a cut
as with the dikes.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

Felco's are the best in terms of working really well consistently.
Shimano's are the best economical cutter I've seen out of those,
CN-10's and Park's earlier model, some Lifus, and HIT.

On 18 Nov 2006 22:44:42 -0800, "Nate Knutson" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

Felco's are the best in terms of working really well consistently.
Shimano's are the best economical cutter I've seen out of those,
CN-10's and Park's earlier model, some Lifus, and HIT.

Dear Nate,

No one mentioned prices, so I browsed around.

Felco cutters for $75 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=&item_id=FE-C7

Shimano cutters for $38 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=SH-TL-CT10

HIT imitation of Felco for $26.95 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=HT-HWC6

Spin Doctor cutter for $19.99 plus shipping:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15315&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $29.99 plus shipping, out of stock:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=14874&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $34.95 and Shimano TLCT10 for $41.95 plus shipping from
Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/brake-cable.html

Yikes! Dikes!

Or Dremel.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

On 18 Nov 2006 22:44:42 -0800, "Nate Knutson" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

Felco's are the best in terms of working really well consistently.
Shimano's are the best economical cutter I've seen out of those,
CN-10's and Park's earlier model, some Lifus, and HIT.

Dear Nate,

No one mentioned prices, so I browsed around.

Felco cutters for $75 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=&item_id=FE-C7

Shimano cutters for $38 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=SH-TL-CT10

HIT imitation of Felco for $26.95 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=HT-HWC6

Spin Doctor cutter for $19.99 plus shipping:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15315&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $29.99 plus shipping, out of stock:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=14874&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $34.95 and Shimano TLCT10 for $41.95 plus shipping from
Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/brake-cable.html

Yikes! Dikes!

$2.95:

http://www.mpja.com/productview.asp?product=15030+TL

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 18 Nov 2006 22:44:42 -0800, "Nate Knutson" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

RS said:

What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?

thanks

Felco's are the best in terms of working really well consistently.
Shimano's are the best economical cutter I've seen out of those,
CN-10's and Park's earlier model, some Lifus, and HIT.

Dear Nate,

No one mentioned prices, so I browsed around.

Felco cutters for $75 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=&item_id=FE-C7

Shimano cutters for $38 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=SH-TL-CT10

HIT imitation of Felco for $26.95 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=HT-HWC6

Spin Doctor cutter for $19.99 plus shipping:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15315&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $29.99 plus shipping, out of stock:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=14874&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $34.95 and Shimano TLCT10 for $41.95 plus shipping from
Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/brake-cable.html

Nashbar brand cutters $10
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=10881

g'day
youth

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:50:32 -0600, "youth" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 18 Nov 2006 22:44:42 -0800, "Nate Knutson" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

RS wrote:
> What works well? The Park CN-10? Shimano's Cutter? Pedro's?
>
> thanks

Felco's are the best in terms of working really well consistently.
Shimano's are the best economical cutter I've seen out of those,
CN-10's and Park's earlier model, some Lifus, and HIT.

Dear Nate,

No one mentioned prices, so I browsed around.

Felco cutters for $75 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=&item_id=FE-C7

Shimano cutters for $38 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=SH-TL-CT10

HIT imitation of Felco for $26.95 plus shipping:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=446641272718&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Cable-and-Housing&tc=Cutters&item_id=HT-HWC6

Spin Doctor cutter for $19.99 plus shipping:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=15315&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $29.99 plus shipping, out of stock:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=14874&subcategory_ID=4202

Park CN-10 for $34.95 and Shimano TLCT10 for $41.95 plus shipping from
Sheldon:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/brake-cable.html

Nashbar brand cutters $10
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=10881

g'day
youth

Dear Y.,

I shoulda looked further!

But even Froogle wouldn't have worked.

Froogle did come up with Pedro's cutters, $24.99 and shipping, with
obviously superior yellow handles:

http://store.bicyclerevolution.com/pedcabcut.html

But the Nashbar cutters are on sale at half-price, so Froogle doesn't
know about the discount--and in fact doesn't list even list Nashbar
(or most places) when you search for "cable cutters" + bicycle.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel