When it comes to electrical work, a wire cutter is an essential instrument. Its ability to sever electrical lines is just one of its many useful functions.
However, it has a razor-sharp blade and should be handled with care since it can cause serious harm in the wrong hands.
Where to find wire cutters? This is a common line of inquiry. You might be surprised by what we find. The wire cutter is the ideal instrument for this job. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of using a wire cutter and provide tips for getting the most out of this useful device. If you want to know more, read on!
Contents
Wire Cutters
You can’t have enough wire cutters in your toolkit. These guys aren’t as spectacular or impressive as a drill, but they’ve prevented innumerable headaches and scrapes for me.
This is because, unlike other cutting tools, wire cutters can easily manage bigger wires without sacrificing precision.
The most common styles of wire cutters are beveled edge, semi-flush, flush, and beveled edge. The stronger blade of beveled-edge wire cutters poses a risk of nicking more sensitive wires.
Two additional types feature sharp cutting edges; one is made specifically for cutting through thicker materials like steel. The alternate method produces a nearly flat face on both ends, making it more convenient for situations when accuracy is not crucial.
To avoid pinching your palms or fingers, work with wire cutters that have a grip span of 2.5–3.5 inches. All fingers should be kept on the wire cutters’ handle grips rather than in the space between the handles, where they could be pinched or otherwise injured.
Make sure the blades are sharp and clean before attempting to cut the wire so that you don’t damage your workpiece.
When using dull or unclean blades, greater power is required, leading to possible repetitive strain injury and muscle fatigue. Wearing safety eyewear is a must when cutting wires to prevent getting splinters or other small debris in your eyes.
Uses of Wire Cutters
Any expert in the field of hardware will tell you that having high-quality wire cutters and cable is essential for quick and clean wire cutting.
Workers in the building, maritime, telecommunications, engineering, and aerospace sectors rely heavily on these indispensable instruments.
There’s a wide variety of them, and you’ll need one that’s tailored to your job description, whether you’re a building contractor, engineer, or someone working on a house.
The Cutting
It’s important to turn off the power to the devices you’ll be working on by either unplugging them or switching them to “off” before you begin cutting any connections.
A person could be electrocuted, a fire could start, and circuit breakers could be tripped if they cut into live wiring. If you’re concerned about safety, you shouldn’t use regular wire-cutting pliers; instead, invest in insulated wire clippers.
When using these tools to cut wires at an angle, be careful not to move the wires back and forth over the blade too many times; doing so will merely tear the edges, which can be a problem because the wires are already very sharp but will lose conductivity due to their curved state.
Using the proper equipment and taking a few precautions are your best bets while cutting the wire to prevent electric shock. First, safeguard yourself against harm by securing your workbench so that it cannot be easily moved or knocked over.
Second, never use both hands when trimming away any excess wire; instead, hold the cutters at a right angle to one another and make short, back-and-forth motions with each blade to do so. Finally, restrain yourself from pushing too hard on the handles; doing so could result in their release from your grip.
Top Wire Cutters
Hakko CHP170 Flush Cutter
Miniature wire cutter suitable for cutting wire up to 16 gauges (1.3mm). This cutter is ideal for use in jewelry creation and electronics repair thanks to its nonslip grip.
Using one of these is a must if you need clean cuts from a spike in an application like flower arranging or electronics work.
Xuron Micro Shear Cutter
When compared to other types of side-cutters, shear cutters are the gentlest option because of the clean edge they leave behind. Take care not to press too firmly on the blades, as this could cause them to dull before you’re done cutting.
A set screw or other means of adjusting the shears so that the cutting edge doesn’t rub against itself after each use is a crucial detail to keep in mind if you want your shears to last as long as possible.
Whizzotech Diagonal Pliers
Despite the lack of a safety blade, these diagonal cutters can be useful in a pinch.
These side-cutters are ideal for anyone who wants a high-quality option but doesn’t want to deal with the size of larger models.
These are ubiquitous; everyone from electricians to medical professionals uses soft copper wire in some capacity, and they are commonly referred to as “diags.”
End Cutting Pliers
Half-circle shaped jaws with cutting edges perpendicular to the tool’s body characterize the end cutting pliers.
By inserting nails, screws, or rivets into their corresponding slots along the jawline, you can cut them close to the wood without damaging the surface.
Those same slotted holes that you’d utilize to strengthen your handgrip can be put to use for other tasks, like removing nails or screws from wood, thanks to the shape’s rounded fulcrum point.
Insulated Wire Cutters
Cutters for electrical wiring come in a wide range of diameters and are typically made of plastic, metal, or fiberglass. Each one is constructed to firmly hold the wires so that they won’t slip when being cut by an electric saw or other power equipment.
There should never be any kind of coating on the handles of these items, as this could lead to an individual believing they are protected from electricity when in fact, they are not.
Lineman’s Wire Cutters
Wire cutters are indispensable tools. In addition to having broad, flat jaws for grasping, these tools also have cutting edges, like those on side-cutters, located directly ahead of the pivot point.
You can utilize the leverage provided by the handles to cut through heavy nails, steel screws, and even steel fencing wire.
Needle-Nose Wire Cutters
A skilled electrician can use Needle-nose wire cutters to make quick work of bending and inserting wires into switch gears on electrical panels.
For the busy, hardworking professional in need of a tool that not only gets the job done but does it efficiently with precision, these pliers are a godsend.
Ultra-Flush Side-Cutters
This sort of cutter has a very soft output tone, making it ideal for anyone who needs to make precise cuts without risking damage to their blades.
Because these tools have virtually straight cutting edges, they are also quite fragile, so care must be taken while cutting materials that might be damaged by the sharpness of the blade.
XURON 2175 Maxi Shear Flush Cutter
This is a top-notch wire cutter for use in jewelry manufacturing and wire wrapping. Bronze, silver, gold, and platinum wires are all easily flush cut!
However, you will need to find a different tool if you plan on slicing through titanium or memory wires, as this cutter is not made of such materials.
Never try to cut iron or steel without first consulting an expert, as these metals are incredibly hard to break apart without special equipment like hammers due to their durability and small size, which makes it difficult for most pliers-based mechanisms to grip tightly enough to tear easily apart!
When this procedure goes awry, metal shards can fly dangerously close to people.
A non-contact voltage tester or detector is a type of electrical tester used to check for the presence of voltage without making physical contact. Knowing whether or not there is voltage present is helpful when fixing a damaged item. For starters, you’ll grab a non-contact voltage detector.
Using a non-contact voltage tester (also known as a voltage tester pen, test pen, or voltage sensor) is the safest way to check if AC voltage is present in electrical conductors without touching the wires and risking an electrical shock.
Conclusion
The precision of wire cutters is not compromised even when working with larger wires. You’ll need a specific kind of wire cutter for your task, and there are many to choose from. Wearing safety eyewear is a must when cutting wires to prevent getting splinters or small debris in your eyes. Before you start cutting wires, make sure the devices you’ll be working on are unplugged or set to “off.” Avoid using wire-cutting pliers if you value your safety.
Rather, spend money on insulated wire snips. Wire cutters can be found in a wide variety of diameters and can be crafted from a number of materials, including plastic, metal, and fiberglass. Wires can be bent and inserted into switch gears on electrical panels with ease using needle-nose wire cutters. Like side-cutters, the cutting edges on these tools are situated ahead of the pivot point.
Never attempt to cut steel or iron without first getting professional help. When attempting to repair a broken device, it is useful to know whether or not voltage is present.
Content Summary
- When it comes to electrical work, a wire cutter is an essential instrument.
- Wire cutter has a razor-sharp blade and should be handled with care since it can cause serious harm in the wrong hands.
- To avoid pinching your palms or fingers, work with wire cutters that have a grip span of 2.5–3.5 inches.
- Any expert in the field of hardware will tell you that having high-quality wire cutters and cable is essential for quick and clean wire cutting.
- It’s important to turn off the power to the devices you’ll be working on by either unplugging them or switching them to “off” before you begin cutting any connections.
- If you’re concerned about safety, you shouldn’t use regular wire-cutting pliers; instead, invest in insulated wire clippers.
- When using these tools to cut wires at an angle, be careful not to move the wires back and forth over the blade too many times; doing so will merely tear the edges, which can be a problem because the wires are already very sharp but will lose conductivity due to their curved state.
- Using the proper equipment and taking a few precautions are your best bets while cutting the wire to prevent electric shock.
- Never cut iron or steel without contacting an expert, as their resilience and small size make it impossible for most pliers-based systems to grip securely enough to tear readily.
- A non-contact voltage tester or detector is a type of electrical tester used to check for the presence of voltage without making physical contact.
- For starters, grab a non-contact voltage detector.
