# Best wire cutters ?



## Silver (21/7/17)

Hi all

I'm using this Plato wire cutter. Been using it for a while but I'm not so happy with it. It's not bad but sometimes it feels like it's not cutting properly.

*For those that have used several kinds what have you found to be the best ?*

This is the Plato set I am using:




Close up of cutting surface.

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## blujeenz (21/7/17)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm using this Plato wire cutter. Been using it for a while but I'm not so happy with it. It's not bad but sometimes it feels like it's not cutting properly.
> 
> ...



The problem with these plato's is the soft jaws and pivot.
The reason is, that they are designed for copper wire not SS, nichrome or kanthal claptons etc, like I have been using mine on.
Trouble is that most of these flush cutters are for the electronics industry with their copper or nickle plated copper component leads and wires.

Reactions: Agree 6 | Informative 1


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## Bizkuit (21/7/17)

I have a similiar set thats gone a bit skew and does not cut thicker wires any more. Need a better set thats more durable

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## craigb (21/7/17)

These geek vape ones are quite nice. The cutting edge is right at the back and slightly angled so that you cut that much closer to the post. 

Think I need to figure out how to sharpen them though, they still cut easily but struggle a little with larger claptons and such.

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## johan (21/7/17)

I suspect those are fake Plato cutters @Silver. As you know, being in the electronic industry for decades, the best side cutters are as follows (priorotized and originals):

1. Lindstrom (models 7190 +/-$59.95 and 8140 +/-$38)
2. Knipex - +/-$41.68 (ideal for any type of vaping wire)
3. Hakko (CHP-170) - +/-$4.37
4. Xuron - +/-$8.55 (good enough for any type of vaping wire)
5. Excelite - +/-$7.10
6.Plato - +/-$7.50

PS: a lot of fakes of the aforementioned available on ebay etc., buy from the the manufacturers instead and/or approved retailers/agents. If you pay less than above prices, it is surely fakes.

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## Slick (21/7/17)

@Silver Be grateful for what you have,this is what I use


And I promise you im not joking

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## BioHAZarD (21/7/17)

Slick said:


> @Silver Be grateful for what you have,this is what I use
> View attachment 101962
> 
> And I promise you im not joking


Thats just wrong.

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## Slick (21/7/17)

BioHAZarD said:


> Thats just wrong.


Im just in the early stages of coil building so I bought a coiling jig,ceramic tweezers,and this R20 plier,but im checking out a kit for the future,think its called DIY V3 for around R700,dont laugh at the poor

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## BioHAZarD (21/7/17)

Slick said:


> Im just in the early stages of coil building so I bought a coiling jig,ceramic tweezers,and this R20 plier,but im checking out a kit for the future,think its called DIY V3 for around R700,dont laugh at the poor


Lmao. Dude if you ever come down to CPT ill buy you a decent pair.

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## BioHAZarD (21/7/17)

Slick said:


> Im just in the early stages of coil building so I bought a coiling jig,ceramic tweezers,and this R20 plier,but im checking out a kit for the future,think its called DIY V3 for around R700,dont laugh at the poor


I still wrap my coils on a screwdriver

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## craigb (21/7/17)

Oh and @Silver, you of all be should know better than to ask "what's the best..." 



It depends on your style of wire cutting, what type of posts you build for? The cutters for a post less deck could be different to those used for a goon style deck.

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## Slick (21/7/17)

BioHAZarD said:


> I still wrap my coils on a screwdriver


I did that a year ago and thats when I stopped trying to build coils,since I got the coil jig I love building,except for the cutting part,the coil jig is a must have,but back to the topic...il buy the one that @Silver buys

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## contrid (21/7/17)

I love my Plato wire cutters, they are awesome. I haven't used them for some time now but from what I can remember, they don't make the clicking sound as you cut through the wire so you're not really sure if it has cut through.

At the moment I'm using the Coil Master wire cutters that come with the Coil Master DIY Kit 3.0 and they are great. The tips are also small enough to get in below coils and cut the ends of the leads on builds easily. They are also sharp and I haven't had any issues with them at all.

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## Raindance (21/7/17)

Perfectly happy with these HE ones...

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## zadiac (21/7/17)

Raindance said:


> Perfectly happy with these HE ones...
> View attachment 101963



Ta dum........tssss

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## Raindance (21/7/17)

zadiac said:


> Ta dum........tssss


Highly Effective is what i meant to say.

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## AlphaDog (21/7/17)

Slick said:


> Im just in the early stages of coil building so I bought a coiling jig,ceramic tweezers,and this R20 plier,but im checking out a kit for the future,think its called DIY V3 for around R700,dont laugh at the poor


I have the coilmaster v3 kit and one of the wire cutter's tips broke off some how. Just a heads-up.

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## Raindance (21/7/17)

http://www.buythebest10.com/top-10-best-nail-clippers-reviews/

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## Silver (21/7/17)

johan said:


> I suspect those are fake Plato cutters @Silver. As you know, being in the electronic industry for decades, the best side cutters are as follows (priorotized and originals):
> 
> 1. Lindstrom (models 7190 +/-$59.95 and 8140 +/-$38)
> 2. Knipex - +/-$41.68 (ideal for any type of vaping wire)
> ...



Thanks @johan 
Much appreciated

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## Silver (21/7/17)

Thanks guys for all the responses
Maybe my title was a bit misleading asking for the best
Should have been what have you found to be very effective - VE 

I did use nail clippers for a while but they work nice for the thin wire, not the thicker wire and you sometimes cant cut it close enough to the post or whatever surface

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## johan (21/7/17)

F


Silver said:


> Thanks guys for all the responses
> Maybe my title was a bit misleading asking for the best
> Should have been what have you found to be very effective - VE
> 
> I did use nail clippers for a while but they work nice for the thin wire, not the thicker wire and you sometimes cant cut it close enough to the post or whatever surface



For "hard wire" like piano wire, stainless steel etc. look at the Knipex range of side cutters.

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## Gazzacpt (21/7/17)

I agree with the Oom.
Knippex is the shizzle.
Available locally from Mantech.
It is R630.00 though.
CK isn't to bad either and half the price.

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

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## Silver (21/7/17)

Thanks @johan and @Gazzacpt 
Didn't think I would get quite excited for wire cutters. Lol

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## contrid (22/7/17)

Raindance said:


> http://www.buythebest10.com/top-10-best-nail-clippers-reviews/



Soon all vaping manufacturers are going to promote and sell nail clippers for building coils

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## kev mac (22/7/17)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm using this Plato wire cutter. Been using it for a while but I'm not so happy with it. It's not bad but sometimes it feels like it's not cutting properly.
> 
> ...


Interesting question@Silver as I'm in the market for a good wire cutter and while the low price ones tend to dull after a bit i wonder if an expensive set is worth the investment or should I just replace the cheap one every six months or so.

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## SmokeyJoe (22/7/17)

Slick said:


> @Silver Be grateful for what you have,this is what I use
> View attachment 101962
> 
> And I promise you im not joking


Bud thats nothing. Im using nail clippers

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## Silver (22/7/17)

kev mac said:


> Interesting question@Silver as I'm in the market for a good wire cutter and while the low price ones tend to dull after a bit i wonder if an expensive set is worth the investment or should I just replace the cheap one every six months or so.



Thanks @kev mac , you make a good point
If the more expensive sets are say 5 times the price, it may make sense to buy a cheaper set 5 times 

However, if I am going to go for a more expensive set then it must also perform better and be easier to use. Not that its hard to use my Plato set, i would be fine continuing with it - but i thought maybe there is something considerably better that I just dont know about.

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## Tom (22/7/17)

https://www.knipex.de/index.php?id=...Mobile=&parentID=1367&groupID=1483&artID=2769

These I am using. Always Knipex! For work and vape... 

Gesendet von meinem FRD-L09 mit Tapatalk

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## Byakko (22/7/17)

Still use good old fashioned nail clippers,work like a bomb.But I do only use 26g wire so yeah... :s

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

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## Christos (22/7/17)

@Silver I bought some side cutters from a vendor that used to sell fakes and marketed them as originals. Here are the results.




I bought plato cutters from a reputable vendor I trust and the plato's have not let me down yet.

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## Silver (22/7/17)

My gosh @Christos - those are proper holes in those cutters
Not good

Mine are still fine and nowhere near like that.


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## kev mac (23/7/17)

Silver said:


> Thanks @kev mac , you make a good point
> If the more expensive sets are say 5 times the price, it may make sense to buy a cheaper set 5 times
> 
> However, if I am going to go for a more expensive set then it must also perform better and be easier to use. Not that its hard to use my Plato set, i would be fine continuing with it - but i thought maybe there is something considerably better that I just dont know about.


@Silver ,a good array of cutters by @johan listing price points and quality was quite helpful.

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## Rob Fisher (23/7/17)

Thanks @johan! I have been searching the planet for proper wire cutters... Order placed and I was forced to get more screwdrivers... yes I have a screwdriver issue!

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## Alex (23/7/17)



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## Alex (23/7/17)



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## johan (23/7/17)

@Alex nice informative videos, one caveat though - most of them are excellent for electronic work cutting "softer" component leads manufactured from tinned copper (as @blujeenz rightly so mentioned in this thread). The Knipex as well as Xuron brands do have all round cutters that can even be used on piano wire which is made of very hard materials. I will not dare to use my expensive Lindstrom cutters on Kanthal etc. *Double check for what purpose the cutters are made for, as well as authenticity before you purchase* - if the price is too good it is fake.

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## huffnpuff (23/7/17)

We're talking about the best right? Then stop wasting your time looking at wire cutters meant for soft wire. Get the right tool for the job. The reason you're all damaging your cutters is because you're cutting hard wire. Sure some cutters do better than others because they have hardened steel tips to help with longevity cutting soft wire, but they will wear out quick too cutting the hard stuff. What you really want are proper fine *hard wire *cuttters with tungsten tips/jaws....and a set of diamond files. Tungsten jawed cutters are designed for this task, and even when they wear, it's more like a conventional edge dulling ( which is easily maintained with the diamond files ) as opposed the total edge failure being illustrated above

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## Alex (23/7/17)

johan said:


> @Alex nice informative videos, one caveat though - most of them are excellent for electronic work cutting "softer" component leads manufactured from tinned copper (as @blujeenz rightly so mentioned in this thread). The Knipex as well as Xuron brands do have all round cutters that can even be used on piano wire which is made of very hard materials. I will not dare to use my expensive Lindstrom cutters on Kanthal etc. *Double check for what purpose the cutters are made for, as well as authenticity before you purchase* - if the price is too good it is fake.



Hi @johan, yeah I screwed up a perfectly good pair of precision side cutters myself a few months back, because I was in a hurry to cut something, and too lazy to get my heavy duty sidecutters.

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## craigb (23/7/17)

All of these comments show yet another area of subtlety in vaping that many of us ignore or take for granted. 

Mind. Blown.

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## KZOR (23/7/17)

Happy with mine. Still going strong.

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## Static (23/7/17)

Basil manning dbn has some some wire cuts

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## Static (23/7/17)

http://www.basilmanning.co.za/jarvis-walker-pro-series-side-cutter-6-178542.html

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## zadiac (24/7/17)

@Silver 

I bought these el-cheapo cutters some time ago and can't remember where. It was something like $8, but, they are awesome! I cut all wire with it, even the hard 317L and no dents or going blunt.

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## Shahin (4/7/20)

Hi guys. I'm a few years late, I know, lol, but I feel this is worth mentioning. These cutters weren't out in 2017, but the best cutters I've come across are the demon killer cutters.

I've tried lots of cutters. Nothing in the HE range like knippex, etc, but I've tried platos, coil master, and a whole range of other cutters.

Demon killers win, every time. The blade is made in Japan. The red handle is made in China. For the price range, the quality is just crazy good.

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## Puff the Magic Dragon (5/7/20)



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## Silver (5/7/20)

Having the best wire cutters & scissors for trimming the wicks is a good investment for those who rebuild.

Doesn't have to be expensive but getting something that works very well is worth a lot in avoiding lots of hassle.

For example, my best scissors is STILL my el cheapo Dischem R15 scissors (that's what they cost when I got them) - they cut so well and are comfortable to use - not too small that you need to have midget hands to use and not too big so they dont fit in your toolbox.

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## CJB85 (5/7/20)

Silver said:


> Having the best wire cutters & scissors for trimming the wicks is a good investment for those who rebuild.
> 
> Doesn't have to be expensive but getting something that works very well is worth a lot in avoiding lots of hassle.
> 
> For example, my best scissors is STILL my el cheapo Dischem R15 scissors (that's what they cost when I got them) - they cut so well and are comfortable to use - not too small that you need to have midget hands to use and not too big so they dont fit in your toolbox.


Agree, I also have a pair of scissors from the Dischem nail section and they rock. In terms of investment, when these get dull, I am searching for someone who can supply small surgical scissors.

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## DavyH (5/7/20)

Hairdressing scissors are outstanding.

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## Amy (5/7/20)

Enjoy'd my plato cutters. 

Lasted 3 years till two weeks back when the tip broke also not super expensive pick them up for 99 bucks at vape king.

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## Resistance (5/7/20)

johan said:


> I suspect those are fake Plato cutters @Silver. As you know, being in the electronic industry for decades, the best side cutters are as follows (priorotized and originals):
> 
> 1. Lindstrom (models 7190 +/-$59.95 and 8140 +/-$38)
> 2. Knipex - +/-$41.68 (ideal for any type of vaping wire)
> ...



Agree on the Knippex, these last for generations.

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## Rob Fisher (5/7/20)

Have tried more than a few and almost all are great in the beginning but get blunt pretty fast! The Knipex has been in operation for some time now and still as sharp as the day I got them. They are worth the spend!

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## Resistance (5/7/20)

Rob Fisher said:


> Have tried more than a few and almost all are great in the beginning but get blunt pretty fast! The Knipex has been in operation for some time now and still as sharp as the day I got them. They are worth the spend!
> View attachment 200279



Haven't had that yet, but I have snips and nipper's. And I can attest to longlivety and quality of a Knippex product.

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## Resistance (5/7/20)

CJB85 said:


> Agree, I also have a pair of scissors from the Dischem nail section and they rock. In terms of investment, when these get dull, I am searching for someone who can supply small surgical scissors.





DavyH said:


> Hairdressing scissors are outstanding.


In a pinch or a very high quality steel scissors or clippers.
Otherwise no., It's hard enough getting a good scissors and clipper for personal use.

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## DavyH (5/7/20)

Resistance said:


> In a pinch or a very high quality steel scissors or clippers.
> Otherwise no., It's hard enough getting a good scissors and clipper for personal use.



The scissors that come with the Wahl clippers are really good for wicks. Hair? Not so much

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## Resistance (5/7/20)

DavyH said:


> The scissors that come with the Wahl clippers are really good for wicks. Hair? Not so much


I hear you. A decent hair scissors cost around R1400. Not feasible if it not your profession.
I use the school kit scissors the kids don't want. Upgraded to a utility snips, but it doesn't work well in close proximity so I went back to the cheapies

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## Resistance (5/7/20)

DavyH said:


> The scissors that come with the Wahl clippers are really good for wicks. Hair? Not so much




cutter

shears
Both these range from R239-R1140. At different outlets. I've used the cutter before it's good untill you really test it's ability with 2mm steel screws.
Not willing to pay that amount either. Then I'd buy Knippex.

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## RayDeny (6/7/20)

Rob Fisher said:


> Have tried more than a few and almost all are great in the beginning but get blunt pretty fast! The Knipex has been in operation for some time now and still as sharp as the day I got them. They are worth the spend!
> View attachment 200279




I’m definitely a Knipex fan boy, been using them for the last 25 years and they never let me down. Only time I’ve ever needed to replace them is now when doing another travel tool box.

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## Resistance (6/7/20)

RayDeny said:


> I’m definitely a Knipex fan boy, been using them for the last 25 years and they never let me down. Only time I’ve ever needed to replace them is now when doing another travel tool box.
> 
> View attachment 200378

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## Spectator85 (8/7/20)

i have a set of wurth cutters and scissors and i have been using them for more then a year and thy are still as sharp as the day i got them
in all honesty thy are on the expensive side but well "wurth" it

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## Resistance (8/7/20)

Spectator85 said:


> i have a set of wurth cutters and scissors and i have been using them for more then a year and thy are still as sharp as the day i got them
> in all honesty thy are on the expensive side but well "wurth" it


"Will" also have decent cutters in their range. So those that want cutters can check them out too.

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## NecroticAngel (8/7/20)

I use a set of really strong nail clippers hehe, I just cant afford to spend on vape, well that applies until Im facing flavors, then I have NO problem in stealing from the education fund just to try a new type of strawberry or bubblegum 
Ok so not having ever owned a pair of cutters I wouldnt know the difference, but a good strong set of side toe clippers is going to cost far less, and as far as I can see after a few years does the job

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## Dreadside (25/9/20)

Was looking at this the other day! Insane but YOLO I suppose?



https://www.schmitz-pliers.com/collections/tungsten-carbide-cutters

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## NecroticAngel (25/9/20)

Dreadside said:


> Was looking at this the other day! Insane but YOLO I suppose?
> View attachment 208756
> 
> 
> https://www.schmitz-pliers.com/collections/tungsten-carbide-cutters


They look just like the nail clippers I use

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## Stew (25/9/20)

View attachment 208771


Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm using this Plato wire cutter. Been using it for a while but I'm not so happy with it. It's not bad but sometimes it feels like it's not cutting properly.
> 
> ...



If you get anything with the name "Piano Wire Cutters" as part of the description, Piano wire is much harder than the coil wires we will be cutting. But I see some builds you have to insert the cutter into a hollow under the coil mount so they need to be quite pointed and preferably flush cut.
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/economical-tools.t67797/#post-865056
The cutters I bought from Communica were R130.00 but they are not flush cut and they are not very pointy to get into narrow gaps. I just got a small Vapefly toolkit for R150.00 (Second hand but basically new) The cutters look pretty good. R380 at Wonderland Vapes was the first one to come up on google, the scissors do work on the first cut I did the other day.
https://wonderlandvape.co.za/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=659

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## zadiac (26/9/20)

These days you don't need to cut wire on the build deck anymore. You can get these almost anywhere







and trim the coils before inserting into build deck, so flush cutters not really necessary anymore.

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## THE REAPER (26/9/20)

Dreadside said:


> Was looking at this the other day! Insane but YOLO I suppose?
> View attachment 208756
> 
> 
> https://www.schmitz-pliers.com/collections/tungsten-carbide-cutters


They look great would love to have one but for the price wow i could buy 5 of the kits @Stew is mentioning so i wouod rather take the 5 but thats just me lol.

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## CJB85 (26/9/20)

NecroticAngel said:


> I use a set of really strong nail clippers hehe, I just cant afford to spend on vape, well that applies until Im facing flavors, then I have NO problem in stealing from the education fund just to try a new type of strawberry or bubblegum
> Ok so not having ever owned a pair of cutters I wouldnt know the difference, but a good strong set of side toe clippers is going to cost far less, and as far as I can see after a few years does the job


VapeClub still has a few of the Demon Killer ones, really awesome cutters for R70 a shot.

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## SmokeyJoe (26/9/20)

Dreadside said:


> Was looking at this the other day! Insane but YOLO I suppose?
> View attachment 208756
> 
> 
> https://www.schmitz-pliers.com/collections/tungsten-carbide-cutters


Bloody hell. You cutting blood diamonds?

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## SmokeyJoe (26/9/20)

I just use a good high quality nail clipper. 6 months and still going strong
Also love the curv of the clipper as its sits nice and flush against the atty

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## Jacques3Fox (26/9/20)

RayDeny said:


> I’m definitely a Knipex fan boy, been using them for the last 25 years and they never let me down. Only time I’ve ever needed to replace them is now when doing another travel tool box.
> 
> View attachment 200378


 Knipex is awesome!! (as well as anything that is made in Germany.. )

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## SmokeyJoe (26/9/20)

ThreeFoxVapes said:


> Knipex is awesome!! (as well as anything that is made in Germany.. )


Except Hitler

Although he is technically Austrian

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## Intuthu Kagesi (28/9/20)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> I'm using this Plato wire cutter. Been using it for a while but I'm not so happy with it. It's not bad but sometimes it feels like it's not cutting properly.
> 
> ...



I would recommend, (in no specific order), Lindstrom, CK or Knipex flush mount sidecutters ... Plato is a midrange? Chinese make that is fair, (not great), for electronics, however cutting anything other than 1 mm copper wire is going to take its toll and nick the cutting faces.

If you're trimming your coils before insertion, then you don't really need a fine point nor do you need flush mount cutters, and that opens up a world of cheaper possibilities of both side and end cutters ... just check whether they can cut piano wire beforehand

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## Shahin (16/10/20)

CJB85 said:


> VapeClub still has a few of the Demon Killer ones, really awesome cutters for R70 a shot.



This info is golden. Thanks a lot bud! You have no idea how much I love these cutters.

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## Shahin (16/10/20)

I was checking out the price of knipex cutters and it was over 800 bucks :/ 

I figure if I'm gonna spend so much on wire cutters, I might as well spend a little more and get something with a tungsten carbide tip. I was considering getting some ck cutters last year from Christensen tools, but these demon killers work so well, I just don't see the need for anything else.

Only coils I don't use the demon killers for are my 26/36 fused claptons. I use proper cutters for those, but for every other coil I make, demon killers rule. It's very difficult to dent these cutters, and when the blade dulls a bit, I just use a diamond file to sharpen them. I see these cutters lasting a very long time, with proper maintenance.

Although I'd still like to get a ck carbide tip cutter at some point. I have one of their pliers, and it's just amazing. I'd be lost without it.

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## ARYANTO (16/10/20)

A sharp set of nailclippers - works like a charm - just don't use the Madam's

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## kolakidd (16/10/20)

EUR89 on a pair of flush cut side cutters is silly.

Mantech, Communica and za.rs-online.com all sell PCB Flush Sidecutters (Products > Hand Tools > Pliers & Cutters > Cutters

Mantech has the cheapest ones, with a relatively big range in price and brand. (Search LOW PROFILE Cutter)
Communica has very a limited range (Proskit), but the range mentioned above is pretty good.
RS has the broadest and best brand range. These look like they will do the job nicely https://za.rs-online.com/web/p/cutters/8640772/

Check out the data sheets to see if they are flush and narrow. You'll see on the rs data sheet they specify dimensions.

I go through a pair every 3-4 months with my electronics work, I actually have just started buying the cheapies from Mantech, A tungsten carbide pair from RS lasted the longest and will match most of the above good brands.

If you're just cutting vape coil wire you're not going to be pushing these pliers and they will last a while. The only reason I damage mine is because I lose concentration or am in a tight spot and end up using them on wire and cable I shouldn't, which is generally thicker or harder than any vape wire.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Shahin (17/10/20)

Thanks a lot for the info bud. I was considering buying some ck pliers, but after checking out the proskit pliers at communica, decided to go with those instead. They're way cheaper and look like they'll work just as well. 

Didn't buy any flush cutters though. I just bought some new demon killers last night, so not really in the market for any other flush cutters right now. Anyone who's ever tried them will understand my sentiments. They're just crazy good, by any standard. Please try them if you ever get a chance. I'm pretty sure you'll be impressed. 

I'm still interested in a tungsten carbide tipped cutter though. I've sent a request for a quotation to christensen tools, and will probably compare pricing with rs-online before making a decision, so let's see what happens. I don't recall seeing tungsten carbide cutters on any of the other websites during my search, but I might not have been looking intently enough. 

Curious, what's EUR89?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Shahin (17/10/20)

Ohh you're talking about those tungsten carbide cutters for $89 someone posted the link for?

I'm hoping they'll be cheaper here, but I have a feeling they're gonna cost around the same amount. Let's see what christensen quotes me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Christos (17/10/20)

kolakidd said:


> EUR89 on a pair of flush cut side cutters is silly.
> 
> Mantech, Communica and za.rs-online.com all sell PCB Flush Sidecutters (Products > Hand Tools > Pliers & Cutters > Cutters
> 
> ...


I guess it depends on your needs but knipex has outperformed all other brands for me. I also do a fair amount of pcb work and the quality and longevity of the knipex far outweighes the cost.

Plato doesn’t even align properly for a decent cut.



And some comparisons. Knipex still cuts and no damage to the cutting edge.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 2


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## Shahin (19/10/20)

Hi guys, so I got a quote for the ck tungsten carbide tipped cutter. Around R2550 excluding VAT. Way too rich for my blood.

But I've been considering a knipex flush cutter. I notice some come with a bevel and some without. 

Which one is better for coil building?

On one hand, without a bevel gives you a very flush cut, which I sometimes need. On the other hand, I read the one without the bevel is only suitable for soft materials, like plastic and lead. 

I'm only cutting nichrome, which is kinda soft. Sometimes I need a very flush cut when doing my alien de-cores. 

I'm honestly not sure which one to go for.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Shahin (19/10/20)

Christos said:


> I guess it depends on your needs but knipex has outperformed all other brands for me. I also do a fair amount of pcb work and the quality and longevity of the knipex far outweighes the cost.
> 
> Plato doesn’t even align properly for a decent cut.
> View attachment 211041
> ...



Bud I can get exactly the same one as in the pics you posted. That doesn't have a bevel, right?

Here's what confuses me...

The one with the bevel and the one without both have the same ratings. They're both rated to cut 1.6mm copper and 1.2mm iron.

So why do they say the one without the bevel is only for soft materials like lead and plastic, when it's rated to cut exactly the same metal guages as the one with the bevel?

Reactions: Like 2


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## CashKat88 (20/10/20)

Stew said:


> View attachment 208771
> 
> 
> If you get anything with the name "Piano Wire Cutters" as part of the description, Piano wire is much harder than the coil wires we will be cutting. But I see some builds you have to insert the cutter into a hollow under the coil mount so they need to be quite pointed and preferably flush cut.
> ...


I have the exact same kit and it works like a charm, small compact and really portable. I like the hard case too, very durable, I have had no issues with it and have been using it now for almost 2 years

Reactions: Like 2


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## Modyrts (20/10/20)

Honestly speaking, I have used everything from a pair of scissors to dedicated vape wire cutters to a pair of pliers and even a leatherman
I can truthfully say, It makes no difference. 
However on one occasion I snipped a coil using a wire cutters that came with a Vandy Vape kit and the blade shattered and almost hit my customer in the eye had she not been wearing glasses.


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## kolakidd (20/10/20)

Christos said:


> I guess it depends on your needs but knipex has outperformed all other brands for me. I also do a fair amount of pcb work and the quality and longevity of the knipex far outweighes the cost.
> 
> Plato doesn’t even align properly for a decent cut.
> View attachment 211041
> ...




Yeah I don’t doubt for a second that Kipex are great, and trust me I like expensive tools, but in my post I specifically said that if you are just cutting coil wire, then you don’t need anything special. Coil wire, even stainless is actually easy to cut at the AWG we all use on coils. The current pair I am using are a basic EIE pair from Mantech, and I’ve used them on several pcb builds (10-12 heavily populated boards), cutting heavy capacitor and diode leads and they’re still cool. You notice when they’re damaged right away because they don’t do a clean cut, and you get dangling resistor leads.

Reactions: Agree 1


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