Cable cutter advise

JamesFree
JamesFree Posts: 703
edited March 2011 in Workshop
Right I foolishly decided to attempt to cut my new brake cables with some large side cutters but after a mess I have decided some cable cutters will be best now to do a proper tidy job.

So comes to the question will I be able to use just a set of cable cutters from a DIY shop or will I have to spend the extra and get bike specific ones?

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,337
    I've tried many, but none is as good as the Bikehut ones at Halfords.

    They cut like butter, not cheap though
    left the forum March 2023
  • Like me you probably tried to use what you had in your toolbox and when that didn't work, tools borrowed from work. For me neither did the job. One purchase of Halfords cable cutters later and job (intsallation of 105 shifters with new brake AND gear cables) was done and dusted in the time it takes to tell it. All neat, tidy, squared off and crimped.

    Worth a little extra, serious cable cutters are £30+ anyway. Halfords example £18. Anything less than £15 probably a waste of money.

    T
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Well I wasn't expecting that!

    I thought I'd be tuning in to read 15 posts reccommending the Park Tool ones.

    I got some cheapy Pedros or IceToolz ones which seem to do the job neatly enough. Not like I'm cutting cables on a daily basis.
  • bobgfish
    bobgfish Posts: 545
    Used to use the sidecutters with XTR cables, Buggers to cut. Invested in a Park Cable cutters tool and it is the best. Funny thing is after that purchase for some reason I no longer swap cables that often !!!
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    I had Bike Hut cable cutters, but they don't last...
    I bought some Fat Spanner cable cutters, now they are good and not expensive.
    My LBS use Fat Spanner in their workshop, instead of the Park Tools they used to buy.
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • blackhands
    blackhands Posts: 950
    Dunno if you can still get them but I use VAR ones- had them 30 years and have cut 000's of cables in that time.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,337
    hopper1 wrote:
    I had Bike Hut cable cutters, but they don't last...
    I bought some Fat Spanner cable cutters, now they are good and not expensive.
    My LBS use Fat Spanner in their workshop, instead of the Park Tools they used to buy.

    If not used professionaly, they're likely to cut 20-50 cables in their lifetime... surely they'll do that...
    left the forum March 2023
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    hopper1 wrote:
    I had Bike Hut cable cutters, but they don't last...
    I bought some Fat Spanner cable cutters, now they are good and not expensive.
    My LBS use Fat Spanner in their workshop, instead of the Park Tools they used to buy.

    If not used professionaly, they're likely to cut 20-50 cables in their lifetime... surely they'll do that...

    Well, I used mine (BikeHut) to build 2 bikes and that was it, they began to chew the last brake cable I cut!
    Just built two bikes using the Fat Spanner cutters, no issues so far, will have to wait for the next cut, to confirm they surpass the Bike Hut ones... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!