Quick answer: Use flush cutters for soft wire that must sit flat (component leads, craft wire); heavy-duty diagonal cutters for hard wire and pins; end cutters to crop wire against a surface; cable cutters for copper cable and steel wire rope; and a guillotine for batches of square, identical cuts. Most ruined cutters were used on wire harder or thicker than they were made for.
"Wire cutters" covers a whole family of tools, and using the wrong one is the commonest way to ruin a good pair. A fine flush cutter will chip on a length of piano wire. A heavy cable cutter will crush a delicate component lead. And a standard side cutter leaves a pointed, pinched end where you needed a flat one. Here is what each type does, the cut it leaves, and the wire it is built for.
The cut matters as much as the cutter
Most pliers-style cutters pinch the wire between two bevelled edges. That leaves each cut end with a small point or ridge, the "pinch". On craft and electronics work, the question is which side of the cut gets the pinch and which side is left flat:
- Flush cutters are ground flat on one face, so one side of the cut is nearly flat and the waste side carries the pinch.
- Standard diagonal (side) cutters are bevelled on both faces. Both ends get a point, and in exchange the edge is stronger.
- Shears and guillotines slide two edges past each other instead of pinching, so they leave a square end with no point.
Flush cutters: neat cuts on soft wire
For component leads, beading wire, craft wire and anything that must sit tight against a board or surface, flush cutters are the tool. The 120 mm economy flush cutters have angled flush-cutting edges, a box joint and a return spring, and are rated for soft wire up to about 1.5 mm. Always cut with the flat face towards the part you are keeping, so the pinch stays on the offcut.
Do not use them on: steel, piano wire, memory wire, nails or pins. The fine edge that makes a flush cut possible is exactly what chips on hard material.
Heavy-duty diagonal cutters: hard wire and pins
When the wire is hard (steel pins, spring wire or stainless wire), you want a heavier tool with harder edges. The 8-inch diagonal wire and pin cutters have carbide-tipped jaws, which keep their edge against hard wire and pins far longer than plain steel, and the length gives real leverage. The cut is not flush, so expect to file or dress the end where it matters.
End cutters: cropping flush against a surface
Side cutters cut along the line of the handles, so they cannot get right down onto a flat surface. End cutters turn the jaws 90 degrees, with the cutting edge across the tip, so you can crop a pin, rivet tail or lead off right at the surface. The 5-inch end cutters have soft ergonomic grips and a self-opening spring, and are a good size for model makers trimming pins and for electronics hobbyists cropping leads at the board.
Cable cutters: copper cable and steel wire rope
Stranded cable is a different problem. Ordinary cutters squash the bundle flat and leave stray strands. Cable cutters have curved, shearing jaws that wrap the cable and slice it round. The 200 mm heavy-duty cable cutters cut copper cable up to 4 mm and steel cable up to 1.5 mm without crushing the strands, with a compound jaw for leverage. They also handle thick craft wire where side cutters give up.
Important: these cutters are not insulated. Use them only on cable that is disconnected and dead, never on a live circuit.
Guillotine wire shears: identical, square cuts
When you need a batch of pieces cut to the same length with square ends (for model parts, pins or wire components), a bench guillotine beats any plier. The guillotine wire shear cuts soft metal wire up to 1.5 mm with a lever action. It has two guide holes to keep the wire at 90 degrees to the cutter, and its 1.5 kg weight keeps it still on the bench. It can cut several wires at once for consistent lengths. It is for soft, non-ferrous wire only.
Quick guide: which cutter for which wire
- Electronics component leads: flush cutters for trimming, end cutters for cropping at the board.
- Copper, brass and aluminium craft wire: flush cutters up to their rating; a guillotine for batches.
- Steel pins, spring wire and stainless wire: heavy-duty diagonal cutters with hard (carbide) edges.
- Multi-strand copper cable and steel wire rope: cable cutters, on dead cable only.
- Model-making pins and rivet tails at a surface: end cutters.
Making cutters last
- Respect the rating. Each listing gives a capacity. Cutting above it, or cutting harder wire than the tool is meant for, is what chips edges.
- Cut at the back of the jaw for thicker wire, where the leverage is greatest, and keep the tip for fine work.
- Do not twist or rock the cutter to finish a cut, because that is how edges chip.
- Wear eye protection. Offcuts, especially hard wire, fly when they part. Hold the waste end or cover it with your hand.
- Oil the joint occasionally and store cutters closed, in the dry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between flush cutters and side cutters?
Flush cutters are ground flat on one face, so one side of the cut is left nearly flat and the pinch goes on the offcut. Standard diagonal side cutters are bevelled on both faces, leaving a point on both ends, but the edge is stronger. Flush cutters are for soft wire. Heavy-duty side cutters handle harder wire.
Can I cut steel or piano wire with flush cutters?
No. The fine flush edge chips on hard material such as steel, piano wire or memory wire. Use heavy-duty diagonal cutters with hard carbide-tipped jaws for hard wire and pins, and keep flush cutters for soft wire such as copper, brass, aluminium and component leads.
What should I use to cut copper cable or steel wire rope?
Use cable cutters, whose curved shearing jaws wrap the cable and cut it without crushing the strands. Our 200 mm cable cutters cut copper cable up to 4 mm and steel cable up to 1.5 mm. They are not insulated, so use them only on cable that is disconnected and dead.
What are end cutters used for?
End cutters have the cutting edge across the tip, at 90 degrees to the handles, so they can crop a pin, rivet tail or component lead right down at a surface, where side cutters cannot reach. Model makers and electronics hobbyists use them to trim neatly at the work.
Everything above ships from the UK with free UK delivery on every order, and we aim to dispatch orders placed before 2pm UK time, Monday to Friday, the same working day. Unused items can be returned within 30 days. Browse the full pliers and cutters range below.
