Do You Need $30 Wire Cutters? Or are $2 Snips OK?
January 27, 2022
Blog
There’s a manufacturing parable which tells of a person who can’t sharpen his axe because he’s too busy cutting down trees. The point being that you must invest some time/money into your means of production, even if it’s difficult in the short term.
Having seen the benefits of regular preventive maintenance when working for others, I’m a big believer in this sort of investment, and now that I work for myself, I need to invest in regular tool upgrades.
On the other hand, if all you do is “sharpen your axe,” no trees get felled, the sawmill doesn’t pay you, and you eventually go out of business. Continuously shopping online for your new “axe” and spending money on it exacerbates the problem even further. There is a balance.
After buying (and breaking) several semi-disposable $2 “Plato” wire cutters, I decided to splurge and get a pair of Engineer NS-04 cutters for around $25. Justified in part by writing this article–I also purchased a $30 pair of Knipex 78 61 125 snips, which are so beautiful I hesitate to even use them.
Why It Matters: Safety
Image Credit: Jeremy Cook
The cheaper Plato cutters say to wear safety glasses, which is a fine thought, and probably the right thing, but realistically that doesn’t always happen.
When cutting copper, these tools (and others to one extent or another) can make connectors fly away. However, the direction is vaguely predictable. What is scary, however, is that the end of the actual cutter can (and does) break, flying off in some unknown direction.
Safety glasses or not, it’s best for you and bystanders if your tool doesn’t break in the first place. I can’t say for sure that more expensive snips would never break in such a way when used properly, but I’d have to peg it as much less likely.
Engineer Vs. Knipex
Image Credit: Jeremy Cook
Both Engineer and Knipex tools are fantastic to use, performing well at their job of splitting male headers and copper wire. Looks-wise I’ll give KNIPEX the edge with its blue and red handles, though that is certainly subjective. Full disclosure, I haven’t used either one nearly as much as I have the Plato snips, so while I suspect they’ll last for a long time, I can’t say for sure.
The Knipex cutter is more of an apples-to-apples comparison to the Plato, as the blade ends very sharply. It’s designed to get into tight spaces and clip a wire and does so with aplomb. The downside here is that there is not nearly as much mass supporting the business end of the cutter as the Engineer model. So, if it were heavily abused, it would seem possible to produce a flying shard.
The Engineer tool has a much wider head, in a design that is more familiar as a general wire cutter. The result is that one would really need to torque down on it to destroy the cutter but getting into extremely tight spaces could be a challenge.
If you’re looking to specifically replace Plato snips, Knipex is your brand. The Engineer model has a slightly different purpose but would be a good addition to your bag as well.
Cheap Tools: Still Useful
Not as pretty, but semi-disposable, Image Credit: Jeremy Cook
While the quality of both Engineer and Knipex devices are great, I’m still glad to have some of these cheap-o snips around. I can arrange them at convenient places in my workspace, such as near my 3D printer to neatly lop off filament, or in my office where I might need to make an odd cut or two. I also have an Engineer-style cutter of unknown origin but it does the job for non-electronics tasks like clipping a wire fence or attempting to destroy whatever plastic and/or metal is in my way for my latest hack. Having both around gives me the option to risk a low cost/low quality tool, rather than something that was much more expensive.
Worth IT?
So, are expensive tools worth it, or should you stick with something cheaper? As someone who works with electronics on a regular, though not constant, basis, I'd have to say yes. Over a lifetime, paying for $2 tools over and over and over will add up, not to mention the time and inconvenience needed to obtain replacements. Also, the safety aspect of fewer materials flying around the shop shouldn't be neglected either.
Jeremy Cook is a freelance tech journalist and engineering consultant with over 10 years of factory automation experience. An avid maker and experimenter, you can follow him on Twitter, or see his electromechanical exploits on the Jeremy Cook YouTube Channel!
