# Poor Man's cable cutters.



## MDShunk

Low voltage cable manufacturers recommend that cables like Cat5 and Coax be cut with a cutter that will maintain the cable's round profile. These cutters cost at least 50 dollars and up. My poor man's version costs about 4 dollars at WalMart, and are sold in the pet department as dog toe nail trimmers. They work fantastic !


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## Magnettica

Rotf


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## chrisb271

ha ha priceless !!!

Exactly the same cutters that i use and they came from walmart (asda) in the UK.


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## rbj

IBEW approved? I don't have a picture of my hand, but they are the most economical wire strippers and the fingernails regrow themselves.


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## randomkiller

I will say, I find a pair of the minature Klein (D275-5) flush cutters are @$10 and do the exact same job as the $70 medical nippers for ingrown toe nails.
As for my curved jaw cable cutters, one of the guys in my shop picked up 9 pair in Home Depot on close out for like $6. We all do the same, when we see something at a good price, we buy all they have and bring them in. Last was Klein (J213-9NE) 9" Journeyman linemans for $19 (reg $35), clearance from Sears.


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## GregS

MDShunk said:


> Low voltage cable manufacturers recommend that cables like Cat5 and Coax be cut with a cutter that will maintain the cable's round profile.


Never saw the point for cat5 since if crimping or punching you are removing the jacket and stripping back from the end.

With coax I still use my yellow handled wire strippers, but I usually have to straighten the core out


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## randomkiller

GregS said:


> Never saw the point for cat5 since if crimping or punching you are removing the jacket and stripping back from the end.
> 
> With coax I still use my yellow handled wire strippers, but I usually have to straighten the core out


I see the new Klein multi pliers now have curved jaws.


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## lutronharvey82

in a pinch just use your teeth.


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## comp

lutronharvey82 said:


> in a pinch just use your teeth.


 what if you ain't got none :laughing:


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## randomkiller

comp said:


> what if you ain't got none :laughing:


 If you did they won't last long biting through cabling.


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## Rong

comp said:


> what if you ain't got none :laughing:


Hey I gots teeth..I keep them home in a jar!!!!!!!!! True!


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## electricalperson

i think those fancy cable cutters are a bunch of junk. i use my linesmen to cut. you always strip back the outer covering and punch them down right?


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## Hawkeye_Pierce

MDShunk said:


> Low voltage cable manufacturers recommend that cables like Cat5 and Coax be cut with a cutter that will maintain the cable's round profile. These cutters cost at least 50 dollars and up. My poor man's version costs about 4 dollars at WalMart, and are sold in the pet department as dog toe nail trimmers. They work fantastic !



Soooooo . .. Where do I get that fancy sticker? :thumbup:


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## Rong

Hawkeye_Pierce said:


> Soooooo . .. Where do I get that fancy sticker? :thumbup:


 Maybe at the hall??


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## hbiss

_Low voltage cable manufacturers recommend that cables like Cat5 and Coax be cut with a cutter that will maintain the cable's round profile. Low voltage cable manufacturers recommend that cables like Cat5 and Coax be cut with a cutter that will maintain the cable's round profile._

I kinda know where that came from only it's not UTP like CAT5 or RG type coax. Really doesn't make much difference what you cut those with. They are talking about hard cable, the solid aluminum sheathed coax that cable companies use. You don't want to squish the end too much out of round although that does get cut back also when you prep it for a connector. There are several manufacturers like Klein who make cutters for that. 

-Hal


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## scrooge

Rong said:


> Maybe at the hall??


Dairy Queen.


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## randomkiller

scrooge said:


> Dairy Queen.


 
Wow, the local by you has a DQ in the building, that's awesome. I guess McDonalds wouldn't go for a small venue.


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## carolinasoutdoor

For every connector that you put on like this, you are causing a cable technician a hell of a time locating an intermittent problem. Proper preparation of the cable is a must. Trust me, I deal with it everyday.


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## hbiss

I hope someone isn't suggesting that coax cable be stripped with that that thing. 

-Hal


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## scrooge

*Missed.*



Hawkeye_Pierce said:


> Soooooo . .. Where do I get that fancy sticker? :thumbup:


Dairy Queen.


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## randomkiller

scrooge said:


> Dairy Queen.


Twice huh? Are you trying to tell us you are a "Dairy Queen"?


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## scrooge

*If you really want to know.*



randomkiller said:


> Twice huh? Are you trying to tell us you are a "Dairy Queen"?


My favorite meal at DQ is a steak finger basket with a side of Whup-Ass.


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## randomkiller

scrooge said:


> My favorite meal at DQ is a steak finger basket with a side of Whup-Ass.


 
I'll bet.


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## santawatt

LOL, nice cheap solution  



But cutters like these 








are not so expensive. Around 20 $ or so ... or even cheaper.
(The nice thing about them is that they are very light )


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## BP_redbear

Adapt.
Improvise.
Overcome.

As we know, there are many tools/techniques/tricks that we can learn to help us in our jobs, even from different trades.

As long as those nail clippers do a good job, Nice Idea.


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## bobelectric

Boys, Boys, Boys, Take an 8 count and chill.


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## App.Electrician

Klein cable cutters, not the HD cable cutters you cut 1/0 with but these were 12 bucks and have the same rounded profile on the blade those do.


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## drsparky

Ooooooold thread.


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## ibuzzard

App.Electrician said:


> Klein cable cutters, not the HD cable cutters you cut 1/0 with but these were 12 bucks and have the same rounded profile on the blade those do.


Nice self portrait,Dog Ass,but you boys from the South!Can't tell you apart,all look the same.


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## reddog552

*Cable sheers*

I used these in removing 300,000 feet of Black Box cheap ass Chineese cable that ddint pass specs. Thet cut through half of a 48 cable punch down at 1 time


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## John Valdes

Even a moderator puts up a picture to big for the forum. Read "how to post pics" Shunk.


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## audiophile

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...tter&origkw=cable+cutter&searchId=53749260953


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