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The Daily Insight

What do you cut wire rope with

Author

Marcus Reynolds

Updated on May 08, 2026

Small gauge wire cutters, such as the Greenlee 722 ($30 via Amazon), will often work better than small bolt cutters. Inexpensive heavy duty bolt cutters, like Tekton’s ($10 via Amazon) work kind of well at times, but stranded cable tends to slide along straight cutter blades.

What do you cut wire cable with?

Small gauge wire cutters, such as the Greenlee 722 ($30 via Amazon), will often work better than small bolt cutters. Inexpensive heavy duty bolt cutters, like Tekton’s ($10 via Amazon) work kind of well at times, but stranded cable tends to slide along straight cutter blades.

Can you cut wire rope with bolt cutters?

Simply stated, bolt cutters are designed to cut bolts, while wire rope shears are designed to cut wire rope. … The blades on a bolt cutter are not shear and will only smash the wire rope. Remember to use bolt cutters for bolts and solid material, and only use wire rope shears for wire rope and cable.

Can wire rope be cut?

Cutting steel wire rope isn’t difficult and – with our help – you’ll be snipping it down to size and using it around the home in no time.

Can you cut wire rope with a grinder?

Use an angle grinder with a thin (1/16″) cutting wheel and cut the wire.

Are wire cutters and bolt cutters the same?

The difference? Wire cutters are a small tool, about the size of pliers, which lets you use them with one hand, while bolt cutters are significantly larger (more like the size of pruning loppers) and designed to cut through correspondingly larger pieces of metal.

How do you cut metal wire with pliers?

For instance, use Lineman’s pliers to cut electrical wires, or use diagonal cutting pliers for an all-purpose choice. Make sure you put on safety glasses to prevent flyaway wires. Align the wire with the cutting part of your tool, and push down with gentle but firm pressure to make your cut.

Do pliers cut metal?

Diagonal pliers are useful for cutting copper, brass, iron, aluminium and steel wire. Lower quality versions are generally not suitable for cutting tempered steel, such as piano wire, as the jaws are not hard enough. … However higher quality side cutters can cut hardened steel, such as 2 mm piano wire.

Can bolt cutters cut through steel?

Large bolt cutters that measure 30 to 42-inches are perfect for cutting through medium-hard metal materials like thick steel chains, copper cable, steel rods, and large bolts and padlocks.

How do you cut thick copper wire?

Heavier copper wire, such as that used in house wiring, requires a bit more work to cut through. Make sure you have a cutter with nice heavy duty handles. Blunt nosed linesmen pliers are traditionally used for cutting fence wire. A good heavy pair can cut copper wire up to 1/4 of an inch thick.

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What can I use if I don't have wire strippers?

  1. Lay the wire on a flat surface and carefully cut through the insulation all the way around, without cutting the copper wire.
  2. Then pull off the waste insulation.

What is wire Cutter Tool?

Wire cutters are commonly used to cut copper, brass, iron, aluminum, and steel wire. Some wire cutters have insulated handles which ensure that you will not get shocked from the wires you’re working with. Diagonal cutters have intersecting jaws that cut the wire at an angle, leaving a flat tip.

Can you cut cable with a hacksaw?

A third option to cut cables is to use a hacksaw. This method is similar to using side cutters. First bend the cable until the armor begins to pop open. Next take the saw blade and cutting at a 45° angle, cut through the remaining armor avoiding coming into contact with the conductors.

What is the difference between swaging and crimping?

Swaging is used to create wire rope because after fittings are applied the swaged cable can lift and hold thousands of pounds. … The crimping of wires and fittings is used for simple and small-scale electrical applications that require two wires to connect, but not to hold or lift weight.

How do you crimp a wire rope without a crimper?

Just crush the thing with any tool you have around. If you can use a big vise to crush them down, that’s probably the most ‘controlled’ way. Otherwise, use pliers, or get a hammer and chisel and dent the sleeve at two or three points with the chisel.

What would you use side cutters for?

Side cutters are used to cut wire and the leads (or legs) of components in electronics. They can also be used to strip the insulation from wire.

What can cutting pliers cut?

End-cutting pliers – also known as nippers, are used to cut nails, wires, rivets, and bolts. Due to the almost flat head design, the user can get flush with the surface to cut the object, without digging into it.