I need to cut some cable outers to length and my bike maintenance book is telling me that I NEED “proper” cutters. Usually I’d use my cheapo homebase ones that do fine for coax, electrical cable etc.

Needed or not? I say not but I don’t want to make the builds look like crap for the sake of 15 quid.

Side cutters will crush the cable – if you have any parrot blade cutters, they’ll do it
or a Dremmel

I have a pair of these and they make a lovely clean cut on the inner and the outer

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CK-AIRCRAFT-BOWDEN-CABLE-%26-WIRE-ROPE-CUTTER-T3744-_W0QQitemZ130291510913QQcmdZViewItem

surely you cannot see the cuts due to the end caps ?

Pliers work fine for me – either the side cutters or the scissor type cutter at the side of the hinge.

I have a pair of these and they make a lovely clean cut

I have some similar from Maplin for about £8 inc P&P

I used pliers for years as they worked. Recently bought some proper cable cutters and they are miles better. Wish I’d done it years ago.

no doubt the specially designed ones will do a better job but i just use ordinary cutters from toolmart and then file the end clean / open it out with a small round file (removing any filings) – as said you can’t see it but if you don’t fettle it so smooth and clean you will feel it

The difference is huge. I bought expensive Park ones but I’m very glad to have them.

If you buy the park ones they also have the crimping area on them for the cable end caps, not strictly neccesary but will make the job much easier and more professional.

Proper cable cutter are loads better than side cutters of pliers, but if you heat the inner cable where you want to cut it 1st with a lighter, then cut it while it’s still hot, it cuts much more cleanly.

definitely a tool that people don’t regret buying, despite the fact that the job can be done with pliers, endless filing etc.

Just got these from screwfix, after seeing one of the reviewers uses them for bike cables. Very cheap, and worked absolutely fine on recent cable and outer change.

Yup. They go straight into that category of “how did I ever manage without one” (Ans: I didn’t and spent ages bodging)

then cut it while it’s still hot

I think the heating destroys the hardening, so the temperature when you make the cut doesn’t matter.

definitely a tool that people don’t regret buying, despite the fact that the job can be done with pliers, endless filing etc.

+1

Maybe I have decent pliers but they produce a clean straight cut with no fraying. I cannot see proper cutters would do it any better. easier perhaps but the end result I get is neat anyway.

I got meself a decent set of cutters, made it all so much easier and neater after all the other half arsed ways I did it.

Went to screwfix and bought the suggested ones. The SAVING on the Pedros ones were more than the entire cost of the screwfix ones.

TJ – even with indexed gear outer housing?

A tidy cut helps push the cable through an outer. It’s a one-off cost so I got the Park one.

I bought the Park ones and was very disappointed, can’t get them to make a clean cut at all, i end up trimming with pliers which somewhat defeats the object.

If you want really good quality cutters try some Felcos – not really necessary for occasional cuts though

Park tools are – at best – adequate IMO

If you put an old bit of inner inside the cable prior to cutting it – it prevents it crushing at the end