10+ years on a set here. Never had an issue.
If you are struggling then a good swing of a nice sharp axe seems a suitable way of completing the task and easing the apparant frustration.

I found that for getting a clean cut on inner cables you get really good results if you heat up the cable with a lighter first. Even blunt pliers work then.

can anyone link me for a cheap decent pair that will do the job?

Mine worked OK for the first couple of bikes but went blunt ridiculously fast. Still cuts the cable, just frays the **** out of them. The cable-end crimper is nice though. Very poor, wouldn’t have been worth £10.

So now I use these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-Cable-Wire-Cutter-Copper-Pliers-Stripper-Ratchet-2271-/380351042283?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item588eb052eb

Though I only paid £4. Far better than Park, cuts just as well on day one, still going strong after 10 times the use that knackered the Parks, and a fraction of the price. You can buy these labelled up as bike-specific if you insist.

never buy park tools cable cutters

You’re suggesting we should steal them? Rent them? Borrow them? ❓

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/190MM-WIRE-ROPE-SPRING-WIRE-CUTTER-/190466756062?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2c58b40dde

I think I bought these after the last thread on here.

I agree. They suck. A good pair of electrician’s pliers or side cutters work better and then you can use them for diy etc. Not worth the money imho.

Andituk, that’s the very ones, cheers! Surprisingly hard to find by ebay search since they don’t say “cable” 😳

Seriously folks, get those ones, they’re the best cutters I’ve used and they cost, what, 1/5th as much as the adequate-at-best Park ones.

mine doing fine still no idea how many cables but lots

Mine are great, no issues at all.

In fact they’re so good I use to trim wayward nostril hairs.

Nine years of daily use in the shop & still going strong, including cutting spokes out of wheels.

i’ve had mine for 10 years and they’ve never given me any trouble.
the blades on park cutters are hardened steel so if yours arent cutting properly then you’ve done something to duff them up…
check this link on how to use your cutters correctly
http://www.parktool.com/product/professional-cable-and-housing-cutter-cn-10

my parks cable cutters work just fine 😉

95% of Park stuff is overpriced in my view, especially for “Home mechanics”…

Obviously some still believe that High prices = High function, but a cable cutter, Allen key or rubber mallet is seldom improve by a nifty blue handle, Park logo and a 300% markup…

cookea, I’ll assume from that you don’t use decent quality tools then?
I’ve had more than my share of ‘Laser’ et al tools over the years, then went on to the likes of Snap On, Park etc. & the difference if noticable, in terms of quality, how the fit fasteners (when using Allen keys, spanners) & the life span.

Im using some of the cheap market £5 a go ones.After at least 300 stainless steel spokes it still produces a reasonably clean cut on cables 😕

cookea, I’ll assume from that you don’t use decent quality tools then?

From that comment I assume you believe anything other than Park kit is shite… I doubt there’s much that would change your mind then…

I would say most of my tools are of a “decent” quality, very few of them are Park tools, as I simply do not recognise any real value in their products like I said heavy branding and a markup don’t make their kit function any better, not that it’s Bad, simply doesn’t justify the price tag, I buy kit that’s fit for the job and sensibly priced…

I found Park’s fancy doodle Spoke key relatively crap in terms of ergonomics (Kind of matters when building wheels) and finish compared with my prefered cheaper “Spokey” big red plastic effort which is far easier and comfier to use, the carbon steel insert held spokes much better… but it wasn’t blue so it must be shite…

look at it this way:

This Vs Thisor even This

Seriously go on tell me that Park Hex key set can go something the others can’t for ~double the money…

From that comment I assume you believe anything other than Park kit is shite… I doubt there’s much that would change your mind then…

Not at all, some of the Park stuff is very highly priced & alternatives can be found, but good quality tools are more expensive than cheap ones for a reason.
Park aren’t the only people who make good quality cycle tools, Cyclo, Pedro, VAR, Campag all do very good bike specifc stuff & for more general tools I tend to use Snap On, Facom or Mac. My personal prefernce being Snap On for much of it, nothing to do with brand snobbery, i just prefer they way the tools feel, the build quality & the warranty should anything go wrong.

Seriously go on tell me that Park Hex key set can go something the others can’t for ~double the money…

Them Bondhus allen keys are some of the best too.

Lifetime warranty, they say you they’re gorilla proof.
Mind you I snapped a 15 year old 4mm Bondhus allen key, not sure if they have a lifetime warranty back then though.