Best sheetmetal cutting snips

[Vinster]

I liked the craftsmen snips but they stopped making them, now I use Midwest

[CashnHavoc]

Midwest here. If your doing a lot of cutting in the field, maybe it's time for a uni shear. We have the Bosch uni shear, works great

[samejj]

any thoughts on those malco turbo shears ? i've been using the same midwest snips for 3yrs now and they need replaced. the lennox look good and i am glad to hear good things about them from you guys here. at my shop we never use foam board and a quick shear attachment seems like a good investment to me.

[Pascone10]

Midwest are my favorite. I have klenk, malco, wiss, and lennox in my tool box. I enjoy midwest the most. Last I remember Sears stocked them on the shelf.

[Kobe RBVBD]

Well, the good thing I've learned here is that they don't typically last more than 1-2 years in general. Which is not a good thing, of course, but it tells me that I'm not misusing my tools since the shears last approximately that long for me as well.

I have the Malco Turboshear and it's served me extremely well. 4 years and it's still going. Love that thing, especially when you need to cut out a return on the side of a furnace. Just pop a 1/2" hole and cut it out. Awesome. Best sheetmetal cutting investment I've ever made.

I am suspecting a slacker apprentice used my snips to cut copper wire, which might be what suddenly killed them. But I can't say for certain, they were 2 year old snips.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've always used Midwest and Wiss snips, and since nobody has cited using their tools for over 2 years, I'd have to agree they are good ones. I just hoped for better!

[ga-hvac-tech]

The Malco 'shear head' works well for me... I bought a 12V Dewalt drill and keep it attached to it all the time (attachment brackets are not much $$$).

Nice to just pick it up and cut.

Note a 'shear' style power cutter will cut angles and corners... a 3 element scissor cutter will not turn corners well-better for straight cuts.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Well, the good thing I've learned here is that they don't typically last more than 1-2 years in general. Which is not a good thing, of course, but it tells me that I'm not misusing my tools since the shears last approximately that long for me as well.

I have the Malco Turboshear and it's served me extremely well. 4 years and it's still going. Love that thing, especially when you need to cut out a return on the side of a furnace. Just pop a 1/2" hole and cut it out. Awesome. Best sheetmetal cutting investment I've ever made.

I am suspecting a slacker apprentice used my snips to cut copper wire, which might be what suddenly killed them. But I can't say for certain, they were 2 year old snips.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've always used Midwest and Wiss snips, and since nobody has cited using their tools for over 2 years, I'd have to agree they are good ones. I just hoped for better!

Copper is a relatively soft metal.... I suspect if someone abused your shears it was bailing wire or something hard (a nail?).

Shame helpers cannot just ask... they would learn something if they did.

[Pascone10]

Copper is a relatively soft metal.... I suspect if someone abused your shears it was bailing wire or something hard (a nail?).

Shame helpers cannot just ask... they would learn something if they did.

I'm willing to bet it was the wire in flex duct that did them in...

[samejj]

honestly when im in a " gawd forsaken spot " and those snips are what i have.......yeah they're gonna cut it.

[Kobe RBVBD]

Copper is a relatively soft metal.... I suspect if someone abused your shears it was bailing wire or something hard (a nail?).

Shame helpers cannot just ask... they would learn something if they did.

I was referring to 6 gauge solid copper wire. I also do plumbing (and in this context, water heater changeouts) so those get cut on a regular basis. But flex duct wire is equally likely, as is chicken wire. You can see slight round notches in the blade of the snips. So I suspect it's something round, but it's all besides the point as it was definitely feeling worn before they broke so had to be replaced anyway.

I keep telling my helpers or apprentices to use the right tool for the job. It's frustrating when they don't take a few minutes to go get the proper tool and just wing it. I've resorted to telling my company that if a helper breaks my tools for any reason whatsoever, they are paying for it. I am not going to pay to train them.

Anyway, I'm just venting there. Do appreciate the comments and suggestions!

[ga-hvac-tech]

I was referring to 6 gauge solid copper wire. I also do plumbing (and in this context, water heater changeouts) so those get cut on a regular basis. But flex duct wire is equally likely, as is chicken wire. You can see slight round notches in the blade of the snips. So I suspect it's something round, but it's all besides the point as it was definitely feeling worn before they broke so had to be replaced anyway.

I keep telling my helpers or apprentices to use the right tool for the job. It's frustrating when they don't take a few minutes to go get the proper tool and just wing it. I've resorted to telling my company that if a helper breaks my tools for any reason whatsoever, they are paying for it. I am not going to pay to train them.

Anyway, I'm just venting there. Do appreciate the comments and suggestions!

You raise an interesting question here... I think I will run an experiment: I have some 6 GA CO wire... will snip it a few times with some older sheers to see if it causes a noticeable notch... will get back to H-talk in a day or so.

Personally, the wire in flex sounds like the culprit... well the helper who used the wrong tool.

[Eddie1KRR]

I hate to see a fresh set of snips get destroyed that way by a lazy installer or a new guy who didn't know any better. On the bright side, when it does happen, you have a new set of 'beater snips' for cutting all kinds of junk lol.
I keep a couple pairs around for cutting stuff like shingles for a nice rounded flashing install, BX, liquid tite etc.

I'll be curious to see what happens with the copper too. My beater snips are so beat up from cutting other crap, I couldn't tell you if copper ever made a new dent in them.

[meh70087]

Klein or Lennox has been most trustworthy for me !