2021 test15 productsHand Tools
Which Diagonal Cutting Pliers (wire Cutters) Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 15 diagonal cutting pliers (wire cutters) options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Ranked first
Illinois Industrial Tool
Price shown in test: $8
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Claims | Weight | Axle/joint | Jaw limitation | Nail Test | Screw Test | Drill Bit Test | Socket Adapter Test | Length | Leverage geometry | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Illinois Industrial Tool$8 | drop forged heat treated steel; precision machine jaws | 215.3 g, the lightest tested | very loose axle joint, a lot of wobble causing very inconsistent results | cutters don't extend inward to the pivot point, so the nail could not be placed all the way inward against the pivot point | 195 lb, narrator says you need a very strong hand to use these on a nail | did not cut through the deck screw even at 344 lb of pressure and was left badly bent, no longer serviceable | not tested, did not survive the screw test | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Kobalt$11 | durable chrome nickel steel; hardened precision machine jaws claimed to last longer and grip better; high leverage design; induction hardened cutting edges claimed to stay sharper longer | 301.8 g | not tested | not tested | 158 lb, performed a lot better than Illinois Industrial Tool despite the shorter handles offering less leverage | 211 lb, a very clean cut; a little more handle wobble afterward but no damage to the cutters | 220 lb, no damage to the cutters | peaked at 462 lb before finally breaking; cutters left a good size dent in the socket adapter; one jaw broke off but the cutters held up well | 7 in, shorter than all 14 other brands tested at 8 in | 7.24 mm from axle center to cutter opening, though handles are an inch shorter than the other brands | not tested |
| 3Craftsman$15 | compound action design claimed for increased cutting force; drop forged steel for strength and durability; induction hardened cutting edges claimed to stay sharper longer | 317.3 g, the heaviest yet at that point in the lineup | not tested | not tested | 102 lb, the best yet at that point due to a leverage advantage from its unique design | 184 lb, cutters still in great shape but quite a bit of handle wobble | broke at 268 lb, the drill bit was too much for it | not tested, already broken | not tested | not tested | quite a bit of wobble moving the handles back and forth |
| 4Doyle$16 | cuts ACSR, screws, nails, and most hardened wire; rust protection claimed to reduce corrosion and increase tool life; riveted joint advertised for smooth action with no wobble | 275 g, pretty light | not tested | not tested | 96 lb, better than Craftsman, moved into the lead at that point | 156 lb, the best yet at that point; loosened up some with quite a bit of handle wobble and a small amount of wear to the cutters | 207 lb, made very easy work of it, cutters still properly aligned and in great shape | began to fail at 550 lb, the rivet broke and there was quite a bit of damage to the cutters; narrator calls it a great job by the brand | not tested | not tested | unlike the advertised no-wobble claim, transcript notes quite a bit of wobble in the joint, just like the Craftsman |
| 5DeWalt$18 | compound action diagonal pliers; claims 70% more cutting power; guaranteed tough | 253 g, lighter than Doyle | not tested | jaw opening is pretty limited, so the nail was too large to rest against the pivot point | 108 lb, nearly the same as Craftsman and Doyle | 154 lb, barely finished ahead of Doyle to move into the lead at that point; still in good shape with no visible damage to the cutters | reached failure load at 327 lb and did not cut through the drill bit; one handle bent and the pliers no longer close properly, with some damage to the cutters | not tested, already failed | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 6Irwin$18 | nickel chromium steel pliers construction; induction hardened cutting edges claimed to stay sharper longer | 308.5 g, second heaviest yet at that point | not tested | not tested | 78 lb, by far the best yet at that point, taking the lead from Doyle | 135 lb, by far the best yet at that point, 19 lb less than DeWalt | 191 lb, took the lead from Doyle | one jaw broke at 320 lb; cutters still in great shape afterward, described as very impressive | not tested | shortest distance from axle/rivet center to cutter opening of any brand tested, at 6.28 mm | definitely better than the Doyle, but there is quite a bit of wobble |
| 7Channellock$21 | precision machine knife and anvil style cutting edges claimed to ensure perfect mating and superior cutting edge life; uses high carbon C1080 steel claimed for superior performance | 299.4 g, nearly the same as Kobalt | not tested | not tested | 73 lb, took the lead from Irwin, the best of all brands tested on this test | 145 lb, second place just behind Irwin | narrator predicted it should cut through around 200 lb given its high leverage design, but the rivet, described as a lot smaller than some other brands, let go at 256 lb; some damage to the cutters, which don't appear as hard as Kobalt, Doyle, and Irwin | not tested, already broken | not tested | not tested | very good craftsmanship, absolutely no wobble |
| 8C.S. Osborne$24 | drop forged nippers described as ideal for cutting hog rings or wire | 361.7 g, by far the heaviest yet at that point | not tested | not tested | 184 lb, required a lot of force | 243 lb, took a lot of effort; small amount of damage to one of the cutters, handle wobble about the same | 295 lb; cutters aren't as hard as some other brands, small amount of damage to both cutters | handle finally snapped at 469 lb; small amount of damage to the cutters; narrator calls it a very respectable job | not tested | not tested | not quite as tight as some of the other brands |
| 9Milwaukee$26 | claims up to two times more cuts; iron carbide edge; engineered by Milwaukee Tool, professionally made in China | 282.5 g | not tested | not tested | 163 lb | 228 lb; no damage to the cutters and they're still properly aligned | 274 lb; survived the pressure and cut through the drill bit with no damage to the cutters, despite a more compact design than some other brands | one jaw broke off at 379 lb; small amount of damage to both cutters; narrator calls it a very good job considering the compact size of the jaws | not tested | not tested | nice tight fit |
| 10Klein Tools$27 | induction hardened cutting knives claimed for long life; high leverage design claimed to have 36% more cutting power; hot riveted joint claimed for smooth action and no handle wobble | 290 g | not tested | not tested | 89 lb, performed much better than average | 153 lb; pliers seem as good as new, no damage to the cutters | 161 lb, won this test outright, by far the best yet; small amount of damage to the cutters | spit out the rivet at 485 lb; handles and jaws did not bend or break; some minor damage to the cutters; narrator calls it a very impressive job | not tested | not tested | not quite as tight as some of the other brands |
| 11Southwire$28 | claims 15% easier cuts; fire rivet technology claimed for smooth opening; fire edge induction hardened blades claimed to cut nails, screws, and ACSR wire | 316.7 g | not tested | not tested | 85 lb, slightly better than Klein Tools | 133 lb, won this test outright, two pounds less than Irwin; seems as good as new, no damage to the cutters | 206 lb, made easy work of it, cutters still look as good as new | put up a good effort but the jaws finally broke at 412 lb; cutters still look nearly as good as new despite contact with the hardened socket adapter; narrator calls it very impressive | not tested | nearly the shortest distance from axle center to cutter opening of any brand at 6.48 mm, close behind Irwin | not quite as tight as some of the other brands |
| 12Wiha$33 | dynamic joint claimed to require 40% less effort; low wear lap joint riveted, claimed to withstand high levels of load; 64 HRC induction hardened; manufactured with global components in Vietnam | 299.3 g | not tested | not tested | 103 lb, performed better than average | 167 lb | 188 lb, moved into second place behind Klein Tools; cutters still look as good as new | proved very tough and finally broke at 449 lb, breaking at the pivot point/axle; cutters did experience some damage | not tested | not tested | no wobble |
| 13Knipex$33 | claims high cutting performance with minimum effort due to optimum coordination of cutting edge angle and transmission ratio; high leverage diagonal cutters claimed for very tough continuous use; induction hardened cutting edges | 296.5 g | not tested | not tested | 116 lb | 196 lb | just wouldn't give up and finally made the cut at 328 lb; small amount of damage to the cutters | refused to spit out parts or even break; at 579 lb the handle finally began to bend but never broke; cutters still in really good shape considering the weight applied; narrator calls it very impressive | not tested | not tested | nice and tight fit |
| 14Mac Tools$44 | heat treated claimed to provide consistent performance; forged alloy steel claimed for durability | 299.5 g, nearly the same as Channellock | not tested | not tested | 157 lb | 202 lb; some damage to the cutters, small amount of handle wobble | wouldn't give up and cut through the drill bit at 358 lb; cutters experienced quite a bit of damage | jaws began to hyperextend at 550 lb; at a very impressive 985 lb, after a large popping sound, the jaws were finally badly hyperextended; the hydraulic press had nearly bottomed out so the narrator ended the test there; quite a bit of damage to the cutters and jaws badly bent, but the pliers stayed in one piece | not tested | not tested | does not provide a very tight fit |
| 15Snap-on$65 | small joint in combination with longer handles claimed to increase leverage by 19%; parallel cutting edges engineered, claimed to provide repeated cuts for hard wire and even spring steel | 343.6 g, second heaviest yet at that point | not tested | not tested | 114 lb, nearly the same as Knipex | 191 lb; cutters in great shape, but a gap appeared between the cutters when the jaws are fully closed, indicating the rivet or pliers had bent | the drill bit was a little too much for it and the rivet let go at 345 lb; small amount of damage to the cutters | not tested, already broken | not tested | not tested | nice and tight fit |
How it was tested
- squeezing force, measured in lb via a hydraulic press on the handle end, required to cut through a 16-penny nail
- force required to cut through a deck screw
- force required to cut through a 3/16 in drill bit (a durability/failure test)
- force required to cut through or destroy a hardened socket adapter, beyond the tools' intended use (an extreme durability/failure test)
- leverage geometry comparison: distance from axle/rivet center to the cutter opening, measured on select brands
- weight comparison across all brands tested
“If you're looking for the pliers that are going to last the longest, the Knipex brand is very well built and will probably last the longest, but it's very expensive and it takes more effort to make a cut. For that reason, I like pliers that offer a little bit more leverage, which includes the Irwin as well as the Channellocks and they are far less expensive at only 18 and 21 dollars respectively.”