Bolt cutter: scissors for steel fittings. Reinforcing shears (Bolt cutters) Proper selection and operation of bolt cutters

Many of you, of course, have come across the need to “bite off” a piece of wire or even reinforcement. And if the reinforcement at worst can be sawn with a grinder, then you can’t cut a wire of 8 mm in diameter, it’s inconvenient. also do not fit, they are for sheet material. Therefore, for such purposes, there is special tool for "biting" thick wire or fittings. It is called a bolt cutter, it also has a name - reinforcing scissors. In construction stores, bolt cutters are sold in a wide range, there are a lot of models, brands, so I will tell you how to choose a bolt cutter, what you should pay attention to first of all. And of course, consider the excellent Kraftool 24″ reinforcing shears.

The main cutting element is the jaws, on all models they are removable, so if the jaws of the bolt cutter become dull, they can be removed, sharpened or replaced with new ones. Sponges cost about 60 percent of the total cost of the bolt cutter. Therefore, when choosing a bolt cutter, first of all look at the hardness of the jaws. Hardness is measured in HRC units, the higher the value, the harder the sponges, so you don’t have to worry and “bite” solid metal. For example, let's compare 2 bolt cutters, the first is Kraftul, the second is stayer. The size is the same - 600 mm.

Craftul looks prettier, it has more comfortable handles, sponges are much harder. The HRC of the Kraftool bolt cutter is 45, while the stayer has only 30. It is not surprising that Kraftooll sponges last longer, moreover, they “bite” hard metal. Real life example - one of our customers needed to cut a 6-sided key by 4 mm. He asked us to cut something, I'll pay for the work. Without hesitation, we took a 600 mm Stayer bolt cutter and started to “bite”. But something went wrong, it doesn’t bite and that’s it, we pressed harder. And what do you think? The key pressed into the lips as if they were made of plasticine. Here you have hardness - the key turned out to be harder and the bolt cutter could not bite it, only the sponges deteriorated. Therefore, select reinforcing shears with a high HRC number. By the way, Kraftul ate that key without any problems, only the paint peeled off the sponges)) So much for the difference.

Bolt cutter sizes are most often standard:

300 mm (12″)
450 mm (18″)
600 mm (24″)
800 mm (30″)
1070 mm (42″)

The larger, more powerful the bolt cutter, the thicker the wire it will be able to bite through. After all, a large bolt cutter has a larger lever, which means that the pressing force is more powerful. Of course, most often they take standard reinforcing scissors for 600 mm, they bite the wire 10 mm, if the wire is hardened (steel), then 8 mm maximum.

Easy “biting” of thick wire is due to the 2-lever design of the bolt cutter.

In the presented kraftool model, unlike cheaper bolt cutters, everything is done with high quality, it is immediately clear that the tool is good. Judge for yourself - the sponges are more durable, they have special notches so that the material being cut does not slip on the sponges. And they cut for a feast for the eyes cool.

The bolt cutter itself is very easy to use, all the details are worked out. Excellent weight distribution, a pleasure to work with.

I also note that the handles are damn comfortable, dense, non-slip rubber, not like cheaper models (after a couple of days the rubber comes off because it is thin and of poor quality). It's the little things that make usability, and at Kraftool we've thought about the convenience of the worker.

Since the jaws are the main cutting element, you can find “reinforced” carbide jaws on sale. They are intended for professional use, their service life is many times higher than that of conventional "sponges". There are also bolt cutters with carbide jaws, they cost 2 times more. Buy jaws the same size as the bolt cutter. For example, sponges 600 mm.

The model of Kraftool reinforcing shears we are considering costs 1200 rubles. For comparison, a 600 mm stayer costs 600 rubles. The difference is 2 times, however, the quality differs quite significantly. So choose a bolt cutter based on your needs, if you don’t need to “bite” hard metal, then an inexpensive Stayer or Matrix bolt cutter for the home is quite suitable. Well, if you constantly “bite” wire or rebar, then it is better to buy professional rebar shears, preferably with carbide jaws.

Today we will look at such a useful thing as a bolt cutter. I came across one such bolt cutter from the Turkish company ORIENT Tools, bolt cutter model MKDC42. Bolt cutters, or pin cutters, or reinforcing shears, reinforcing wire cutters, are designed for cutting or biting steel bars. This instance of a bolt cutter allows you to bite bars up to 18 mm in diameter, which is a lot and good. This is achieved by using a double lever mechanism with a high gear ratio. Manufactured from high tensile strength carbon steel.

Manufacturer's logo...

Since the ORIENT MKDC42 bolt cutter is able to bite through an 18 mm steel bar, its dimensions are impressive - 107 cm. Weight - several kilograms (and I didn’t weigh it exactly).

Rubber grips on the ends for comfort...

Design: red long handles, with rubber nozzles for palms - it is very convenient, by the way. At the end, the pliers themselves are black with a lever system. Two adjustment bolts... the length of the handles to the connection axis is 840 mm. Manufacturer's logo on one handle. Closer to the axis on the metal casting, this value is 42” - the length of the bolt cutter (which is exactly 1066.8 mm). On the other side there are also the numbers 1050 - which means unknown ...

Bolt cutter lever diagram...

Bolt cutter ORIENT MKDC42 was bought in Almaty a year ago at a price of 7000 tenge. He passed the test in biting a 10 mm bolt easily - he had a bite while playing. It bites the rebar of 16 mm with a sharp sound, the pieces of the cut rebar scatter far, once I was even slightly hurt by the flying off trim ... To cut bars of this thickness, and even more so the maximum of 18 mm, you need to make an effort, sometimes decent. But the result is worth it - a few seconds and a thick rod is neatly bitten off.

All elements of the bolt cutter are big photos...

I won’t say that I use this tool very often, but a lot has already been done ... There are practically no marks on the lips, not to mention nicks or blunting there ... In the photo you can see cutting edges bolt cutter after three dozen bites of 10-16 mm rebar and two test bites of 18 mm steel bar.

So the thing is good, who needs it ... Of course, this can be said to be a giant among its fellows, but it is intended primarily for cutting thick and strong bars, for thinner ones there are others - much smaller ...

This device is most often used on construction sites, in particular, during the construction monolithic buildings and structures. It is in reinforced concrete structures that reinforcement is most often used.

Initially, all reinforcement of this length, while the production need requires bars various lengths. It is biting with bolt cutters that is the fastest and least expensive way.

Sticky hardware

When dismantling all kinds of metal structures, craftsmen often encounter stuck, rusted nuts. Often, even impact wrenches do not help to cope with them. In such cases, it is customary to use SITOMO reinforcing shears - complete analogue ridgid. So, using reinforcing shears 900 you can quickly and without special efforts get rid of hard to unscrew threaded connection and proceed with dismantling.

Sealing devices

When transporting goods by any of the modes of transport, it is customary to seal the goods. Usually, a special sealing device is attached to a wagon, tank, container, van. There are such devices of bolted or cable type. If the cargo arrives at the destination with an intact seal, this means the safety of the cargo. If the seal is damaged or missing, this indicates that outsiders had access to the cargo being transported. For the installation of seals, specialized sealers are used. But for dismantling, traditionally, 750, 600, 900, 1050, 1200 mm are used.

You can buy such scissors for fittings in our company. The entire range of metalwork and assembly tools is always available in large quantities.

To place an order, we recommend that you add the tool you like to the basket, and then proceed to the checkout form. You can also send your application to our e-mail address, at the same time, do not forget to attach the details of your organization.

You can also just call the sales department, the number can be found in the contacts section. In the shortest possible time, a personal manager will contact you and answer any of your questions, issue an invoice, tell you how to get a discount and help organize delivery to the region.

When working with reinforcement, wire and other products in the form of rods, it becomes necessary to obtain segments of various lengths. Bar cutting is performed with a special tool - a bolt cutter or reinforcing shears. All about this tool and its correct choice - read in this material.

What is a bolt cutter?

(reinforcement scissors / nippers, pinion cutter) - a special tool for cutting bar metal products; shears for metal with a double lever mechanism or with a hydraulic drive, adapted to perform a single cut (cutting) of bar metal products with a diameter of 6-30 mm.

Reinforcing shears find various applications:

• In construction - cutting rebar, wire and other bar products for reinforcement reinforced concrete structures, cutting wire for high voltage contact and electrical networks, etc.;
• In industry - cutting of bar blanks, processing of products;
• In everyday life and private practice - periodic or regular cutting of fittings, wire and other bar products;
• In repair practice - for analysis metal structures, parts manufacturing;
• To perform rescue operations - cutting metal structures, reinforcing frames and other products to release people, make passes, clear debris, etc.

It is interesting to note that the name “bolt cutter”, which has taken root among the people, reflects only the capabilities of this tool, but does not speak of its purpose - bolts are rarely cut with reinforcing scissors, more often they have to work with fittings and wires. But this name stuck and today it is often used even by professionals.

Types and features of bolt cutters

Currently, two types of reinforcing shears with different types of drive are used:

• Manual (mechanical).
• Hydraulic.

Hand bolt cutters are manual lever-operated wire cutters that require muscular force to operate. Hydraulic shears are a group of hydraulically driven tools. Tools have their own characteristics:

Each type of bolt cutter should be described in more detail.

Manual (mechanical) bolt cutters

This tool is a scissors with a double lever mechanism that combines two conventional lever mechanisms:

• Sponges with cutting edges, pivotally connected by a crossbar;
• Handles of great length, articulated at their ends.

The handles on the hinge side are connected to the long arms of the jaws - this is how a two-lever mechanism is formed, which, due to the difference in the length of the arms, has a large gear ratio (more than 10). In such a mechanism, the force from the handles is transmitted to the jaws, which have a small stroke, but develop a significant force.

The handles are made of metal and have plastic/rubber pads at the end. The jaws are made of alloyed steel, their cutting edges are hardened by high frequency currents (depending on the type and purpose of the bolt cutter, the hardness of the edges can reach 40-60 HRc), additionally the jaws can have a protective coating.

As a rule, the cutting edges of the sponges have a symmetrical sharpening at an acute angle, manual reinforcing scissors are more correctly called wire cutters - they do not cut the reinforcement, but bite it. There are two types of sponges:

• Straight lines - the axis of their convergence coincides with the axis of the handles;
• Angular - their convergence axis is located at a certain angle from the axis of the handles.

Manual rebar cutters have two main characteristics:

• Handle length;
• The maximum bar diameter available for cutting.

The length of the handles ranges from 200 to 1115 mm, bolt cutters up to 200 mm long are classified as mini-tools. Scissors with a length of 350 mm or more are measured on an inch standard scale, according to which the tool can have handle lengths of 14, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 42 inches.

The maximum diameter of the bar varies from 5 to 18 mm depending on the models of shears and the type of metal of the bar. The longer the bolt cutter handles, the more force it can develop and, accordingly, it can confidently cut a larger diameter bar. For example, a 14-inch tool can cut carbon steel bars up to 10 mm in diameter, and alloy steel (AIII rebar) up to 8 mm or even less.

Hydraulic bolt cutters

Hydraulic bolt cutters (hydraulic shears) are a tool in which the manual lever drive is replaced by a hydraulic cylinder, which achieves a multiple increase in force on the jaws. Reinforcing shears include three types of tools:

• With manual pumping of fluid into the hydraulic cylinder;
• With liquid pumping into the hydraulic cylinder by the built-in electric pump;
• With fluid pumping into the hydraulic cylinder by an external pump (pumping station).

All of these tools are fundamentally the same. The bolt cutter is based on a hydraulic cylinder and a working head with jaws. The cylinder rod is connected to the movable jaw (knife) of the working head, providing it with the transfer of force for cutting the bar. The differences between the tools lie in the hydraulic cylinder drive used.

Manual hydraulic shears. This type of tool uses a hydraulic cylinder with a manual drive; for operation, it is necessary to repeatedly press the handle with one or two hands.

Hydraulic shears. This type of tool requires pressure from an external hydraulic (oil) pump. Connection is made with a sleeve high pressure from a separate pump or pumping station.

Electro-hydraulic shears. This type of tool has an integrated electric oil pump that supplies fluid to the hydraulic cylinder. To work with such scissors, it is enough to connect to the mains 220 V, there are also battery devices.

The tool is completed with interchangeable working heads with sponges various types. Most often, the working head is made “in a scissor way” - the movable sponge has one-sided sharpening, and the fixed one is made in the form of a plate with sharp edges. The jaws are located in different planes, so they work like scissors, cutting the bar. That is why hydraulically driven bolt cutters are more correctly called hydraulic shears.

Heads of hydraulic shears are made according to two main schemes:

• Clamp type - the jaws are located opposite each other in a C-shaped base, the movable sponge can move back and forth;
• Wire cutters or scissors - the jaws are located, as in wire cutters or scissors, the movable sponge can move up and down.

The hydraulic bolt cutter is professional tool, which, although it has a high cost, is capable of solving a wide range of tasks in construction and industry.

Proper selection and operation of the bolt cutter

The choice of reinforcing shears must be made based on the tasks to be solved, the operating conditions of the tool and the budget.

The most simple and affordable option- manual reinforcing scissors. In most cases, 14" to 24" bolt cutters will suffice, longer tool lengths are needed only for special applications.

For professional use the best option there will be hydraulic reinforcing shears. For work away from energy sources, hand-operated hydraulic shears are suitable, on construction sites with electrification, electro-hydraulic shears are suitable, and if there is a hydraulic pump, ordinary hydraulic shears are suitable. Here, the choice of reinforcement diameter and productivity should be made based on the tasks to be solved and the features of the objects.

The operation of bolt cutters is quite simple - just place the bar between the jaws and apply force to the handles or press the button. However, when working, you should follow the manufacturer's recommendations and safety requirements - only in this case, the cut of reinforcement, wire or other products will be performed quickly, efficiently and without injury.

Hydraulic bolt cutter is an indispensable tool that should be in every home. With it, you can have a snack metal rods, cables, steel products. BUT Additional Information will help you choose a device and find out its characteristics.

The use of bolt cutters on the farm

Bolt cutters or rebar shears are tools for working with metal and steel. According to external data, they resemble those based on the double lever system - handles act in their role, with the help of which the effect on the “sponges” (blades) is enhanced. Most often, the tool is used when biting rods and wires, but many also use it to remove seals.

The device consists of a cutting part (a head that can be changed) and a remote handle. Pleased with a variety of tools in size. So, you can purchase both pocket models, the dimensions of which do not exceed 12 cm, and industrial devices with a length of up to 40 cm, which also differ in the complexity of the work. Bolt cutters can also be used when removing locking units from various storages, wagons, containers.

To bring the device into operation, it is necessary to exert effort on the handle, biting the cable or rod with the blades of the tool. Due to the convenient and thoughtful design, even with minimal effort, you can bite through metal rods and ZPU rods.

Their main characteristic is the presence of massive jaws and long handles in the tool. There are various types of devices, some of them have adjustable blades and a lever system. Thanks to this, it is possible to increase the cutting ability of bolt cutters. And the fact that the handles are connected by bolts allows you to change the elements of the device at any time if they have a dull cutting part. After all, the quality and speed of the work performed depends on the sharpness of the blades.

How to choose a bolt cutter: specifications

Before moving on to the characteristics and features of the device, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of tools that can be purchased today at any hardware store. After all, a certain type is responsible for a certain type of work.

• Hydraulic bolt cutter, equipped with a special hydraulic drive, due to which it is achieved high level gains on the jaws and, accordingly, on the material in operation. This tool is also suitable for cutting high-strength galvanized nuts;
• End type, which is most often used in household– when cutting wire;
• Hydraulic and manual wire cutters used in cutting cables and rods made from mild steel.

You should also pay special attention to key features tool, which will allow you to understand its advantages in use:

• The precision that gets the job done. At the same time, in order to achieve maximum accuracy, it is advisable to purchase a device model with a polished working part;
• High level of ergonomics and safety. Models from famous brands equipped with special gaps between the blades, which has several advantages. First of all, they extend tool life by optimizing the level of stress placed on the blades. Secondly, with the help of this gap, the required safety is ensured, because the risks of “flying out” of the blank elements are minimized. It is also better to choose models that have protection against electrostatic induction;
• Ease of use, which is associated with the handles of the tool. Several aspects must be taken into account here. So, for example, it is better if they have a double lever and are edged, so that it is possible to resist slipping of the blades during work with minimal hassle;
• The cutting part of the device, which you need to pay special attention to when purchasing. In fact, products made of chromium-molybdenum or chrome-vanadium steel proved to be ideal - they have induction hardening;
• Pay attention to the hinges too. If you want the device to serve you as long as possible even at maximum loads, buy tools with tool steel hinges;
• Particular attention is paid to the handles. You should not purchase models with handles in the form of hollow pipes, despite their low cost. Practice shows that when working with hard materials they often bend. It is better to choose devices with tool steel handles covered with plastic on top. When choosing a model according to this principle, pay attention to the ease of working with them and the absence of slip;
• Performance is also important. For example, when doing "homework" (you can use it to cut wire and) there is enough power and mechanical devices, but working with steel requires other tools. That's why professional builders prefer to buy more expensive but powerful hydraulic bolt cutters. Maximum high quality work is achieved by using cutters with a hydraulic pump, which increases the productivity of the tool several times;
• Reliability and practicality. Many models have the following instructions: the cutting element and the handles are not interconnected, but are connected with bolts, which allows us to talk about the practicality of the tool. This allows you to replace the blades and handles of the device if necessary.

However, in order for you to be able to change the working elements of the device, you need to correctly approach the choice of model. The design of most of the devices is arranged in such a way that for disassembly you will need to release the axis and carefully pull it out; remove the replaceable insert (nozzle).

Hydraulic bolt cutter - proper care and maintenance

Before you start work, you must familiarize yourself with the theoretical part of the maintenance and care of the device. After all, the service life of the tool, as well as the quality of the cutting of metal products performed by it, largely depends on this. Basic rules for operation:

• The tool must not be left unattended after use. It must be stored in a dry and protected place, preferably out of the sight of children;
• You cannot reload the tool - study its power in advance in order to work at the load calculated for the model. Using the device for purposes for which it was not intended may result in damage;
• Use additional dust suction equipment, which will limit the bolt cutter from getting small debris that reduces productivity;
• Check the tool before starting work: replace extension cords and worn blades or other damaged parts. Make sure that the handles of the device are dry - they should not get oil or grease. This will also reduce the risk of injury during cutting;
• Do not use any additional accessories for the device other than those described in the user manual. This threatens not only to break the bolt cutter, but also to cause injury.