AV Tools Shootout: The Best General-use Cutter
When installing AV systems, having the right tools is a must. We all probably have a pair of diagonal cutters, wire strippers, a utility knife, etc. But sometimes, there is one tool that becomes more comfortable than the rest. This is your go-to and from that point on, you won’t want to do a job without it. The best go-to tools are the most versatile ones.
We’ve been exploring several different cutting tools here in the LEA office. Cutting tools are definitely one of the most crucial tools in the AV tool box. From cutting wire to zip ties, to opening boxes and more. A good cutter is a must. But there are so many options – how can you know which one is the best.
We decided to put them to the test. We chose eight completely different cutting tools and put them to a shoot out! Each tool was put through a series of tests and rated individually to determine which cutter makes the cut.
Here’s what we found…
The AV Tools & Materials
We didn’t go out and purchase a bunch of brand new, fancy tools for this. Every tool we chose is one that we have here in our office. These are common AV tools that every installer is familiar with.
Xcelite 101-S Stripper/Cutter with Spring
This little hand-held cutter-stripper combo is spring loaded and ready to go. Just squeeze the handles and start cutting. Primarily used for cutting wire, but we decided to see how well it handles other common tasks.
C.K. Tools Electrician's Scissors
These cutting scissors come highly recommended by electricians and the AV community alike. They’re compact, lightweight, durable – all the things you want it a good all-around AV cutting tool.
Radio Shack Cutter/Crimper/Stripper Combo
Not your typical cutting tool but it does feature a cutting blade right between the handles. Since we already know it does a great job stripping wire and crimping connections, we decided to see if the cutting blade could pass for a good go-to tool. If so, this tool might be the end-all combo!
Reflex T-Stripper Wire Stripper
We’ve all got a pair of these in the AV tool box. But can this ordinary pair of wire strippers make the cut as our go-to cutting tool? It’s worth a shot!
Knipex 7401-200 High Leverage 8" Diagonal Cutters
Diagonal cutters are often one of the most commonly used hand-helds found in the AV toolbox. But this pair is probably a bit larger than what you would normally use so we decided to see how the size would impact the performance.
Knipex 78 03 125 5-Inch Electronics Super-Knips
Now, these diagonal cutters are probably more familiar. They’re compact, lightweight, and as far as brand goes, you can’t go wrong with Knipex tools.
Workpro Folding Knife
A good utility knife is a must! We found this one from WorkPro and so far it’s been pretty impressive. So, we decided to put it to the test against actual wire cutting tools to see how it stands up.
Bob's Pocket Knife
Bob is one of our engineers here and he was kind enough to lend his pocket knife to the shootout. We wanted to see how well a standard, every-man’s pocket knife would hold up. After all, these things always have your back when you need them the most!
We decided to use four different materials to test the overall effectiveness of these cutting tools. Each one had to cut through common materials you might find at the average AV job site such as:
Duct Tape
Electrical tape was too obvious. So we tried the ultimate problem solver – duct tape. It’s durable, versatile and super sticky. Let’s see how our tools hold up to this desert island gold.
Zip Ties
Snippin’ zips is a critical part of the job. Any essential cutting tool should be able to make clean and easy cuts on these cable wranglers.
Wire
A good pair of AV cutters has to be able to make clean and easy cuts when it comes to wire. The wire we used is a pretty common gauge and shouldn’t provide much difficulty for a nice set of cutters. Hopefully…
Cardboard
We also chose a pretty standard chunk of cardboard to really test the limits of our cutters. You never know when you may need to cut into a product box, and if your AV cutters can handle the job, they might just be worthy of your toolbox.
The Judging Process
Each cutter was taken through the same exact process. Simply attempt to cut into each of the above materials. With each material, we rated the cutters on a scale from 0-5, 5 being the best and 0 being the worst. The judging criteria were:
- Ease of cut
- Accuracy of cut
- Comfort of tool
- Overall Effectiveness
After testing each tool using the method above, here’s what we found…
The Shootout
Time to put these cutters to the test. To get things started, we grabbed the Xcelite 101-S Strippers/Cutters and went to work.
Let the cutting commence!
XCELITE 101-S CUTTERS/STRIPPERS
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WIRE | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| ZIP TIE | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| CARDBOARD | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
NOTES:
Cutting through the tape proved to be pretty difficult. First of all, the tape sticks to the blades when they come into contact, resulting in a super messy cut. You might be able to really work at it and get through the tape but, in our opinion, you’d be better off using your teeth.
We had better luck with the wire. The Xcelite went right through with very minimal effort. However, the first cut left behind a few strands of wire that were still connected. One more quick cut finished the job although, ease and comfort suffered due to the spring loaded action.
When it came to cutting the zip tie, the Xcelite handled it no problem. However, due to the design of the blades, we found it impossible to get a proper flush cut.
The Xcelite did work surprisingly well on the cardboard. It doesn’t produce a very clean cut and it isn’t all that easy, but it would get the job done in a pinch.
XCELITE 101-S CUTTERS/STRIPPERS
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| WIRE | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| ZIP TIE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
NOTES:
When it comes to the tape, zip tie, and wire, these cutters sliced through each material like butter. The only reason we scored the zip tie accuracy as a 4 instead of 5 is because, it took two cuts to get a perfect flush cut. Although, after doing it once now, I think we could easily accomplish the same thing in just one cut next time.
However, we discovered that the cardboard was a bit more challenging. The first cut, the scissors worked like a dream. But after that, attempting to cut further into the cardboard proved to be a bit of a challenge. If you just need to quickly cut open a box or do a quick and dirty modification, these cutters work great. But if precision and accuracy are what you’re after, we found it a little challenging to cut in a straight line.
Radio Shack - Cutter/Crimper/Stripper Combo
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WIRE | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| ZIP TIE | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NOTES:
As we used this combo tool to cut through the different materials, the most noticeable difficulty was due to the tool being too bulky. It’s just too big, heavy, and awkward to be a go-to cutting tool. If you had to use it in a pinch, it works pretty well for cutting through zip ties and wire (although it is uncomfortable). But if you need to do more extensive cutting this won’t be your tool. We had extreme difficulty using it to cut through the tape and cardboard. In those instances, we couldn’t even get the job done using this tool.
Reflex T-Stripper
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| WIRE | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| ZIP TIE | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
NOTES:
While this tool is primarily suited for wire stripping, it does have a cutting blade closer to the handle. Overall, the blade works pretty well for cutting through zip ties and wires. It’s comfortable, easy to use, and acceptably effective. However, it wasn’t able to produce an acceptable flush cut and it did take two cuts to get a clean cut through the wire. The first cut just broke through the shield and the second finished the job.
Cutting the tape and cardboard is virtually impossible with this tool.
It’s important to keep in mind that, all of these cutters, are tools that we’ve had and used frequently in our office. With a proper blade sharpening or a newer pair, cutting would likely be much easier and more effective.
Knipex 78 03 125 5-Inch Electronics Super-Knips
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| WIRE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| ZIP TIE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
NOTES:
The Super Knips are pretty much a dream cutter as far as we’re concerned. They easily cut through wire and zip ties perfectly. It’s a cinch to flush cut ties as well. While they’re not ideal for cutting through tape and cardboard, they do get the job done with a minimal amount of effort. A definite front runner in our book!
Knipex 740 / 200 8" Diagonal Cutters
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| WIRE | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| ZIP TIE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
NOTES:
These cutters did a great job when cutting through the zip tie and wire. Although, we weren’t able to get a clean flush cut on the zip tie due to the larger cutting blades.
The short comings of this tool were very apparent when cutting through the tape and cardboard. It required extremely firm pressure and careful cutting for accuracy. Cutting all the way through any cardboard is virtually impossible.
WorkPro Utility Knife
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| WIRE | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| ZIP TIE | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
NOTES:
After cutting through each material with this knife, the overall opinion is that this is a great all-around cutting tool. Keep this one close – it will come in handy frequently.
The shortcomings of this knife as a go-to cutter are poor accuracy (especially with cardboard) and it requires a fair amount of effort to cut through zip ties and wires. It’s not as easy as squeezing a handle. You actually have to use some arm strength to make the cut.
But with enough strength and slow, careful cutting, this knife can accomplish just about anything you need.
Bob's Pocket Knife
RESULTS
| MATERIAL | EASE | ACCURACY | COMFORT | EFFECTIVENESS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| WIRE | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| ZIP TIE | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| CARDBOARD | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
NOTES:
Many people carry a common pocket knife, much like the one we borrowed from our Mechanical Engineer, Bob. That’s why we put this one to the test.
Overall, this knife will get most any job done. However, the key to easy and accurate cuts is to have a sharp blade. As you can see from our results, Bob might want to sharpen his blade in the near future. We did struggle with accuracy and clean cuts.
But, if you just need a quick cut made, a pocket knife will get job done for you.
Conclusion
After all of the cuts were made and the scores were tallied, here are the final results ranked by best overall cutting tool to worst:
- Knipex Super Knips – 77 Points
- Electrician’s Scissors – 74 Points
- WorkPro Knife – 60 Points
- Bob’s Pocket Knife – 60 Points
- Knipex 8″ Diagonal Cutters – 53 Points
- Reflex T-Strippers – 42 Points
- Radio Shack Combo Tool – 35 Points
- Xcelite 101-S – 35 Points
As you can see, there is a lot of you can do with a great pair of cutters. We already recommended the Knipex Super Knips as one of our favorite must-have AV installer tools, but now, it’s clear that these diagonal cutters are the everyday go-to cutter you’ve gotta have.
Not every cutting tool made the cut for this shootout experiment. If you’ve found a different tool that you think could stand up against these, feel free to share it with us in the comments below!
If you have any questions, feedback, or recommendations for av tools, please leave a comment below or reach out to us on our social media channels.
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