Best Steel Side-cutting Pliers of 2025
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Steel side-cutting pliers are an essential tool for any DIY enthusiast or professional tradesperson. These pliers are designed to cut wires and cables cleanly and precisely, with a sharp, angled cutting edge that can easily snip through even the thickest materials. Made from high-quality steel, these pliers are durable and long-lasting, with a comfortable grip that makes them easy to use for extended periods of time. Whether you're working on a home renovation project or need to make precise cuts in your workshop, steel side-cutting pliers are the perfect tool for the job.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
#TOP 1
9.8
#TOP 2
9.7
#TOP 3
9.5
Top 10 Steel Side-cutting Pliers
Ainiv Spring-Loaded Wire Cutter Pliers
The Ainiv Wire Cutter is designed for precise cutting performance, allowing you to reach narrow spaces with ease. Its comfortable PVC handgrips ensure you won't tire during prolonged use, enhancing your work efficiency. The sharp blade can handle wires up to 16 AWG, making it perfect for various applications like jewellery making and electronics. With a protective cover, you can safely store the cutter, preventing accidental injury when not in use. This tool is a reliable choice for your cutting needs.
Draper Redline 160mm Diagonal Side Cutter with Soft Grip
The Draper Redline Side Cutter is designed for durability and comfort. Made from hardened carbon steel, these pliers are built to last, ensuring you can tackle various tasks without worry. The soft grip handles provide a comfortable hold, reducing hand fatigue during extended use. This allows you to work with confidence and precision. Additionally, the jaws and cutting edges are induction hardened, offering superior strength and reliability for all your cutting needs.
Draper 110mm Carbon Steel Side Cutters
The Draper Side Cutters are crafted from hardened and tempered carbon steel, ensuring they are resistant and durable for a variety of cutting tasks. The textured grips provide secure handling, giving you confidence in your grip while working. With captive double-leaf springs, these pliers offer consistent and effortless operation, reducing fatigue during prolonged use. The bevel-cut, induction-hardened cutting edges deliver precision, making them ideal for tasks that require accuracy. Overall, these features make the Draper Side Cutters a reliable choice for any DIY enthusiast or professional.
Draper Redline 160mm Diagonal Side Cutter
The Draper Side Cutter is designed for durability and efficiency. Crafted from hardened and tempered carbon steel, these pliers ensure they can handle tough tasks, giving you reliable performance when you need it most. The induction-hardened jaws and cutting edges provide superior strength, making them a dependable choice for long-lasting use. With PVC dipped handles, you can enjoy a comfortable grip, reducing hand fatigue during extended work sessions. This tool allows you to work with precision and confidence, making it a valuable addition to your toolkit.
IRWIN Vise-Grip 8" Diagonal Cutting Pliers
The IRWIN Diagonal Cutting Pliers are made from durable nickel chromium steel, ensuring longevity and resistance to wear. The ProTouch grips offer extra comfort, allowing you to work for extended periods without experiencing hand fatigue. Additionally, the induction hardened cutting edge remains sharper for a longer time, enhancing efficiency in your tasks. With these pliers, you can trust that they meet or exceed ANSI specifications, giving you confidence in their quality and performance.
The Army Painter Precision Side Cutter Tool
The Army Painter Cutter is an essential tool for hobbyists, whether you are a beginner or an experienced professional. Its sharp precision head enables you to cut through various materials, including white metal and thick resin, making it easy to remove excess burrs. The wide, rubberised handles provide comfort and leverage, allowing you to cut without discomfort. Made of durable stainless steel, this cutter maintains its sharpness over time, ensuring reliable performance for all your miniature preparation needs.
Sharp-Tec 160mm Precision Diagonal Cutting Pliers
The Sharp-Tec Cutting Pliers are crafted from premium forged steel with a nickel finish, ensuring durability and longevity. The anti-slip handle is designed for comfort, helping to reduce hand fatigue and improve your efficiency during use. With a strong cutting edge, these pliers provide exceptional cutting force, making them ideal for various tasks. You can effortlessly cut through steel wires and nails up to 1.8 mm, as well as stranded wires up to 2.3 mm, making them versatile for different projects.
WORKPRO Heavy Duty Diagonal Cutting Pliers
The WORKPRO Diagonal Pliers are crafted from high-quality Cr-V steel, ensuring exceptional hardness, toughness, and durability. This means you can rely on them for long-lasting use, even in tough conditions. They also function as a wire stripper, making it easy to strip wires without causing damage. The high-leverage design reduces the effort needed for cutting, making your tasks easier. Additionally, the ergonomic non-slip handle provides comfort and safety, allowing you to work efficiently and confidently.
The Army Painter Plastic Frame Cutter Tool
The Army Painter Cutter is an essential tool for hobbyists, whether you're a beginner or a veteran. Its precise head and sharp cutting edge allow you to easily cut through plastic sprues and model parts, ensuring clean and accurate results. The broad safety grip provides maximum leverage and comfort, so you can apply pressure without discomfort. Made from durable stainless steel, this cutter maintains its sharpness over time, making it reliable for all your miniature projects.
XFentech Micro Wire Cutter for Precision Jobs
The XFentech Wire Cutter is designed for precision cutting tasks. Its high hardness material ensures durability, while the refined PVC handle provides comfort during use. The automatic return spring makes repetitive cutting easier, allowing you to work more efficiently without straining your hands. This ultra-sharp cutter can handle soft metal wires up to 6mm in diameter, giving you clean, flush cuts that are essential for delicate projects. Enjoy the convenience of a compact tool that excels in tight spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can side cutters cut steel?
Attempting to cut such material will usually cause indentations to be made in the jaws, or a piece to break out of one or both jaws, thus ruining the tool. However higher quality side cutters can cut hardened steel, such as 2 mm piano wire.
2. What are side cutter pliers?
They cut wire by indenting and wedging a cable apart (as opposed to shearing like scissors). The name comes from how the cutting edges of the jaws are set at an angle (hence the name "diagonal"). They are also known as side cutters, flush cut pliers, side cutting pliers, wire cutters, diagonal cutting nippers.
3. Are diagonal and side cutting pliers the same?
One of the key differences is that diagonal cutters are often better suited to smaller, more delicate cutting tasks, whereas side cutters are ideally suited to larger-scale applications. While this isn't always the case, it is useful to know as a general rule.
4. What are diagonal side cutting pliers used for?
description and function Diagonal cutting pliers are used for cutting wire and small pins in areas that cannot be reached by larger cutting tools. Because the cutting edges are diagonally offset about 15 degrees, these can cut objects flush with a surface.
During our steel side-cutting pliers research, we found 136 steel side-cutting pliers products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 64,596 customer reviews through our big data system to write the steel side-cutting pliers list. We found that most customers choose steel side-cutting pliers with an average price of £6.03.
The steel side-cutting pliers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of steel side-cutting pliers, including Ainiv, Draper, IRWIN, The Army Painter, Sharp-tec. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 932 consumers with an average rating of 4.8.
Jennifer Fraser is a licensed contractor specializing in sales, maintenance, and kitchen, bathroom, and home appliances, tools, and utilities. She owns a store in Leeds where you can get any home and tool appliance. Jenny has a degree in literature, but she combines her knowledge and experience with her degree to publish DIY articles on solving home appliances issues to keep up the family enterprise.