Pivoting Joint Side Cutter Showdown 

I would always go for the Knipex. Here in Germany Knipex is famous for it's durability. I use a plier that's about half a century old now and it's still sharp and sturdy as hell. There's a common phrase here: If you buy cheap, you buy twice...

Once the blade is damaged when tested within the manufacturer specifications, the tools is disqualified regardless the price. To me, both NWS and Wiha are not up to specs and must be considered "Fail". Only Knipex meet the specifications and has value thus the winner.

I very much enjoyed this showdown. I don't have a need for such a tool, myself, but I've wondered what these various approaches to leverage were capable of. Many thanks for putting this together.

I have to say that this is the best explained and demonstrated video I have seen on RU-vid. My hat is off to you Sir. Peace

Love your objective testing statistical oriented reports! SOO much better than... "I just liked the feel of the XX brand better, and it seemed to cut better" 🤔

I got that same NWS cutter along with WERA tools. These are the best tools I've used in Aircraft Avionics and general electrical\mechanical works.

I've been using the Wurth (rebranded Wiha) cutters for about a year now, daily use in a professional setting. Mostly used to cut spokes, some hardware, small cable. They are by far my favorite cutters, better than the knipex which are a shop favorite. As far as longevity, I haven't noticed any damage or appreciable drop in cutting ability despite abusing them, cutting small fasteners and such. Power button is a bit gimmicky, but overall I highly recommend the Wiha.

Fantastico for the win! Probably should have mentioned that they come in a VDE version.

Thanks you for great reviews. I really enjoy your concise nonsense approach. Please keep them coming. I believe you set a standard for great RU-vid reviews.

The comparison is detailed and comprehensive. Thanks.

Ok knipex is the dearest but for all the fancy handles and stamping on the nws the main critical wear point here is the jaws. Knipex didn't flinch and that's what makes them the best imo.. excellent review as always.

I like the solid review and your honest opinion. Thank you for that.

Great vid. Love these shootouts!

i have the irwing rebranded NWS and are my goto cutters. i totally agree with you're review

Listen to the enthusiasm in his voice as the video starts! Someone had a good night! Keep up the good work. Love the channel

thanks for the video, great job as usual!!

I love how the nws feel. I also prefer the no. Insulated to the insulated…the grips feel and look batter…and I’ve never cut into a live wire so I have no need to insulated cutters. Good video.

Great scientific review. Thanks!

Excellent and comprehensive review. Thanks for posting it. I am in the market for a pair of powerful cutting pliers for various tasks including cutting a ring that is around a pipe not too much clearance between the ring and the pipe and occasional screws, nails etc.

I love your showdown videos. I've bought so much based on your videos and recommendations and I've been happy with every one of them.

exactly what i’m looking for, i’ve had the nws for years but i’m a kinipex fan

Thanks for this review. I agree with comments citing once the cutting edge is damaged, it's pretty much over for the tool. I'd go Knipex. I don't want to have to think about the hardness, or not, of the material I'm cutting.

Very cool. Subscribed. Dreaming of one day I can get one of each of these tools on your review.

Well posted and thank you for this great information

Love the review!

The jaws on the NWS cutters tend to stop biting together and actually overlap each other once the mechanism has lossened up. I've had two pairs of them and both were returned with the same fault. They were only used for cutting mains cable and a few soft steel nails. Also, after cutting the nails, there were visible notches on the blades that let light through. I find the Knipex Cobalt mini bolt cutters much better for harder materials.

Out of these 3 brands I’ve only owned a pair of NWS angled tip needle nose. Other then the main jaw surface, they have 2 other toothed clamping sections, 1 fine and the other large. Using decent (but not extreme) 1 handed pressure to grip the small 3/8 metal adjustment knob on my cabinet handle drilling jig, the fine teeth have worn completely flat in 3 years.

Great comparison man!

Excellent video, congratulations

Dang man that’s awesome I just ordered some knipex I have there installation pliers for over 2 years now still like new can’t wait to put the cutters to work also picked up felo automatic wire strippers wondering how they will turn out

An exhaustive video for my choice, thank you much!

Great vid GTR! I love these showdowns!

Great review, bro.

Excellent comparison.

Great that you're using a force gauge... but your positioning upon the handle will GREATLY affect the measured force.

I just checked my knipex mini bolt cutters and they also have the slightly flattened cutting edge. For music wire, I wouldn't really use any other pair of cutters. The pivot point on those mini bolt cutters is so impossibly close to the root of the cutting edges that no other cutters I've ever seen have a higher degree of mechanical advantage

Years ago I bought a rebranded nws model on sale for 7.00 usa dollars. It has never failed me. I tried them on something I should not have and the cutting edges had no damage. So I'm good.

Good review

Fantastic review, got you a Sub.

Nice and informative 👍

I’ve tried the wiha classic handles and the wiha industrial handles and It does make a difference with cutting performance. I haven’t done any testing to see how it compares to the nws or knipex although I don’t think any of them are a poor purchase

Very good and well broken down video.

i own the irwing rebranded Nws cutters and cant complain i cut many bolts with them and after about 2 yeara of use they are holding strong

The only reason to get these is if you know you'll be cutting challenging materials. There's no excuse for cutters made with the right steel and properly hardened to deform like the NWS and Wiha ones did on that music wire. That's the whole point of buying better quality tools like these. I don't imagine NWS or Wiha have any better on their other pliers that include cutters either. I guess there's a reason almost all the electricians I know use Klein or Knipex tools when they can. I think you ought to include a music wire cut test for any pliers in the future that include cutters. If they aren't hard enough to cut that, they just aren't professional grade tools regarsless of brand or price.

I have the Nws but not the soft grip handles from 5 years and I love them.The only thing it’s the original plastic handle grip didn’t last more then a year.

Rooting for nws on this one... i like the look n hope they do well... here we go....😎

Would have been accurate in measuring force required if you used a jig to get the measuring device exactly the same distance from end of pliers each time. Measuring from closer to outside requires less force

it would be interesting to see closeup geometry of each of the blades.

I have the NWS 7 inch from 4 years and it’s really great tool and cuts easier then knipex.

I’ve been trying to move away from my 8 year old NWS pliers to Snap On but the fantastico cutters won’t give up the ghost and even though the teeth are worn down on my NWS combination pliers, the cutters are the same as they were brand new. That said, the same can be said for Knipex and Klein stuff I’ve owned.

I have a pair of Irwin side cutters that look almost exactly These NWS and stamped with the same MADE IN GERMANY stamp. I bought them to replace my second pair of 10" high leverage Knipex side cutters for use in convention/trade show work in electrical. I have cut a few nails and screws with them with no noticeable damage to the tool. My first of 3 pairs of Knipex 10" side cutters seen about a year of cutting Nails, Screws, dog chain, spiral cable wire, electrical wire and other material out of machines called Sorting Screens in a recycle center about 5 hours a night, 5 nights a week. The only reason i had to replace them is because I left them out somewhere and someone grabbed them or I lost them. Now having a 3rd pair. The Knipex cutters have a longer jaw than your average side cutter.

Now that you have the nws pliers are you going to do a comparison to the similar Irwin branded nws pliers?

Nice tools

Very comprehensive review.. good job 👍👍

Had my NWS for over3 years and I've cut wire, staples, screws, nails chains, and I still have no gap inbetween the blades.

Fantastic video. I still carry the same NWS that cut a pair of quarter inch all-thread, years ago! I want the Wiha, next, because of Wiha customer service sending a salesman to demonstrate their tools to little, old me - previously, an apprentice Union electrician. He cut a chain. Then, he showed me why the power button is more than just a (cool) gimmick. I think, I'll stay my course. Knipex is the pinnacle of pliers, but I'd rather have cutting than durability. I'm actually kind of disappointed that Knipex didn't take both categories. Any who, fantastic video, as per usual: content comparison, scientific approach, and fast and to the point! 👈 😀 👉

Wiha one cracked on me after like a week lol. Tip snapped right off

U did measure the distnce of force aplied point and cutting point, to be the same, when you measured the force needed to cut, right?

I've own all three and my nws were the worst by far with cutting. Idk if I got a bad pair. Just my two cents. I love all three brands

I've been waiting for this one.

I swear by bahco diagonal cutters... Have no trouble cutting 3 mm piano and regularly chomp through 16mm copper without the fancy pivot...

Great review. Thanks.

I have been weiting for this video for a long time

I have the Wiha and hate it, and now thinking about getting a Klein heavy duty diagonal cutter. The button keeps coming loose and get stuck in between setting. So I have to adjust the button when I pull it out of my tool belt, really annoying. I'm thinking about gluing the button, since i always have it set to the heavy duty setting.

Thanks for doing these reviews. I would like a recommendation for a kind of unique situation in that I need to be able to cut 14 gauge and 12 gauge copper wire for jewelry making. Ideally, it has to have a flush cut at least on one of the two ends after they are cut. Therein is my problem. High quality cutters used in jewelry making are just not heavy duty enough for 14 gauge, much less 12 gauge. Can you make any recommendations? Please.

I had 2 nws fantastico cutters withing a few abusive cuts blades chipped. Then i got me the knipex twinforce went thru the same abusive and then some and blades are still sharp and cutting well. Sorry but the nws looks nice but cant withstand any abuse. Knipex should be on first place

It depends where on the handle you measure the force required to cut. You can get way less or more leverage.....

Knipex capolavoro di ingegneria. Grazie

I cut a lot of 14ga wire with the knipex, no deformation yet. I think the price is reflective of the overall desirablility of the brand, which is earned.

2:49 I got my Wiha Pivot Cutter at $25 with free shipping, on a sale directly through Wiha Tools USA. I haven't used it once, but it's a bit concerning to know that the cutting edge dulls easily.

wow why is the knipex so expensiv compared to the rest for you here in germany the knipex will bei aroun 40€, the whia around 30€ and the nws around 25€ o.0 btw i love the knipex twin force at work, cause wee use them to cut the springsteel inside vacuum and material hoses and to make openings into robot cages to tought for normal side cutters, but not enought space to use the mini bolt cutters, so pretty much the perfect too for the job ;)

Sir, Knipex also has a side cutter called heavy duty. What is the difference between this side cutter and the normal one? Doesn't it have the same mission as the regular pickpocket, which is heavy duty?

excelente contenido muy completo LIKE

I have the NWS from KC Tools... Them things cut harden bolts...With no notching...

Great video as usual. Is there a "proper" tool for music wire? I'm the type to buy a tool only when I need them and ill be needing one in a few weeks to make some springs. Would a Knipex mini bolt cutter be adequate? I have a Knipex side cutter and I'd rather not get these high leverage cutters as it seems too much of an overlap in capability.

Were they really hard to open? Seems like you had trouble trying to get them open with one hand.

Hey GTR, I was going to through my old mans box and I found a Gedore 3/4 wrench that was made in India believe it or not. Do you want me to send it to you, maybe do a quick video?

Those cutting forces seemed obvious after you calculated the cutting ratio

Thanks

Build quality and cutter life are only worth 30% of the total score???? As a tradesman who relies on his tools day in day out, this is alot more important me. Having used both NWS and Knipex cutters (non double pivotting models), i can say the Knipex is hands down without a doubt the higher quality and better built unit. They just last longer and and dont wear out in 3 months like the crappy NWS will.

excelent rewiev,knipex are the best ever pliers i own

Great interesting

As always great video.

so lucky , in austria (europe) the knipex is 45€ and the nws 22😍on the other hand a leatherman wave is 150

There’s an Irwin version of those NWS

use electricians shears for cable cutting. diagonals are only ok for small dia individual cables.

Perfect! I was wondering about these. Very to happy to see you did a review on them. This may be my first pair of NWS. I have a pile of Knipex and a few Wiha. But I’m not a fan of the Asian made “German” tools. I will buy USA (Klein) before I buy the Asian stuff due to experience with quality issues in the past.

I bought the Wiha as it is a nicely designed unit for the price and I’m not going to be cutting piano wire all day long.

Cool

Why don't manufacturers come up with tungsten cutting edges on these type of cutters?

did you measure cutting force on the same distance with every tool?

For most pliers I'd choose Knipex, but the stiffness of the jaws for this according to several reviews I have read put me off wanting this set. I mean, it's not as if they are stiff, but the bonus if you get much better leverage than others-the leverage is worse in these tests. Nah, I'll pass.

It may be a German brand, but if it's not made in Germany it's not really a German tool.

Excellent comparison. I recently watched a Project Farm video which compared a bunch of different cutters which had completely different designs and intended functions, and therefore the comparison was pretty meaningless. They should learn from your channel!

Meu sonho de consumo pena que não posso compra-lo.

My dad is an electrician (mostly bench tech), He always swore by Wiha smaller precision drivers. They look "almost cheaply" made, yet they just work great. I became kind of a fan boy of Wiha, unless it's made in Vietnam. My Vietnam made Wiha needle nose pliers are damn near garbage. Their only plus is that the handle is nice and comfy. The steel has to be softer (or not properly hardened) than their German made tools. My needle nose (Vietnam) tip is cast off center to the side, the teeth have been smoothed over close to half of the knurling. Fit and finish is pretty sad for $25-$30 for small needle nose pliers. I'll still probably buy some German made Wiha, I'll never buy any of their Vietnam shit again (Pliers and cutters). If they switch over to more Vietnam (Harbor Freight) production, i'll just ditch Wiha tools. I almost always use Xcelite, Klein, Ideal for smaller pliers. Vessel has been my new favorite PH2 screwdriver (I deal with plenty of JIS) and the Vessel just grips/fits so good).

Oooooooooooh, so that is NWS. Last order KC Tool included a sticker with that letter combination. Totally never heard about that brand but I will probably stick to Knipex when it comes to cutting tools.

Don't take the knippex if you are not cutting hard materials all the time?? how about you need to cut 1 out of 10 cuts some hard material? how many side cutters you want to buy in a month when you working with these?

the Knipex Duel pin is WAY superior. That’s where the extra cost occurs The blades are best,the duel pins wil square and balance the cut way more Duel pins will also aid in deformation with tuff clients Knipex blade will do 20 years+

Those are compound leverage ..