While you can sometimes get away with using utility knives and scissors to cut tubing for air and water lines, most fittings – especially push-in ones – work best when the tubing is cut cleanly with perfectly perpendicular ends.
There are two types of cutters that I typically use and can definitely recommend.
Mini Tubing Cutters
Mini tubing cutters are meant for use on smaller diameter tubing and are extremely compact and user-friendly. They have spring-loaded jaws, a v-groove that holds tubing centered and in place, and a sharp angled blade.
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Squeeze the handles at the back to open the jaws, and then squeeze down at the front to make the cut. Tubing capacity is typically 1/8″ to 3/4″.
These cutters typically cost between $5 and $10, and you can replace the blade once it dulls. Some versions come with coiled tethers for a few bucks more.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Milwaukee Tubing Cutter
A few months ago I spotted Milwaukee’s tubing cutter at the local Home Depot and gleefully bought one. This is embarrassing, but I had completely forgotten that Milwaukee had introduced the cutter along with the new pliers and snips that came out 2-1/2 years ago!
I had been using a Ridgid pipe cutter (via Amazon/Home Depot) – which actually sucks at cutting PVC pipes – to cut larger tubing, but the Milwaukee works substantially better. Like the mini tubing cutter, it doesn’t squeeze and distort tubing, it simple slices right through.
There are large similar-styled bench-mountable industrial tubing cutters that are available for over $50, but I find the Milwaukee to be a nice alternative for hand-held use. It works well and is relatively affordable at ~$25.
While strongly aimed for use on ProPex tubing, the Milwaukee 48-22-4200 cutter works on soft tubing up to 1″ in diameter. Replacement blades are available for $8 each.
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
fred says
Avid and Jagwire make tubing cutters marketed for bicycle repair – that may be of interest to some:
http://www.amazon.com/Avid-Hydraulic-Hose-Cutter-Tool/dp/B001TGIEUC/
Mr Michael L. Veach says
The mini tubing cutter is one of those why didn’t I think of that things
mike says
We use the those first ones at work for cutting our pneumatic lines with, they work well.
Now that i see those milwaukee ones im buying a set for me tool box since it matches my red color scheme 😉
fred says
The shop that we used to maintain our heavy equipment – some pneumatic – but mostly hydraulic (braided hose) lines didn’t use a hand cutter at all – as far as I recall. they had a cutoff machine that use a blade that looked not unlike one on a meat slicer. When I saw it in use it was impressive – but also a bit scary.
I found a link for the blades – but not the machine:
http://www.industrialbladesandknives.com/markets/hose.php
KL says
My local auto parts uses the Milwaukee to cut all their heater hose. If you want some nice tubing cutters search clean room equipment, but most probably start at $250 and climb into thousands easily for fully automatic.
kcaz says
These by Kwik Cut are not to bad.
http://www.leaderevaporator.com/p-218-kwik-cut-tubing-cutter.aspx