H.K. Porter Center Cut Spring Return Compact Bolt Cutter

This product is supposed to feature a spring return. While the cutters do have a spring, my set would not return to an open state. There was clearly a bind up in the motion that prevented the spring from opening them. I tried lubricating the tool but that did not remediate the issue. Outside of the spring return issue, the cutters worked very well. They are compact and as a result will be limited in the diameter of material they can cut and the force that can be applied. I tested them on a 16d nail, a couple of screws, 6 gauge stranded copper electrical wire and a hardened box spring. It cut through all of them without damaging the cutting surface. Considering the quality of the metal in the tool allowing it to cut a variety of materials, I was surprised the locking mechanism was made of plastic. While it is likely the lack of spring return function on my set is a unique defect, I cannot give them a high rating as the spring function is part of the product description and should work. I can however recommend them as they cut everything I tested them against without issue.

Did its job. Did it well.

This is a real small but handy bolt cutter. I would say it can easily cut bolts or nails up to about 5/16″ and with some decent effort could cut some a bit larger. I tried things from brads to sheet metal screws and as long as I got the metal piece tucked into the hinge corner, this would cut the metal pretty easily. If I tried to cut a screw out at the end of the bite area, there was no way I could squeeze it to cut the metal. Just remember to get the metal piece deep into the cutter jaws then it should cut almost anything you can fit into that area. Again, I would guess the max is close to 1/4″ but that depends on the metal how hard it might be. The locking mechanism is different but works well too. I do recommend this tool.

This is a very high quality pair of compact bolt cutters! The cutters are definitely compact and can reach into tighter areas compared to traditional sized bolt cutters. One application that I plan on using the cutters on is in our bathroom for the anchor bolts that secure the toilet. These bolts have notches that can be cut depending on the height required. In the past, I have never been able to reach the bolts due to size. At the time, I used a small electric rotary cutter that left marks on the toilet from the sparks. This compact bolt cutter will solve that future problem! The bolt cutter has a very convenient locking mechanism that keeps the cutters closed when not in use. The spring mechanism has a very smooth feel. The bolt cutters have a appearance of quality. I would strongly recommend!!

The feature that stands out is the convenient size of the bolt cutter. It will fix in a tool box without taking to much room. What I like about it is that it is easy to hold and use however what I dislike about the bolt cutters is that the jaws do not open wider to cut a large bolt if necessary. I just received this product via UPS on Tuesday October 29, 2019. I am not sure if it will meet my expectations however I will put it through the test..

I use these hand bolt cutters for cutting trim wire (as pictured) and for cutting castings from their excess material. The handles are comfortable and have sections that are “sure grip”. When I looked at the cutting edges by a light they meet for the length. They look like they will last a very long time. THese are comfortable in the hand and can be used repeatedly without fatigue.

While these are called bolt cutters, my primary use will be to cut 10 ga chain link fencing. It works quite well and it doesn’t take much effort to cut it. I own a pair of very large bolt cutters but was looking for something smaller I can put in my pocket or tool belt. These can also be using for any kind of wire types, like house hold wire, possible even wire mesh wire that goes into concrete, but I haven’t tried that yet.The handle is spring loaded for quick release that will open the jaws after each cut. There is a locking lever so you can close the jaws when you’re done. The molded handles are very comfortable. The effort to cut 10 ga fencing wire is less the using wire regular wire cutters. Plus with the cutter at the tip it’s easy to reach in and cut.

I looked for a new tool that would give me more leverage in cutting romex and cables. The first criteria I use; does this cut paper? The reason I use that is to see how the blades come together. This will cut through a single sheet of paper cleanly. I then tried it on the typical things I needed it for, garage cable and 12 gauge 3 conductor romex wire. The cam action on the cutters made the effort half the normal pressure using my lineman’s tool. The cuts were clean and easy. The tool is light weight and compact. For me the ease of cutting items was important as my hand strength isn’t like it used to be.

Handy little bolt cutters. I have always wanted a tool like this for easily cutting old nails and steel mesh when preparing a concrete slab or tearing one up. They are also great for cutting wire. I am impressed with their leverage and cutting strength. They are about the size of a large set of pliers and can be used with one hand unlike standard bolt cutters. They can cut soft material up to .25″ thick, nails up to .2″ thick, steel up to .16″. Handle is spring loaded for quick work as well. The only downside to these is that the cutting jaw edges (blades) dont meet perfectly centered (see picture). Made in China.

These are about the size of a set of handheld electrical pliers/cutters, but they can handle significantly harder materials due to the hardened cutting surfaces. You will find multiple uses for these cutters, not just bolts, but they do that well too. I tried cutting various materials and while some required more effort than others, some needing two hands, it was able to cut them all cleanly. Electrical wiring, small link chain, smaller bolts and nail-heads, this cutter will cut where general pliers/cutters fall short. The handles felt good in hand, and the hinges had smooth motion. My only concern is the “spring”. It does the job but can get caught and easily lost. Perhaps the parts of the handle that the spring sits on could be longer. It does the job, but I could just see a slightly better way of doing it. Keep in mind these are handheld cutters, don’t expect to open any locks are thicker metal, you’ll need a larger set for that. In my pic I show a screw that I was able to cut with these, the chapstick is just there for size reference.