side/diag cutters

>>1158555
edit: i mostly cut CAT5e/6a, coax, 14/4, 16/4 and zip ties

>>1158555
I believe "soft" would be something like copper wires like you say you are cutting while "hard" would be something like small steel cables ie. rebar tie or bailing wire.

>>1158555
very hard wires like piano wire, rebar or chain would bend a knife-edge, so the hard wire cutter has a dull edge that works by squashing a thin point into the wire and forcing the sides of the dent apart until the wire snaps under the strain. this doesn't work well with soft wires because they smoosh flat without accumulating strain.

fat stranded soft wire needs a shear scissor because it's too thick and squashy for the jaws of the diagonal cutter; it deforms and pops out when you try to cut and you have to chew through it in small nips which is shitty.

stranded hard wire needs a high leverage shear scissor because the hard wire cutter's jaws won't close tightly enough to pinch off individual strands, so it gnaws on the bundle uselessly.

>>1158555
"Soft" wire is most anything nonferrous or annealed steel/iron. "Hard" wire is hardened steel, typically cold-drawn high carbon or alloy steel. Medium-hardness wires like drawn copper or annealed steel might cause problems for some kinds of cutters, but good side cutters should handle them fine. The 76 22 125 should work, but a cable cutter made for cleanly cutting soft stranded wire may do a better job.

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When you get to the bigger soft wires like 14-2/0 CU or AL switch to actual cable cutters.

>>1158732
i was planning on getting dedicated cable shears, but to start off, i want a jack-of-all-trades kind of snips first

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>>1158555

German electrician here who only uses Knipex and Wiha here:

The ones you bought are used for soldering and such.

They will do their work and can easily handle networkcables.

Then there are the normal big sized "Seitenschneider" (german for wirecutter) and then there are the Kraft-Seitenschneider which are even able to cut steel like small nails and such.

With the one you got you're fine, a normal Knipex Wirecutter such as the 79 02 180 >pic related would be better.

Kraft-Seitenschneider would be Overkill and not recommended for your job.

>>1158555
>>1158873

PS:

As you can clearly read on the one you got it cuts copper wire til 2.5 mm^2 which is between 13 and 14 AWG.

You cut 12 AWG which is 3.3mm^2 and so it is not recommended to use the one you got. For sure it is able to do it, but it's the same like fucking your sister, feels right but it isn't.

>>1158873
i just got the 76 22 125 in the mail a few hours ago, tried it on some 14/4 and wasnt too impressed (its the thickest stuff i have to cut). like you said, probably wrong tool for the job.

what attracted me was the opening spring desu, none of hte other side cutters, especially the bigger ones (70, 73, 74) had it. i did a big job the other day and we had to gut the entire building's network and phone wires. my hands were cramping by the end from squeezing too hard and reopening the cutters after every cut

btw, any recommendations for self opening side cutters?

also i hear the chrome finishes chip with hard use on NWS cutters. is this an issue with chrome finishing in general or just bad manufacturing from NWS?

>>1158886
what surprised me was the klein 11046's cutting portion chopped the 14/4 with a nice clean "pop" even though its for stripping 14/26 AWG

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/standard-wire-stripperscutters/wire-strippercutter-16-26-awg-stranded

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>>1158886
>any recommendations for self opening side cutters?
compound action cutters are self opening.
knipex don't make them, might be a patent thing?

>>1158912
is it just me or do none of the manufacturers make any regular/hi leverage cutters with opening springs?

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>>1158990
Just you. Knipex makes a few with springs, like pic related.

OP, you might check out the 95 22 165 cable shears. They seem to be just what you're looking for.

>>1159006
i meant even high leverage lol

the dream would be their "x cuts" with springs