bicycle cable(wire) cutter: Knipex, Felco

[HOT]

I have been using Knipex 95 62 190 for a year. I used to cut bicycle cables and housings. Cutting power is great.

However, there is one flaw. The lock that appeared on the attachment came loose shortly after. So I had to hit that lock for about a year to get it fixed. Every few days I had to hit that axle with a hammer to keep it in place. This is very annoying.

I don't know if I'm the only one with these symptoms. So I've been thinking about how to fix the handle, but I can't come up with a way.

I'm thinking of buying Felco C7 after all. I don't need a crimper. What do you think? Will there be any more waste if I buy Felco C7? Or I just thought of not using the lock at all.

 

[Steve_P]

Can you remove the pin, then deform the side of it by peening it with a centerpunch? And then reinstall? If the pin isn't very hard and you can peen it, the raised metal will help hold it in place. Oh, I assumed that the pin doesn't move, and the lock rotates on it

 

[4xdog]

Is the nut a nyloc? Perhaps it should/could be?

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Ive been extremely happy with the Felco. It’s held up grate over the years.

 

[Pexto]

Count me as another Felco fan. Over 30 years ago, I was working as a bike mechanic and my girlfriend asked the shop owner what she should get me for my birthday. He suggested the Felco C7s.

I still have those Felco C7s and they still work fine. Even better, I married that young lady and we're still together.

 

[rlitman]

For pruning shrubs, I prefer my Japanese ARS shears to my Felcos, but when it comes to cutting cable, nothing I've seen beats the Felco. I have a C3 and C7, and tend to use the C3 for anything that fits in it. Note that the 3mm capacity of the C3 only applies if you can slip the cable end between the cutters. Because of the inward pointing jaws, the space between the C3 tips is tighter than the true capacity (the picture on Felco's site doesn't do it justice.

edit: Come to think of it, for bicycle cable cutters, you'll be cutting both the cable (within reach of the C3), AND housing (WAY too big for the C3, but easily done by the C7), so um, just ignore my comments about the C3 here.

 

[Sumboodie]

I always have used a grinder or torch to cut wire rope. Never thought about cutters.

 

[shibertus]

I have been very happy with my Tsunoda WC-200 for cutting housing.

 

[aggiegrads]

Here is what I would do…

It sounds like the problem is that the pin that holds the thumb wheel does not have a good interference fit. I took a couple of photos of mine:


and here is the backside:


I would use a center punch to slightly mushroom the pin from the backside. You will need to use something to backstop the pin or you will simply push it out. here is an example of what I would do:


That is a mechanical pencil tip; that is where the center punch would go.

 

[techieman33]

I always have used a grinder or torch to cut wire rope. Never thought about cutters.

That's fine if your just cutting it out, or using a wire rope clip. But if your going to terminate them with a copper sleeve then the clean cut from a cutter is the only way to go.

 

[boom_bap]

Might be worth attempting to warranty them if thats even a thing for Knipex. I've got the same pair, and I guess I haven't used it enough for that to happen yet. That being said it is the same price as the Felco C7 when I picked up my set, and from the pictures of them the felcos seemed like stamped steel so I opted for the forging.

 

[rlitman]

Might be worth attempting to warranty them if thats even a thing for Knipex. I've got the same pair, and I guess I haven't used it enough for that to happen yet. That being said it is the same price as the Felco C7 when I picked up my set, and from the pictures of them the felcos seemed like stamped steel so I opted for the forging.

The Felco C7 has stamped steel handles, but the cutting edges are still forged and that's all that matters. The handles are plenty strong to do their job, and are not a known weakness. It lightens the tool considerably too. The aluminum handles on the Felco F2 are what set it apart from heavier forged pruners for so long.

All that said, I do think that aggiegrads is onto something.

 

[merkyworks]

If It was me I would push the pin out. Then tap the hole to whatever thread size is closest to existing hole. Put thumb wheel back on and use cap screw to fasten. Then grind/file cap screw head down flush with thumb wheel.

 

[4xdog]

I've used an older version of Shimano's cable cutter for decades. Their tools are generally excellent -- as one would expect from made in Japan.

Here's the current version.

 

[Olafur]

remove the lock and toss it into the scrap bin. Case closed.

 

[techieman33]

remove the lock and toss it into the scrap bin. Case closed.

You could, but since they spring open very wide it makes storing them difficult since they take up so much more space. It also leaves the very hard cutting edges more exposed to potential damage if they're bouncing around in a tool box.

 

[Retroman]

I have the Jagwire cutters seem fine but I don't cut many cables.

 

[KnurledNut]

I’d knock it out, clean the hole/pin and re-install with red loctite. That may be all that is needed.

 

[aggiegrads]

I’d knock it out, clean the hole/pin and re-install with red loctite. That may be all that is needed.

I would not do this. If you get Loctite on the thumb wheel, you can’t turn the lock. I can’t see how you would get Loctite on an interference/transition fit without pushing excess out of the hole and into the interface between the thumb wheel and the hole.

 

[Samuel D]

I’d get rid of the lock and replace it with a loop of wire or even string around the ends of the handles, like the Tsunoda example above but loose on both handles.

The failure of this over-engineered lock reminds me of certain features of German cars. Why are Germans afflicted with disdain for simplicity?

Their hard engineering is often brilliant (the cutting performance here, the aerodynamics of their cars, etc.), and then they screw up the easy stuff by solving imaginary problems … badly.

 

[KnurledNut]

I would not do this. If you get Loctite on the thumb wheel, you can’t turn the lock. I can’t see how you would get Loctite on an interference/transition fit without pushing excess out of the hole and into the interface between the thumb wheel and the hole.

Just a small amount in the bore. Most will push out the back. Not rocket science. Threadlocker is not super glue. Its easily overcome by axial forces. Blue would work just as well here. Even retaining compound would work.

 

[KnurledNut]

I like the C7’s for wire rope but for bowden cable I prefer Knipex’s dedicated cutter.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I would not do this. If you get Loctite on the thumb wheel, you can’t turn the lock. I can’t see how you would get Loctite on an interference/transition fit without pushing excess out of the hole and into the interface between the thumb wheel and the hole.

If he cant figure out how to do it correctly, he shouldn't be working on bikes.

This is a small annoyance that is easily fixed a few different ways.

 

[neophyte]

The Felco C7 has stamped steel handles, but the cutting edges are still forged and that's all that matters. The handles are plenty strong to do their job, and are not a known weakness. It lightens the tool considerably too. The aluminum handles on the Felco F2 are what set it apart from heavier forged pruners for so long.

All that said, I do think that aggiegrads is onto something.

Felco doesn’t forge any of their blades as far as I’m aware.
This video shows the making of their pruners, and the blades are stamped out of sheet metal, before being machined, and ground, and hardened/tempered, and then receiving finish grinding.

The only part of the pruners that is forged is the aluminum handles.
The cable cutters are likely made similarly, but maybe with a different and better steel alloy, and a harder heat treatment.

I have a pair of Japanese made cable cutters branded by HK Porter from years ago, that are very similar to the Tsunoda cutters shibertus posted above, and while fully forged, the Felco cutters I have are definitely better.

Forged is usually considered a better production method, but sometimes in use it does not seem to actually be the better production method.

 

[pizza]

Here is what I would do…

It sounds like the problem is that the pin that holds the thumb wheel does not have a good interference fit. I took a couple of photos of mine:


and here is the backside:


I would use a center punch to slightly mushroom the pin from the backside. You will need to use something to backstop the pin or you will simply push it out. here is an example of what I would do:


That is a mechanical pencil tip; that is where the center punch would go.

awesome. the pics that should have been in the OP.

 

[Toyo72]

I have the Park Tool CN-10 Professional, they work great. I don't cut a lot of cable, so can't comment on durabillity if used daily.

CN-10 Professional Cable and Housing Cutter

A shop-quality cutting pliers designed specifically for use on bicycle cable and housing.

www.parktool.com

 

[Grant Gunderson]

I have the Park Tool CN-10 Professional, they work great. I don't cut a lot of cable, so can't comment on durabillity if used daily.

CN-10 Professional Cable and Housing Cutter

A shop-quality cutting pliers designed specifically for use on bicycle cable and housing.

www.parktool.com

I have those and the Felco. The parks **** in comparison. Don’t cut as clean of an edge and don’t last anywhere near as long as the Felco before they are too full for reasonable use.

 

[dscheidt]

I have those and the Felco. The parks **** in comparison. Don’t cut as clean of an edge and don’t last anywhere near as long as the Felco before they are too full for reasonable use.

the quality of a lot of Park's tools has fallen off. i bought a pedal/headset wrench a few years ago that had been plated without deburring the edges where it was stamped (or maybe laser cut) out, and had edges you could cut yourself on. I returned it, the replacement is pretty ugly, but at least it won't cut you. I have some old cone wrenches (70s? early 80s at the latest, given who I got them from), which are also just stamped, but they were nicely deburred before the plating. Modern stuff isn't worth the premium price they think the name implies.

 

[Ton ton]

.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My bicycle buddy SWEAR BY Parks !