Midwest Aviation Snips

[woodstockva]

Hey Everybody -

I just made a full review on some of my favorite tools.....Midwest Aviation Snips. I have used them for many years & they have never let me down once. The cutting edges stay sharp, the blades do not separate under pressure, and they are extremely comfortable to use.

These are Made in the USA & have a full lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.

I looked through one of my toolboxes recently & saw them in there....so I thought I should do a full review on them, simply because they are so well made & unfortunately, many people have never heard of them.

Check out the review & you can see how great they work.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/z_ZrBPUT_Ic" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Major Ramifications]

I bought mine from Sears many years ago. I can't complain, but I don't use them much.

 

[Graham08]

The last couple pairs of snips I've bought have been Midwest. They definitely do the job, I would rate the fit/finish a little better than the Wiss snips I had been using previously. I'm about due for another couple pair and I'm thinking about ordering some Klenk's to try out because they have smooth jaws instead of the serrated jaws that about all other brands have.

 

[Fcvapor05]

woodstock, have you had a look at the Milwaukee snips yet? I bought a set and they've performed very well so far.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have bought Midwest on closeouts and clearance at Home Depot. They are all USA made and they make snips of all types and use the same mechanism for a wire rope cutter also. Quality tools at a fair price and US made.

Charles

 

[Grigg]

If you're looking for sturdier snips NWS has them. They're very nice tools, real sharp and excellent quality.

I was looking a year or two ago for a nice pair of aviation type snips primarily for automotive restoration sheet metal work, 16ga (~0.060")is common on old trucks.
Midwest, Wiss, and most of the rest are only rated for 18 gauge steel (~0.048"). See here. http://www.midwestsnips.com/images_products/cat_msrp/7.pdf
NWS on the other hand are rated for 1.8mm, which is 0.071", thicker than 15 gauge but not quite 14ga.
http://chadstoolbox.com/nws-066l-15-250-universal-lever-tin-snips-250-mm-left.aspx
http://chadstoolbox.com/nws-066r-15-250-universal-lever-tin-snips-250-mm-right.aspx

So if you're dealing with 16ga metal midwest, Wiss and most of the rest (all?) are not recommended for the task, NWS are.

 

[stratman977]

The only reason why the nws are rated for more is the compound leverage that they have. I never tried them but I see this as a benefit or a downside depending on what you are doing.

The midwest and wiss both will cut thicker steel you just have to be a hoss to get them to cut. I know from experience both brands will cut 16ga, it's just not fun.

All that being said I prefer the wiss design for manuverability but the midwest cut better.

 

[Grigg]

The only reason why the nws are rated for more is the compound leverage that they have.

I'm not sure that's the case? They both have compound leverage though not sure respective ratios but I suspect the same or very similar.
The NWS do seem to be a tad larger and sturdier than Midwest and Wiss. This may not be an advantage if you only need to cut light weight metal.

Even though you can cut 16ga with snips rated for 18ga it is a struggle, they were not designed for it otherwise the literature would advocate it.
On the other hand NWS snips do advise you can cut 16ga and even a little thicker. I've tried it, it's not so difficult at all.

 

[stratman977]

I would say that the midwest would not die an early death cutting thicker steel. The wiss definately would.

Anyhow got a decent source for nws in the states? Seem to be scarce other than the places that specifically import german tools.

 

[davethorik]

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

I primarily use them to cut stuff thicker than paper that normal scissors usually don't like...such as corrugated cardboard, plastic shim stock, metal shim stock, etc.

 

[kythri]

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

Just got a pair of those last month! Love them!

 

[Tellingthem]

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

I primarily use them to cut stuff thicker than paper that normal scissors usually don't like...such as corrugated cardboard, plastic shim stock, metal shim stock, etc.

Huh...was just looking at those at sears. Thought they looked kind of handy. Guess I should probably go and get a pair now.

 

[0.511MeV]

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

I primarily use them to cut stuff thicker than paper that normal scissors usually don't like...such as corrugated cardboard, plastic shim stock, metal shim stock, etc.

Yep, those are my go-to shop "scissors".

 

[Mike007]

I use Midwest snips daily in HVAC. I bet Ive had my current pairs 10 years.

 

[metaldad]

jah, i also use midwest.
great quality, and, made in USA

 

[NoahG]

I was excited when home despot brought these in and then not two years later all the Midwest snips and Klein scissors were clearanced to make room for Wiss.


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[Grigg]

...Anyhow got a decent source for nws in the states? Seem to be scarce other than the places that specifically import german tools.

oops, guess I forgot the links in my earlier post, sorry about that. Now edited.

...NWS on the other hand are rated for 1.8mm, which is 0.071", thicker than 15 gauge but not quite 14ga.
http://chadstoolbox.com/nws-066l-15-250-universal-lever-tin-snips-250-mm-left.aspx
http://chadstoolbox.com/nws-066r-15-250-universal-lever-tin-snips-250-mm-right.aspx

 

[kythri]

What exactly is the issue with Wiss compared to Midwest?

 

[Grigg]

What exactly is the issue with Wiss compared to Midwest?

Could be they're not as good as they once were, look here.
http://www.tinmantech.com/html/snips_aviation.php

"For many years we have carried Wiss brand aviation snips, but recently we learned an important fact about their manufacture: they are no longer forged. Kent has used Wiss snips, often daily, for nearly 40 years, and Wiss was the brand used by the professionals he knew when he was growing up. His old pre-1970 snips are great, but Wiss has changed their manufacture away from those forged snips to cast ones. We now carry Midwest Snips. They are forged, and they are American-made. Midwest also offers "extra-hard snips" for those of us doing stainless and titanium. We offer all of the many patterns offered by this excellent company, and are very pleased to offer you the best on the market today, Midwest Snips."
- Kent White

 

[honcho]

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

I primarily use them to cut stuff thicker than paper that normal scissors usually don't like...such as corrugated cardboard, plastic shim stock, metal shim stock, etc.

Just this week I bought two pair of the P657N at sears in the clearance section. They were marked down to $10. Looks like the normal price most places is $14-15 dollars. I got one pair for myself and a pair as a gift for my brother.

 

[merbie]

woodstockva do a tool box tour please?

 

[woodstockva]

woodstock, have you had a look at the Milwaukee snips yet? I bought a set and they've performed very well so far.

I looked at them in person at the NPS14 product event earlier this month. They surprisingly seem well built & are comfortable to use. I plan to do a review on them in the near future.

Not metal snips, but I have a pair of these Midwest P657N cutters, and I like them a lot.

I primarily use them to cut stuff thicker than paper that normal scissors usually don't like...such as corrugated cardboard, plastic shim stock, metal shim stock, etc.

Nice! Those definitely look handy & would not pinch your fingers

What exactly is the issue with Wiss compared to Midwest?

Both are Made in the USA.

The Midwest Snips are forged.....The Wiss Snips are cast. I did a much longer overview of Aviation Snips in general & the Midwest Snips take about 20% less force to cut through material than the Wiss versions in my experience. They are both good snips.

woodstockva do a tool box tour please?

Haha....well that would be quite a long video! We are working on building a MUCH larger garage, and once everything gets moved, I plan to do just that