tin snips

[TOOL FANATIK]

what are the best tin snips out there and why? i have wiss usa and Midwest and i really think i like the wiss a bit more. what are your experiences?

tool fanatic

 

[Davefr]

what are the best tin snips out there and why? i have wiss usa and Midwest and i really think i like the wiss a bit more. what are your experiences?

tool fanatic

Malco

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

we call those shingle cutters where I'm from. great to have

 

[T45]

are you looking for aviation snips or the single-joint (scissor) type?

 

[gdocktor3]

Wiss and Midwest are basically the go to in HVAC. Malco is another big name in HVAC and make very reputable tools.

 

[Tinner]

The best are Klenk. They cut real nice and hold their edge longer, as well as coming in many different styles.

http://klenk.everhard.com/

 

[Climatecreator]

I've used them all. Now actually using Milwaukee for aviation style reds and greens. Malco for dogs

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Jamie V]

I like the Midwest offsets the best myself. I think the wiss have too short of a blade and my hands aren't big enough to open the klenk's up all the way.

 

[Vantastic]

I once heard the Lowe's worker tell a guy the difference between the red and green snips were one was for left handers and the other for right handed.

 

[brewchief]

I use the Midwest offsets, I've bought the exact same snip branded as Craftsman, Sears, Bluepoint and I think one other. I consider snips a wear item and plan on replacing about once a year unless I break them before that. I've broken handles, blades and bolts over the years but that's just the way it goes.

I've tried the Malco snips and the blade shape is funky to me, nobody around me sells the Klenk so I've never tried them. I tried a set of harbor freight snips that looked like the midwests since they looked about the same and they were the worst I've ever picked up.

 

[derosa]

I've got wiss, old set from when I did gutter installs and roofing, they've held up really well over the years and I've still found they to be really good for siding as well when trimmin around things, cut right through the top or bottom with ease, still use a knife for the horizontal for speed. When I first started working on my current house I was given a set of new HF as mine looked "old and worn". They couldn't cut the aluminum fascia or trim siding. After grabbing them without looking one too many times I tossed them. The first day I go to cut and the item twists I'll just buy new wiss, the price is fine for US made and while mine haven't had the greatest use they've seen enough wear in 25 years to feel they were worth it.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

aviation...with compound joint

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

I use the Midwest offsets


I have these Midwest offsets as well as wiss reds and greens. I use them when roofing cutting drip and also do vinyl siding. the offset helps when cutting down long rips.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

I once heard the Lowe's worker tell a guy the difference between the red and green snips were one was for left handers and the other for right handed.

people say that but really greens are for cutting straight and right curves reds are for straight and left curves yellow supposed to cut either direction.

 

[1950mercury]

Wiss and Midwest are basically the go to in HVAC. Malco is another big name in HVAC and make very reputable tools.

Wrong.....I do commercial industrial HVAC and wiss are junk compared to Midwest. You never see wise on the job unless it's a newbie. And they learn real quick to buy Midwest

The new wiss are no where near what the old ones are. I think apex bought wiss....need I say more

 

[KnurledNut]

what are the best tin snips out there and why? what are your experiences?

The Malco Max2000 offsets are by far the best i have ever used.
I would confidently put them up against any other brand.
The biggest problem is keeping your co-workers from borrowing them, when theirs wont make the cut.

 

[terry603]

I once heard the Lowe's worker tell a guy the difference between the red and green snips were one was for left handers and the other for right handed.

I have understood the difference to be, one makes the waste on the left side, and the other has the waste cut on the right side...this makes a big difference when you only need to trim off a narrow strip

 

[icecold13]

I've tried a few different brands of snips and I love my wiss yellows. That said I do want to try Midwest cause wiss has had a noticeable decline in quality, still good but I swear they used to be better.

 

[tgb]

I'm in HVAC last 25 years always used wiss even though they are not what they used to be because they feel the best in my hands

 

[Brownsfan]

I have the craftsman Midwest made snips. They lasted about 15 years of occasional use. I just recently replaced them with another craftsman Midwest made set. I figured if the last ones lasted this long why not buy them again.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Wrong.....I do commercial industrial HVAC and wiss are junk compared to Midwest. You never see wise on the job unless it's a newbie. And they learn real quick to buy Midwest

The new wiss are no where near what the old ones are. I think apex bought wiss....need I say more

I agree, the last ones I got for Christmas a couple of years ago and I'm disappointed. I tried cutting a thin strip off a sheet of steel and all it did was fold over. I've been using a Canadian tire master craft " look alike" and they work better. I also have a pair of green handled malco which I like only problem with them is the handle lock keeps getting pushed into the lock position with your hand while using them. BCD.

 

[ecotec]

I have Midwest yellows in my work tools, but I have always (since reading Garage Journal) wanted to try Klenk.

This is for inside electrical, by the way. Also, nobody around here sells Klenk.

Another note... For my job, tin snips are a required tool (on my local's tool list) but are not used that often. My Midwest yellows have been going strong for around 23 years.

 

[PeterT]

I have a few sets of these Midwest magnasnips,, and they are nice. Menards has them on sale every so often.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/saws-cutting-tools/midwest-snips-reg-13-straight-replaceable-blade-magsnip/p-1444440244678-c-9123.htm?tid=2676830579675335700

 

[sberry]

Wiss makes a couple models. I got some new for Christmas a year ago and one was hi leverage. New is good, mine were abused and worn out.

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Wiss are the best ones that are available everywhere. I've wanted to get some Midwest ones for a long time now, but they're very expensive to get up here in Canada. I think Gray Tools rebrands them, and I'm pretty sure Channellock rebrands Midwest as well. I'm hoping that getting them through Channellock will be cheaper, because the Gray Canada rebrands are very expensive, like $110Cnd for a set of three.

 

[vssjim]

Malco and Klenk are very good Midwest next and no more Wiss as the whole companies brands have gone cheapy.

 

[kctyphoon]

I might pick up the big $25 Milwaukee scissor types... they seem pretty well made, and I need something to cut lashing wire.

 

[jeeper46]

I've been cutting lots of holes in ductwork for takeoffs with a set of older red and green Wiss snips. For what I'm doing, they seem to work the best. I searched through a bin of them at a used tool store, and picked the ones that have a sort of serrated cutting edge-they work great.

 

[cja245]

I like the midwest the best from what I've used, but honestly I only use them a handful of times a year.

 

[davethorik]

I have Midwestern, Wiss, and Prosnip USA. Midwesterns are my favorites but the pair of Wiss bull dog snips I acquired nos but look to be from late 90s/early 2000s are built like a tank. The Prosnips (Beatrice, Nebraska) are hand me downs from my dad id guess 20 to 30 years old with plenty of life left in them.

 

[Evan(CA)]

Wrong.....I do commercial industrial HVAC and wiss are junk compared to Midwest. You never see wise on the job unless it's a newbie. And they learn real quick to buy Midwest

The new wiss are no where near what the old ones are. I think apex bought wiss....need I say more

2nd. Midwest are leaps and bounds ahead of Wiss.

 

[st@rk]

I think from reading above I'll be buying WISS, but has anyone got experience of Gilbow's? They seem to have been around for a long time, still manufactured in the old shape / style so by that you'd think they'd be good? Not sure if they're only available in the UK?

 

[T45]

2nd. Midwest are leaps and bounds ahead of Wiss.

Would be interesting to get the details on which verions ya'll are using. I've read other threadsand alot of people seem to prefer midwest for offsets and yet others wiss for the regular-style aviation snips.

 

[Jamie V]

I've been a union sheet metal worker for 18yrs now (Grandfather, both Uncles, Dad, Brother & Cousin are/were too) Everyone uses Midwest offsets (lefts & rights) and Wiss for non-offset (lefts & rights) we also use Wiss M5's for cutting thick stuff like Pittsburgh seams.








Non offset snips are good for notching when the notches are no longer then the length of the blade.

Yellow snips are mostly used by carpenters cutting metal studs. When I see a sheet metal guy with yellow snips I laugh because he has no clue.

 

[dutchgray]

I think from reading above I'll be buying WISS, but has anyone got experience of Gilbow's? They seem to have been around for a long time, still manufactured in the old shape / style so by that you'd think they'd be good? Not sure if they're only available in the UK?

Don't bother trying Gilbow's they were the best we had but are now Irwin Gilbow, although they were on the way down before Irwin got them.

 

[rlitman]

...Yellow snips are mostly used by carpenters cutting metal studs. When I see a sheet metal guy with yellow snips I laugh because he has no clue.

I have yellow snips, but only really use them for cutting pallet banding, and tasks like that.

I mostly use my Midwest upright snips. The 90 degree offset seems strange at first, but I really took to liking it after I got used to it. Red and green are the only ones I use for sheet metal work.

 

[mikebaker1129]

I have used Midwest rebrands of several brands: Craftsman,Proto,Stanley,Klein,Companion, Sears and I am sure there are others.
I used Wiss in the early 90's and they were better then than they are now. I use Midwest for the little bit of duct work I do now. I have seen many pairs at fleas and pawns ruined buy cutting wire and nicking the blade.

 

[PeterT]

I haven't done too much duct work, ran my own in my house - and I soldered the joints. Not a leak in sight.

 

[Tucko]

I'm more partial to the Midwest offsets. and Pexto bulldogs for the big stuff.

 

[ecotec]

I was at a local tool store yesterday. They had 2 pairs of Malco 2003's. One pair had Made in USA molded into the yellow grips, and the other did not.