SWA cutters

PrenticeBoyofDerry

PrenticeBoyofDerry

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I'm thinking of purchasing, something to cut in to SWA.
I have seen the blade runner by Kewtech and socket and see.
But seen bad reports on the Kewtech one, non on the S&S one.
Any other options or comments about the above products?
 
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Yes, forget them and use a hacksaw and stanley knife.

I've used the Kewtech one and another (can't remember the brand) and neither could hold a candle to a hacksaw and knife.
 
they aren't that bad once you know how to use them properly, but they are completely useless for anything smaller that 4mm 4C SWA, and anything bigger than 16mm 4C SWA..
so if you're doing jobs where you're generally using stuff smaller than 4mm 4C then it's not worth getting one..
 
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Cheers guys input much appreciated, just wondered if there was any wonderful gadget that I may be missing out on, hacksaw and knife it is then, no new tools needed.
Wallet sighs in relief!
 
For cutting there is no contest - use a hacksaw or heavy duty cutters. You'd be there for hours with one of those tools and it would likely make a mess of it.

For stripping though I find those blade runner tools really useful - you can cut perfect scores through the outer sheaf in seconds and score the armour enough to allow you to snap them off cleanly without any disturbance to what is left or damage to the inner sheaf, making terminating the glands as easy as pie. And as mentioned they do allow you to work in places where space is at a premium, and where cables and accessories/dbs have been run and fixed in place prior to termination (which prevents you from rotating or clamping the cable to use a saw).

The only problem is that they are easy to use incorrectly - do not overtighten them (most people seem to) or they will jump and just round off the blade, and ever use them on armour when the outer sheaf has already been removed. On a pre-cut cable you should be able to prepare for the gland within a minute.

I've used these tools with 2.5 to 16mm cables without issue, and usually get around 40-50 fitted from each blade.
 
You could try, and let us know. I expect it would be be a pain to do though because you'd need to tighten it slightly after each turn. With the blade runners you tighten automatically when you pull it around. Plus the hack saw blade in them gives an audiable indication of when you have cut enough into the sheaf or armour, with a rounded blade you wouldn't get that.

I go on the assumption that if a pipe splicer was suitable then why invent these other devices (that sell for less) to do a worse job? We all know what happens with assumptions though... particularly when I make them... :LOL:
 
xdave said:
For cutting there is no contest - use a hacksaw or heavy duty cutters. You'd be there for hours with one of those tools and it would likely make a mess of it.
Click to expand...


Would anybody really try to cut through a SWA with one of those tools?
 
pipe cutter doesn't work.. the inner core is too soft and the cutting wheel just dents the swa inwards..

it's good for the initial "ringing" of the outer sheath and for marking a line to follow with the junior..
 
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