Xcelite 170M General Purpose Shearcutter, Diagonal, Flush Jaw, 5" Length, 3/4" Jaw length, Red Grip

by Xcelite

Product Features

• Low profile
• Superior blade by-pass shear cutting action
• Greatly reduced mechanical shock delivered to the work
• Features red grips

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002BBZIS
• Item model number: 170M
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355 in Industrial & Scientific (See Top 100 in Industrial & Scientific)
  • #8 in Industrial & Scientific > Power & Hand Tools > Industrial Hand Tools > Pliers > Side-Cutting Pliers

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Xcelite 170M 5" Shearcutter Micro Series

Product Description

Flush cuts soft wire up to 20 AWG (0.8mm). Head width : 11/32". Head thickness : 1/2". Tip dimensions : 5/64"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does The Job, Comfortable Handles, August 23, 2007

By 

J H Murphy "Hank Murphy" (Agoura, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Highly useful little tool when cutting small wires. Makes neat cuts. The company web site indicates that "Greatly reduced mechanical shock delivered to the work" is an advantage, not sure if that's really an issue with this size wire. Seems durable so far, and matches the quality of my other Xcelite tools, some of which are approaching 20 years of use.

The handles are very comfortable, better than I can say for a lot of other tools!

The only drawback I would note is that the unit stays open, with no provision to lock closed. This exposes the short blades to nicks and eventual dulling from other tools in the tool box or bag. My advice is to either keep it in the blister pack, which will eventually crack, or pack it in a side pocket to avoid damage. A rubber band or conical tip cover might also work - something like a large wire nut, but flexible.

Made in the USA.

Probably not the right tool to cut Romex, but otherwise a recommended tool and handy for its intended use.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As expected...., July 10, 2007

By 

John L. Wineinger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Xcelite 170M General Purpose Shearcutter, Diagonal, Flush Jaw, 5" Length, 3/4" Jaw length, Red Grip

Super sharp. I use them to cut tie raps. Works as expected. Many of this type on the market. Don't cut heavy metal though...you will tear them up!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very unimpressed, August 15, 2011

By 

Stewart - See all my reviews

This review is from: Xcelite 170M General Purpose Shearcutter, Diagonal, Flush Jaw, 5" Length, 3/4" Jaw length, Red Grip

I've used Xcelite products in the past, and have generally had a high opinion of build quality. I ordered 5 of these for our lab, and consider them almost unusable.

Issues:

* When lightly closed, both cutting edges are not completely parallel (you can see a sliver of light through the teeth on one side). This means that when you cut something, you have to push down harder to get a complete cut.

* When you squeeze them with any amount of force (2 fingers + thumb), it goes cross-jawed. This is because the rivet is not tight, has slop in it. Since it's a rivet, you can't tighten it.


So, in conclusion, if you want to do precision work, stay away from these. I'm not sure if it's just this product / batch, or whether this is a sign of poor QC at Xcelite. I'm going to reconsider buying other tools from them in the future though.