Bolt croppers which make?

[chunkolini]

I have this new job on the way which will involve lopping off lots of 12-13mm mild steel bar.
My old bolt croppers are just a bit dead. I have removed the blades and reground them and ground the gear mechanism that links them a bit deeper, they still work but only just.

So time for a replacement, I want durrty big ones what makes can anybody recommend. I have looked on Fleabay and they vary a lot in pfice, the most promising ones are made by Normex or Hardman.

Your reccomendations please folks.

Cheers all, Chunko'.

 

[brightspark]

irwin record are the 1st choice anything else if there cheap the burglars allways use record and farmers they .have tungsten vanadium cutters

 

[mike os]

as above

 

[Hitch]

Record/irwin is probably the best bet. Have you considered a hydraulic

The amount you must use them, have you considered an electric version.... a set on ebay atm....

 

[chunkolini]

I looked at the Irwin ones, hmm a bit pricy,
How about these? they look like a good clone
http://toolstoday.co.uk/shop.php?sec=prod&prod=25892&cat=378
and have replacement parts available, hydraulic vesrion? not thought about that, will go to fleabay and have a look.

is it this item
150444190319
How does it compare the speed and convenience of having the croppers vice mounted and just swinging on them

Chunko'.

 

[Flathead_Dave]

As above,Record seem the only reliable make over the long term.
If you look here you can see specs for various makes.
Looks like you need the Record 42" for 12mm.
Some cheaper makes,if you press them,only give capacity in SWG,ok for spokes,not much use for anything else,

http://www.tooled-up.com/SubCategory.asp?CID=14&SCID=132

Another thing with Record,you'll always get new jaws,some of the cheaper ones change from batch to batch.
Maybe s/h Records and fit new jaws?

 

[Flathead_Dave]

That's interesting,the price of the Record and Faithful jaws,the bit that does the work,are about the same.

 

[Fazed]

How about some bench-mounted shears... like these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HILKA-INDUSTR...t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a05770544
Should cope with 12mm round.

 

[Windy Miller]

How about some bench-mounted shears... like these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HILKA-INDUSTR...t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a05770544
Should cope with 12mm round.

That was my first thought Fazed, but I am wondering if old Chunks would like to retain the automatic "Vee-ing" feature of the bolt croppers? It would save having to do it manually after the cut with the shears, grinder, saw, etc

 

[chunkolini]

Windy I had not registered that, even though I always cut the bars so both have the v in the same plane.
Bench shears? I have got a set of decent ones, but never use the bar facility, I find it easier to pop the bars inot the croppers mounted in a vice clear of walls etc etc.

So far I think probably the Faithfull version.

Chunko'

 

[Rogm]

bolt croppers

chunko

I have always swore by record bolt croppers until i brought my last pair which actualy broke the jaws on a bit of 12mm black round.
I have now got a pair of rigid croppers (3 years & counting) if you can get them they are fantastic.

Roger

 

[brightspark]

chunko

i have always swore by record bolt croppers until i brought my last pair which actualy broke the jaws on a bit of 12mm black round.
I have now got a pair of rigid croppers (3 years & counting) if you can get them they are fantastic.

Roger:d:d:d

another good make

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

I have this new job on the way which will involve lopping off lots of 12-13mm mild steel bar.
My old bolt croppers are just a bit dead. I have removed the blades and reground them and ground the gear mechanism that links them a bit deeper, they still work but only just.

So time for a replacement, I want durrty big ones what makes can anybody recommend. I have looked on Fleabay and they vary a lot in pfice, the most promising ones are made by Normex or Hardman.

Your reccomendations please folks.

Cheers all, Chunko'.

Chunko ,
If it is free bar how about shear holes in a bench or floor mounted bar shear ?

We used to have a floor mounted bar shear that would cut 1 inch round bar 2 x 2 x 1/4 angle and 1 1/2 square bar ... the lever was a bit of 6 foot long scaffold tube .

I ' ve just see the rest of the posts..

Have you thought of using an electric disc cutter chopsaw and make a deliver chute to cut say " four " lengths at a time and making an end stop arrangement for the lengths ? You can then also cut square tube etc at angles later on as & when needed.

 

[chunkolini]

The Faithfull croppers arrived today.
they look like a cartoon tool, so huge. Seem to work fine, mounted in the vice they are easy to use.

I can see when (if?) the job comes in I will probably be using a chopsaw for most of it.
But my old croppers were utterly shagged and I use them all day long. Considering they were a cheapo pair they did a great job. But what to do with them now? I cant chuck them as they have too much of my DNA in them. I might make a coat of arms, open bolt croppers with a Mig torch coiled around them. Do I spend too much time on my own?

Chunko'.

 

[Shox Dr]

Do I spend too much time on my own?

Chunko'.

Who is that question aimed at, your wife or us lot

 

[mike os]

or yourself?????

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

The Faithfull croppers arrived today.
they look like a cartoon tool, so huge. Seem to work fine, mounted in the vice they are easy to use.

I can see when (if?) the job comes in I will probably be using a chopsaw for most of it.
But my old croppers were utterly shagged and I use them all day long. Considering they were a cheapo pair they did a great job. But what to do with them now? I cant chuck them as they have too much of my DNA in them. I might make a coat of arms, open bolt croppers with a Mig torch coiled around them. Do I spend too much time on my own?

Chunko'.

Convert them into a ferrule swaging tool and start selling things that have swaged on knobs such as hand wheels that have a threaded bolt in them ?

 

[chunkolini]

What is a ferrule swaging tool?
is it something a surgeon uses?

Chunko'.