As Ben posted about yesterday, and I mentioned the day before, Amazon has kicked off their Irwin holiday promo, which is 20% off select tools.
I felt that it was worth emphasizing that Irwin’s Max-Leverage “PowerSlot” diagonal cutters were included in the promo. These are equivalent to NWS’s Fantastico cutters, which I feel to be the best high leverage compound action cutters on the market.
These pliers are simply awesome. They cut through tough materials like butter, and are incredibly easy on the hands. Irwin’s grips are slightly different from NWS’s, and I haven’t made up my mind as to which I find to be better or more comfortable.
As with other compound action designs, the tradeoff is that the handles must be spread a little wider to achieve the same jaw opening as traditionally styled cutters.
There are 2 options, at least 2 options that are eligible for the 20% discount at checkout: 7-inch and 8-inch sizes. I own and have used the 8-inch NWS cutters, which are great for all-around use, and the 7-inch cutters might be better for when space might be an issue or you simply prefer shorter pliers.
Both are priced at or around $36, with the 20% discount knocking a little over $7 off the price. On sale, the pliers are each slightly under $29. If you have been eyeing these cutters in the past, now might be a good time to upgrade.
These cutters can cut through copper wires and tough materials alike, but you don’t really need them if all you plan to cut are small copper wires! I felt the need to write this out in bold, to balance out the “these are awesome, buy them now now now” tone of the rest of the post.
Buy Now(8-inch Max-Leverage Cutters)
Buy Now(7-inch Max-Leverage Cutters)
Read More About Irwin Vise Grip NWS-Made Pliers
See Also(Other pliers styles via Amazon)
Here’s a quick review (it’s more of a show and tell really) of the Irwin PowerSlot cutters, followed by another NWS pliers show and tell.
I also show the NWS Fantastico pliers in a Knipex TwinForce preview. I ended up not formally reviewing the TwinForce because I didn’t like the way it cut in 2 steps and handle squeezes instead of one.