I ordered a pair of the Tamiya ones myself. I didn't think they would be any better than my Zuron one's but, like James and Jeremy said, they are just that little bit better!

I have the tamiya ones for plastic sprues - they do the job. really superb

for PE I have the Xuron shears with the really sharp tip - I rate it as one of the best tools I have as it speeds up PE fabrication.

cheers
Mark

Has anyone found a better price on the Tamiya cutters than what Tamiya America has them priced for? ($40.00)

Mike

Mike, not much better but about $35 shipped on Amazon.

Amazon

Thanks James! I use Amazon all the time, but rarely think to go there for hobby related stuff.

Mike

edit: Tamiya side cutters ordered!

They're $26 from LuckyModel.

If you don't want to or cannot afford to spend the amount Tamiya are asking for their excellent cutters I would still say give the trumpeter ones a look over, I have had a pair on the go for a couple of years and I would rate them below the Tamiya but still above the Xuron cutters, I am only comparing them with the standard Xuron sprue cutters not the pro version. The Trumpeter ones are very close to the Tamiya for the quality of the cut. They have a very shallow cutting edge which gives a very close cut. and well worth the price which is well below half the price of the Tamiya ones.

Paul

$25 and change from scale hobbyist

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/browse.php?kw=74035

Thanks for the lead. I just ordered my pair today.

Also, what is the advantage of using the Xuron shears for PE? I use a #11 blade to cut them off. Also, could you give me a model number on those?

JB

it's 440 they are light blue not orange like the sprue cutters

they are nasty sharp too

http://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/4

Well I too was looking for a really good sprue cutter. Xuron's 410 series were good but I wanted better so I set out to design one.

Teaming up with Xuron I developed their 2175ET Professional Sprue Cutter as well as their 9180ET Professional PE Scissors. I know they do a good job and Xuron offers the best warranty in the business.

All too often I hear modelers complain about prices of tools. Whether it be an airbrush or a pair of sprue cutters, if you buy a tool once that lasts you for 30 years its a bargain.