i'm looking for a really good sprue cutter, one that doesnt break the real small or thin parts when i use it.

what do you guys recommend that has worked the best for you?

I absolutely recommend this one made by Xuron corp.

http://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/3/14

It's a little bit expensive but it's really effective



Moreover it's conceived especially for kit modelling, it isn't just a flush cutter

I have it and I'd say that it works perfectly

cheers

I completely agree with Mauro's recommendation. Over the decades I've had Testors, Tamiya, Radio Shack, Model Expo, the Micro Mark cam cutters, and gone through 4 sets of Xuron 410 sprue cutters. These new sprue cutters are the best you can buy at any price and none work better.

Yeah, Xuron are sprue cutters are amazing- I use their angled head one. Their High Precision Scissors are also great for cutting PE parts off the sprue and for cutting thin gauges of wire.

I agree with the others

I agree with the Xuron, and I also use these for fine work, they are great. And depending, I sometimes use a razor saw.

http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=3749&osCsid=540e3ef5a7d7ef1ae2b541124d3108c0

I highly recommend a set of these little clippers.

I also have to agree, Xuron are my choice. They weren't cheap, but definately worth the investment. My Dad back in the 80's used an injection Molding machine to make burglar alarm components, and Xuron were his choice of cutters, if they were good enough for him, they're good enough for me.

Jason

I can tell you also what's the worst one...

Avoid buying the Trumpeter one...It so awful that it can damage your kit parts

thanks for the recommendations!

i have been using the hobbico version, for the most part they work ok but for really delicate parts that i encounter with 1/76 scale kits i end up breaking to many parts

That is wear those little nippers come in to play.

http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=3749&osCsid=540e3ef5a7d7ef1ae2b541124d3108c0

Trust me for small parts they are great, or a razor saw.

I may be the only vote against Xuron.

Mine lasted one day. The tip of one of the cutters snapped off, while cuttteling a 1/4" plastic sprue.

I called Xuron up, and they would not honor their warranty. They insisted that I had dropped them.

Not the case.

Since then, I have discovered the Harbor Freight Store in my Town. Cheap cutters, and they have outlasted Xuron, even after I "really" dropped them.

At $2.79 you can buy several before even getting close to a Xuron !

http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-flush-cutter-90708.html

Xuron = Zero
HF = One !

I have the Tamiya ones. They were expensive, but they are worth it.

Hi

Another vote against the Xuron from me as well, to get a good clean cut you need the cutting edge to be ground at a very shallow angle, so it just cuts without any pulling and the Xuron sprue cutters I have the cutting angle is high so no clean cuts (I am talking about there original cutters it may be different with there newer pro cutters.

For cutters with a shallow cutting action I can recomend the Tamiya Cutters but as said above they are expensive at around £27 in the UK.

The best cutters I have used are the ones from Trumpeter, a nice shallow cutting action and priced at around £10 in the UK.

Pail

Xuron

Weird story about the ones breaking on the first cut. They may have been damaged before purchase, because these things are as tough as nails. I have 2 pairs, the older one is 12 years old I use it for rough chopping, the newer one is only 7 years old and still cuts perfectly. I also use dog nail clippers for some work.

i bought two of the xuron products, the 410 flush cutter and the 217.

i used the 217 for the first time to cut a fragile part of a sprue......it broke the plastic part! used the 410 to cut the identical part of the sprue and it cut clean. i have used the 217 to cut many other parts and i am not real happy with it, so now i use the 410 and my old hobbico cutters.

next time i order something i am going to order a tamiya cutter.

For me , good old # 11 blades and saw for freeing parts .......





Terri

I use a pair of wire cutters to remove the section of sprue the piece is attached to and, then, a no.11 blade to free the part.

Concur... Absolutely the best cutters out there. They cut cleanly against the part, with a minimal or no nub to clean up. I got my set as part of the liquidation of Great Models inventory and do not regret the purchase. I have the Xuron angled cutters as well as a Squadron "imatation" and they are just OK and are not in the same category as the Tamiya cutters.

John

I went on HLJ to order a pair of the Tamiya cutters to see just how much better they are. There are 3 or 4 different styles of side cutters. One says "for plastic" but I want to get the right one. Anybody have a part number or name?

I've gotten a couple Xuron cutters and even their newest ones aren't as nice as the Tamiya cutter I've had for years (and are still sharp!)

Matt, you want these:



http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=74035

The Stock number is 74035

They are expensive, but worth it IMO...the biggest issue I have with the Xuron cutters is that they claim their cutting action where the sides of the blades pass over one another (the Tamiya Sprue Cutter blades rest up against one another), have a tendency to shear parts off the sprue, resulting in an not so nice cut.

The Tamiya cutter makes a nice cut and sometimes you don't even need to clean off the nub on the part.

Thanks Scott! Great info! Ordering a pair today. See you at AMPSEast!

Well so far I have bought the hobbico cutter, 2-xuron cutters and I just got an tried out the tamiya sharp point side cutters, the Tamiya cutters put the others to shame! these things cut so smooth and clean its unbelievable!

I cut some very small parts, they just fell into my hand, the part didn"t jump off the sprue when the cutter went thru, it just dropped into my hand!

For me, the Tamiya wins hands down!

well guys, I could give it a try. Thanks a lot for spotting

I always thought the xuron were the best

then I read this thread and rolled the dice and got a pair of the Tamiya

and it's amazing the difference you can cut super close the the part

and the sanding is about 3/4 less of a job now

you will be amazed at the difference I was

After reading this thread I ordered both the Tamiya ones and the Xuron 2175ET...after a model and a half of trying both out I have to rank the Tamiya ones higher...its a close race but the Tamiya have just that little extra cleaner cut to them. Pricewise for me was about $8 more for the Tamiya cutters.