Pipe Cutters

About Pipe Cutters

Pipe cutters are hand tools built to sever pipe cleanly without a saw, torch, or abrasive disc. They serve DIY plumbers replacing supply lines, irrigation installers running lateral feeds, and tradespeople cutting copper or plastic pipe on the job. The category spans a wide range: at the entry end, scissor-style shears like the IWISS PPR ($7.85, 4.7 stars, 4,138 reviews) and the Pex IWS-PPR ($7.85, 4.7 stars, 1,866 reviews) cut PPR, PEX, and PVC for under $10. At the trade end, rolling-wheel cutters such as the RIDGID RC-1625 ($65.99, 5.5 inches long) and the KNIPEX 90 31 01 SBA ($60.37) handle copper and thin-wall steel at professional quality. Pipe material determines cutter type before anything else. Scissor and ratcheting shears are designed for plastic pipe and should not be forced on copper or steel, where they would nick the blade and deform the pipe end. Rolling-wheel tubing cutters use a hardened wheel that wraps around metal pipe and scores deeper with each revolution, producing a square, burr-minimal end suited to soldering or compression fittings. Inside pipe cutters, such as the Inside JX2016US ($16.99, 4.4 stars, 402 reviews), cut from inside the bore outward when the pipe end is flush with a wall or enclosed in a fitting hub. Knowing which mechanism fits your job narrows the choice before price enters the picture. Cutting capacity and budget complete the decision. Most scissor shears in this catalog handle pipe up to 1-3/8 inch outer diameter, while the Klein 50063 (die-cast aluminum alloy body, steel blade, $21.98) steps to 1-1/4 inch OD, and the GEARWRENCH 2031DD ($45.89, 4.4 stars, 1,130 reviews) reaches 3-inch capacity for larger drain and irrigation lines. Prices run from $6.79 for the SHALL SH221003AE to $201.87 for the specialty RIDGID 32820, with most capable everyday options clustered between $7 and $45. Every product in this section cleared a 3.8-star minimum from verified buyers.