Xcelite 170M General Purpose Shearcutter, Diagonal, Flush Jaw, 5" Length, 3/4" Jaw length, Blue Grip

These are the best wire cutters in the world. Maybe some Swiss brand is better, but not for $70! I mainly use them to cut and strip wires for electronics. My dad bought these for me when I was in High School and I used them in college during the 90's (Electrical Engineering) - they look identical - same model number just a light blue handle. I basically abused them by cutting things I shouldn't have - eventually the cutting surfaces were not aligned. I can probably fix them by hammering the rivet. But, at this price, I figured I'd just buy another pair.I can strip all kinds of wire easily without pulling extra strands. They are just the right size and you can feel the wire and work it just right. I was also looking at the Hakko brand that look almost the same - heck, they even copied the numerical model number :/ ... Although, they are Made in China. These Xcelite (Weller is the company that makes them) are still Made in the USA. Kudo's to Weller for keeping jobs here - they also make the best soldering irons. I'll gladly pay $1-2 more for a quality tool and made here.

I've used these for several decades. They work great for flush cutting wires, e.g., on the back side of printed circuit boards. Their flat backside surface makes them easy to sharpen, though I've rarely needed to sharpen them.They are very comfortable for extended use.They also make great nail clippers.Don't abuse them, as they are definitely intended for light-weight tasks. They are not designed for hard (e.g., steel) or large (over #20) wire, which is the source of most of the complaints posted here.

The cutters are not of the same quality as Xcelite diagonal cutters I am used to, but the problems are correctable, and for the price this a good tool. The issues I have is that the cutters' lips are not bent to the correct angles, and as a result after polishing flat back they are of different thickness. The tips are of slightly different width: about 0.2 mm difference, and it's noticeable. OTOH, the lips come together nicely, without gaps, sharp; handles fit comfortably in my hands; the spring strength is just right to open the cutters and not be in the way when cutting.They are just fine for home electronic work, small jewelry work (but the tips might need a bit of grinding), and for cutting out plastic parts from a mold for some kid's plastic model, like an airplane.

If you work on electronic circuit boards, a set of flush cutters like these are invaluable for trimming leads. These would also be great for jewelry making and craft work as long as you don't try to cut steel wire or anything too hard. That will damage the blades. I just cut copper wire and component leads and these pliers hold up to that just fine. I've got a pair that's 6 years old and still sharp and still in great shape. The rivet on these is good too, my old pair has never worked loose.

I've used this model of cutter for over a decade and they have always served me well for electronic applications. They're great for cutting component leads, wires, and anything that's not particularly hard. If you try to clip a screw or nail you will destroy the cutting edge if not worse. Same goes for hard wire. They're especially good for cutting cable ties flush. If you've ever had an unevenly cut cable tie open up your hand or arm you'll understand how important that is. I have very large hands and I've never had my hand cramp from using them for extended periods. I've never had the spring mechanism break on one.

These are pretty good flush cutters. I use them for trimming zip ties for computer builds and general household projects to avoid the razor sharp left-overs that result from using regular diagonal cutters. They're a bit pricey for what they are, but it's worth it to have the right too for the job. The only flaw with them is that the cutting edge doesn't go all of the way down to sizer joint, so you have to go a bit shallow in the jaws to get a clean cut. I think this might be resolved with their red-handled version, but they're about twice the price.

Best wire cutters for fine detailed work. I had picked these up for one specific reason, clipping soldered components legs off and they do this fantastically and more! They can cut so many things and last a long time. I had to replace a set of had for about 10 years so this one was obviously the choice. They last long as long as you don't try to cut metal, I leant mine out to a friend and they came back damaged... The angled head gives you great stability and precise control for right spaces.

The cutting surfaces were ground improperly, with a gap towards the pivot pin. It looks like the steel was defective there (slag or other contamination) This will result in more pressure being applied near the tip, which will dull the cutting edge prematurely. Though made in China, it's up to the Weller/Xcelite company to assure that defects like this don't happen. $15 is not a lot of money, but these are not a lot of cutters, either.Addendum to this review on 11/17/21:The "Pass By" (shearing action) of the cutters means that my above statement about increased pressure near the tip is invalid - I would add a half-star if I could... however, the "rough" area highlighted in the photo has no cutting action due to the missing steel.