Hot take: those cheap cable cutters from the hardware store wreck your housings

I had a talk with a guy at a group ride last weekend in Phoenix. He said he never uses anything but Park Tool cable cutters because the cheap ones from the hardware store crush the housing instead of cutting clean. I always thought a cutter is a cutter. But after he showed me a frayed end from one of my builds and a clean cut from his, I finally get it. That frayed end can cause drag inside the housing. Has anyone else noticed a difference with the cheap cutters?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_shane7d ago

Yeah I read somewhere that Park's cutters actually shear the housing instead of crushing it like cheap ones do.

the_leo6d ago

Makes me wonder how many mangled cables I've created with my cheapo cutters over the years. Probably enough to fill a small recycling bin. At this point I just pretend the squished ends add character.