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Harbor Freight Sprue Cutters

iambrb

Well-known member
OK so I was in Harbor Freight, (here sometimes known as the workman's store that no one wants to admit they buy from) and I saw these sprue cuttters for $3.98 USD (or $2.384 USD w/20% off coupon..and you get free stuff when you use it!)

So I thought "Why not? I'll give it a try."

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So I bought it, and yes, I used the coupon to get the free funky flashlight (no review for this)

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Anyway, I sat down to wok on the Tamiya M51, and used it for a bit. The only think I have to compare it to is a year old Xuron cutter, not really a fair comparo there. I tried clipping at various spots on the blade, not one constant spot, as I felt this was more accurate for real world use. here are pics of two bit, before & after the cuts, so you can see the amount remaining after each cut

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after the cut

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and again, before and after

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Note in that 2nd pic there is a difference betweem the amount left on. Not sure if that is me or not.

So, how does it cut based on feel? FEELS exactly like my Chinese Xuron cutter! Hmmmm.....in all seriousness, it seems to cut quite well. There is a consistent & distinct 'snap' of a clean cut, throughout the blade. I would say the overall quality of the cutter is very much the equal of the others I have seen and felt. Of course, this is one day, so it will be very interesting to see how fast it dulls, but at this cost, I may just be buying a few, thinking of them as a 'disposable', just like I do with gel CA glue.

If you were thinking about trying one of these, I recommend giving them a go!
 
Been using them for years, when they get dull for plastic, use them for soft wire. Just be sure you mark them.
 
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