Electricians are no stranger to using various methods to cut conduit and tubing. Most of the time we use a sawzall or a bandsaw to cut hard conduit, and a ratcheting pvc cutter for pvc conduit. Many of us have a sly trick up our sleeve when it comes to those “tight” instances where you can’t fit any of these tools in a confined space – introducing the Husky Quick-Release Tube Cutter.
First Impression
At first I noticed this model is a lot larger than the tube-cutters I’ve used in the past. Most of the time I’d only use one of these for 1/2” up to 1” EMT, so I was surprised when they sent me a model that can cut up to 2” Electrical Metallic Tubing.
A lot of brands come only with the cutter, and do not include a flip-out reamer. This model does have a reamer with it which is really nice to have since using a cutter like this can create a razor-sharp inner edge after the cut has been made. Another cool thing that this tool has is a replacement blade inside the handle. You will go through blades, especially when using it on EMT enough times. Ideally this tool is really meant to be used on copper and brass plumbing pipe.
Functionality
When I went to use this thing, I noticed a little red button near the bottom. This is, of course, the “quick-release” part of the tool. Most tube-cutters you use you have to manually screw and unscrew the threaded bolt that keeps pressure on the blade. This can be a huge pain when you have a large-diameter cutter like this one that may need to move 2-inches to go over a 2” pipe. Husky was smart to put this button – all you have to do is press it and the threads on the bolt are bypassed so you can slide the bolt mechanism back and forth quickly to get the jaws around your desired-size pipe.
What makes this particular tube cutter cool is that it comes with a flip-open reamer. Due to the shape of the blade, most tube-cutters will bend the inner edge inward as the blade cuts, leaving the final edge on the inside sharpened inward. All electricians know the pains of having to ream the insides of their conduit before pulling wire into it. It can cut the wire as it passes through, and in some cases can shave the insulation right off of the conductor. Having a reamer that comes with the tool is a really important thing to consider.
Info From HomeDepot.com
Use the Husky 2-1/8 in. Quick Release Tubing Cutter to make clean, square cuts on copper, brass, and aluminum tubing and thin-wall conduit. This tool features a convenient quick adjustment button to facilitate fast size adjustments to various sizes of tubing. The cutter boasts a fold-away reamer and an extra blade is included and can be stored in the knob. Built to last and backed by the Husky lifetime warranty.
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Clean, square cuts are easily made on copper, brass, and aluminum tubing and thin-wall conduit
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Quick-adjust feature provides the user with fast cutting speeds
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Convenient fold-away reamer
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Cuts 5/8 in. to 2-1/8 in. pipes
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Heavy duty tubing cutter
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Lifetime Warranty with no questions, no receipt required
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Call 1-888-HD-HUSKY or visit HuskyTools.com for customer service and support
Summary
This is not a mind-boggling tool at all, but it does perform how it should. I say 4/5 stars. I would not use this but every great once-in-awhile when you are limited on space. Just rocking this back and forth can help you get to the back-side of a conduit that you’d otherwise not be able to reach when a conduit is bolted in place and not removable. The likelihood of you using this tool more than once/yr is pretty slim, but it is one of those tools that is great to have around “just-in-case.”
For more detailed information on this Quick-Release Tube Cutter CLICK HERE
