Which Diagonal Cutters Brand Wins?
In our test we compared 16 diagonal cutters options head to head. SK came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
SK
Price shown in test: $18
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Channellock
Price shown in test: $29
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SK
Price shown in test: $18
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The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“the very affordable SK tools came in on top with the best average finish of 3.8”
Best in 1 of 6 measurements, including Nail Cut Peak (lb).
Placed top three in 2 of 6 measurements.
Best in 1 of 6 measurements, including Nail Cut Peak (lb).
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Made In
- 1SK
China
- 2Channellock
USA
- 3Wiha
Vietnam
- 4Workpro
China
- 5Craftsman
Vietnam, finished in China
- 6Engineer
Japan
- 7Irwin
China
- 8Southwire
China
- 9Crescent
China
- 10GearWrench
Vietnam, finished in China
- 11Milwaukee
USA
- 12Knipex
Germany
- 13Klein Tools
USA
- 14Gedore
Austria
- 15Snap-on
USA
- 16Utoolmart
Japan
Claim
- 1SK
heavy-duty cutters built with high-carbon steel, laser hardened edges
- 2Channellock
extreme leverage technology, claims less force to cut compared to other high-leverage models
- 3Wiha
double the cutting power with the press of a button; patented dynamic joint claims 40 percent less cutting effort and longer tool life
- 4Workpro
high-leverage diagonal pliers, bevel edge design, claims 30 percent less effort, corrosion-resistant coating
- 5Craftsman
compact action design for more leverage, cutting edges claimed to stay sharper longer, drop forged steel, lifetime warranty
- 6Engineer
designed to cut nails and screws, claims blade hardness of HRC 58
- 7Irwin
angled head for tight spaces, laser heat treated cutting edges, two zone comfort grips
- 8Southwire
angled head for cutting hard and soft wires, induction hardened cutting blades, lifetime warranty
- 9Crescent
compound action claimed to reduce cutting effort by 40 percent, 0.5 in jaw capacity for thick wire
- 10GearWrench
laser hardened cutting edge for 50 percent longer life, reaming edges for deburring pipes, claims 35 percent less effort
- 11Milwaukee
optimized pivot point for leverage, laser hardened edge, claims smoothest opening and closing, press forged steel, lifetime guarantee
- 12Knipex
high leverage diagonal cutters for tough continuous use, claims cutting edge hardness of approximately 64 HRC
- 13Klein Tools
induction hardened cutting knives, designed to cut ACSR, screws, nails, and most hardened wire
- 14Gedore
induction hardened precision cutting edges with a claimed hardness of 63 to 65 HRC, good lever action
- 15Snap-on
joint positioned close to the cutting edge for greater leverage; claims small joint combined with longer handles increases leverage by 19 percent; designed for hard wire, soft wire, and spring steel
- 16Utoolmart
high-quality carbon steel, spring-loaded handle (unlike most other brands tested)
Weight (g)
- 1SK314.29g
heaviest at the point it was tested
- 2Channellock303.74g
- 3Wiha327.84g
- 4Workpro273.38g
- 5Craftsman319.53g
- 6Engineer263.6g
- 7Irwin328.44g
- 8Southwire308.52g
- 9Crescent362.8g
heaviest at the point it was tested
- 10GearWrench320.5g
- 11Milwaukee273.29g
- 12Knipex259.89g
fairly light
- 13Klein Tools315.2g
- 14Gedore318.1g
- 15Snap-on345.21g
- 16Utoolmart215.86g
Jaw Gap Pivot (mm)
- 1SK4.26mm
- 2Channellock3.43mm
- 3Wiha4.92mm
at maximum jaw opening, 2.04 at maximum leverage setting, described as a lot of leverage
- 4Workpro4.25mm
about half the gap of the Utoolmart
- 5Craftsman2.58mm
one-handed at the pivot point with 5 in handles; about 5.66 mm if using both hands
- 6Engineer6.72mm
- 7Irwin4.89mm
- 8Southwire3.95mm
- 9Crescent2.82mm
- 10GearWrench3.56mm
- 11Milwaukee4.64mm
a leverage disadvantage compared to several other brands
- 12Knipex
not given a specific figure in the transcript beyond being described as offering less leverage than most other brands
- 13Klein Tools5.31mm
- 14Gedore5.94mm
less leverage than the Klein Tools
- 15Snap-on4.8mm
- 16Utoolmart8.58mm
worst leverage profile of all 16 brands
Nail Cut Peak (lb)
- 1SK66lb
best (lowest force) of all 16 brands
- 2Channellock75lb3rd
moved into third place behind the Workpro at the time it was tested
- 3Wiha81lb
- 4Workpro68lb2nd
second place behind the SK
- 5Craftsman87lb
- 6Engineer121lb
- 7Irwin89lb4th
good enough for fourth place behind the Craftsman at the time it was tested
- 8Southwire78lb4th
good enough for fourth place behind the Channellocks at the time it was tested
- 9Crescent93lb
- 10GearWrench69lb3rd
third place behind SK and Workpro
- 11Milwaukee75lb
better than average
- 12Knipex107lb
- 13Klein Tools72lb
better than average, outperforming its own leverage profile
- 14Gedore104lb
- 15Snap-on101lb
- 16Utoolmart171lb
worst (highest force needed) in this test, with some resulting damage to the cutting knives
Screw Cut Peak (lb)
- 1SK137lb2nd
second place behind the Wiha
- 2Channellock140lb3rd
third place behind SK and Wiha
- 3Wiha117lb
best (lowest force) of all 16 brands
- 4Workpro146lb
- 5Craftsman184lb
- 6Engineer259lb
- 7Irwin161lb
- 8Southwire154lb
- 9Crescent148lb4th
good enough for fourth place behind the Workpro at the time it was tested
- 10GearWrench144lb3rd
third place behind Channellock at the time it was tested
- 11Milwaukee180lb
- 12Knipex217lb
struggled relative to other brands
- 13Klein Tools165lb
- 14Gedore234lb
- 15Snap-on211lb
- 16Utoolmart290lb
causing catastrophic damage to the cutting knives
Squeeze Close Force
- 1SK
closed without the force meter registering any resistance, right out of the box
- 2Channellock
closed without any noticeable resistance
- 3Wiha
no noticeable resistance despite having several moving parts
- 4Workpro1,170 g
(2.6 lb) after 100 open/close cycles, described as pretty stiff
- 5Craftsman1,290 g
(2.8 lb) after 100 open/close cycles, described as pretty stiff
- 6Engineer
moved freely right out of the box with no noticeable resistance
- 7Irwin
closed without any resistance
- 8Southwire
moved very freely with no resistance
- 9Crescent400 g
(just under 1 lb) to close
- 10GearWrench640 g
(1.4 lb) after 100 open/close cycles, described as pretty stiff
- 11Milwaukee
moved freely as advertised, no noticeable resistance
- 12Knipex280 g
(0.6 lb) after 100 open/close cycles, a small amount of effort
- 13Klein Tools
opened and closed like a well-lubricated machine
- 14Gedore
performed just as well as the Klein Tools, essentially no resistance
- 15Snap-on2.4 kg
(5.5 lb) after 100 open/close cycles, the stiffest of all 16 brands, purchased new directly from Snap-on
- 16Utoolmart450 g
(1.1 lb)
Drill Bit Cut Peak (lb)
- 1SK187lb2nd
second place behind the Workpro
- 2Channellock197lb
- 3Wiha196lb3rd
third place behind Workpro and SK
- 4Workpro158lb
best (lowest force) of all 16 brands
- 5Craftsman225lb
- 6Engineer284lb
- 7Irwin215lb
- 8Southwire204lb
- 9Crescent
did not complete the cut; the main body of the pliers suffered catastrophic damage, though the cutting knives held up well
- 10GearWrench205lb
- 11Milwaukee254lb
- 12Knipex307lb
- 13Klein Tools219lb
- 14Gedore332lb
- 15Snap-on228lb
- 16Utoolmart
not tested further in the transcript, consistent with the catastrophic damage sustained in the screw test
All measurements (1 more)+
Hex Key Test
- 1SK
broke at 233 lb with some damage to the cutting knives; made 0.1 mm of progress before failing
- 2Channellock
broke at 263 lb, main body was the point of failure; made 0.26 mm of progress, more than average
- 3Wiha
broke at 243 lb, main body broke and the jaw was badly bent, though the cutting knives were still in good shape; made 0.24 mm of progress
- 4Workpro
broke at 235 lb, main body broke with only a small amount of damage to the cutting knives; made 0.11 mm of progress
- 5Craftsman
broke at 353 lb, jaw was the point of failure; made 0.35 mm of progress, the most of any brand up to that point in the video
- 6Engineer
did not break: 'the Engineer pliers held in there just about as long as the Knipex' before finally breaking at 528 lb, the body broke but the cutting knives remained in really good shape; made 0.46 mm of progress, the most of any brand
- 7Irwin
broke at 287 lb, jaw was the point of failure; made only 0.1 mm of progress
- 8Southwire
broke into two pieces at just over 300 lb, with quite a bit of damage to the cutting knives; made 0.24 mm of progress
- 9Crescent
not carried forward to this test in the transcript, consistent with its failure in the prior drill bit test
- 10GearWrench
broke at just over 300 lb when the jaw failed; made 0.16 mm of progress
- 11Milwaukee
became badly bent at a peak force of around 272 lb rather than breaking outright; made 0.4 mm of progress
- 12Knipex
the only brand of all 16 to survive without breaking, cutting all the way through the hex key at 531 lb of force; described as only the second set of pliers the reviewer has ever tested that managed to cut through a hex key in five years of testing
- 13Klein Tools
broke at 387 lb, main body was the point of failure; made 0.75 mm of progress, finishing second behind the Knipex, which cut all the way through
- 14Gedore
broke at just under 500 lb, main body broke with quite a bit of damage to the cutting knives; made 0.37 mm of progress, better than average
- 15Snap-on
broke at 299 lb, main body cracked; made 0.18 mm of progress
- 16Utoolmart
not tested further in the transcript
How it was tested
- jaw gap/leverage profile measured in mm at the pivot point with handles at 5 in
- weight of each set of pliers
- peak force in lb required to cut through a 16-penny nail
- peak force in lb required to cut through a number 10 deck screw
- force in g/lb required to squeeze the jaws closed, measured after 100 open-close cycles to break them in
- peak force in lb required to cut through the shaft of a 3/16 in (4.7 mm) drill bit
- peak force in lb and cutting progress in mm attempting to cut through a 3/16 in hex (Allen) key, a near-destructive final test
“the very affordable SK tools came in on top with the best average finish of 3.8”
