With all this talk of double compound bolt cutters and the idea of ratcheting bolt cutters, I figured it would be okay to continue with the theme. Shown here are carbon fiber bolt cutters – the only ones of their kind, at least that I’m aware of.
Yes, that’s right, these are carbon fiber bolt cutters. It’s so unbelievable that I had to say it in bold. Carbon fiber is both light and extremely rigid, which likely makes these the lightest bolt cutters of their size around.
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Hog Saddle’s TRX1018 carbon fibers come in two lengths – 18″ and 24″. They’re not suited for everyday use – although according to the manufacturer test units have logged 1000 cuts of 3/8″ concrete rebar, chain and 5/16″ hardened bolts with only one blade gap adjustment during this rigorous series of cuts. Instead, these are more designed for military use.
Of course, you could use them for everyday use. Hog Saddle says that can handle the most demanding applications expected of a commercial bolt cutter.
These bolt cutters can handle up to 5/16″ concrete reinforcing rods, 3/32″ flat strip with max Brinell hardness of 110-140, mesh, wire, high tensile steel rods, bolts, case hardened chain, tempered spring wire, and other such materials.
They’ve got polymer handles for a secure and comfortable grip. 3M gripping material is used for superior holding power in all kinds of conditions – wet, dry, and oily.
It seems that both 18″ and 24″ cutters weigh just 3.4 lbs (each).
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Judging from the side-view image, the box cutters look a little boxy near the pivot, and the same goes for the cutter head. But you know what? I could forgive this if I needed to trek a long distance to who knows where with less weight on my back.
Optional scabbards (carrying cases) and slings are available, and one of the product photos shows a variation that has a tan (powder coated?) steel cutter head that matches the look of the handles. The cutter jaws are replaceable.
Price: $875
Now you see why the title warns you not to get excited until you see the price.
Buy Now(via Hog Saddle)
First Thoughts
Almost $900 for bolt cutters? Yup. Because carbon fiber isn’t cheap to work with, and because these are designed for military field use.
I find it curious as to why the cutter heads look so bulky and boxy compared to the thin and rounded edged cutter blades on regular bolt cutters. *shrug*
Corey
Is the head larger so you can smack it with something for more power? If the leverage isn’t there, maybe it’s designed to be helped with a hammer?
Stuart
Nothing on the product page says anything about smacking the back of the cutter blades with a hammer. Maybe that’s just how they’re machined/formed, and left that way to save money.
Jerry
LOL!!!
I can just imagine a potential customer saying ‘your prototype is too pricey at $880, but if you could cheapen them down to $875, we’ll order a bunch.
Instead, it almost looks like the blades could be either laminated steel, or a harder jaw core with some sort of reinforcing built around them. Hard to tell by the picture, though. It could just be a forging line of some sort.
SteveR
In that vein, I would guess that they’re made of carbon fiber to cut weight, leaving them to design and make a much heavier head to permit the jaws to take on bigger-than-normal cutting jobs. As you point out, they’re designed for the military. They can’t lug around additional weight, so they’re probably overbuilt to resolve cutting issues a standard pair couldn’t handle. They might also be used in high and low temp extremes and humidity, rain, snow, etc.
No doubt they went through extensive testing to ensure fail-proof working capabilities. When your life is at stake, you don’t want a pair of Harbor Freight bolt cutters at your side. I would also suspect the cutter head steel has higher-than-average corrosion resistance, as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they also consulted with NASA on designing these. In space, you only get one chance to cut something loose, or you don’t come back to Earth. That, and you’re 250,000 miles from Earth with no HD nearby, so it’s gotta work the first time. They appear to be built for the long haul and to overcome obstacles lesser cutters couldn’t handle.
Dax
Our tax dollars as waste, err work.
RX9
I do wonder if this could have been done more cheaply/compactly. For infiltration operations, I would imagine size/noise is more important than weight. Perhaps Knipex co-bolt cutters have been used in such applications.
scottthetec
“designed for military field use.” – that says it all about the price. A customer with a unlimited bank account.
Toolfreak
I’m actually suprised these are only $875 and not several thousand dollars each, if not more. Usually military-only gear is far more overpriced, since suppliers can easily get away with gouging the government – especially if they are the only one to get something from.
The thick jaw design is pretty interesting, though it makes sense in terms of having the least amount of jaw deflection, so the most cutting force, but it really limits the use, since it will be harder to get those thick jaws into tight areas to cut a lock or even fencing.
It seems even more bizarre to have thick jaws if the whole aim of the cutter design (with carbon fiber) is to save weight. My guess is that those heads are actually not solid, and are actually hollow, and the cutting pieces are also tubular, and they slip on over the head, making the cutting portion pretty easy to replace, and saving money rather than having to replace the whole unit, or even the whole head.
Matthew H
The jaws are so thick because they’re composite. From the manufacturer’s product page: “Bolt Cutter Cutting Jaws – Replaceable Composite Jaw”
I’d suggest that while weight reduction was part of the goal with this product, non-metallic was probably a much higher priority. Wouldn’t do to have your cutters setting off a charge when you’re doing EOD work.
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Stuart
I already responded to you. We don’t sell anything to anyone; you need to contact the manufacturer!