Knipex has come out with new tubing cutters, model 90 10 185.
These tubing or pipe cutters – as Knipex describes them – are designed for cutting liquid tubing, pneumatic tubing, and multilayer hoses. It can cut tubing and hoses from 4 mm to 20 mm in diameter.
As with other tubing cutters, the new Knipex 90 10 185 has a built-in universal support that aligns the tubing material for perfect right angle cuts.
Knipex says the new cutters are easy on the hands, even in continuous use, due to low squeezing force and a spring-action opening mechanism.
Features
- 4 – 20 mm cutting capacity
- User-replaceable blade (90 29 01)
- Spring-action handles
- Handle lock for compact and safer carrying or storage
- Ergonomic handle shape
- Handle made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic
Knipex says that the blade is made of a special grade of high-strength steel that’s oil-hardened and tempered.
As a reminder, this tool is NOT designed for cutting cables.
It looks like these new cutters can be summarized as being optimized for cutting smaller diameter air and liquid tubing. I say that because the shape of the lower jaw looks to provide a little extra stability compared to round or perfectly right angle lower jaw shapes.
It’s good to know this is out there, or at least will be out there.
There’s no word as to if or when these will be headed to the USA, or how much they will cost. They look to be launching soon in Europe.
Buy Now via Amazon UK
Buy Now via Amazon DE
Buy Now (Different Package) via Amazon UK
Buy Now (Different Package) via Amazon DE
Discussion
What I find interesting about these cutters is that they have a flat-edged blade. I have typically seen and used pointed-edged tubing cutters. In my experience, pointed blades tend to work best for softer tubing, but I’ve had mixed experiences with harder tubing. Perhaps the blade in the new Knipex tubing cutter would work better for such applications.
Also See
Knipex also has a similarly styled pipe cutter coming out, 90 25 185, designed for cutting aluminum composite and plastic pipes from 1/2″ to 1″ in diameter. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprising, that cutter uses the same replacement blade as this one, with the main difference looking to be in the lower jaw design.
There is also the Knipex 90 20 185, which has a pointed blade. This model is said to be designed for cutting thin-walled plastic pipes, flexible hoses, and fabric-reinforced hoses, up to 25 mm (1″) in diameter.
Which to Buy?
If I had to sort through all these different pipe cutters, I would think the 90 10 185 (discussed above) might be best for thicker-walled tubing and air lines, the 90 20 185 has a pointed blade and might be better for softer and thin-walled tubing, and 90 25 185 might be best for larger diameter and multilayer tubing.
I think I might have to try the new model once it comes out. I have straight-blade Ridgid tubing cutters that sometimes don’t cut tubing as cleanly as I’d like and they require too much effort for cutting more rigid or thicker walled tubing. My pointed-blade tubing cutters sometimes have a hard time with harder or thicker-walled tubing, which I end up using other cutters for. But, the pointed blade tubing works a lot better on softer tubing. The Knipex tubing cutters looks like it’s in the Goldilocks zone for semi-rigid tubing that none of my current tools work all that great on. Although, it’s rare that I work with tubing too hard for my hose cutters and too soft for more rigid pipe cutters. Maybe I’ll catch these at a good price some day.
