I picked up some of these flush cutters as I do a lot of work with smaller diameter wiring, and I find that using this type of cutter works very well, especially when you need to get into tight areas or need to snip something flush against another object, like against a board, cutting plastic pieces away from a mold or for what they've REALLY helped me with and thats cutting away outer jacketing on 22/2 and 18/2 AWG wiring. The precise point makes it really easy to stick in there, nick the end and start splitting the jacket.

At first I was a little concerned with purchasing these cutters because I saw some people apparently had bad experiences with their cutters. But I decided to go ahead and give them a shot because I know the Xuron brand is quality and I'm not going to use the cutters for anything other than what they are actually intended, which is cutting small diameter, soft material. Not for trying to cut solid 16 AWG copper wire like I've seen some do then act surprised when their cutters get dull..

Upon receiving the cutters I have to say I am VERY pleased with the product. Quality is absolutely TOP notch. Both in build quality and the quality of materials used. One thing that I found after opening them up that pleased me quite a lot is that it turns out that the too finish is actually polished, rather than the regular ole' black finish that you find on a lot of cutters similar to this. I really didn't expect it, but I actually like the idea of the polished finish a lot more as I believe it will hold up to abuse, wear and the elements better than a regular black tool finish might. It will be interesting to see how the finish holds up in comparison to other similar tools.

The cutters cut EXTREMELY well and are very precise and sharp. As you can see the cutting edges meet together nearly perfectly and the fit and finish of the cutter is absolutely wonderful. One thing I definitely want to address is that some people are saying that their cutters are alligned properly. Meaning that the cutting edges don't meet up 100% perfectly flush or head-on with each other. Well all I have to say is that my cutters are very close and aren't obviously misaligned. Secondly, if the person who is complaining about that particular "issue" actually took the quickest glance at the product packaging, they would see that the product is DESIGNED THAT WAY in order to give the cut material a cleaner cut and to keep the cutting edges sharper. The cutter is designed so that the cutting edges don't smack each other perfectly aligned without any give. When the cutters are closed lightly, you'll see that they do indeed meet up flush and are aligned well, but when you add any more force to the point where you're actively mashing the two blades into each other, a shearing action occurs where one of the cutting edges slips under the other cutting edge preventing the tool from becoming dull prematurely. It's how they are designed, hence the term "Micro-Shear"..

Anyways, if you're looking for a great quality flush cutter, you need not look any further than these. I am very pleased with them. And be sure to check out the photos I uploaded with the review as well.

One of my favorite tools. Just the right size.

Well made and comfortable handles, highly recommended.

Great quality cutters, very very happy with them. I used them alot for my jewelry business. I handcraft bracelets and necklaces and they have been a great addition to my jewelry tools. They are very soft to the touch, sharp and love to work with them. Will buy again when they need to be replaced...

I think these are great little cutters. I wasn't expecting much given the low price but they have performed admirably so far. I haven't tried to cut huge cables like 8 gauge or anything with them but if you're cutting the things these are intended for (especially component leads when populating PCBs) these should do the trick. If you do break them (which I haven't) they won't cost much to replace.

EDIT: I have now used these to cut 8, 4 and even 1/0 gauge copper and CCA wire. I had to nip at all of those wires... maybe 2 nips for 8 gauge, 4 or so for 4 gauge, and maybe 6-7 nips for 1/0 gauge. Not too bad. I didn't feel like I was 'stressing' these cutters at all while doing so. I would not buy them for this purpose as there are larger cutters that can do larger wire easier, but these were what I had close by and performed fine.

I also appreciate that they're made in the USA. I have nothing against other countries but as an American I like to support the jobs of other Americans.