The best electric nibblers, compared.
Top pick: TengXcel Makita 18V nibbler Best value: Gautesy Makita 18V nibbler – About £79.99 with a stated aluminium and stainless thickness and one positive UK review. Updated October 2026.
An electric nibbler cuts sheet metal with a punch and die. It throws out a narrow strip of chips instead of shearing the panel, so the sheet stays flatter than it would under tin snips. You use one for curves, notches, flashings and internal cut-outs in mild steel, stainless and aluminium, including coated roofing and cladding where an angle grinder would burn the paint. Quality sits in the published cutting table, a battery or voltage that matches the place you work, and a punch you can buy again. They claim a, or slide and do not include a battery. The ranking uses review evidence, how complete the listing is, and price against a thickness you can read. Thickness, platform, kerf and spares are set out in the [electric nibbler buying guide](/hub/cutting-tools/electric-nibbler/sub/electric-nibbler-buying-guide). Profile heads for corrugated and trapezoidal roofing are a separate type, and the amazon.co.uk clones do not state a profile depth. Corded 230 V workshop tools and 110 V site tools sit beside cordless bodies.
An electric nibbler cuts sheet metal with a punch and die. It throws out a narrow strip of chips instead of shearing the panel, so the sheet stays flatter than it would under tin snips.
28 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 8
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which battery do you already own?
The TengXcel NBS661 is a bare Makita 18V nibbler at £107.99, with 5.0 from four UK reviews. Reviewers describe cladding and steel cuts away from a socket, and they mention the speed settings, a debris bag and a handle that can move. One review calls the tool robust and greased, and says the box included a spare punch and carbon brushes, which the specification line does not describe as a motor type. The bullet states a 3 mm maximum, the title says 3mm+, and one reviewer said it is for 4 mm steel, so those three lines do not agree. Reviews call it heavy. The listing weight is 2.09 kg before the battery. No failure is reported in the four reviews, and four reviews is still a short record for a punch that wears. It costs more than the DEYITONG, which has 62 reviews, and the battery is not in the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already run Makita 18V and you want a debris bag for cladding offcuts, accepting a four-review record.
Less suitable: You need separate mild-steel and stainless capacities, or you are choosing on price against the £79.99 Gautesy.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it work with every 18V battery?
The listing says the tool is only compatible with Makita 18V batteries, and that the battery is not included.
Can the handle be swapped for left-handed use?
Yes. The listing says dual-sided threaded mounts so the handle can sit on the left or the right.
What cutting capacity is printed?
The bullet says a maximum cutting capacity of 3 mm. It does not split that figure into mild steel and stainless. The title says 3mm+.
The Gautesy FTA0401-MKG is a bare Makita 18V nibbler at £79.99, with one amazon.co.uk review at 5.0 from 7 June 2026. That reviewer said the battery clicked in, a button switched three speeds, and the tool cut a 1.7 mm galvanised bracket, which they noted was slightly over the 1.6 mm iron-sheet figure in the supplied information. The same review lists a spare cutting blade, change tools, a side handle and a debris bag in a foam-lined box, though the included-components line only says 450W Brushless. The listing states aluminium up to 1.6 mm and stainless up to 1.0 mm, a 360° head and 2.1 kg. The title and a bullet both say 30,000 rpm or strokes, which this comparison does not treat as a measured cutting speed. With a single review, wear on the punch is unknown. At £79.99 it is the best value here if you already have a Makita pack and you can live with a sample of one.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own Makita 18V batteries and you want the lower-priced bare body that at least one UK buyer has used on galvanised sheet around 1.6 mm.
Less suitable: You want a review count you can judge, or you are cutting stainless above the stated 1.0 mm.
Specifications
Common questions
Which Makita batteries does it name?
The listing names Makita 18V packs BL1860, BL1850, BL1840, BL1830 and BL1815. The battery is not included.
How many speeds does it have?
The only review describes a button that switches between three speed settings, and a battery indicator.
Does it include a spare blade?
The included-components line only says 450W Brushless. The only review says the box had a spare cutting blade, change tools, a side handle and a debris bag.
Across 62 amazon.co.uk reviews, the DEYITONG J0H-KY-1.6 is the only bare nibbler in this set with a review count above a handful, at 4.3 stars and £106.99. It takes a Makita 18V pack such as a BL1850, which is not in the box, and reviewers say the slide fits. One roofer preferred the slimmer body to their Makita when cutting cladding and drip flashings, and another described holes in light-gauge steel. The size field says 2.0 mm, while the bullets separately claim aluminium up to 0.098 inches and stainless up to 0.048 inches, so the 2.0 mm line is not a stainless rating. A UK reviewer put the kerf at about 6 mm and found precision cuts difficult, and battery use rose on 2.5 mm mild steel. Another UK reviewer said it lasted about 30 minutes at work and was returned. The bullets claim 800 W, 1900 strokes per minute and up to 2200 rpm, which are not the same figure. It is the top pick in this amazon set because the review base is the widest, and it is still a clone body rather than a Makita DJN161Z.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Makita 18V batteries and you want the bare nibbler in this set with the most amazon.co.uk reviews, for light sheet, flashings and the odd hole.
Less suitable: You need a published tensile-strength table, a spare punch you can reorder, or a tool with no early-failure report.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this nibbler include a Makita battery?
No. The listing says the battery and charger are sold separately. It names Makita 18V packs including BL1830, BL1840, BL1850 and BL1860.
What thickness does the listing state?
The size field says max thickness 2.0 mm. Bullets also say aluminium up to 0.098 inches and stainless up to 0.048 inches. Those are separate claims.
Will it cut copper?
The listing asks the question and does not state a copper capacity.
The LIROPAU ACYK-DDJD-DEW is a bare DeWalt-fit nibbler at £89.99, with 4.3 from 11 reviews. The bullets state 2.0 mm iron, 1.5 mm stainless and 2.0 mm aluminium, with an inner radius of 45 mm and an outer radius of 50 mm. A German review said a DeWalt 18V XR pack fitted and the tool cut trapezoidal sheet about 1.2 mm. The one UK review in the saved listing says the supplied heads do not last, replacement nibble heads could not be obtained, and messages to the seller went unanswered. The title says DeWalt 20V while a bullet says 18V MAX, which is DeWalt’s usual dual label, and a technical-details line says air_powered against a cordless title. The included-components field says no. At 2.02 kg it is the lightest listing here, and the UK spare-parts complaint is the reason it is not the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own DeWalt 18V or 20V MAX packs and you are cutting about 1.2 mm profile sheet, with your own plan for punches if the seller cannot supply them.
Less suitable: You need a punch you can buy again in the UK, or you are choosing on the 62-review DEYITONG record.
Specifications
Common questions
Which DeWalt battery does the listing claim?
The title says a DeWalt 20V battery. A bullet says DeWalt 18V MAX. Neither battery nor charger is included. One review said a DeWalt 18V XR pack fitted.
What is the minimum cutting radius?
The listing says an inner corner of 45 mm and an outer corner of 50 mm.
Does it come with a battery?
No. The title and the bullets both say the battery is not included.
The divinge DeWalt-fit nibbler, model line Akku Blechknabber, is listed at £73.99 with 1.0 from one review. That review is headed as written in Germany: the tool arrived not usable, a gear on the shaft was not secured, and the reviewer fitted a missing half-moon key before it would run. The listing prints 1.6 mm low-carbon steel, 1.2 mm stainless, 2.5 mm aluminium, an inner radius of 45 mm and an outer radius of 51 mm, plus three speeds and a 360° head, at 2.07 kg. Those millimetres match the sort of table Makita publishes for the DJN161Z, and this page does not treat the clone as that tool. A later bullet says the nibbler suits people who already own Makita tools, while the named packs are DeWalt codes such as DCB204 and DCB206. The title also prints 800 W and 2200 rpm beside a 1900 strokes-per-minute bullet. At this price the specification looks complete, and the only review describes a repair on day one.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own DeWalt 18V packs and you are prepared to return a bare tool if the gearbox arrives as that one review describes.
Less suitable: You want a UK review that says the tool cut sheet, or your batteries are Makita or Milwaukee.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it compatible with Makita batteries?
The named pack list is DeWalt, including DCB204, DCB206, DCB200 and DCB180. A later bullet mentions Makita owners. That line is not the pack list.
What thickness does it state?
1.6 mm low-carbon steel, 1.2 mm stainless and 2.5 mm aluminium, with an inner radius of 45 mm and an outer radius of 51 mm.
Does the box include a battery?
No. The listing says the battery and charger are not included.
The Axelrivet YFF0521231 is the lowest price in the set at £72.89, a bare DeWalt 18V XR and 20V Max nibbler with no star line and no review text. The bullets give three speed bands, 0–1300, 0–1600 and up to 1900 rpm, a 360° punch head, a handle for the left or the right, and a listed weight of 2.1 kg. They also name a spanner, two Allen keys, a replacement punch bit and a drawstring bag, plus a one-year warranty line. Stainless, carbon steel, aluminium and copper are named, and the page tells you to stay within a recommended thickness without printing that thickness. A bullet claims 30 percent more power with no baseline, and another mentions high-temperature sparks, which a punch-and-die nibbler should not be throwing if it is cutting cold. Named packs are DCB200, DCB204, DCB206 and DCB207, not every DeWalt battery. Without a millimetre and without a review, the low price is not a measured saving.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own one of the four named DeWalt packs and you only need an occasional cut in thin sheet you can test before you rely on it.
Less suitable: You are buying to a thickness, especially stainless or coated roofing, or you want a review that describes a finished cut.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it work with all DeWalt batteries?
The listing names DCB200, DCB204, DCB206 and DCB207, and says 18V XR and 20V Max. It does not say every DeWalt pack. Battery and charger are not included.
Is the handle suitable for left-handed use?
The listing says the auxiliary handle mounts on the left or the right.
What thickness can it cut?
The listing names stainless, carbon steel, aluminium and copper, and tells you to stay within a recommended thickness. It does not print that thickness.
The divinge Milwaukee-fit nibbler uses the same model wording, Akku Blechknabber, at £73.99, and the listing has no customer-reviews line. The stated cuts match the DeWalt twin: 1.6 mm low-carbon steel, 1.2 mm stainless, 2.5 mm aluminium, an inner radius of 45 mm, an outer radius of 51 mm, three speeds and a 360° head, at 2.07 kg. Named packs include 48-11-1820, 48-11-1850, 48-11-1860 and 48-11-1862, and the battery is not included. The same bullet then says the tool suits people who already own Makita tools, which is not what those Milwaukee codes mean. The title’s 800 W and 2200 rpm again sit beside 1900 strokes per minute. The listing shares a best-seller rank with the DeWalt divinge page, and there is no UK review to separate the two. Buy it only if you already have M18 packs and you treat the capacity table as a claim, not a test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own Milwaukee M18 batteries and you want the printed thickness table at £73.99, knowing this ASIN has no review text in the saved listing.
Less suitable: You need UK review evidence, or your batteries are Makita or DeWalt.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with a Milwaukee battery?
No. The listing says the battery and charger are not included and names Milwaukee packs 48-11-1820, 48-11-1850, 48-11-1860 and 48-11-1862.
What materials does the listing rate?
1.6 mm low-carbon steel, 1.2 mm stainless and 2.5 mm aluminium. Copper is named in a bullet without a thickness.
Are there customer reviews?
The listing has no customer-reviews line and no review text.
The Builrand ORI-U-ZXR0245-MWQ-FBA is a bare Milwaukee 18V nibbler at £84.99 with no review text in the saved listing. The bullets state aluminium up to 1.6 mm, stainless up to 1 mm, 1900 strokes per minute, three speeds and a 360° head, plus a chip bag and a detachable handle, at 2.08 kg. A mild-steel millimetre is not printed. The pack list includes 48-11-1850, 48-11-1860 and 48-11-1862, and also prints 8-11-1820, which does not match the usual Milwaukee 48-11-1820 code. A warranty block on the same listing says hand_powered while the bullets say cordless and brushless. The battery is excluded. At £84.99 it sits above the £73.99 divinge Milwaukee listing, which at least prints a steel thickness, and it has the same absence of reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own Milwaukee 18V packs and you want a stated chip bag for aluminium up to 1.6 mm or stainless up to 1 mm, accepting that this ASIN has no reviews here.
Less suitable: You need a mild-steel capacity in millimetres, or you want the cheaper divinge listing that prints 1.6 mm steel.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it include a Milwaukee battery?
No. The bullets say the battery is excluded and name 8-11-1820, 48-11-1850, 48-11-1860 and 48-11-1862.
What thickness is stated?
Aluminium up to 1.6 mm and stainless up to 1 mm. A mild-steel millimetre is not printed.
Is the power source cordless?
The bullets describe a cordless brushless Milwaukee 18V tool. A warranty line on the same listing says hand_powered. Both lines are on the page.
Eight bare cordless electric nibblers on amazon.co.uk were scored on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test. Points come from the star line and the review notes, from how complete the listing is, and from the bare-tool price against a thickness you can read. Trade bodies such as the Makita DJN161Z and the Milwaukee M18 FNB35-0X are price context only and are not in the scored set.
Amazon evidence
35%Where a star line exists, stars out of five contribute, then a count allowance. No star line scores nothing on this criterion. Points come off for a repeated failure, a spare-parts complaint, or a review that already sits outside the stated thickness.
Listing completeness
40%A clear battery platform, a thickness split by metal, a speed figure that does not fight itself, a rotating head, a side handle, a spare punch or chip bag, and a power-source line that matches the title. A Makita sentence on a DeWalt or Milwaukee pack list costs those points.
Value
25%Bare-tool price in GBP against a thickness you can read and a review record you can judge. Every tool here excludes the battery. A low price with no millimetre and no reviews does not take the best-value place.
An electric nibbler is the cold-cut option when tin snips would twist the panel and a grinder would burn the coating. The eight tools below are bare cordless bodies. Match the thickness to the metal, the slide to the batteries you own, and the price to a figure you can actually read.
An electric nibbler is a punch-and-die tool. The punch takes a narrow strip of chips out of the sheet, so the panel stays flatter than it would under tin snips. Flat-sheet heads are the common type. Profile heads for corrugated and trapezoidal roofing are a separate type, and the amazon.co.uk clones in this set do not state a profile depth. Corded 230 V workshop tools and 110 V site tools sit beside cordless bodies.
Mild steel at about 400 N/mm² is the headline figure. Stainless at 600 or 800 N/mm² is thinner. A size field, an inch claim and a review that says 4 mm are three different lines, not one capacity.
Every cordless ASIN here excludes the battery and charger. Makita 18V, DeWalt 18V XR and Milwaukee M18 do not interchange. A copied Makita sentence on a DeWalt or Milwaukee title is not compatibility.
A compatible slide does not mean genuine branded punches or the brand’s warranty. One UK review said replacement heads could not be obtained. A nibbler also wastes a kerf, so it is the wrong tool when both offcuts must keep their full width.
Sheet thickness is the first buying criterion, and it has to name the metal. Mild steel at about 400 N/mm² is the headline figure buyers expect. Stainless at 600 or 800 N/mm² is a thinner cut. Aluminium is usually the thickest of the three. Makita’s published table for the DJN161Z, a trade body that is not in this set, is 1.6 mm mild steel, 1.2 mm stainless and 2.5 mm aluminium. Use that shape of table as a reading guide. It is not a claim that a clone matches the Makita cut.
The second criterion is the power source for the place you work. The Health and Safety Executive describes cordless tools, or 110 V centre-tapped to earth, for construction sites. A 230 V tool with a BS 1363 plug suits a dry workshop. A domestic extension lead is the wrong supply on a site. None of the eight tools here is a 110 V or 230 V corded nibbler. All of them are bare 18 V bodies. The platform has to be one you already own.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You cut coated profile sheet, notches and flashings and you need a cold cut rather than a grinder. The DEYITONG bare Makita 18V body is the top pick here because a roofer review describes cladding and drip flashings, and 62 amazon.co.uk reviews is the widest record in the set. The battery is not in the box.
You cut flat-sheet curves in a workshop and a platform battery is enough. The TengXcel bare Makita 18V nibbler has four UK reviews that mention steel cuts, plus a debris bag on the listing. The bullet says 3 mm maximum and does not split mild steel from stainless, so read that limit before you buy.
You want occasional holes in light-gauge steel and you already own a Makita 18V pack and a UK charger. The Gautesy bare body is the best value at about £79.99, with one positive review and a printed aluminium and stainless figure. Do not buy it bare if you still need the battery.
Across the eight bare cordless bodies, the DEYITONG Makita 18V nibbler is the top pick because it has the widest amazon.co.uk review record, 4.3 from 62, at about £106.99. The Gautesy Makita 18V nibbler is the best value at about £79.99: it prints an aluminium and stainless figure and has one positive review. Every tool here excludes the battery. None of them is a Makita DJN161Z or a Milwaukee M18 FNB35.
Gautesy Makita 18V nibbler
About £79.99 with a stated aluminium and stainless thickness and one positive UK review.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and dealer pages for trade-body context, checked on 19 October 2026. amazon.co.uk prices and review counts are taken from the listings in this category and can change.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores use listing and review evidence, not a lab test. Prices and review counts can change.
