Nibbler for roofing sheets
Updated: October 2026
The sheet on the roof is coated, and it is not flat. A nibbler for roofing sheets has to protect that coating and then clear the rib. An angle grinder fails the first test. Several listings in this set fail the second, because their bullets exclude ribbed or corrugated plate. The twelve cards sit on the [nibbler comparison](/hub/cutting-tools/nibbler). The millimetre order is on the [nibbler buying guide](/hub/cutting-tools/nibbler/sub/nibbler-buying-guide). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through an amazon.co.uk link can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The sheet on the roof is coated, and it is not flat. A nibbler for roofing sheets has to protect that coating and then clear the rib. An angle grinder fails the first test.
The sheet on the roof is coated, and it is not flat. A nibbler for roofing sheets has to protect that coating and then clear the rib. An angle grinder fails the first test. Several listings in this set fail the second, because their bullets exclude ribbed or corrugated plate. The twelve cards sit on the nibbler comparison. The millimetre order is on the nibbler buying guide. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through an amazon.co.uk link can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Steel capacity | Profiled sheet | Spares in the box | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Axelrivet Axelrivet double-head drill nibbler | 1.6 mm carbon steel | Not for corrugated steel | Punch, die, and blade | 7.1 | about £27.99 | View offer |
 Makita Makita DJN161Z 18 V nibbler | 1.6 mm mild steel | n/a | No | 7.5 | about £267.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Fujiwara Fujiwara double-head drill nibbler kit | Up to 2 mm or 14 gauge claimed | Corrugated named in the listing | Yes, extra parts and wrench | 7.4 | about £31.99 | View offer |
On this page
Heat is the problem on coated sheet
Colour Clad Profiles tell customers to cut their sheets with a nibbler or professional tin snips, and never with an angle grinder, because heat destroys the coating. That is a supplier rule, not a test we ran. Plastisol can look fine for a season after a disc cut and then rust along the brown edge. Cold-cutting also keeps sparks out of a loft.
The punch still throws sharp chips. On a finished roof they are a cut hazard. Brush them into a bag. Do not blow them off with compressed air. Clamp and stop rules are on the how to use a nibbler page. A short flashing on the ground may still be faster with snips, on the nibbler vs tin snips page.
Crowns and flashings are different cuts
Flashings and flat offcuts behave like any other thin coated sheet. Aviation snips or a flat-sheet nibbler can do that work if the millimetres fit. Southern Sheeting says shears will not travel over the crowns of corrugated or box profile. Their timing is their experience, not a stopwatch from this comparison.
A flat die on a rib jams or chews the coating. That is why several cheap attachments exclude the shape. A profile nibbler is a different class. FEIN’s ABLK 18 claims 1.3 mm at 400 N/mm², a corrugated die, and a 4 mm cutting width. Trumpf’s profile range talks about heads for corrugated depth up to 85 mm or 162 mm. Those tools are not in these twelve. A van-panel kit is not a roofing nibbler because one reviewer cut 0.7 mm sheet on the ground.
What this set actually allows
DoublleHui excludes bent, ribbed, profiled, and welded plate. Axelrivet says it is not suitable for corrugated steel, even though it prints 1.6 mm carbon steel. Xiciki excludes bent plates. Funnytek is flat sheet under 1 mm. Those four are not box-profile tools.
DYXDYC UK reviews say the cutter fell to pieces on light-gauge box-profile roofing, and a wheel came off 0.9 mm sheet. Fujiwara names corrugated material, and reviewers mention 0.7 mm roofing, without a crown height. Treat that bullet as a claim, not a tested depth. The Makita DJN161Z file does not state a profile rating. UK reviews mention cladding. That is a buyer comment, not a throat measurement. Draper’s air nibbler is the wrong hose to drag onto a roof.
A profile nibbler is a different tool
On deep box profile or tall corrugated sheet you want a head that clears the rib, a stated tensile figure, and a punch you can buy again. FEIN and Trumpf are that class. They are not in this extract.
The top pick here, the Makita DJN161Z at about £267.99 bare, is still a 1.6 / 1.2 / 2.5 mm tool. It can suit cladding details if you already own LXT packs. It is not a deep-throat profile nibbler. The best value drill kit is not a cheaper version of that class either. Call a roofer when the sheet is on a high roof, the cut has to protect a warranty, or you do not have the head that clears the rib.
Common questions
Can I cut box profile with a drill nibbler?
Only if the listing allows profiled sheet and the die can clear the rib. DoublleHui and Axelrivet already say no. DYXDYC UK reviews report the cutter falling apart on box profile. Fujiwara names corrugated material without a depth. A flat adapter on a crown is a jam, not a shortcut.
Why not an angle grinder on plastisol sheet?
Colour Clad says the heat destroys the coating, so the cut edge rusts. A disc also throws sparks onto a finished roof. Cold-cut with a nibbler or professional tin snips. The grinder is the expensive way to shorten the life of the sheet.
Will shears go over the crowns?
Southern Sheeting says shears will not travel over the crowns of corrugated or box profile, and that a nibbler suits radii, corners, flashings, and details. Their times are theirs. Flashings next to that sheet can still be snips work.
Which tools in this set say they cannot cut ribs?
DoublleHui excludes ribbed and profiled plate. Axelrivet is not suitable for corrugated steel. Xiciki excludes bent plates. Funnytek is flat sheet under 1 mm. DYXDYC reviews describe failure on box profile even where the bullets are quieter.
Is the Makita DJN161Z a roofing nibbler?
It is a genuine 18 V bare tool rated 1.6 mm mild steel, 1.2 mm stainless, and 2.5 mm aluminium. UK reviews mention cladding and corrugated steel. This saved listing does not print a crown height. Treat it as a cladding-capable millimetre tool, not as a deep-throat profile nibbler.
Do I need a profile nibbler with a deep throat?
Yes when the corrugation is tall enough that a flat die cannot follow it. FEIN and Trumpf publish that class, with dies for tens or hundreds of millimetres of profile depth. That class is not in these twelve. A drill kit that names corrugated is not a substitute.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison, last checked in October 2026.
- HSE INDG291, provision and use of work equipment (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE, selecting equipment to control vibration (retrieved October 2026)
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved October 2026)
- GAP Group, Makita DJN161Z cordless nibbler (retrieved October 2026)
- Tooled Up, nibblers vs shears (retrieved October 2026)
- Colour Clad Profiles FAQs (retrieved October 2026)
- Sealey SNA9821 drill-attachment instructions (retrieved October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved October 2026)