Best slate cutter UK
Updated: October 2026
You want one name, not a specification table. On amazon.co.uk this scrape kept three real slate cutters: the TSF SC01G at £37.95, Tooltime’s 320 mm plier at £11.36, and Malco’s TSNS1 drill shear at £247.83. The default pick in this set is TSF, because it has a 3.2 mm punch and 101 ratings, not because it is a national prize. Prices and the three-row table stay on the [slate scissors](/hub/cutting-tools/slate-scissors) comparison. This page only says who should buy which listing, and who should skip it. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You want one name, not a specification table. On amazon.co.uk this scrape kept three real slate cutters: the TSF SC01G at £37.95, Tooltime’s 320 mm plier at £11.36, and Malco’s TSNS1 drill shear at £247.83.
You want one name, not a specification table. On amazon.co.uk this scrape kept three real slate cutters: the TSF SC01G at £37.95, Tooltime’s 320 mm plier at £11.36, and Malco’s TSNS1 drill shear at £247.83. The default pick in this set is TSF, because it has a 3.2 mm punch and 101 ratings, not because it is a national prize. Prices and the three-row table stay on the slate scissors comparison. This page only says who should buy which listing, and who should skip it. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Listed max thickness | Hole punch | Cut style | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  TSF Products TSF SC01G slate cutter | 5 mm | 3.2 mm, up to 60 mm from the edge | Plier cutter | 8.8 | about £37.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Tooltime Tooltime 320 mm slate cutter | 6 mm | Not listed | Plier cutter | 8.0 | about £11.36 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Malco Malco TSNS1 slate turbo shear | 4–8 mm | Not listed | Drill shear | 7.4 | about £247.83 | View offer |
On this page
Default pick
The TSF SC01G is the top pick in this set for a few cuts that also need nail holes. It is a 945 g plier with a 35 mm stroke, a 5 mm listed maximum, and a 3.2 mm punch the bullets say you can use up to 60 mm from the tile edge. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 101 reviews, the only sample here large enough to read as more than a handful of opinions. UK notes praise synthetic valley cuts, including one that finished two valleys quicker and cleaner than a grinder. That is an anecdote, not a test.
Skip it if your slates are thicker than 5 mm, or if you need many metres of 4–8 mm natural slate. That is the Malco job, and a plier will blister before the run is done. One verified UK review could not punch a hole in natural slate; others make holes in synthetic slate. Grips have slipped, one buyer glued them, and one handle broke on thin roof slate. If you only want a cheap bench shear and you already have a hammer spike, TSF is more tool than the job.
Merchant pages will push an Edma or a Roughneck at £40–£58 with a 7 mm line. Those are shop alternatives, not a fourth Amazon row. If your slates sit between 5 mm and 7 mm and you already buy at a roofing merchant, that shelf can be the better buy. It does not change the ranking inside this set.
Best value in this set
Tooltime’s 320 mm spring-loaded cutter is the best value in this set when you are dressing old slates on a bench and you will hole them another way. It is £11.36, with a 6 mm listed maximum on natural slate and handles that lock closed. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.0 from 20 reviews, a thin file next to TSF’s 101. One UK buyer said it coped with old roof slates but needed plenty of power on thicker pieces. Another said the frame twists on tiles. A third called the plastic grips useless, said they come off, and preferred the tool without them.
Skip it if valley work needs a punch. The listing does not name one, so you will be reaching for a slater’s hammer spike. Skip it if you will lean on the cutter all week: a light frame that twists is a poor trade-only buy, even at £11.36. If you are still deciding punch versus no punch, use the slate scissors buying guide.
When the drill shear is the pick
The Malco TSNS1 is the pick only for long runs in 4–8 mm natural roofing slate when you already own a drill. It is £247.83, listed for straight, angled, or curved cuts, with a replaceable blade and skid. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.7 from 38 reviews. A UK roofer with forty years on the tools liked the attachment. Another UK note said the head hits larger slates. Non-UK texts in that file, including one that struggled above 5 mm, are not British opinion.
Skip it for a porch of a dozen tiles. At about six times the TSF shelf, the shear only pays when a plier would take all afternoon. Skip it if you need a punch: none is listed. Skip it if you do not already own a drill you trust on a bench. HSE still wants hammers and cutters first; owning a Malco does not make a dry grinder the professional method.
Who should not buy from this table
None of these three is the right buy for thick heavies, a fragile or high roof, or a covering that might contain asbestos. Call a slater for a full re-slate, for decorative tailing, and for stone that sits above the listed maxima. A BuildHub thread on Ballachulish slates told readers to try a hand cutter before a £250 attachment. That is the point at which craft takes over from a catalogue shear.
Do not call any of these the UK best. TSF is the top pick in this set because of the punch and the 101 ratings, with the 5 mm cap as the limit. Tooltime is the best value for bench work without a punch. Malco is the long-run shear if the slate is 4–8 mm and you accept the clearance complaint. Cutting sequence is on how to cut roof slates.
Common questions
What is the best slate cutter for a porch repair?
In this set, the TSF SC01G at £37.95. You get a 5 mm cap, a 3.2 mm punch, and 101 amazon.co.uk ratings. Use it on a bench with eye protection, not as an excuse to work from a ladder. If the porch slates are thicker than 5 mm, measure before you look at a merchant 7 mm plier or a slater.
Who should buy the Malco TSNS1?
Someone cutting many metres of 4–8 mm natural slate who already owns a drill and accepts £247.83. One UK trade review liked it; another said the head hits larger slates. It is the wrong buy for a handful of tiles, for fibre-cement only, or for anyone who needs the punch on the same tool.
Is the £11 Tooltime good enough?
It can be, on a bench, for old slates under 6 mm, if you already have a way to hole them. The file has only 20 reviews, the grips come off, and the frame can twist. That is acceptable for a one-off trim. It is a weak trade tool when the next step is two nail holes.
Why is TSF the top pick in this set?
Because it is the only listing with a printed 3.2 mm punch and a three-figure UK review count. The 4.4 from 101 is more useful than Tooltime’s 20 ratings or Malco’s mixed 38. The 5 mm cap and one failed natural-slate punch are the limits, not a national winner.
Should I buy an Edma from a merchant instead?
You can, if your slates sit nearer 7 mm and you already shop there. Edma merchants print 7 mm and a replaceable blade at about £54–£67; Wickes lists a Roughneck at £54. Those shelves are not extra rows in this comparison.
Can I call any of these the UK best?
No. There is no lab ranking and no market-size claim. TSF is the top pick in this set; Tooltime is the best value in this set. Both sentences need the job attached: punch and a few cuts for TSF, bench work without a punch for Tooltime.
Who should skip all three and hire a slater?
Anyone facing a high or fragile roof, a possible asbestos covering, a full re-slate, or slates thicker than the listed maxima. Decorative tailing and thick heavies are craft. A cutter in the van does not make that a DIY afternoon.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listing lines; retrieved 19 October 2026.
- HSE, Cutting roofing tiles (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE ST5, Sawing slate (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, Roof work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- NHBC 7.2.19, Fixing tiles and slates (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- SSQ, Natural slate design and fixing guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wickes, Roughneck slate cutter and hole puncher (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk, TSF SC01G (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HG Roofing Supplies, TurboShear NS1 (retrieved 19 October 2026)