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How to use cordless metal shears

Updated: October 2026

You are about to open a panel, and the usual mistakes are starting in the wrong place, letting the sheet flap, and picking up an edge that is still sharp. This is how to use cordless metal shears, and the same sequence covers a nibbler when that is the tool in your hand. The [cordless metal shears comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/cordless-metal-shears) is the product table. This page does not rank the eight listings. We did not film a cut. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to open a panel, and the usual mistakes are starting in the wrong place, letting the sheet flap, and picking up an edge that is still sharp.

Our top picks

Bostar Bostar shear with 2× 4.0Ah

Best overall

Bostar Bostar shear with 2× 4.0Ah
5.8/10about £75.99
View offer
Bosch Professional Bosch Professional GSC 12V-13

Rank 2

Bosch Professional Bosch Professional GSC 12V-13
8.4/10about £264.97
View offer
Deyitong Deyitong nibbler 2.0 mm, Makita

Best value

Deyitong Deyitong nibbler 2.0 mm, Makita
7.1/10about £106.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before the motor starts
  2. 2.Cutting with shears
  3. 3.Cutting with a nibbler
  4. 4.When to stop

Before the motor starts

Read the millimetre line for the metal you are holding, not the most hopeful number on the page. If the bullet says 2 mm and names no grade, try an offcut of the same sheet before you commit a finished panel. Charge the pack you actually own. A bare Bosch 12 V shear will not run on a Makita 18 V slide. Support the sheet on both sides of the line. ITS, a UK merchant, tells you not to force a blunt blade and to keep the work steady. Wear eye protection. Nibbler chips are small, sharp, and they travel. Only Bosch publishes a noise figure in this set: 69 dB(A) sound pressure and 80 dB(A) sound power on the GSC 12V-13. Do not copy that onto another brand.

Cutting with shears

Start at an edge. UK reviews of the Bosch GSC 12V-13 say it is better at trimming a sheet end than cutting a shape inside the panel. If you need a window in the middle, drill the corners and cut from hole to hole so the line sits on the waste side. Let the tool feed. If you push, the cut stalls or the edge buckles. A wavy edge means slow down, support the sheet, or change tool. Bosch states a 15 mm minimum curve radius for the GSC 12V-13. A rotating head does not publish that radius. If the edge keeps waving, the nibbler versus metal shears page is where a nibbler becomes the better mechanism.
Bostar Bostar shear with 2× 4.0Ah

Testsieger

Bostar Bostar shear with 2× 4.0Ah
5.8/10about £75.99
View offer

Cutting with a nibbler

A nibbler does not start from a raw edge the way tin snips do. Drill a start hole large enough for the die, then bring the punch in so the slot follows your line. Tooled-up describes that hole as the start of a cut-out. One UK review of the about £106.99 Deyitong nibbler estimated the slot at about 6 mm. That width is a review, not the size field, which says 2.0 mm of thickness. Plan the waste on the side you can afford to lose. Use a debris bag if the 2125 box has one, and still sweep, because a bag misses chips. If the slot is wider than the job can spare, you wanted a shear. Profiled sheet is the roofing page.

When to stop

Stop when the tool stalls on the thickness you hoped the bullet allowed. Forcing a 2 mm headline through harder steel overheats the motor and leaves a torn edge. Stop when the work is at height. A roof is not the place to learn a new head. Stop when the part is pipe, a flue, or anything load-bearing. If you employ people, the noise action values are 80 and 85 dB(A), and the hand-arm vibration action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8). A household user is not an employer. Bosch's noise figure does not transfer to another brand.

Common questions

Can a shear plunge into the middle of a sheet?
Not as a first move. Start at an edge, or drill access holes and cut from hole to hole so the line is on the waste. UK reviewers of the Bosch shear found internal shapes harder than trimming an end. A nibbler also wants a drilled start, which is a different hole from a shear's access hole.
Where do I drill for a nibbler?
Drill on the waste side of the line, large enough for the die to enter, then steer so the slot stays on that waste. Tooled-up describes cut-outs this way. Leave the finished edge on the piece you are keeping, because you cannot put the punched strip back.
Why is the edge wavy?
A single-cut shear stretches the sheet as it cuts, and an unsupported panel makes that worse. Slow down, support both sides, and check you are inside the stated thickness. A 360° head does not remove the wave. If the surround must stay flat, switch to a nibbler and accept the slot.
What do I do with the chips?
Treat them as sharp. A nibbler throws a curl or a crescent. Bag them if your 2125 came with a debris bag, then sweep before you kneel. A shear does not leave that waste strip. It still leaves a wire edge. Do not blow chips with your mouth.
Should I deburr before I pick the piece up?
Yes. ITS notes that a shear edge usually needs less work than a grinder cut and that a quick deburr is still worth it. Run a file or deburring tool along the cut while the piece is still supported. A clean-looking edge can still cut a thumb.
What if the tool stalls?
Release the trigger, back the head out, and check thickness and steel against the listing, not against hope. A stalled cut on a 2 mm bullet with no grade often means the sheet is harder than the bullet assumed. Do not hold the trigger and rock the tool. If an offcut of the same metal also stalls, that body is the wrong capacity.

Related pages

Cordless metal shears buying guide

Cordless metal shears

Best cordless metal shears UK: who should skip them

Cordless metal shears for roofing: ribs and flashing

Nibbler vs metal shears for a flat surround or offcut

Sources

Capacity and noise for the GSC 12V-13 are Bosch Professional GB. Shear and nibbler use is Tooled-up, UK Planet Tools and Milwaukee Tool UK. Supply duties are the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. Noise action values are the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4. Vibration values are the HSE summary of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations. DeWalt's nominal 18 V line is the UK 18V XR battery page. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk captures dated 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test.

  1. Bosch Professional GB, GSC 12V-13 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Tooled-up, nibblers versus shears (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. UK Planet Tools, cordless shears and nibblers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Milwaukee Tool UK, metal shears (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE, hand-arm vibration regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. DeWalt UK, 18V XR 5Ah battery (retrieved 19 October 2026)