The best electric metal shears, compared.
Top pick: Bostar X-039 kit Best value: Bostar X-039 kit – The only cordless kit whose printed price includes two 4.0 Ah packs, a UK-plug charger and a case, at score 74. Updated 22 October 2026.
Electric metal shears are handheld power tools that cut sheet metal with a scissor or slitting action. In the UK you buy them for duct, cladding, thin vehicle skin and light fabrication. A suitable listing names a millimetre limit for each metal, because mild steel, stainless and aluminium are not the same sheet. Corded tools on 220–240 V are a finished tool only when the plug is a BS 1363 13 A plug. A cordless body is unfinished until the battery foot matches packs you already own, or the box includes the packs and a charger. Sellers separate shears, which are faster on straight light-gauge runs, from nibblers, which suit curves and profiled sheet. Do not choose a shear for corrugated ridge sheet because a bullet mentions curves. The [buying guide](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/electric-metal-shears/sub/electric-metal-shears-buying-guide) sets out thickness, metal and format before you compare rows. Where staff use the tool, a noise and vibration declaration is an employer duty, and a blank cell stays blank.
Electric metal shears are handheld power tools that cut sheet metal with a scissor or slitting action. In the UK you buy them for duct, cladding, thin vehicle skin and light fabrication.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How will you power the shear?
Bostar X-039 is listed at £75.99 as a brushless cordless kit with two 4.0 Ah packs, a charger the bullets call a UK plug, and a heavy-duty case. The capacity line is split: 1.5 mm iron, 2.0 mm aluminium and 1.2 mm stainless, which is more specific than a single 2 mm claim. The head is described as 360 degrees and locked with a hex-key screw, with high, low and a pulse mode, plus an LED. The amazon.co.uk line is 5.0 from 3 ratings, and the listing contains no review text, so those stars do not describe a cut, a failure or how long a pack lasts. The technical cell says batteries are not required, which conflicts with the kit title. Makita 18 V LXT appears only as a compatibility claim; the brand on the listing is Bostar. Package weight is 2.1 kg, and the page says some products cannot be delivered outside mainland UK. At the highest price in this set it is the only cordless row whose printed price includes packs and a UK-plug charger, which is why it is the best value here despite the three-rating sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first cordless shear when you do not already own Makita packs and you want packs in the box
Less suitable: Anyone treating three ratings as a durability record, or a fit test of a Makita pack
Specifications
Common questions
Are batteries included?
The title and bullets include two 4.0 Ah batteries and a charger with a UK plug. The technical cell says batteries are not required. That conflict is left as written.
What thickness does the listing split by metal?
1.5 mm iron, 2.0 mm aluminium and 1.2 mm stainless steel.
Is this a Makita shear?
No. The brand is Bostar. Makita 18 V LXT is a compatibility claim in the title.
Across 167 amazon.co.uk reviews, the Merry Tools 500 W shear is listed at £59.99 with a carry case and a bullet that says up to 2.5 mm mild steel. Reviewers often describe cleaner straight cuts than tin snips in thin mild steel, commonly around 1 mm to 2 mm, including camper and van window openings with less mess than a grinder. The listing weight is 2.5 kg, and the same reviews call the body heavy and large, with the housing fouling van pillars on corners. The on/off latch is a repeated complaint: hard to hold on, and easy to knock off. Gap setting needs an Allen key, and a wrong gap tears the sheet; one review says 2 mm aluminium came out bent. Brushes that arc after a modest run, and blades that stop after a short cut of about 1 mm steel, show up often enough that the 2.5 mm bullet is not a result the reviews share. The page states 220–240 V and does not name a BS 1363 plug, and corrugated ridge sheet is a failure in the review themes. It is the top pick in this set because it is the only complete mains tool with a review sample above 100.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Flat mild-steel sheet or thin van skin in a dry place with a mains socket, after a scrap cut
Less suitable: Corrugated ridge sheet, or anyone who needs a stated UK plug and a stainless millimetre
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a battery?
No. The bullets describe a 220–240 V mains shear and say there are no batteries to recharge. A carry case is stated.
What thickness does the listing claim?
Up to 2.5 mm mild steel. Stainless and aluminium are not given a millimetre on the listing. UK reviews disagree once the sheet gets past about 1 mm.
Does the listing say the plug is a UK 13 A plug?
No. The listing states 220–240 V and does not name BS 1363.
TengXcel DCS09HL is listed at £65.21 as a yellow bare body that the seller says fits DeWalt 20V MAX and 60V Flex packs. Three UK review texts sit behind a 4.1 from 4 ratings. Those texts praise a solid build without rattles and a rotating head that approaches awkward shapes, and one reports a clean edge on sheet. The repeated criticism is the price of a tool with no battery; one reviewer wrote £75.99, while the captured shelf price is £65.21. Capacity is printed as a 14GA steel head, with no millimetre for mild steel, stainless or aluminium. The motor bullet says 400 Nm brushless, which is copied as written and is not a watt figure. IP54, an LED, a one-bolt 360 degree head and a safety lock are stated, the listing does not include a charger or a case, and the stated weight is 1.5 kg with China as the country of origin. With four ratings and no pack in the box, it is a head to try only if those DeWalt batteries are already on your shelf.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who already owns the DeWalt packs named in the bullet and will check the fit on scrap
Less suitable: A buyer with no DeWalt packs, or anyone who needs a millimetre capacity
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a battery?
No. The bullets say the bare tool is for DeWalt 20V MAX and 60V Flex batteries only.
What cutting thickness is printed in millimetres?
None. The listing says a 14GA steel cutting head.
Is the motor described in watts?
No. The bullet prints 400 Nm for a brushless motor. That figure is copied as written.
Roadtime WGT337-DW is the lowest printed price in this set, at £54.14, and it is still a bare body. The seller names DeWalt 20 V packs DCB200, DCB201, DCB203, DCB204, DCB205 and DCB206, and the title says no battery. Motor, speed and capacity match the other Roadtime rows: up to 400 W, 1,600 rpm no-load, a 360 degree head and sheet up to 2 mm with the metal unnamed. Gloves are in the bullet list; a charger and a case are not. The listing says 20 V, not 18 V XR, and DeWalt groups those labels as one XR generation, which does not prove this third-party foot fits your pack. There is no star line and no UK review text. The listing first appeared on 3 July 2026, and the package weight is 1.6 kg. It is not a DeWalt tool, and the saving against the other bare bodies only matters if one of those named packs is already on the shelf.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who already owns one of the named DeWalt 20 V packs and will check the foot
Less suitable: A first shear with no battery on the shelf
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a battery?
No. The title says no battery, and the bullets say batteries and a charger are not in the package.
Which packs does the seller name?
DeWalt 20 V packs DCB200, DCB201, DCB203, DCB204, DCB205 and DCB206.
How does the 2 mm claim name the metal?
It does not. The bullet says metal sheets up to 2 mm.
Roadtime WGT337-MT is listed at £56.99 as a bare cordless shear the seller says fits Makita 18 V packs BL1850B, BL1840B and BL1830B, and not Ni-Cd or G-series packs. The bullets claim a 4815 brushless motor up to 400 W, 1,600 rpm no-load, a 360 degree chrome-vanadium head and metal sheet up to 2 mm, without naming mild steel, stainless or aluminium. Gloves are stated in the box; batteries, a charger and a case are not. Package weight is 1.6 kg, and the listing first appeared on 3 July 2026. There is no customer-reviews line and no review text on the listing, so cut quality and whether the foot locks a Makita pack are untested in this set. The brand is Roadtime, not Makita. Bullets also mention leather, carpet, plastics and cardboard, which is a wider duty list than sheet metal and is not backed by a UK review. Buy it only when those named packs are already charged, and after a scrap cut confirms the foot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A Makita 18 V owner who will test the named packs on the foot before a real cut
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a working kit at the printed price
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a Makita battery?
No. The title says no battery, and the bullets say batteries and chargers are not included.
Which packs does the seller name?
Makita 18 V examples BL1850B, BL1840B and BL1830B. The bullet excludes Ni-Cd and G-series packs.
Does the amazon.co.uk listing show a star rating?
No. There is no customer-reviews line and no review text.
Roadtime WGT337-MWK is listed at £56.99 as a bare body the seller says fits Milwaukee 18 V packs including 48-11-1820, 48-11-1828, 48-11-1835, 48-11-1840, 48-11-1850 and 48-11-1852. The motor bullet is the same 4815 brushless claim as the other Roadtime ASINs: up to 400 W, 1,600 rpm no-load, a 360 degree head and sheet up to 2 mm without a metal name. Gloves are stated; a battery, a charger and a case are not. Best-sellers rank on the listing is 247,789 in DIY & Tools, the lowest of the three Roadtime rows. There is no customer-reviews line, so nothing in this set shows whether the foot seats an M18 pack or how the cutters behave at 2 mm. The brand is Roadtime, not Milwaukee, and the listing first appeared on 3 July 2026. Treat the three Roadtime listings as separate feet, not as one tool with three colours. Buy it only when those named Milwaukee packs are already yours.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A Milwaukee M18 owner who will check the named packs against the foot
Less suitable: Anyone without those packs, or anyone who wants reviewed cut quality
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing include a Milwaukee battery?
No. The bullets say the battery and charger are not included.
Which packs does the seller name?
Milwaukee 18 V packs including 48-11-1820, 48-11-1828, 48-11-1835, 48-11-1840, 48-11-1850 and 48-11-1852.
Is the motor the same claim as the other Roadtime bodies?
Yes. The bullet is a 4815 brushless motor, up to 400 W, 1,600 rpm no-load, and sheet up to 2 mm.
Scores start from the amazon.co.uk star rating on that listing, times 20, then a reduction recorded in the score note. They are not a laboratory test, not a Which? award, and not a measurement of cut quality. A missing star line is not scored from stars. Equipment, price and review sentiment shape the written assessment and the badge. They are not a second score. Six listings are on this page.
Amazon stars, then the score note
100%The published weight is the star rating times 20, then the note for a thin sample, a missing star line, a capacity the reviews contradict, or a cell that conflicts with the title. That block is the whole score.
Buy electric metal shears when the job is sheet metal, not a hedge. The useful checks are a millimetre named by metal, shears rather than a nibbler, a BS 1363 plug or a battery that is really in the box, and a review count large enough to show the failures.
Electric metal shears are handheld power tools that cut sheet metal with a scissor or slitting action. In the UK you buy them for duct, cladding, thin vehicle skin and light fabrication. A useful listing names a millimetre limit by metal, a BS 1363 plug or a battery foot you already own, and a review record large enough to show the failures as well as the clean cuts. Thickness comes first. Read mild steel, stainless and aluminium separately.
A 2.5 mm mild-steel bullet is not a stainless limit, and it is not aluminium. UK reviews on the corded listing disagree once the sheet is much over about 1 mm. A single 2 mm line that does not name the metal is incomplete.
A cordless price is a finished tool only when the packs and a charger are in the box, or those packs are already on your shelf. The compatibility sentence is the seller’s claim. Three similar bare bodies are three feet, not one tool.
A wrong blade gap tears the sheet or stalls the cut. Corrugated ridge sheet and a tight corner are nibbler work. Call a fabricator when the cut meets structure, or when the plug or the battery foot is damaged.
Thickness is the first buying check, and it is read by metal. Mild steel, stainless and aluminium are not interchangeable. A trade shear states a millimetre and a strength band for each. A single 2 mm line that does not name the metal is incomplete. The cutting method is the next check. UK sellers separate shears, which are faster on straight light-gauge runs, from nibblers, which suit curves, corrugated and profiled sheet and leave chips to clear. A single-cut shear can bend an edge.
Corded 220–240 V is a finished tool only when the plug is a BS 1363 13 A plug. A bare cordless body is unfinished until the named pack is already on your shelf. The box contents are part of the price: a case, spare cutters, a charger with a UK plug, and batteries. A cell that says batteries are not required can conflict with a kit title, and that conflict stays visible. DeWalt groups XR 18 V and 20 V as one range.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are cutting flat mild steel or thin van skin where a lead can reach, and you will practise the blade gap on scrap first. The Merry Tools 500 W sheet shears are the corded top pick, about £59.99, with a carry case stated. The plug is not named as BS 1363, and reviews disagree once the sheet is much over about 1 mm.
You want a cordless shear and you do not already own the packs. The Bostar X-039 kit is about £75.99 and states two 4.0 Ah packs, a UK-plug charger and a case. The 5.0 is three ratings with no review text, and a technical cell says batteries are not required.
You already own one of the named DeWalt 20 V packs and you will check the foot on scrap. The Roadtime WGT337-DW is the lowest printed price, about £54.14, and it is still a bare body with no star line. It is not a DeWalt tool, and 20 V is not proof the foot fits an XR pack.
The top pick is the Merry Tools 500 W sheet shears, score 86, about £59.99, with 4.4 from 167 amazon.co.uk reviews. It is the only complete mains shear in this set, and a carry case is stated. UK reviews disagree with the 2.5 mm mild-steel bullet once the sheet is much over about 1 mm, and the plug is not stated as BS 1363. The best value is the Bostar X-039 kit, score 74, about £75.99: the only cordless row whose printed price includes two 4.0 Ah packs, a UK-plug charger and a case. The 5.0 is three ratings with no review text, so it is not the top pick. Neither score is a cut test, and neither badge means the best electric metal shears in the UK.
Bostar X-039 kit
The only cordless kit whose printed price includes two 4.0 Ah packs, a UK-plug charger and a case, at score 74.
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.
Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are from the amazon.co.uk listings in that digest.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and star lines are from amazon.co.uk listings captured for this comparison. We did not run a laboratory cut test.
