Compound action pliers cut wire
Updated: 21 October 2026
You picked up a compound-action pair because you want a cleaner cut on copper, and the listing promised more power. Whether compound action pliers cut wire depends on the metal, the diameter, and whether the edge was meant for that job. A 70% claim is not a millimetre. The wrong steel chips the cutter in one squeeze. This page is materials and damage. Hand position sits on [how to use compound action pliers](/hub/pliers/compound-pliers/sub/compound-pliers-how-to-use). The six rows sit on the [compound pliers comparison](/hub/pliers/compound-pliers). Nothing here is a tutorial for live cable.
You picked up a compound-action pair because you want a cleaner cut on copper, and the listing promised more power.
You picked up a compound-action pair because you want a cleaner cut on copper, and the listing promised more power. Whether compound action pliers cut wire depends on the metal, the diameter, and whether the edge was meant for that job. A 70% claim is not a millimetre. The wrong steel chips the cutter in one squeeze. This page is materials and damage. Hand position sits on how to use compound action pliers. The six rows sit on the compound pliers comparison. Nothing here is a tutorial for live cable.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Role | Cutting claim | Hardened edge | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  DEWALT DeWalt compound-action linesman pliers 200 mm | Grip and cut | 70% vs standard cutters | Induction-hardened claimed | 9.6 | about £18.49 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Craftsman Craftsman 8-inch compound-action diagonal cutters | Cutter only | More force, no millimetre | Induction-hardened claimed | 9.4 | about £26.08 | View offer |
| Best value |  STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FatMax compound-action combination pliers 215 mm | Grip and cut | Named, no percentage | Not stated | 8.8 | about £16.79 | View offer |
On this page
What the listings actually promise
Several DeWalt bullets say 70% more cutting power than standard cutting pliers. That is a manufacturer comparison. It does not name a diameter, a hardness, or a test house. The FatMax 215 mm title names compound action and prints no percentage. The Craftsman 8-inch diagonal cutter claims increased force, again without a millimetre.
Screwfix, on DeWalt DWHT0-70276, prints a headline about cutting up to 10 mm wire, then 1.6 mm hard, 3 mm medium and 6 mm soft, with hardness 58–62 HRC. Those figures stay on that merchant page. The amazon.co.uk file for the 200 mm linesman does not print them. Do not copy 1.6 mm onto the FatMax, the Craftsman, the three-pack, or either long-nose listing. Maun's note is about Maun tools, not Craftsman CMHT81718 or FatMax FMHT0-70813. If a diameter is not on the live listing, you do not have it.
Which tool in this comparison is a cutter
The Craftsman CMHT81718 at £26.08 is the diagonal cutter, with no flat grip face. The 4.7 is from 1,801 reviews, and none of the first 50 is marked United Kingdom.
The FatMax 215 mm pair at £16.79 and the DeWalt 200 mm linesman at £18.49 still cut, and they also grip. Use them for a ferrule and a snip, not when you wanted a dedicated side cutter. The three-pack at £46.00 claims the 70% line on the diagonal cutters and does not list the other two pieces. Reviews describe needle-nose, side cutters and linesman pliers. That is not three rated cutters.
DWHT70277 at £24.06 and the 190 mm DWHT0-70277 at £19.16 both claim 70% and induction-hardened blades. An overseas review of the £24.06 listing says the edge nicked on gauge-8 screws. The best compound action pliers page separates a grip-and-cut pick from a cutter-only pick.
What damages the edge
Copper and cable ties are the repeated success in the overseas Craftsman file. Those notes are not a UK rating. The same file says the edge chipped on material other than copper. The extra linkage lets you push an edge into steel it was not specified for.
Screws and nails are the other failure. A US review shortened nails with the Craftsman. That is a use, not a capacity. The long-nose review that nicked the edge on gauge-8 screws is the matching warning. A nicked edge sheds slivers. Take it out of service under PUWER if it is work equipment. Rust out of the packet, noted on the DeWalt set and the FatMax pair, is a Consumer Rights Act 2015 problem on a new tool. If the first 50 reviews contain no United Kingdom tag, a chip story is part of that file.
What this page will not tell you to cut
It will not tell you to cut a live cable. HSE HSG85 and regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are the frame. The Craftsman usage line says electrical. That is not a 1000 V mark and not BS EN IEC 60900. Prove the conductor dead, then cut. If you cannot identify the cable, do not use the cutter to find out.
It will not copy Screwfix's 1.6 mm hard-wire line from DWHT0-70276 onto the other five ASINs, and it will not invent a piano-wire rating. A 70% claim is not an independent test. If the wire will not enter the jaw, that is an opening problem. Stop bouncing the handles. If you have not chosen a head, the buying guide is the decision order.
Common questions
Will these cut thick wire?
Only if the wire enters the jaw and the metal matches the edge. Most of these listings give no diameter. A 10 mm headline on Screwfix for one DeWalt model is not a capacity for the other five ASINs.
What does 70% more cutting power actually tell me?
It tells you the maker is comparing the squeeze with standard cutting pliers. It does not tell you a millimetre, a hardness, or whether the edge will survive steel.
Is the Craftsman the one to buy for cutting only?
Yes, in this set. It is the diagonal cutter at £26.08. It is not a gripper. Keep it on dead copper and cable ties unless a diameter appears on the listing.
Can I nip screws or nails?
The listings do not rate that job. One long-nose review nicked the edge on gauge-8 screws. A Craftsman review shortened nails. That is not a specification. Expect chips if you try.
Why did the edge chip?
Usually the metal was harder than copper, or the wire sat too far from the joint and you forced it. Overseas Craftsman notes put the chips on material other than copper. Retire a nicked cutter.
Does electrical on the Craftsman listing mean cable that is still live?
No. There is no VDE mark and no BS EN IEC 60900 line. Prove dead. Cutting is not a test for live.
Which listing states a length, and which states no cutting diameter?
The Craftsman title states 8 inch. The DeWalt 200 mm and 190 mm titles state a length. None of the six amazon.co.uk files in this comparison prints a cutting diameter. Screwfix's table stays on DWHT0-70276.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 14 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE HSG85 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN IEC 60900:2018 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- PUWER 1998 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Screwfix: DeWalt 200 mm compound-action pliers DWHT0-70276 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Maun Industries: what compound-action pliers are (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wonkee Donkee Tools: how combination pliers work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Knipex: high leverage combination pliers 02 01 200 (retrieved 19 October 2026)