Every bike I've purchased used or had for a while, I just removed the cables and housing, scrubbed the cables with oil, put more oil on the cables, ran them back and forth through the housing to lube them up, and reinstalled. It's worked fine for years.
I got an old bike I'm building from the frame and trashed everything on it, so I'll have to cut housings and cables to length from new kits.
I tried these snips on everything on the old bike and it cuts fine. It could be a little cleaner on the brake housing, but it gets the job done.
Will they be good enough or will I cause an upset in the balance of the universe?
by BrianLevre
25 Comments
They’ll work fine, until they don’t. They’re a Walmart brand tool, they’re going to dull and nick pretty quickly. Once that happens, they’re useless.
Do as you can.
I wouldn’t do it out of fear of purely mashing the housing, unraveling the cable, and unclean cuts period. But I guess if that’s what you are using and it works fine. Why do you care about what everyone else says to use? Even a multitool could leave cleaner cuts than this. I’m no purist but the satisfaction of a clean snip rivals that of hitting the tennis ball of golf club in the sweet spot.
Just a tip, but I’ve found it helpful to cut housing with a small piece of sacrificial cable inserted at the cutting point. This prevents crushing the housing
Its worth buying a dedicated tool for cutting cables. The park tool cable cutter is great and worth the money, imho.
The Hozans C-217 are cheaper and cut well – but aren’t as multi use as the park tool is.
Electrical side cutters (dykes) are a better choice.
Do you need to buy expensive tools? Not necessarily. Will the item pictured work for the desired purpose? Snips aren’t cable cutters. You want something like this [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RDDLMM](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RDDLMM)
I’m also a fan of using a Dremel with a cutoff wheel.
The problem with snips is that they are going to crush the ends. If you can minimize that, then use whatever tool you have available.
It’s much more efficient to install a cable end on a clean cut than on a crushed cut.
As long as you file or grind the end of the housing square, those can work for housing. Use a pair of dykes to cut cable.
Or buy the proper tool for the job. There’s less expensive options to the Park or Shimano ones. If you’re only using it occasionally at home, there’s little need to splash out on the professional grade tool that would normally be used several times a day in a busy shop.
Right tool for the right job
quality cable cutter will serve you forever
this thing for the next 10 years
I use my Dreml with a cutting disc
Get cable cutters. These will not give clean cuts.
I used to use snips. They would crush the housing. Get a dedicated cutter. Even a cheap one from Amazon that’s probably sharp for less than a hundred cuts will work for what you need it for.
You don’t need to spend 45 bucks in the right tool, but you need the right tool, and those snips aren’t it. They may be fine for cable housing, but cutting cables is tricky.
I used to use the cutting jaws on a pair of needlenose pliers to cut cable housing. It worked OK on brake cable housing (but I generally needed to clean up the cut end with a file and poking tool), quite poorly on compressionless shifter cable housing. With the proper tool (dedicated cable cutter), both housing types turn out great every time.
If I were you, I would spend up to $20, or up to 1 hour of my time (by going to a community bike workshop, for example) to get my hands on the correct tool. It will make your life easier, and it will make your finished product better.
I hear good things about using a Dremel, but I don’t have one of those so can’t confirm from personal experience.
Tip on cutting compressionless housing: especially for shorter runs, like the loop from the chainstay to the rear derailer, hold the cable housing in shape as you make the cut. Otherwise, half of the wires will poke out of the cut end once you bend it into shape.
There are some 10eur cable cutters made just for bike cables and cable housings.
Best thing for cutting cables is the knipex mini-bolt croppers.
It shouldn’t work, it should mangle everything, every piece of conventional wisdom says it’s a bad idea.
Works better than any of the dedicated cutters, especially on brake outer. If you have a set, give them a go.
If you insist on using aviation snips, wrap some tape on the cable so it doesn’t unravel
Used a Bolt Cutter to Cut mone when I replaced them around October last Year.
Was the only thing able to give them a smoth cut, goes for the housing too.
…
Yes, a Bolt Cutter, and to put those end caps on, I used the Electrical Crimping Tool I’ve got for the other works.
Both worked great for these Jobs.
Those won’t work, they cut cables, but do it too badly
Watch out for the little metal liner inside the housing. It will shear and leave a small sharp edge that can rub on the cable. I cut, open up the housing, and then pry the metal edge outwards and snip it off. It will only be a tiny piece but there should be enough exposed that you can snip it with the ends of your pliers.
I’ve used those to be fair, but if I’m wrenching my own bike (and saving the cost of some-else’s labour) I tend to spend the savings on tools that make the job easier/better.
Like overhauling a engine yourself – the savings can buy a decent torque wrench or hone etc.
I have always used a pair of pliers and a hammer, just one clean chop and no spending 45 boona on some special tool.
knipex one will outlife you. just dont let it rust. not getting it wet in any way will help.
What works, works.
I once bought what were sold as cable and housing cutters that looked like a perfect knock-off of the Park Tools original.
They didn’t get the job done and were damaged on the first use.
I bought the Park Tools ones and despite some oldtimers in the business saying they are not as good as they used to, I’ve done a number of cable jobs with them without a glitch.
Amateur tip: you can use a metal file or Dremel sanding disc to make that brake housing flat and 90º.