Bolt Cutters

Bolt cutters use long handles for leverage to cut chain, rod, wire, rebar and bolts. A small cut takes little effort, which makes people forget how much force is stored in the jaws and the handles. The cut piece can fly off at your face, the handles can snap together on your fingers, and a chipped jaw can fail. Choosing the right cutter and using it the right way prevents nearly all of these injuries.

• Construction
• General Industry

How bolt cutters work

Bolt cutters are a compound lever. The long handles multiply your force, and a pivot and linkage near the jaws multiplies it again. That’s why a 36-inch pair can cut material you could never cut with ordinary pliers. The same leverage means the jaws close with great force and speed at the very end of the cut, and the cut ends can spring away.

Types of jaws

Handle lengths range from short 14- or 18-inch pairs up to 36 inches and more. Longer handles give more leverage and cut larger or harder material, but need more room to swing and put more stress on the tool. Hydraulic and battery-powered cutters handle bigger work with less effort. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Choose the right cutter

• Match the cutter to the material and its hardness. Every cutter has a capacity chart that lists maximum diameters for soft, medium and hard materials. Hardened chain, padlock shackles, case-hardened bolts and hardened rod need hardened jaws, and may be beyond what ordinary cutters can do.
• Don’t overload it. Cutting material harder or thicker than the rating chips the jaws and can break the tool.
• Pick the right tool for the job. For cable, use cable cutters. For rebar, use rebar cutters. For thick or hardened steel, use a saw, an angle grinder or a hydraulic cutter. See Angle Grinders.
• Choose a size you can handle comfortably. Heavy cutters tire your hands and arms quickly, and tired hands slip.

Inspect before every use

• Jaws are sharp, with no chips, cracks, mushrooming or rolled edges
• Center bolt and adjustment bolts are tight, and the jaws meet evenly with no gap
• Handles are straight, with no bends, cracks or loose grips
• Pivot points move freely and are lightly oiled
• The cutter is rated for the material and the diameter you’re cutting

Take damaged or bent cutters out of service and tag them. See Tagging Out Damaged Tools. OSHA requires hand tools to be kept in safe condition, including tools that workers bring themselves (29 CFR 1926.300 and 1910.242).

Using bolt cutters safely

• Wear safety glasses or a face shield, and gloves. Cut ends can fly. See Eye & Face Protection and Hand Protection.
• Place the material deep in the jaws, close to the pivot, where you have the most strength. Cutting at the tips risks chipping.
• Cut at a right angle to the material, with the jaws straight and not twisted.
• Point the jaws away from yourself and others, and know where the cut piece will go. Hold or support the free end so it can’t fly or drop.
• Set your feet shoulder-width apart in a stable stance, and don’t cut overhead with the piece falling toward you.
• Keep your fingers away from the point where the handles come together. Grip near the ends of the handles.
• Squeeze steadily with your whole body, not a jerk. If the cut won’t go, stop and use a bigger tool.
• For thick stock, cut in steps by nibbling around a chain link or rod, or clamp the work in a vise.
• Check the area behind and around you before cutting, including people, vehicles and energized equipment.

• Don’t rock, twist or pry with the cutters to finish a cut. That chips and breaks jaws.
• Don’t extend the handles with a pipe or hit them with a hammer.
• Don’t cut energized wire or cable. Bolt cutters aren’t insulated. Confirm it’s de-energized, locked out and tested first. See Lockout/Tagout and Testing for Absence of Voltage.
• Don’t cut chains, locks, cables or straps that are under tension or holding a load. When released, they snap back or drop the load. See Rigging Basics.
• Don’t cut wire under spring tension, such as coiled wire, wire rope on a spool or tensioned fence wire, without a plan.
• Don’t use cutters as a hammer or a pry bar.

Common jobs and their hazards

Buying or renting bolt cutters

• Read the capacity chart before you buy. Look at the hardness rating, not just the diameter. Cutters made for hardened material cost more, and use them only on what they’re rated for.
• Check the jaw material and finish. Forged, heat-treated jaws that are replaceable last longer.
• Pick handles that fit your grip, with comfortable, non-slip grips and enough length for leverage without being too heavy to control.
• Consider powered cutters (battery or hydraulic) if you cut a lot of heavy rod, chain or rebar. They reduce hand and shoulder strain. Follow the maker’s instructions, because they are still dangerous at the jaws.
• Keep the manual with the tool, since it lists the rating and care instructions.

Cutting near others and in the field

• Clear the area of coworkers and passers-by before you cut. Flying ends travel farther than you expect.
• When cutting a fence, chain or rod, hold the piece on the far side of the cut, or tape or tie it, so the loose end doesn’t whip.
• Pick up cut pieces. Sharp ends and short pieces of wire, rod and chain are trip and puncture hazards. See Slips, Trips & Falls.
• Watch for hidden hazards behind the cut, such as energized lines, gas lines or tension in the material you can’t see. Ask before cutting anything unknown.

Reduce strain

Cutting with bolt cutters is hard on hands, wrists and shoulders, especially in repeated or awkward cuts. Use the cutter’s full handle length, keep your wrists straight, and use your body weight rather than just your hands. Take breaks, switch hands and use a powered cutter for large jobs. See Musculoskeletal Disorders and Lifting & Ergonomics.

Care and storage

• Wipe the cutters clean after use, and put a drop of light oil on the pivots and the center bolt.
• Adjust the jaws using the maker’s instructions when they stop meeting evenly. Replace jaws that are chipped, or have the tool resharpened if the maker allows it.
• Store them dry, with the handles closed or locked so they can’t swing open, and keep them out of the weather and off the ground where they can rust.
• Don’t grind off chips to “fix” the jaws unless you follow the maker’s directions. Overheating the jaws ruins their hardness.

If something goes wrong

• For an eye injury from a flying piece, don’t rub it. Rinse and get medical help. See Eye Injuries.
• For pinched or crushed fingers, stop work, release the handles and get first aid. Report it. See First Aid Basics.
• If a cutter chips or breaks, take it out of service and tell your supervisor.

Before you cut

• The cutter is rated for the material and its hardness
• Jaws and handles are inspected and in good condition
• Safety glasses or a face shield and gloves are on
• The material is de-energized and not under tension
• The free end is supported and the line of flight is clear
• My fingers are away from the handles’ closing point

Last updated: October 4, 2026