I bought a small knipex bolt cutter last year and have used it for all my wire, light chain, and cable cutting needs. It's starting to get dull now and struggled through cable. So since I'm going to be attempting to run a snare line this year, I'm going to need a new one. What would you guys recommend?

I bought one from MTP years ago, I don't know what brand it is, but it has red handles and wasn't very expensive at all, but I've been really happy with it. I've cut half inch cable with it a number of times, just have to make multiple cuts on anything over 1/8" because it doesn't have very big jaws, but it will snip as much cable as you can fit in the jaws (1/8" is as big as you can fit in one cut).

Sharpen it, still good

Need to have c7-type cutters if your running a snare line.

I use a HIT Brand 7 1/2" wire rope cutter. They are made in Japan and are about half the cost of the Felco Brand.

Newt Sterling uses the HIT Brand and if they are good enough for him, they are good enough for me.

Your cable cutter will last much longer if you don't cut wire or chain with them.

Get some of the = Felco C7 knock off copys. They are about 25 dollars.

I have the same. Actually 2 of them. One for the shop and one I carry on the line.

Same here

If you don't have a swager and/or set of bolt cutters currently, I'd highly recommend that you look into the combo things they have. Hammer sent me a link to one and I got it for around $90. Comes with a swager head that also has a cable cutter on it, a bolt cutter head for chain, and a cable cutting head- slick unit!!! If you get it and need to swap out the heads, get ahold of me, it's not complicated, but I couldn't get the pin out and started to second guess if it was meant to come out with force.... note: it is...

Bench swager with a built in cable cutter really is the way to go if you're making snares, cable extensions, cable stakes in bulk. Faster and lot easier on the hands.

Is this what you're referring to?

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Bench-Swager-Tool-Aluminum/dp/B096ZBXK22

Felco C-7

Felco C-7

I prefer these to the Felco C7's for on the line. I leave my C7s at home on the snare building bench. They are about $20 a pair as opposed to three times that the C7's cost these days. These cut cleanly every time same as the c7s but are smaller to carry, get in deep through the fur to cut super tight snares, and they fit my hand better. I'm not sure who sells them these days. Called Compact Cable Cutters when Funkes carried them.

I have the Felco C7 for building and cutting Wolf Fangs and Snares. But for = when it may go on the dirt to cut a Wolf Fang ? I use the cheap copy of the Felco C7

8” knipex are about as good as I’ve have found. They are actually a wire/bolt cutter but they cut cable like butter and clean! Only cutters I’ll ever own.

That's exactly what I have now, the tips are just a bit dull from cutting chain and wire.

For the few anchors and snares I’ve made, I’ve been using these s hook openers, there’s a cutting jaw inside. Got it last year at the Minnesota convention.

Felco C-7 it might be higher in cost but it will last. I've had mine now for close to 50 years and it still cuts like it did when I got it new.

Only problem with that is they're aren't very good for cutting snares off a critter you need to release. If the cable isn't kinked tight against the lock you can use about anything but if you need to cut the loop, you need the c7 style cutters.