Any good electrician will tell you that to cut armored aluminum or steel cable, such as BX, MC, AC or Greenfield, you need a dedicated cable cutter, not just pliers or wire strippers. IDEAL recently offers electricians more cable cutting choices than any other manufacturer, including field-proven long-arm cutters, ergonomic ratcheting cutters with hardened steel blades, and its heavy-duty PowerBlade cutters that attach to standard hand drills.

"Cable cutters come in a variety of sizes, each one geared toward a different type or gauge of cable, making it critical that the right one is selected for the job," said Bruce Hartranft, Senior Product Manager for IDEAL. "Without the right tool, cable geometry can become distorted and blades will need to be replaced more often. Also, the electrician can suffer from repetitive stress or overexertion injuries to the back, knees, fingers and hands."

Hartranft pointed out some of the company's most recent innovations that are transforming cable cutting for thousands of electricians.

SIR NICKLESS ROTARY CABLE CUTTER

The Sir Nickless rotary cable cutter is an exclusive, patent-pending and affordable cutting tool that prevents the occurrence of nicked conductors while cutting BX, MC, AC, Greenfield and other types of aluminum or steel armored cable up to 3/8" diameter, and is especially effective with popular Southwire MCap cable. It features a unique curved tray that improves cutting performance by forcing wires to lie tight against the bottom wall of the cable, and safely away from the top-positioned cutting blade. In addition, an Auto Cam Lock allows Sir Nickless to cut small diameter flex cable without the use of awkward plastic shims.

BIGFOOT RATCHETING CABLE CUTTER

The BigFoot Ratcheting Cable Cutter, the industry's first to feature an over molded high-leverage boot that provides improved power and stability to users while they cut copper or aluminum hard-drawn cables up to 750-KCMIL. Heavy-duty features make the BigFoot professional electricians' first choice, such as: hardened steel blades that achieve precision cuts and long-term durability; a rounded blade with five-tooth ratchet action that holds cables tight and minimize distortion; and compact dimensions for use in utility splice boxes, manholes and trenches.

BIG KAHUNA POWERBLADE

Featuring a massive 3.5-inch jaw opening, the Big Kahuna Power Blade makes easy work of cutting large diameter copper and aluminum electrical cables, resulting in clean, installation-ready cuts on high-voltage cables up to 1250 MCM, all in less than twenty seconds. These large cables are commonly deployed in industrial plants, by electrical utilities for primary or secondary transmission, and in underground service of 600V or more. Instead of manpower, the Big Kahuna Power Blade attaches onto any 12 volt or higher drill so that cutting is as effortless as pulling the drill's trigger. Its contoured blade design minimizes cable distortion, while the adjustable torque arm holds the drill perfectly in place.

MERLIN POWERBLADE

Utility lineman have limited options when it comes to cutting ACSR cable. Old-fashioned loppers and manual cutters will distort ACSR cable into an egg shape, or leave it with dangerous burrs and sharp edges. Filling the needs gap is the IDEAL Merlin PowerBlade. Like all IDEAL PowerBlade accessories, it fits onto standard corded or cordless drills, so there is no need to waste time with special battery packs or chargers. Simply pull the drill's trigger to cut through thick ACSR cables in 20 seconds or less. This compares very favorably with manual cutters that typically require 2-3 minutes to cut through ACSR. To assure little or no cable distortion, the Merlin PowerBlade blade is uniquely contoured to provide clean, rounded cutting of ACSR cable.

In addition to cable cutting tools, IDEAL has more than 6,000 products for the professional electrician and data communications technician, ranging from wire strippers and crimpers, to network analyzers and LED lighting accessories. A close examination of any IDEAL tool shows the design details that set them apart. Plus, customers can work confidently knowing they're backed by the industry's finest warranty.