MENG MTS-026 Advanced sprue cutter

[digger303]

Here is a review of Mengs fancy new side cutter and it has convinced me I need a new tool !

MENG MTS-026 Advanced Single-edged Hobby Side Cutter

http://www.themodellingnews.com/2018/02 ... s-mts.html

[Jens]

They certainly look nice but are they hardened? For piano wire? (which is the standard norm for hardened side cutters)
I'm sure we've all done it and cut a wire with our side cutters and the cheap ones, for plastic, aren't hardened so they are ruined...

I'm using cheap-ish side cutters for through hole PCB work and they work a treat but I can't get all the way close to the part because sometimes it breaks the part off instead of cleanly cutting it and then you have to bring out the putty.
£40 is a bit steep for a pair of side cutters but well made tools costs money and sometimes it's worth it!

[AlexBB]

I have been looking at these too...

It seems they are a 'Clone' of the DSPAIE ST-A 2.0 Cutters.... http://www.dspiae.com/a/chanpinzhanshi/ ... 17/26.html

Considering they are both Chinese it may be highly likely they are in fact the same item just etched or laser engraved for each company and with a different colour handle!!

Side Cutters are not piano wire cutters and Hardness is a relative thing....The DSPAIE ones state a Rockwell HRC of 58 to 64 which is comparable to most Electrical side cutters which are designed for Cu cable NOT Piano wire, or hardened steel cables such as Guitar strings! (speaking as an electrician who now knows better than to us his very very expensive Snap On Electronic cutters to re string a guitar!!!! )

There are various forms of Side Cutters, Electrical and all are designed to cut soft Cu wire or tinned Cu wire and not steel wire. Steel wire cutters are specialist and the cutting edge design differs significantly.

Typically Snap On electronic flush cutting side cutters (similar to the more expensive Tamiya sprue cutters) are about £60 to £70 a pair... They are however ONLY designed to cut Cu wire up to AWG 17 (1.15mm)

However the Meng & DSPAIE Sprue cutters are not designed the same as side cutters and are designed to cut plastic sprue, they have been fatigue tested to 50,000 cuts on 4mm dia plastic rod! and that is the key aspect of the design of these. They are not an electricians tool used for another job.
They are specifically designed as plastic sprue cutters and work on a single cutting edge principle with a blade and anvil to cleanly shear the plastic with as clean a cut as possible.

The review in the one picture shows how clean the cut or shear is with these cutters and it is impressive.. If it does not stress the plastic then the damage to the part we want is going to be less, and on small parts that has got to be good

Both seem quite hard (No Pun intended!!) to get hold of in the UK / EU at the minute though....

[digger303]

I have been looking at these too...

It seems they are a 'Clone' of the DSPAIE ST-A 2.0 Cutters.... http://www.dspiae.com/a/chanpinzhanshi/ ... 17/26.html

Considering they are both Chinese it may be highly likely they are in fact the same item just etched or laser engraved for each company and with a different colour handle!!

Side Cutters are not piano wire cutters and Hardness is a relative thing....The DSPAIE ones state a Rockwell HRC of 58 to 64 which is comparable to most Electrical side cutters which are designed for Cu cable NOT Piano wire, or hardened steel cables such as Guitar strings! (speaking as an electrician who now knows better than to us his very very expensive Snap On Electronic cutters to re string a guitar!!!! )

There are various forms of Side Cutters, Electrical and all are designed to cut soft Cu wire or tinned Cu wire and not steel wire. Steel wire cutters are specialist and the cutting edge design differs significantly.

Typically Snap On electronic flush cutting side cutters (similar to the more expensive Tamiya sprue cutters) are about £60 to £70 a pair... They are however ONLY designed to cut Cu wire up to AWG 17 (1.15mm)

However the Meng & DSPAIE Sprue cutters are not designed the same as side cutters and are designed to cut plastic sprue, they have been fatigue tested to 50,000 cuts on 4mm dia plastic rod! and that is the key aspect of the design of these. They are not an electricians tool used for another job.
They are specifically designed as plastic sprue cutters and work on a single cutting edge principle with a blade and anvil to cleanly shear the plastic with as clean a cut as possible.

The review in the one picture shows how clean the cut or shear is with these cutters and it is impressive.. If it does not stress the plastic then the damage to the part we want is going to be less, and on small parts that has got to be good

Both seem quite hard (No Pun intended!!) to get hold of in the UK / EU at the minute though....

Yes I think you are right. A rebadged product. Still they do look impressive and I am very much considering buying them even though I do like my Xurons. Actually I have noticed the Xurons only tend to tare the plastic if the sprue is larger than about 1.5mm, still it is a nuisance.

[AlexBB]

Yes I think you are right. A rebadged product. Still they do look impressive and I am very much considering buying them even though I do like my Xurons. Actually I have noticed the Xurons only tend to tare the plastic if the sprue is larger than about 1.5mm, still it is a nuisance.

I have a couple of pairs of quite expensive cutters I normally use, one set is Snap On Electronic flush cutters I have had years (they were about £45 over 10 years ago!!) and also a pair of EREM 522N (Swiss manufacturer) which again were not cheap......https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products ... lsrc=aw.ds

Even though I have these high quality ones, neither work the same as the Mneg or DSPAIE design and being a sucker for a new tool Just Luuuuuvvvve new tools

I have now ordered the DSPAIE direct from a vendor in China, just hoping I wont get hit with a customs charge, though have been lucky so far with items that have come from there... Fingers crossed...

I went for the DSPAIE ones because of the packaging!!! yep I know its just the box n stuff... but looks so cool and high quality!!!... so much so I am keen to get the DSPAIE circle cutter too !!! don't tell SWMBOB lol....

In Europe I have had difficulty in finding the Meng ones from any vendors who supply to the UK...... Though as they are a relatively new product I guess it will take months for them to start appearing over here..

I have found them here ..... http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/rfqpo5 ... 66ei4.html But out of stock at present and I was not sure of shipping costs to the UK as didn't go right through to purchase...

As you are in Aus you may be luckier with Vendors who ship there from Asia, HK, China etc....

[AlexBB]

Here are a few pics of the EREM Cutters.... These are (In electrical / electronic circles) considered to be the Dogs Danglies !! But from looking at the Meng and DSPAI I think they will work better for plastic sprue...

I originally saw these being used at a games workshop event I took my Son to, one of the painting Guru's had a pair on his desk and I noticed as they stood out being blue and not being GW!! I guess that was a normally a big No No for them as they really Big Up all the GW tools but he was using the EREM cutters for the metal cast stuff. He did say they were 'Super' expensive and only used by them in the workshops for display stuff...

The bits of Fluff are not standard!!...

Cutter Blade by Alex Beebee, on Flickr

Erem cutters by Alex Beebee, on Flickr

Erem cutters by Alex Beebee, on Flickr

Erem cutters by Alex Beebee, on Flickr

[digger303]

Yes I think you are right. A rebadged product. Still they do look impressive and I am very much considering buying them even though I do like my Xurons. Actually I have noticed the Xurons only tend to tare the plastic if the sprue is larger than about 1.5mm, still it is a nuisance.

I have a couple of pairs of quite expensive cutters I normally use, one set is Snap On Electronic flush cutters I have had years (they were about £45 over 10 years ago!!) and also a pair of EREM 522N (Swiss manufacturer) which again were not cheap......https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products ... lsrc=aw.ds

Even though I have these high quality ones, neither work the same as the Mneg or DSPAIE design and being a sucker for a new tool Just Luuuuuvvvve new tools

I have now ordered the DSPAIE direct from a vendor in China, just hoping I wont get hit with a customs charge, though have been lucky so far with items that have come from there... Fingers crossed...

I went for the DSPAIE ones because of the packaging!!! yep I know its just the box n stuff... but looks so cool and high quality!!!... so much so I am keen to get the DSPAIE circle cutter too !!! don't tell SWMBOB lol....

In Europe I have had difficulty in finding the Meng ones from any vendors who supply to the UK...... Though as they are a relatively new product I guess it will take months for them to start appearing over here..

I have found them here ..... http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/rfqpo5 ... 66ei4.html But out of stock at present and I was not sure of shipping costs to the UK as didn't go right through to purchase...

As you are in Aus you may be luckier with Vendors who ship there from Asia, HK, China etc....

Yeah there is some on eBay, but most of the sellers are away until Monday due to holidays. The ones selling out of China all seem to be about the same price within a few p.

edit.... Just checked hobbyeasy and they have them on sale an in stock and much cheaper than ebay. So I just ordered one