The Knipex Tools XL CoBolt Bolt Cutters are 10" in length and are available with straight blades (No. 7101250) or with a notch (No. 7131250) to cut thicker materials. Features include a high transmission ratio that lowers the hand force needed, requiring 60 percent less effort compared to high-leverage diagonal cutters of the same size, according to the company. Other features include gripping jaws below the joint for gripping and pulling nails. Forged and oil-hardened from German chrome vanadium heavy-duty steel, the tool has induction-hardened precision blades with a cutting edge hardness of approximately 64 HRC.
The Review
Multifunction in hand tools can be an important factor when it comes to saving time on the job.
Barry Hoyland, shop owner and PTEN contributing editor, says the Knipex XL CoBolt Bolt Cutters allows a "single tool to perform many cutting functions such as small bolts, small metal plate, springs, wire and cable."
The XL CoBolt Bolt Cutters come in two styles, one has a straight blade, No. 7101250 , and the other has a notch, No. 7131250, allowing for thicker materials to be cut.
Hoyland of VSSCA in Las Vegas, Nevada, frequently works on police vehicles, and found both cutters useful while installing radio equipment. The cutters were used to cut the antenna and antenna cable, as well as for for bending small brackets.
He also found the tool "useful for cutting stranded cable."
The notch features of No. 7131250 came in handy when Hoyland needed to cut spring coils from a 1/8 diameter spring in order to fit it into a confined area.
"This tool allowed us to easily cut the spring," he says. "Larger wires and material can be cut with the grove in the base of the tool."
The cutters come packed individually, with no manual or setup required. Hoyland said the hand tools are easy to use, and he is overall impressed with their ability to cut various materials on the job.
"I like the versatility and leverage the tool provides," explained Hoyland. "The long handle with its compound action provide a lot of cutting power with little effort."
