



I am always on the lookout for new tools to make the modeling process faster, easier or more comfortable. This set of cutters caught my eye on Amazon due to their price. Xuron side cutters have the reputation of being inexpensive but very good quality; so I was surprised to see a set of their cutters priced around $20. After reading all of the reviews on Amazon I decided to pick up a set of my own to test, I wanted to see if they lived up to the hype.

I will be reviewing this tool in two separate posts, this post is going to be a first impression, I want to provide you with my thoughts on the initial quality of the tool. After a few kits I'm going to do a follow up post to discuss their durability and edge retention.









This set of spruce cutters comes packed in a plastic form package with a cardboard backing. The tips of the tool are protected using a short length of rubber tubing.







I have used several Xuron tools I the past, however unlike their 410 and 170-II side cutters the handles are on this set of side cutters are longer and wider. The longer handles definitely provide better leverage, which means cutting requires less force.









The cutting tips of the sprue cutters are longer and thinner than the side cutters as well. This should make cutting in tight spaces much easier.





The spru cutters are a little large, so they may not be ideal for individuals with smaller hands. The spring action is very smooth and consistent which is great for repeated cutting.





The sharp blades of this sprue cutter cleanly bit into and severed the plastic nubs. I made cuts on several different sizes of nubs and I noticed that the cutters didn't tend to slip down the nubs the way duller cutters would.





You can tell that the cuts are very clean, the connecting plastic was not stressed at all.





So far I have been very impressed by this set of sprue cutters. They are more comfortable, cut with less effort and cut more cleanly than any other set of side cutters that I have used before. Based on my first impression I would recommend these to a person looking to upgrade from a set of 410s or 170-IIs







