Home Interaction

The folks from ZipSnip recently sent us their ZipSnip^TM 3.6V Lithium-ion Cutter to test. I’m a huge fan of big bad power tools so this isn’t something that I would normally get too excited about. However, I HATE opening those clear plastic packages that 95% of “stuff” comes in these days so I’m always game to test a tool made to open packaging!

Manufacturer’s Information

ZipSnip is ideal for cutting cloth, leather, plastic packaging, corrugated board, vinyl sheet goods, rubber liner, landscape fabric, canvas, wire, wrapping paper and many other common materials. The lightweight, ergonomic tool cuts contours, curves and straight lines, and reaches into spaces where scissors or other cutting tools can’t be used. The user-friendly ZipSnip weighs only one pound. It is constructed of high impact composite material with a comfortable soft-grip handle. A top-mounted safety switch works in conjunction with the trigger for added protection.

The cutter’s 1½-in.-diameter, hardened steel blade is self-sharpening and replaceable. A built-in cutting guide ensures precise straight or curved cuts. The blade operates at 260 rpm (no load). Its maximum cutting thickness is ¼ in.

The 3.6-volt, cordless cutter is powered by a 1.4 Ah LithiumTechTM battery. An indicator light on the back of the handle shows when the battery is fully charged. Lithium technology enables the cutter to hold a charge for up to 24 months. A 3-5 hour charger is included.

ZipSnip Review

We tested the ZipSnip on quite a few materials including cardboard (pictured above), clear plastic packaging (pictured below), plastic (poly), paper, Tyvek (house wrap) and even on some aluminum coil stock. This little tool was able to cut right through all of it and keep on going!

For me the true test was being able to easily cut apart those annoying clear plastic packages that everything is shipped in today. The ZipSnip easily cut through them and made opening those packages a breeze. The other thing I liked cutting was cardboard boxes. Being able to quickly break down and cut apart cardboard boxes is really nice. We get tons of packages here and this tool will come in very handy.

If I wanted to point out one little deficiency it would be the safety “trigger”. I’m not so sure it’s much of a safety feature. I say that because the only way to make it work is by holding it in your hand and depressing the upper switch, it’s not like the lower “switch” is hard to depress. My point being that a young child could easily grab this tool and be able to make it turn on. Again, this is a very small detail but something you should be aware of.

The Lithium-Ion ZipSnip retails for about $40. The price seems a bit high however considering that it’s rechargeable and it takes  care of one of my biggest pet peeves I think it’s reasonable. ZipSnip 3.6V Lithium-ion Self-Sharpening Cordless Cutter (#RC2602, $39.99) is available at Menards, and regional hardware and home centers, and online at www.zipsnipcutter.com.

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