The 10 Best Tin Snips
Special Honors
RoadPro 10 They’re nothing fancy, but these snips from RoadPro — made from tempered carbon steel — will make quick work of sheet metal. In addition to adding comfort, their cushioned grips will protect the user from electrical shock, which is nice to know if you’ll be working near wiring. roadprobrands.com
MicroMark Snips At seven inches long, these are a slim, compact option, making them quite useful for delicate tasks that still require significant cutting power. The edges are razor-sharp, allowing you to slice through copper, soft brass and tin sheets without a problem. micromark.com
Editor's Notes
August 19, 2019:
In building the list, we made sure to include snips with straight blades as well as offset blades to provide a diverse range of options. Both styles are effective; users may prefer one over the other depending on their cutting strategy (straight versus curved, long strokes versus compact ones, etc.).
Reports suggest that the expertly designed handles on the Midwest MWT-6510C really do make a difference in terms of comfort, minimizing hand fatigue and allowing the user to maintain a high level of control. Sheet metal and HVAC workers seem satisfied with this model as a professional-grade tool.
Even though it’s an attachment for a power drill or impact driver, the DeWalt Shears function very similarly to a pair of manual snips. They will cut straight lines or curves into sheet metal, ducts, vinyl siding, steel mesh or asphalt shingles, and their swivel feature comes in handy when trying to access hard-to-reach areas.
The Tekton 35103 is available in three different sizes, which is nice, though we did note that they require a bit of strength to operate.