PacTool SS204 Snapper Shear - Power Cutter for Fiber Cement Siding - Professional Power Tools

The PacTool SS404 Contractor Grade Snapper Shear has been a lifesaver for my home renovation project, especially when tackling large 4x10 sheets of fiber cement siding. Knowing the dangers of silica dust from traditional cutting methods, this tool is a safe and efficient alternative that has made the process smooth and hassle-free.A few tips from my experience:Mind your cut line – The shear removes about 1/4 inch of material during the cut. Keep this in mind to avoid cutting sheets shorter than intended. Align the cut line to the left or right of the guide, not directly in the center.Manage the excess material – The waste curls up as you cut, so periodically clear it to maintain visibility and precision.Watch your cord – The tool's angle tends to catch the power cord on the fresh cut edge, which can cause frustration. Use your free hand to guide the cord away and ensure smooth progress.Overall, this tool is a must-have for professionals and serious DIYers handling fiber cement siding. It’s reliable, effective, and worth every penny.Highly recommend!

Like most of the reviews, I've found this tool to be indispensable to working with Hardi-Plank.It makes smooth cuts with absolutely no dust provided finished side is down (that is at the bottom of the scissors), and with the help of a 6" speedi-square and a little practice you can make perfectly square cuts. The only thing needed is a little "rasping" of the cut edge to remove some of the remaining loose fibers. I just use a small piece of Hardi-Plank for that.The little curlicues of cut material make a mess but the small bits broken bits get eaten by the grass. I raked most of them up but the smaller bits disappeared into the grass in a couple of weeks.Cutting "notches" in the planks is difficult if not impossible to do neatly with this tool. For that I still use a 4.5" grinder with a diamond wheel. A little dust but nothing like you would get by making every cut on a siding job using a diamond wheel. I just hold my breath for a bit and I'm old anyway... I also still rely on the old skillsaw/diamond blade for trim boards.So back to the tool:Pros: Runs very smooth, variable speed trigger very linear. Powerful, well made - quality and performance you might expect from something like a Bosch power tool. Blades can be removed and turned around and changed side/side, the combinations giving 4 new sets of cutting edges before needing replacement. I've done the entire 3,000 sq ft house with no more wear than a little polishing action on the existing cutting surfaces.Con (only one): Like other reviewers I've found the cord placement at the bottom of the trigger handle troublesome when making long ripping cuts. I have a set of sheetmetal shears of similar design and the cutter head rotates to different positions on the drill motor which eliminates this problem - and these are from Harbor Freight and cost less than $50! C'mon PacTool!

Bought this to do custom cuts on a modern home. I can't speak for long term durability, but I can speak to the product's usability.Pros:It works right out of the box, and works well.Easy to cut a straight line in the material. When the material is supported, you get minimal end cut blow out and chipping. The cut is smooth, but not saw-smooth. Certainly butt-joint smooth. It makes trimming small pieces much less dusty. A life saver when you're 30' in the air, doing cement board facia on a home. No handing the sheet down, cutting it, handing it back up through the skylight.not too heavy.cutter head seems really robust, not a cheap plastic housing like on some products.Quiet.No dust. None.Will cut very small pieces with out blowing them up. You can trim 1/2" off a 10' sheet and still get a nice edge.The pop-up or lay flat tool hook. Not fancy, but the fact you can pop this down when you put the tool in a bucket or a holster is really nice. Pop it back up when you just want to hang it on a sawhorse. A little thing, but very handy.Company is local to the Seattle area (I like this, but I'm in Seattle).Cons (minor complaints about working with Cement board would be more correct):The kerf is about 1/4" thick. I don't know if this can be helped. Minor complaint.The 'curl' from the kerf bends up and right back onto your line when your cutting. Not a huge deal, but it does make the line hard to see sometimes.Doesn't do tight angles or arcs. I call this a Con, but this is certainly not the tool for that job. Get the JigSaw blades for fancy cuts.sometimes a small piece of siding gets stuck in the jaws making it hard to start the next cut. Just poke it out with a nail and you're good. If you don't care about the start of the next cut, just push the tool onto the work and the chunk will kick out. Makes the start a bit messy, but no big.

Great tool no to very little dustSimple to use