My electrician friends frequently tell me of their exploits cutting large-diameter cable. It’s almost a right of passage with some of these guys and I have yet to find anyone who enjoys the process, particularly those who buy their own tools… and everyone I know owns their own tools. Apparently, Milwaukee must talk to the same people – of course they have rapid prototyping and a few factories, so they could actually, you know, do something about it. The new Milwaukee M12 600 MCM Cable Cutter is what happens when Milwaukee “does” something about a problem.
Milwaukee M12 600 MCM Cable Cutter Features
So if you’re an electrician, skip ahead, you already know this stuff… but for the rest of you, if you can cut a large cable by hand, you’re using these gigantic long-arm cable cutters that cost between $100 and $200. Ratcheting cutters can be a little more. If, however, you can’t cut the cable by hand, you pretty much have to use a large hydraulic tool. That tool can be over $2000 – no joke. And it’s not like you have the option of using a saw, or some other device. The market forces you to use an OSHA-approved device – remember, this is some serious stuff you’re dealing with. And it’s not infrequent. Guys who work in commercial panel boxes are going to love the new M12 600 MCM Cable Cutter. It can slice through #000000 (6 aught) or more cable in just a couple of seconds, leaving a nice clean cut that’s easy to terminate.
It also uses a two-speed gear box, so you can go for power on larger diameter cables, and switch to speed for smaller sizes. On top of that, Milwaukee claims you can get around 150 cuts of 500 MCM copper on a single charge with the RedLithium M12 XC battery.
Yeah. You may think that’s “nifty”, but all the commercial electricians reading this just sat up straight. Now they’re asking “How much?” $429 for the kit, which includes a MilwaukeeM12 XC battery, charger and case. The bare tool will be less, somewhere in the vicinity of $329, so if you are already on the M12 platform you can save some money.
Milwaukee M12 600 MCM Cable Cutter Specifications
- Cut Capacity: 600 MCM Copper, 750 MCM Aluminum, 1-3/16″ Communication Cable
- Jaw Opening: 1.44″
- Tool Weight (w/battery): 6.9 lbs.
- Length: 10.5″
- Jaw Height: 4″
- Two-Speed: Yes
- LED Light: Yes
While the Milwaukee M12 600 MCM Cable Cutter isn’t recommended for ACSR (Aluminum conductor steel-reinforced cable) it will work perfectly with both copper and aluminum wire.
