These large chain-type cutters will cut cast iron, clay, and concrete pipes. There are both ratchet and scissor versions of this tool. Snap cutters operate with a chain fitted with a row of sharp cutting discs. Once the tool's chain is wrapped around the pipe and tightened, it eventually snaps the pipe as cleanly as if it had been cut by a saw. Automatic pipe cutter – a highly efficient and compact cutter, it is often called a splice and is shaped like a “C”.

Plier Pipe Cutter – resembling a pair of pliers, despite squeezing for the cut it has minimal risk of deforming or damaging your pipe. Hose and tube cutter – resembling a pair of garden shears, it is ideal for cutting soft tubing such as rubber. Use a deburring tool at the cut end of the tube to remove any burrs and ensure that the cut is smooth. Sand the tube until smooth. Rinse away any remaining particles. Conclusion Pipe cutter with spring load – also resembling pliers or garden shears, it is adjustable and can work with a variety of pipe sizes. Use a deburring tool at the end of cutting to remove any burrs and ensure that the cut is smooth. Step 7: CleanIf you do plumbing repairs infrequently, or if you have a unique situation where the specialty cutters you own don't quite fit the bill, any number of general-purpose saws can work to cut plumbing pipes. Jigsaw: Fitted with the right blade, a jigsaw can cut nearly any plumbing pipe up to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. A wood-cutting blade easily cuts plastic pipe; use metal-cutting blades (and a slow saw speed) when cutting copper or other metals. PVC ratchet cutters are amazing tools for working with PVC pipe. Operating something like a pair of ratcheting shrub pruners, each time you squeeze your hand, the cutter ratchets closed, cutting a small amount of pipe material until you have cut through the pipe. Auto cutters are also available. These also work well in tight quarters. They tighten down automatically with each rotation of the cutter around the pipe—there is no manual tightening necessary. DIY plumbing projects can be made much easier by using the correct pipe cutter. Just as there are many different types of pipes, there are also several types of specialized pipe cutters available, as well as general-purpose cutting tools that can be used to cut plumbing pipes along with other types of materials.

What a pipe cutter looks like will depend on the type of cutter for a specific kind of piping. They can be acquired in lots of shapes and sizes. You can find small thumb pipe cutters to larger tools used for cutting big pipes. Basically, the work using a similar method of the tool gripping the pipe and some type of blade cutting through the pipe surface. Types of Pipe Cutters and Pipe Materials Copper tubing cutters are specialized pipe-cutting tools that come in many shapes and sizes, from small thumb cutters to quite large tools designed for big pipes. All types work in essentially the same way: The tool grips a pipe between rollers and a sharp cutting wheel, and as the tool rotates around the pipe, it scores a gradually deepening cut into the walls of the pipe. Most people who do routine plumbing work find it useful to have at least two copper tubing cutters on hand:

With the cutter wheel touching the pipe, rotate the pipe cutter completely around the copper pipe 360°. Step 4: Cut One of the advantages of using a pipe cutter is how cleanly they cut. A cut made with a pipe cutter will usually need very little deburring to none, meaning you also save time. And the pipe cutter is safer than many alternative tools used for cutting. What does a Pipe Cutter look like? For cutting and removing older installed piping, you will have to measure and mark the piping to cut in place.To cut new piping place it on a flat table or bench surface. Measure the necessary length of the pipe and mark it. To mark a straight line, roll cardboard or heavy paper around the pipe and mark your line along the edge of the paper. Step 3: Position the Pipe Cutter