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

Have not been able to use tool yet. Seems to be well built. Why did you pick this product vs others?:Bought to reduce dust hazard cutting cement board with a saw and dust mess.

There is a little bit of a learning curve but once you get the hang of it this thing rocks. Worth every penny. One tip make sure it stays flat. If you do this there is virtually zero tear out. Its well made. Take a bit getting use to the drill setup. Made cutting the Hardie a breeze and no dust to boot.

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!

Great tool no to very little dustSimple to use

I watched several videos and read several articles before buying this tool. I had never used power shears for cutting fiber cement products before. I have used special saw blades and jig saw blades. We all know they are a mess and they also dont last long. I bought this tool to do long rip cuts on some hardi plank siding and also do my own special shapes. The first cut I made was perfect. The second cut was terrible. It wasnt a clean cut and the cut edge was mangled and unusable. This continued for several more cuts until I gave up and went back to the saw. Later I studied the piece of paper that accompanied the tool hoping to find answers. They offered no tips or instructions on how to USE. They mentioned changing the blade but nothing in how to use it. Later with more experimentation I discovered the key to the tool is to keep the back of the shears down against the product. If it is lifted that is when the cut gets mangled. Of course this is a little tricky when you start the cut because you have nothing to press the tool downward. After a while you do get the hang of it. Accurate cuts - like I saw in the videos - just dont happen. You can get close but not perfect. Maybe that takes practice too?? I tried to cut some shapes but I got mixed results and I decided to not even attempt it opting for a jigsaw instead. Another issue is the waste. The tool removes about 1/4" of product as it is cutting. It curls up right in from of the tool blocking your view of where you are cutting. So you have to slow down or stop to get this out of the way. I think that is causing my inaccurate cuts as well. Overall it is okay. I think the manufacturers should have included some type of instructions on how to use it - dont just assume that the customer knows anything about it. How much would that have cost? 10 cents? 25 cents? I dont think I got my moneys worth out of the tool and I probably wont. This is a tool that is going to require a lot of practice.

I use this on all forms of Hardie plank and board and it is a game changer. It doesn't put out fine dust so one doesn't have to wear a mask. It does cut a 1/4" kerf so you have to take that into account but it goes through the Hardie like the proverbial butter. It also produces a long band of material from the kerf which is fairly annoying and has to be constantly cleared, but it's worth that hassle. I see YouTubers trying to put up Hardie without this, inhaling silica and I yell at the TV. If you are going to work with this somewhat difficult material, you want to get this tool.

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!