Tested: Super B TB-WC30 Pro Cable Cutters

The Super B TB-WC30 Pro Cable Cutters 210g £26.69

The Super B TB-WC30 Pro Cable Cutters are a workshop quality set of snips, intended for shop/professional use and come complete with a limited lifetime warranty.

A fully equipped workshop with pro grade tooling is a dream for many home mechanics but in practical terms most of us can do very nicely with a mix of professional and enthusiast grades. Cable cutters are well worth spending more on; will repay their investment very quickly and ensure you get the very best performance from braking and increasingly sensitive drivetrain components.

Though aesthetically different, these share several similarities with the Jagwire Pro Cable Cutter/Crimper. Both are compact designs (approximately 25% smaller than standard models), which is primarily to make life easier for professional mechanics who need to get a whole team’s bikes prepped at the end of each stage/race. Good news for those with smaller hands and when working on smaller semi/compact geometry framed bikes, fully faired recumbents, velomobiles/other specialist builds.

The TB-WC30 are also made from heat treated SC5 steel, a Japanese blend with a high carbon/manganese content, which should, with basic care, spell a very long and productive life.

The lifetime warranty covers against manufacturing defects. This excludes wear 'n’ tear or abuse and we’d never advocate using pro quality cutters for anything other than cables. Keep another, budget set for trimming zip ties and other, generic workshop stuff.

Performance-wise, there is little separating the TB-WC30 and Jagwire, although for me, the former’s lighter action gives them a definite edge. Effortless to the point I only realised I’d pruned a gear inner wire when the cutting bounced across the concrete flooring!

Three complete cable replacements later, the Jagwire’s smooth, progressive power felt almost heavy by comparison. The TB-WC30 also severs outers effortlessly - another notable advantage. Only Transfil flying snakes Kevlar housings put up any resistance, though this was moderate and fleeting.

Following my Univega’s renovation, I treated the tubby tourer to Jagwire’s fully sealed road-elite cableset. With an rrp of £36.79 for the brakes alone, any mistakes or fraying would’ve made me unbearable company.

No such drama, even their coated liners cut cleanly and without compressing. A centre mounted crimping block, coupled with that light action makes this finishing touch effortless. It also permits easy removal and even reclaiming, should the need arise, although to be honest, in these situations, I simply glue the cable ends.

At the other end of the market, factoring stretch, greater fraying potential and more frequent shots of PTFE based spays, basic cable sets can still prove surprisingly serviceable.

Suffice to say straddle and inner wires were flawless. Periods of prolonged use suggest the Super B’s dimpled dual density handles provide better grip, especially when sweaty palms infuse with PTFE infused maintenance sprays. Six weeks in, it’s impossible to say whether these are genuinely superior to the long-serving and highly respected Jagwire. However, while both are very well made and achieve similarly flawless results, the Super B’s lighter action and outer trimming prowess gives them a definite edge.

Verdict: 4.25/5 Top drawer workshop cutters but priced within the means of most home mechanics.

Michael Stenning

www.todayscyclist.co.uk

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2017