RIDGID 31642 Model 152 Quick-Acting Tubing Cutter - 1/4-inch to 2-5/8-inch Tube Cutter for Copper, Plastic & HVAC Pipes - Perfect for Plumbing, HVAC & DIY Projects

I don't have time to write a long review: I'm a mom of littles, this worked amazingly to shorten my metal-legged chairs to fit under my beloved breakfast table. So easy to use. I had been frustrated for months over my mistake in purchasing chairs too high, and then found this. SOOO pleased.Lo Recomiendo 100%Ratcheting adjuster is a time saver when using different size tubing. Extremely happy with this purchase.I wanted a pipe cutter for 16 gauge steel pipe I used to reinforce the roof of a car canopy, According to the specs on this cutter, it's meant only for plastic with one wheel, or copper/aluminum with the other wheel it comes with. However, I saw a reviewer mention they used it to cut thick steel fence posts, and other cutters intended for steel are twice the price, so I thought I'd give it a try.The copper cutting wheel had no problem cutting my steel pipe. I'm guessing that if you tried to use this cutter for steel a lot the blade would wear quickly, but for occasional use I think it's fine. I searched for awhile to see if there were cutting blades you could buy that were intended for steel, but I think Rigid doesn't market them for this cutter as they want you to buy a more expensive one. On an external web site I did find a blade called E-4546 aka 33190 which the site claims is meant for steel/stainless steel and it also claims it will fit this cutter, but I couldn't verify that on Rigid's web site. However, the back of the packaging that comes with the cutter does mention it works with E-4546 (Cat. No. 33190) for cutting stainless steel (it doesn't say steel, but I would guess it's fairly equivalent).I've only cut one pipe so far but the cut lined up after one revolution by simply tightening the cutter firmly. That was not the case with a pipe cutter I rented last year - I had to torque the cutter in a particular way on the first rotation to get the cut to line up.One thing I don't like about this cutter is the knob you turn to tighten it. My hands sweat and I have to squeeze the knob very tightly to make it tighten which hurts my hand after a bit. I much preferred the sliding bar of the previous cutter I rented that gives you leverage to tighten it easily.The "X-CEL" pin that holds the cutter wheel in is a neat idea. It's basically a pin with two spring-loaded ball bearings on the end that prevent the pin from slipping out. It's similar to the spring-loaded ball bearings that hold a socket onto most socket wrenches.Since they also call the knob an "X-CEL" knob I was expecting to be able to remove the knob with some sort of similar pin in order to get at the cutting wheel stored in the knob, but instead you seem to need to remove a Phillips-head screw to get at the spare cutting wheel. That's rather annoying.The instructions that come with the cutter are pretty vague. For example, it says "Open cutter by depressing release nut". They don't have a diagram or description of what they mean by a release nut. Luckily the tool is fairly simple and I think they mean for you to press down on a black lever near the knob that lets the cutting wheel slide forward and back.I also found there's a short blade you can fold out of the top of the tool much like a pocket knife blade. The manual doesn't mention it so I have no idea what the intended purpose is.5 stars means "I Love It", 4 stars means "I Like It", and 3 stars means "It's OK"Well as high of quality as I think this tool is, It's definitely not a 3 or lower. I really wanted to give it 5 stars but I can't. For the past 1.5 years I've been using a ~$20 tube cutter from Menards and it finally snapped in half. I always believed that "You buy cheap, you buy twice" so this time I dropped the dime on this clearly and obviously superior tool. But I can't give it/them 5 stars because after literally 32 days of ownership (who has a 32 day return window??) the cutting wheel got a nice chip in it. I'm a reasonable guy so I figure it was a fluke and I will continue using it once I get it fixed.I called RIDGID and got someone from customer service who did help me set it up to be serviced. So I printed off the form and shipped it to RIDGID at my expense. After 10 days I was getting impatient because I have tubes to cut! I called the number for the service center and got a "experiencing high call volume try back again in a few minutes". I think I called back about 5 times over the next hour and nobody would pick up the phone. Well after about the 2 week mark I finally got it back nice and serviced and oiled up. And it really is a good tool (probably). All's well that ends well I suppose... but in every line of work I've ever been in you cannot go 2 weeks without correspondence or even an email acknowledging that they received, fixed, shipped out, etc.If that doesn't matter to you then this is a 5 star tool.I needed to cut through a galvanized steel pipe used for chain link fencing. The pipe was 23/8 inches in diameter and about 1.5 mm thick as measured by my digital caliper. This cut through this pipe like a champ--no problems. I made sure to not to tighten it too much for each turn around the pipe. If you take it slow, you will not have problems even though this tool does not mention cutting through steel in the description. This is a very sturdy tool--it is a great addition to my tool box.???I have other quicker cutters but I always come back to the Rigid when I want the cleanest most exact cut.Super top product, as aspected.I owned this tool for years before losing it and ordering this as a replacement. It’s my go to tubing cutter for 1/2”-2”I am a licenced plumber. I ordered this cutter which I needed to cut 2" type L copper. I love it very good toolExtra cutting wheel in handle!!!!Works as expected. Cuts well.Cuts smoothly, would buy again.. nice thing about rigid tools is that they have warranties for life... so it’s a no brainer even if it’s expensive