Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

I need to invest in a new tool. Specifically one to cut cables and crimp cable end caps on.

I was going to buy a Park Tool CN-10 but read some reviews and watched a video where they were not exactly highly praised. Ok, but not fabulous.

Then it was the Pedros - universal acclaim, but no integrated crimper, so then I'd need to buy a crimper as well.

So, what does the DHBC brains trust use or recommend?

I have the Park Tools model and all the cable cuts it made have been clean and square. Crimper works well. What it does badly is in the cutting of cable sheaths. It's never square and invariably the ends need to be filed and cleaned up. Yet, given the design of those sheaths, I don't think any of these simple cutters can do a nice job. The best solution in my mind is with a high speed Dremel cutter or similar. I now have one of these and will put it to use when I refurbish my bikes soon. You can always just invest in a Dremel and an electrical crimper but there may be time when you need the cutter out in the field where there's no electricity.

I just went with a generic cable cutter from Bunnings and a pair of long nose pliers.

Felco cable cutters are regarded by many as the best in the business. They are not a bicycle specific company but this mean they don't work? Of course not... See the C7 one handed cable cutter below, but you get what you pay for: http://www.felco.com.au/felco/pages/tools.page?
To be honest, I have no problem with the Park Professional Cable cutter and it works well for housing too. I use it all the time so I'd just go with it or the Pedros. Btw: I don't think the video above is quite fair as the cables being cut are not standard gear or brake cables. You will get a clean cut with the Park tool on a normal cable. Just never cut any spokes with cable cutters. It doesn't take much to ruin them.

We use a superB cable cutter at work. It has a small point on pivot which does a great job of flaring the inside of the cable housing