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

These work great. I used them on .42” Hardie Backer board and I’m very satisfied. No dust and very smooth and straight cut. So much better than using a masonry saw blade. Only thing but not a big issue is the cord tends to get into the cut behind you so not dangerous. Just have to take notice and move it out of the way. Leaves curly cut material (like curly fries) waste easy to sweep away. Great tool and well worth the cost. Even on small projects.

I have just finished putting up the final pieces of cement board on a master bath remodel. Of all the tools I have bought for this endeavor, this has to be number one, I used mitre saws, jig saws, wallboard saws, utility knives (not even close) and nothing compared to this one tool. Little to no dust, cuts through like butter. You can cut a 5 ft cement board in about 45 seconds. You can flip the blades if they get dull, but I never got to that point with this remodel. This bath is about 11 ft x 17 ft and about 12 ft high. I was hesitant at first spending over $160 on a tool I might only use once, but after having used it, I would pay a lot more. All of my cutting with this tool was done in the bathroom I was working on. As you can see by the picture, the base plate rides along the cement board and the shear is under the board. I built a cutting platform using 2x4s in a hashtag form with the top two pieces on the long axis. Then either placed a large sheet on top to cut alongside one of the top 2x4s or clamped a smaller piece to a 2x4 to hold it in place while I cut along the edge. It worked extremely well. If you are cutting more than a couple of boards this is well worth the price.

This tool while not the most expensive does the job with no issues, cuts accurately and quickly. Provides virtually a dust free environment. It cuts cleanly on both unfinished and finished cement siding, It has its limitations as far as curves and inside corners, but there are manufacturers who provide carbide tipped jig saw blades for this issue. Otherwise a great product has saved us time, money and limited the waste on siding projects, still going strong after 40 plus squares of siding. I have seen many reviews from people complaining about the accuracy, rough cuts and limitations of the tool. Ridiculous, it is a specialized tool meant for a specific task and it performs admirably and is relatively inexpensive and well made. I would say of you do not do many cement siding projects , but do a few every year then this tool will save you time , effort and allow a safe and quality siding job if you know its limitations and allow for them.

I purchased these shears to cut Hardie backer board for three rooms (19 sheets). I cut mostly 1/4 inch and although it didn't recommend it I did cut some 1/2 inch (.42). The 1/4 inch cut like a hot knife through warm butter only slower. Lines are easy to follow in either direction except for the curl that comes around every eight inches or so. You can travel fast or slow as the trigger is variable speed. The tool is fairly heavy although most all the weight rest on the material while using. As long as you keep the tool resting flat on the cement board and cut fairly straight it cuts very smooth and produces very clean edge with almost no dust. It is only as noisy as a 1/2 drill and very easy on your body. Slam dunk for 1/4 material and although it will cut the 1/2 it is much slower and they do make one for the thicker material. For round holes and lines not straight buy a Bosch jigsaw blade ($10) for cement board and an oscillating jigsaw (harbor freight $30 before 20% off). After cutting 19 sheets of varying thickness cement board the shears show almost no sign of wear and preform as when new. If your body is beat up, older or you just don't like a noisy room full of cement board dust these shears are worth every penny. They made the hardest part of the project so much easier. Highly Recommend these shears!

After struggling with overpriced blades that kept binding up, I ordered this tool. I found it to be super easy to use. Other reviewers mention some binding or chattering. I had that too, then noticed the cord had sunk into my cut and was skewing the tension. No cord in the cut, no problem. Another person complained he couldn't see his cut line. If you guide the the cut curl back towards the tool, you can see fine. Another plus is that you can stop in the middle of the cut, then continue whenever you are ready. Did I mention the lack of dust? Not being covered in clouds of silica dust was amazing. Even though this tool is a one-trick pony, it was well worth the price for what it saved me in time, stress, and effort. I highly recommend this tool for making long cuts on 8x4 panels.

Saw this tool on a facebook or something that demonstrated how well it worked. Certainly worked well and no dust. Had to use saw blade and the dust is pretty bed. Not so here. Just remember to hold the guide all the way flat on the material otherwise you won't get a clean edge. Lesson learned, but highly recommend.

I'm a professional siding installer, been doing hardie and vinyl for the past 15 years. Recently starter a 600sq hardie retirement home and had to buy some extra shears. I bought 4 PacTool International SS204 Fiber Cement Siding Shear , as it was pretty cheap, and 6 months down the road none of them was working, then i still insisted to save some money and bought 2 more, then again just a few weeks later another one broke down. I ended up buying another brand and its serving me pretty well. Not making the same mistake again

Been awesome to use on hardie panel, takes a bit of getting used to but once you do this thing is great, to get a nice cut make sure to cut on backside not the face. Also not great for trimming narrow pieces and will chew more than cut. But a wonderful tool for next to dustless cuts