Bolt Cutters for Dummies

using bolt cutters

When it comes to tools and their uses, the Antisocial Network staffers prefer to wander into the nearest old-timey hardware store (only rarely a BigBox "hardware" store) and have a chat with an old-timer, preferably someone who doesn't own a smartphone. We sure as heck don't ask an elementary school teacher with a hankering to "contribute" to eHow.com, which is why we found the HomeSteady.com post "What Can Bolt Cutters Cut?" that Stacy Zogheib jotted down one day in 2011 to be so amusing.

Zogheib's research method consisted of visiting a different content farm (Toolmonger.com), where she learned that "Some less common... roles for a bolt cutter include... surviving a zombie attack." Uh, yeah... but that source is also where Stacy came to the conclusion that,

"Bolt cutters are a heavy-duty version of typical wire cutters..."

...which may be why she illustrated her post with the image of a pair of wire cutters instead of a bolt cutter, e.g., she didn't know the difference. According to Zogheib, bolt cutters will cut,

• "Wires: [including] wires, cables, and brake cords [sic]..." — It appears that Stacy was attempting to avoid plagiarism by calling a bicycle brake cable a "brake cord"...
• "Bolts: ...bolt cutters are the perfect tool for cutting off rusted bolts or screws..." — Actually, they're pretty useless, since screws and bolts are usually inside something...
• "Mesh: ...bolt cutters are the perfect tool for cutting through many different types of mesh. From hurricane wire to chicken wire to steel cable..." — We were amazed that anyone might think they need bolt cutters for chicken wire!

Stacey was clearly confused when she claimed that bolt cutters are sometimes fashioned from aluminum; a misinterpretation of the bolt cutters with aluminum handles mentioned in one of the reviews she read. The cutting surfaces are always high-tensile steel; only the handles may be aluminum (to reduce weight). Then again, she was pretty clearly clueless about using bolt cutters. She didn't, for instance, mention cutting chain, cutting loose old padlocks, rebar, nails... a lot more than "chicken wire."

We'd be a lot more impressed with Zogheib's information if it were... right. Oh, and if our Dumbass of the Day had used a picture of bolt cutters instead of wire cutters on her post.

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