If you're sick of cutting tig rod with a pair of pliers and would like a pair of the Knipex mini bolt cutters like the ones Jody uses but can't justify the cost I've found the solution. A few months ago I saw a pair of Wiss bolt cutters at Home Depot for $10, at that price I was more than willing to take a gamble and immediately bought them. Since then I've cut countless tig rods, including plenty of 1/8 stainless, ER312 and even some 4130. I've also used them to cut apart a chainlink fence, cut fencing staples, and I think I may have even cut a nail or two. I can say that so far there has been absolutely zero deformation or chipping of the edges.
The stamped handle does look and feel a little cheap, but I've actually found it to be a good thing weight wise, I can throw it in the side pocket of my jeans and forget about it until I need it. Due to how cheap it is I also find it to be a good place if you work or go to school somewhere that tools tend to wander off on their own. I had a snap-on crescent wrench stolen out of my bag lack semester so I wouldn't dare bring my Klein side cutters anywhere.
I can't say exactly how they compare to the Knipex though I am sure the Knipex ones are better and I'd still like to get a pair, however even if I owned the Knipex ones I would likely still use these most the time due to the theft factor. You can find them at Home Depot, although I also found an amazon link.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiss-8-in-W ... /205208608
https://www.amazon.com/Wiss-PWC9W-MULTI ... B00N0L6ZMS
