5 Best Bolt Cutters for Padlocks in 2023 (Reviews & Buyer’s Guide)

Imagine the moment when the door of your house or chest is locked with a padlock and you’ve lost the key. It would be an awful moment, wouldn’t it? However, when you have a good bolt cutter in your tool chest, you can easily cut through the padlock and get access to your house, or anything locked with a padlock. 

Here, we have listed and reviewed the best bolt cutters for padlocks. You can use them not only for cutting bolts or padlocks, but you can also cut other things such as a ring, chain, cable, and whatnot. Plus, the buying guide followed by the reviews would help you choose the best one for your next project.

Quick Summary for Top 5 Best Bolt Cutters

Best Overall: Tolsen 42-Inch Bolt Cutter for Padlocks

Crafted with drop-forged steel jaws, super sturdy and robust, rubber grip for operational convenience.

Best for Cutting Hardened Steel: Neiko 30-Inch Heavy Duty Bolt Cutter

Chrome-Moly steel jaws, heat-treated blades, and non-slip plastic grip help to maximize performance with minimum effort.

Best Bolt Cutter for Cable Cutting: KOTTO Bolt Cutter Pliers Set

Comes with 3 cutting tools, rust-preventing coating, and top-notch construction makes an extraordinary cutter for getting quick results.

Best For Cutting Locks: Gunpla 18-Inch Bolt Cutter

Designed with top-grade chrome vanadium steel and hardened blades to offer clean cutting.  Extremely versatile cutter.

Best Portable Bolt Cutter: Hilitchi 2Pcs Heavy Duty Bolt Cutters

Lightweight, quick cutting, an adjustable nut option, and a replaceable head system help it to cut a bulk amount of things without sacrificing cutting precision.

Top 5 Best Bolt Cutters For Cutting Locks Reviews in 2023

This is our list of the best bolt cutters for padlocks. We discussed their features as well as what makes them the best. 

1. Tolsen 42-Inch Heavy Duty Bolt Cutter for Padlocks – Best Heavy Duty Bolt Cutter

Highlighted Features

• This is a sturdy and durable bolt cutter made of drop-forged steel jaws. You can adjust and replace the jaws when needed. 
• The blade offers you optimum performance and lasts for a long time. 
• The design ensures that you can cut things precisely without any sort of hassle. 
• Rubber-grip handles help you get a good grip on the bolt cutter and cut things more comfortably. 
• The manufacturer offers a guarantee to refund or replacement if the user is not satisfied. 

Tolsen 42-inch heavy-duty industrial bolt cutter can cut through bolts, padlocks, cables, rods, chains, and many more things. Its long handles help you to have a good grip on the bolt cutter, saving you a lot of effort. Plus, the rubber grip wrapped around the steel handle makes it more comfortable for you to work for a long time without any red marks on your palms and fingers.

Additionally, the blade of the bolt cutter is centered in the cutting point and cutting edges are slightly rounded so that you can make precise cuts on any metallic things. As you can adjust the bolt and jaws according to your specifications, you can get the blade perfectly aligned. 

The good news is that you can rely on its longevity and performance as the manufacturer guarantees satisfaction. According to experts, this is one of the best heavy-duty bolt cutters for padlock.

2. Neiko 30-Inch Heavy Duty Bolt Cutter – Best Bolt Cutter for Cutting Hardened Steel

Highlighted Features 

• Good quality Chrome-Moly steel jaws made the bolt cutter sturdy enough to cut through hardened steel. 
• Heat-treated blades endure tough applications without getting damaged. 
• The design ensures that you put fewer efforts and get the maximum performance out of it. 
• The non-slip plastic grip offers you more control over the bolt cutter, making the process more comfortable. 

Neiko 00562A is one of the best bolt cutters for hardened steel. You can cut through bolts, chains, wires, threaded rods, padlocks, and any other metals that are considered the toughest in terms of thickness and solidness.

The classic lever-fulcrum design makes the bolt cutter more comfortable to work with as it provides you with sufficient power while you’re applying less pressure on it. Plus, the textured non-slip handles get you good control over the tool while working on the toughest metals.

No matter how tough things you are cutting through, the jaws remain as sharp as it was at the very first day for a long-time. 

3. KOTTO Bolt Cutter Pliers Set – Best Cable Cutter

Highlighted Features 

• This is a plier set that includes 3 cutting tools: 1x 14″ Bolt Cutter; 1x 8″ Mini Bolt Cutter; 1 x 8″ Cable Cutter.
• 14 inches bolt cutter has a hardened blade that can perform on the toughest metals without getting damaged. Plus, the dents of the bolt cutter are sturdy enough to endure long-time use.
• High-carbon steel with special coating prevents rust and provides optimum performance.
• A soft rubber grip makes it comfortable to use and ensures that it doesn’t slip away while you are working with it.

Kotto bolt cutter pliers set is popular for its versatility as it is a 3 in 1 package. 14 inches bolt cutter is generally used for cutting greater and tougher metals. 8 inches bolt cutter, however, good for cutting small-size bolts, chains, and many more. 

Besides, you have an 8 inches cable cutter in the package. Needless to say, it is one of the best cable cutters as it can cut through aluminum and copper wires as well as other soft and hard wires smoothly.

If we want to describe the toolset in three words, that would be: sturdy, versatile, and convenient.  

4. Gunpla 18-Inch Bolt Cutter Bi-Material Hand Tools – Best Bolt Cutter For Cutting Locks

Highlighted Features 

• Gunpla 18 inch bolt cutters are made with chrome vanadium steel. The steel body of bolt cutters is heat-treated and drop-forged.
• Hardened blades and dents are durable as they can endure harsh and long-time use.
• The handle is wrapped with soft rubber to give you great control over the tool.
• Wear-resistant body, strong construction, and comfortable grip.

This is one of the best bolt cutters for cutting locks as well as other metals. High-frequency blades that endure tough applications while also resisting damages make the bolt cutter stand out from weaker ones.

Besides, you get the perfect non-slip grip which is made with rubber. The wear-resistant handy rubber also provides you with maximum performance even though you apply less pressure.

Like all the other bolt cutters, the handles of it are long and the blades are short. This a versatile tool that you can use for cutting bolts, chains, rods, locks, and many more things.

5. Hilitchi 2Pcs Heavy Duty Bolt Cutters – Best Portable Mini Bolt Cutters

Highlighted Features

• This toolset is made with high-quality steel alloy. It cuts through bolts, padlocks, chains, threaded rods, etc. in a matter of seconds. 
• The design is pretty labor-saving as it has an adjustable nut. The opening size of the bolt cutter is also adjustable. 
• The blades are sharp making it effortless for you to cut hard metals.
• A high-quality handle-cover made with rubber ensures maximum control over the tool. 
• The package includes an 18 inch bolt cutter, an 8 inch bolt cutter, replacement head, and gloves. 

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Hilitchi bolt cutters set is popular for its two-in-one offer while also including hand gloves for safety precautions. Steel-alloy-made bolt cutters are sturdy and durable and last for a long time. As the set includes replacement heads, you can use them interchangeably.

If you feel the 18 inches bolt cutter is heavy, you can still use 8 inches bolt cutter for greater portability. However, the 18 inches bolt cutter saves you a lot of effort as it gets the job done in a matter of seconds. Plus, the gloves provided in the package would protect you from potential injuries. Overall, it is arguably the best portable mini bolt cutter in the world of bolt cutters.

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Bolt Cutters for Padlocks

There are many options you can come across while trying to choose the best bolt cutter. With so many options available, it is quite difficult to choose the perfect one according to your need.

However, if you consider some key features of bolt cutters and make a comparison using them, it will become easy for you to choose the right one. Here are the things you may consider:

Length

As you have already come across some of the bolt cutters, you may have noticed that there are bolt cutters of different sizes and lengths. If you want to cut a lot of things, we would recommend a long and large bolt cutter.

However, you can also buy a small one for greater portability. But, the larger your bolt cutter is, the better it performs.

Some manufacturer offers a set of bolt cutters including small and large bolt cutters, this option could help you use each bolt cutters for different purposes.

Cutting Capacity 

Although your bolt cutter is quite long, you may still find it difficult to cut a chain or bolt if the size of the material doesn’t fit your bolt cutter.

That’s why you need to consider the cutting capacity of bolt cutters. Usually, the cutting capacity of bolt cutters is:½ inch, ¼ inch, 5/16 inch. With so many options available, you should opt for one with a higher cutting capacity. :½ inch cutting capacity should be sufficient for cutting any material you want. 

Warranty

After using a long period, your bolt cutter may get a lot of wear and tear as it has cut all the hard materials. It is better to buy one with a long-term warranty to save money instead of spending money on a new one. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Padlock Bolt Cutters

Here we have answered some most commonly asked questions that will help clarify some misconceptions regarding bolt cutters for padlocks. Let’s see..

Q: How do You Use Bolt Cutters?

Hold the material as firmly as you can so that it doesn’t move from its place. Place it in between the jaws of the blades. The deeper you can put the material in, the maximum force you can apply to it. Apply pressure on the material until the blades take care of the rest. 

Q: How do You Sharpen Bolt Cutters?

A metal vice, oil, grinder, or file is sufficient for sharpening your bolt cutter. Make the head of your bolt cutter clean using a cloth. Clamp it to the metal vice, and file it using a file or grinder. File the blade but leave the edge. Because the beveled edge is there for forcing materials apart, not slicing them.

After sharpening the blade, apply oil on it, then cleanse the bolt cutter.

Q: What Size of Bolt Cutter is Perfect for Cutting a Padlock?

24-inch bolt cutters can cut through 7/16 inch (diameter) materials, which is the size of bolts in standard padlocks. However, if you want to cut a bit harder padlocks, use a 36-inch bolt cutter. 

Final Verdicts

Bolt cutters come in handy when you want to cut materials such as threaded rods, bolts, padlocks, and so on. We have discussed here the best bolt cutters for padlocks; not only do they cut through padlocks, but they can cut any hard metal. They are among the most durable, long-lasting, and comfortable bolt cutters you can ever come across. 

So, don’t hesitate to buy a bolt cutter set for your next DIY project.