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.

This tool helped me completely hardiplank my barn (20 ft high at the peak, 42 ft. deep, 60 ft. wide), to the extent that I actually enjoyed it! I did 90% by myself. I started with a circular saw which was way too dusty, and some family help. I ended with a PacTool 404 and a Gecko. The 404 cuts every bit as fast and NO dust. I hesitated to spend the money, but it was so very much worth it. I added the Gecko PacTool International SA903 2-Piece Gecko Gauge Hardi Board Siding Gauges for a one person installation. At the higher elevations, I did have a scaffolding work station so that my cuts were made in the air without having to climb up/down for each plank. The SS404 is lighter than a circular saw and so much easier to guide along the pencil cut line since there was no dust to block the view. The little slivers from the cut do tend to get in the way, but it was easy enough to remove them with one hand while cutting with the other and could be done safely away from the cutting edge. It cuts 1/4 inch from the line drawn, so it worked out well trying to leave the recommended 1/4 inch gap between the butted edges. I also made the cuts above and below my windows by cutting the vertical lines first, then diagonally to the horizontal line turning it like you would a jigsaw to one edge, and then backcutting to the other edge. I say: Buy this tool, buy the Gecko, and go have a good time while working at your own pace.

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.

Worked good. Did an apartment above my garage with them. I like the fact that they don't create dust like a saw and the curly fries are easy to sweep up. Worth the money. I do recommend taking a few passes on a practice board before you cut into a $60 4x8 sheet.

I was a little skeptical of this thing since it looks very weird and awkward. I decided to buy it because I have become weary of using carbide blades to cut my Hardie Planks in light of the health risks associated with it. Another factor was that holding a spinning blade in my hands wasn't ideal when working from staging. This tool definitely was worth the money for me. Don't let it's looks fool you. It is very easy to use, and makes very nice cuts in the siding planks. As long as you make your cuts with the planks face down (my siding was prepainted), the edge that it creates is nice and sharp. It only takes seconds to make the cut, and is very quiet compared to a saw. As a homeowner who doesn't do carpentry professionally, it was very quick and easy to learn how to use. To make a straight cut, the cutting edge will run perfectly along a speed square. I used it to side my entire house (45' x 45', two stories plus 6 dormers), and I didn't notice any degradation in the sharpness of the blades. The only downside I can even think of is that the while it cuts, it creates waste of about a 1/4 inch strip of the plank. After a while, those little strips make a mess under your feet. Compared to dust flying in the air from the traditional saw blades, I would take this tradeoff any day.

the picture in advert clearly shows it cutting through 12mm thick board, but I must have missed the small print, as on arrival, the package clearly states that it is designed to cut UP TO 8 mm! As I have a lot of 12mm sheets to cut, I tried it - it will do it, but you have to apply a lot of downwards pressure to keep the cut clean and keep it in a straight line - hard work - so not as good as it looks. Trusting it will be a lot easier on the 6mm boards.

I used it to cut 4.5mm and 6mm cement sheeting whilst renovating our bathroom. Beats hands down ant other method cutting cement sheeting.

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

It's head was so soft and broke quick. I want replacement if anyone hear me.