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Brake hose cutter

7545 Views 27 Replies 19 Participants Last post by kapusta, Nov 3, 2021

kevhky

Discussion Starter · Oct 27, 2021

I'm going to have to cut hydraulic shimano bh59 hose and insert the barb what do you people use I don't need a top end tool as I won't be doing it that often at all so a cheapish one would be ideal,, any suggestions would be good Thanks

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Reaperactual

· #2 · Oct 27, 2021

I personally don't bother with those tools. It's worked fine for me on numerous occasions using a good strong Stanley knife with a fresh blade.

Providing you get a nice clean, square cut, make sure the insert is fully pushed in and the wide edge butts up to cut end it will be absolutely fine.

kevhky

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 27, 2021

Reaperactual said:
I personally don't bother with those tools. It's worked fine for me on numerous occasions using a good strong Stanley knife with a fresh blade.

Providing you get a nice clean, square cut, make sure the insert is fully pushed in and the wide edge butts up to cut end it will be absolutely fine.

Thanks I'll try that then, what about pushing barb in does it push in fairly easy, seen a few vids in YouTube using a hammer??

Reactions: 1

Reaperactual

· #4 · Oct 27, 2021 (Edited)

Usually on the first cut it's perfect, if not confident leave a few cm's extra so you can have a few goes at it.

Have to admit the tricky bit is getting the inserts in as they're a tight fit. I bought a cheap EZ Bleed, Bleed kit from ebay which has a hose clamp included (looks like a pencil sharpener in two halves) which makes it a lot easier.

Before I had the hose clamp a small Allen key wiggled around the inside of the hose to open the bore out a little makes it a lot easier to hammer the insert in. I managed it without needing a hammer by just pushing and tapping the insert in against a work surface.

Reactions: 2

Monty219

· #5 · Oct 27, 2021

kevhky said:
Thanks I'll try that then, what about pushing barb in does it push in fairly easy, seen a few vids in YouTube using a hammer??

Magura bleed blocks have a built in hose holder if you look for the small semicircle grooves on each side. But bleeding shimanos, i dont think their blocks have this feature. If you got a generic mineral oil bleed kit there may be one hidden in there. Without a specifically designed clamp you can try a bench vise or pliers just be careful not to crush the hose. Or a “hack”: take two small wooden blocks, clamp together and drill a hole through the seam where they are touching. Make sure the drill bit is just a fraction smaller than the brake hose.

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DeoreDX

· #6 · Oct 27, 2021

I bought one of these. I splurged for the aluminum version. Want to say it was around $23-24 at the time I bought it.

www.amazon.com

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www.amazon.com

Did I need it? Absolutely not. With a little patience and a eye well calibrated to straight angles it's a very simple job. The hardest part of the process without the tool is inserting the barb. When I say hard I say it like folding your laundry is the hardest part of doing your laundry. The act is not physically hard but it can be a bit tedious. I've never had luck inserting the barb by hand or trying to tap it in holding the hose by hand. If you can clamp the hose securely to tap the barb in it's a super easy job. Magura brakes come with a plastic do-hickey that serves as a caliper block and a way to clamp and hold the hose to insert the barb and having one of those helps a bunch. But now you have to scoot the bike and stand over to your vise or near a solid surface you can clamp to to do the ole hammer tapperooo. And if you can keep the hose end elevated above the caliper and pointed straight up during the whole process there is a very good chance you don't have to re-bleed the system after getting everything assembled. It's not hard just maybe annoying or fiddly. The tool makes an easy but tedious job 2-3 minute job into a 30 second operation. Snip-add nut and olive- clamp hose in tool - screw in barb. With the hose elevated and vertical during the whole process I've had about a 90% success rate of not having to bleed the system if you can keep the levers and hoses oriented in the right directions so that they don't suck in air.

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SlipperyToad

· #7 · Oct 27, 2021

You can also use vice grips to clamp the cable block if you don't want to drag your bike stand over to your vice. I do that and use the plastic side of a park hammer to pound the little suckers in. As long as your brake line isn't crimped and you get the barb going in straight, it works like a charm. I do wish everyone used the threaded barbs like SRAM - they must have a patent on those things. I prefer Shimano brakes, but the SRAM barbs are so simple to deal with.

Nat

· #8 · Oct 27, 2021

I have the Tektro version. $15

northwestbicycle.com

Tektro Disc Brake Hose Cutting Tool Insert Press - For 5.0mm 5.5mm Hose BLK

Tektro Disc Brake Hose Cutting Tool and Insert Press - For 5.0mm and 5.5mm Hose Black. Make cutting hoses and pressing in barbs as easy as ever with our razor sharp hose cutter with integrated barb press.Designed for use with 5.0mm and 5.5mm hydraulic hose

northwestbicycle.com

northwestbicycle.com

frdfandc

· #9 · Oct 27, 2021

SlipperyToad said:
You can also use vice grips to clamp the cable block if you don't want to drag your bike stand over to your vice. I do that and use the plastic side of a park hammer to pound the little suckers in. As long as your brake line isn't crimped and you get the barb going in straight, it works like a charm. I do wish everyone used the threaded barbs like SRAM - they must have a patent on those things. I prefer Shimano brakes, but the SRAM barbs are so simple to deal with.

The block makes everything so much easier. And I agree on the SRAM barbs. So easy to install. Just thread them in. Shimano can be a pain to get the barbs in, especially if you don't have the block.

Nat

· #10 · Oct 27, 2021

The Tektro device that I linked to has an integrated barb press

127.0.0.1

· #11 · Oct 27, 2021

I have an 'official' cutter for cables....

but brake lines, I take an industrial single edge razor blade in vice grip jaws and just push thru the line

dysfunction

· #12 · Oct 27, 2021

I got lots of tools that'll cut em. Cigar cutters, razor cutters, knives... they all work. The $ spent on the barb insertion tool, totally worth while. For all the reasons mentioned above.

kevhky

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 27, 2021

Reaperactual said:
Before I had the hose clamp a small Allen key wiggled around the inside of the hose to open the bore out a little makes it a lot easier to hammer the insert in. I managed it without needing a hammer by just pushing and tapping the insert in against a work surface.

Great idea that should be me sorted cheers 👍

Reactions: 1

Cerpss

· #14 · Oct 27, 2021

I have one of these from working on my sprinkler system to cut and then use the shimano clamp blocks. Rigid plastic tube cutter

Reactions: 1

RickBullottaPA

· #15 · Oct 27, 2021

A regular set of quality housing cutters works just fine. I use a small nail to re-round the opening in the hose and stretch it a bit to better fit the barb/insert. Works like a charm.

Reactions: 1

006_007

· #16 · Oct 27, 2021

dysfunction said:
Cigar cutters,

My cigar cutter cuts a wedge (great for cigars, bad for brake lines).......

Reactions: 1

dysfunction

· #17 · Oct 28, 2021

006_007 said:
My cigar cutter cuts a wedge (great for cigars, bad for brake lines).......

You don't have a 50¢ one from a head shop I take it.

Reactions: 3

Sparticus

· #18 · Oct 28, 2021

Nat said:
I have the Tektro version. $15

Tektro Disc Brake Hose Cutting Tool Insert Press - For 5.0mm 5.5mm Hose BLK

Tektro Disc Brake Hose Cutting Tool and Insert Press - For 5.0mm and 5.5mm Hose Black. Make cutting hoses and pressing in barbs as easy as ever with our razor sharp hose cutter with integrated barb press.Designed for use with 5.0mm and 5.5mm hydraulic hose

northwestbicycle.com

Nat, I have a similar tool (except mine’s red, not black — got it from amazon.com). The hose cutter works a charm but when it’s time to insert the barb, the hose clampy doo dad on mine doesn’t hold the hose tight enough — the hose just slips whenever I try to use the lever to push the barb in there.

Whatever. I use the tool to get the barb started, then pick up a hammer and easily tap it the rest of the way home.

I wouldn’t buy another similar to the one you & I have but I rather like the look of the one that @DeoreDX bought.
=sParty

WHALENARD

· #19 · Oct 28, 2021

I wouldn't advise trying to stretch out the inside of the hose diameter to accept the barb easier. If you have a drill bit and two pieces of wood you can make your own clamp.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

Reactions: 2

J.B. Weld

· #20 · Oct 28, 2021

WHALENARD said:
I wouldn't advise trying to stretch out the inside of the hose diameter to accept the barb easier. If you have a drill bit and two pieces of wood you can make your own clamp.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

Agree, you want that thing in there tight. In other words right.

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