One of the many benefits of PVC pipes is how light, easy to handle and easy to cut they are. However, if this is your first time handling and cutting PVC pipe, it’s perfectly understandable if you’re a little at a loss.
So what is the best way to cut PVC pipe? Will your standard handsaw do the job or are there better tools for this? Here are the top 4 tips that every expert would recommend.
What is the best way to cut PVC pipe?
Hypothetically speaking, any half-decent cutting tool can help you cut PVC pipe if you’re stubborn enough about it. There are some tools that are specifically designed for cut PVC pipes and other plastic pipeshowever, as well as some general hardware tools that are also great at it.
So if you don’t want to struggle with a kitchen knife or go to the hardware store to cut your pipes there, here are the 4 best ways to cut PVC pipes at home.
1. Plastic pipe cutters
The most obvious tool we would recommend for cutting plastic pipe is a plastic pipe cutter. These simple tools are essentially single-bladed scissors with handles, no sharp teeth, and a convenient shape for gripping various sizes of PBV pipes and providing easy and precise cuts.
Any half-decent PVC pipe cutter can handle PVC pipe of almost any diameter – from smaller than 1/2” and 3/4” pipes to 1” or 1-1/2” pipes and larger big.
The reasons why this is the most common way is mainly in the safety and ease of use offered by a PVC cutter. With such a tool you can provide a clean cut without putting your hands at risk in the pipe cutter’s jaws. In addition, plastic pipe cutters do not leave jagged edges on PVC pipe that need to be cleaned afterwards and are very quiet to use.
There is also a downside, though – plastic pipe cutters can be a bit tiring on the joints of your hands if you have to use them repeatedly for multiple cuts and pipes at once. It may sound like a joke, but repeated use of a plastic pipe cutter can literally lead to problems with the joints of the hand, such as acute arthritis if you’re not careful – just like a bad computer mouse or musical instrument.
That’s why plastic pipe cutters are recommended for occasional residential use by homeowners, but avoided by many professionals—because while the former would use such a tool only occasionally, the latter should to use it every day, which leads to more meaningful activity. risk of joint trauma.
In addition, it is worth noting that there are two different types of plastic pipe cutters:
Rotary pipe cutter – ideal for smaller pipes
This type of PVC pipe cutter is used by biting the pipe once where you want to cut it and then rotating it across the width of the pipe, providing continuous pressure cuts from all sides.
Ratchet pipe cutter – best for pipes wider than one inch in diameter
The second type of plastic pipe cutter is usually larger. It is not meant to be rotated around the width of the pipe, but rather to provide continuous «ratchet» bites in one spot on the pipe until it cuts it. This type of cutter can be more tiring on the hand as it requires repeated tightening motions, however, it is more effective against larger pipes.
2. Hand saws and other saws
Hand saws, wood saws and other saws are very common tools in most households and are also perfectly usable for cutting PVC pipes. Unlike plastic pipe cutters, a hand saw does not put as much stress on the joints around the thumb and can easily be used for continuous and repetitive cutting.
Obviously, a handsaw is also a much more versatile tool that is not only specialized in cutting pipes, but can be used for all kinds of tasks around the house or in the workshop. So while getting a whole pipe cutter can often be a waste because you know you won’t need to use it many times, a handsaw can be a much more valuable purchase that you know you will use usually.
That’s not to say hand saws are always «better», though, as they do have their drawbacks:
- Because they are less specialized, hand saws are not as convenient for cutting PVC pipe as standard plastic pipe cutters. To use a handsaw, you’ll also want to use a clamp, a vise, or have someone help hold the pipe on a stable surface.
- Because they have serrated edges, handsaws produce a lot of pipe chips and particles that fly around during the cutting process. This mess can be annoying to deal with, and the edges of the pipe are often not as smooth as when using a plastic pipe cutter.
- Obviously, hand saws also present a greater risk of accidental self-injury than plastic pipe cutters. This risk may be minimal for experienced users, but it is not insignificant for less experienced people.
In general, a handsaw is a great tool for cutting PVC pipe, but it does require some care and caution before use.
3. Cord saws
Wire saws are a lesser known and rarely used tool for cutting plastic pipe, which is a shame because they are absolutely excellent at it. Also known as wire saws, these simple devices are so easy and safe to use that a simple 30-second instructional video is all you need to know about them.
Basically, you just wrap the cable around the pipe you want to cut and then repeatedly pull both ends of the cable towards you until it cuts the pipe. The risk of accidents is absolutely minimal, the ease of cutting is impressive, and the cuts are usually finer than with a handsaw, although there will still be some chips flying around.
Corded saws are especially good for the flexibility they offer in tight spaces. If the PVC pipe is already secured in place, can’t be adequately reached with a handsaw, and you don’t want to move it, cord saws can cut almost anywhere and from any angle. This makes them great for plumbing, but it’s also why homeowners rarely use them—they’re a little too specialized for regular use.
4. Electric miter saws
The heavy duty solution to your pipe cutting needs is an electric miter saw. These powerful machines have a large and sharp rotary saw blade that you can simply push any plastic pipe through to cut it in seconds or less.
This is undoubtedly the fastest and easiest way to cut plastic pipes of all types, but it also comes with its own set of disadvantages:
- Miter saws are large, cumbersome, and expensive pieces of equipment that most homeowners won’t really need.
- Like any other large power tool, miter saws are quite noisy, so they are not recommended for apartment dwellers or anyone without a separate workshop or large tool shed.
- Electric miter saws present a risk of self-harm which is much higher than that of plastic pipe cutters, cord saws or even hand saws. Using an electric miter saw requires safety tools, precautions and experience such as accidents and injuries are far from uncommon with these tools.
However, if you have the wherewithal, space, and experience to use a power saw, it would undeniably do a great job cutting any PVC pipe you throw at it.
Before you start cutting
If you want yours pipe cutting experience to be as easy and efficient as possible, there are some precautions you should consider depending on the type of tool you will be using.
Namely, it’s worth getting a spray lubricant or even a food grade lubricant such as cooking oil. The idea is to apply it to the pipe to make cutting easier and reduce the amount of loose flakes flying around.
Another good tip is to put a piece of cotton or paper towel inside the pipe so that loose pieces don’t fall into it. Spreading newspapers on the floor is obviously a good idea for the same reason. After that, just consider a clamp, vise, or helping hand to help hold the pipe in place while you cut.
After you finish cutting
If you are not using a plastic pipe cutter, you may want to do something to smooth the edge of the pipe from any burrs and jagged edges left after sawing. The easiest way to do this is to trim the edges with a sharp utility knife. After that, you can use a piece of sandpaper to further smooth out the uneven parts.
Bottom line – what is the best way to cut PVC pipe?
All in all, cutting a PVC pipe is quite easy, but there is still important know-how if you want the job to go smoothly, easily and safely.
If you use any of the above 4 tools properly, even a large number of PVC pipes and cuts will be easy to deal with. On the other hand, if you mess up, even a single cut can be a pain to deal with, let alone a health hazard.
