Q: Is there a way to cut radiator hose safely?
Posted by Sherry Gillis on Dec 4th 2018
A: Yes, but a lot of people don't understand how dangerous it can be to cut radiator hose with a regular knife, so they don't look into an alternative method.
We found out why when one of the largest truck stop chains in the US contacted us to purchase HUNDREDS of our radiator hose cutter sets. One of their employees, who was running a service truck and repairing big rigs out on the road, used his knife to cut a radiator hose and unfortunately he wound up cutting off one of his fingers. That was when the parent company realized they needed a better way for their operators to cut radiator hose out on the road and they gave us a call. We provided 300 different truck stops with radiator hose cutter sets for each work stations in their various centers around the country.
When you cut a radiator hose with a knife, you probably don't get how dangerous it can be. The radiator hose on a large diesel truck is big enough around that a lot of mechanics might think there are no alternatives to whipping out a pocket knife and going at it. We recommend you don't do that. There are a few tools out on the market for cutting radiator hose, but if you want the truly safe, easy solution, the V8 3001 Radiator Hose Cutter is the way to go. It cuts radiator hoses up to 2 1/2" across, mounts onto the mechanic's truck, and provides a clean, safe, professional cut.
The blades on these kits can be replaced, so you can keep your tool up to date as necessary. It all depends on how often you cut radiator hose. If you don't use the tool that often, then the blades are going to last for quite some time - but if you are cutting radiator hoses every day, then you may need to replace them as necessary to get a good, sharp cut.
https://www.skywaytools.com/radiator-hose-cutter-set-v8-3001-set/