[guba_unus]

I was at the NSRA southeast nationals today and came across a booth showing a drill powered nibbler. This was an attachment that could be placed in the drill chuck and would go through most anything up to 16 ga steel. It also could cut curved shapes similar to the shapes plasma cutters cut. I am hoping someone on here as first hand experience with this tool. How long does it last? How easy is it to use?

Here is a website showing the tool.

If this has been previously discussed, please point me to that post.

Thanks,
Guba

[cboy]

Guba,

Great question. I've seen this guy at almost every NSRA and Goodguys event I go to and I always spend time at his booth trying to figure out if that thing REALLY works as well, and easy, as he makes it look. My air nibbler won't cut curves anywhere near as tight as he does...but it's a pretty hefty price tag if it turns out to be junk.

[garyroushkolb]

I'd probably spend $30 for an air one rather than adapt my drill to one. I have a nibbler and don't remember the last time I used it, they are good for specific things but I usually use another method to cut sheet metal. A nibbler makes lots of little metal "moons" that get in your shoes and hurt also.

[smoke]

I have looked at these too and the do look cool but the thing I dont like is it takes two hands to use them unless you can mount it in a vice.
There are diffrent tools out there that work well. You can get a pair of double cuts, air or electric nibbler, cut of weel on a grinder and I just got one of those roto zip tools with a carbide bit. Have not had a chance to use it yet but cant wait to go cut up some stuff and see how it works.

[Magno99900]

We actually have one at my fathers shop we took a Dewalt drill and mounted it to a workbench then use a foot pedal to control the speed of the drill. The thing works surprisingly well.

[guba_unus]

Thanks for the response everybody. I've been tossing and turning about this tool today (ironic since I have 6 weeks till I'm looking to buy it). I compared other nibblers, but to get one that can go through 16 ga, I would need to upgrade the compressor ( nice idea but costly, the air nibblers seem to need at least 15 cfm) and to get an electric nibbler capable of the same guage would be about the same cost as this drill mounted thing. I took a look at the cuts I've been getting from a grinder and from my hand shears; and I've been thinking of how his cuts looked. He was asking $130 at the show and he said he would be at the turkey run (my next big shindig). I'm gonna grab a scrap of 16 ga I have lying around and ask him to make a cut in it. If it's a nice cut with a clean edge, then I'll give it a try and let you know how it works out for me. I'm most interested in this because I want to put some holes in the hood so that I can add some louvers to help with my heat problem but I've got some other sheet metal projects in the works.

Thanks again for the responses and if you have any more, keep 'em coming.

[Mooshaker]

I purchased one of these nibblers after the 2005 Street Rod Nationals. I purchased on Ebay, saved a bundle, same unit. I have only used it a few times. Seemed to work good, but was hard to control on 16GA. Maybe because of lack of experance. The metal that is cut out is HOT, it will burn you if it lands on you.

With some practice I believe it would work good.

[vert1940]

i bought one two years ago at nats south....best cutting tool i have ever used for the money.i have gone through 2 sheets of 18ga with two bits.very easy to control.i dont have any experience with 16ga, but i think that would be on the edge of its limit.also.....the clippings this tool leaves is a cresent moon type shape that is pinpoint on both ends,they get into everything,especially your shoes,then go walking across a hardwood floor....instant damage.i placed a bucket under the tool to catch the clippings

[Irelands child]

I bought one a few years ago from International Tools - the guy at the NSRA shows - and, contrary to what others are saying, mine at least, was a piece of junk !!! Might be I got the lemon of the bunch. The cutters lasted about half way thru a piece of 16ga, and the second set would barely cut Model A Ford body steel. It went to the dump !!!

There are identical nibblers cheaper on eBay plus a fairly good electric one is not much more. His @~$125 is WAY WAY too much .

Dave

[astroracer]

I've had one for about five years now. I don't use it a lot but expect to get busy with mine doing the tin work for my van. I layout the cuts with a felt marker and then run some Castrol stick wax over the cut lines. This lubes the cutters very well and I am still using the original set. I cut more aluminum then steel though so we'll see how it does on this build. It can do some very intricate cuts without deformation and I like it much more then a pair of snips for this reason.
I run mine with an old Craftsman drill through the foot control for my flex shaft grinder...
It did take some getting used to though.
Mark

[deliveryman]

I have one and used the work bench mounts to mount it upside down underneath a table with the nibbler sticking through the top. Works just like a combination of a router table and a table saw. I clamp a fence to the table and can cut sheet metal just as straight as a shear. I find it does work better with cutting oil.

[Dave E Shank]

I bought the Bad Dog unit and it works great. I cut some thin material and it did a good job. When you need a tool like that it is worth the $$ . . . DAVE