Customer Reviews for WEN 4 Amp 18-Gauge Variable Speed Swivel Head Electric Metal Shear

Having been in woodworking for several years, I looked to expand my repertoire of skills that may be useful in woodworking projects. I went out a bought an inexpensive stick welder and began to learn to weld. The first thing I learned was that ferrous metal is not as easy to obtain as it was before Covid. Re-using pieces and cutting larger pieces down to manageable sizes was done with an angle grinder - not my favorite activity. I tried this Wen metal shear and, for most thin, metal scraps, was a safer way to go. This unit is light and surprisingly powerful for thin metal. The head can be rotated 360 degrees. It's easy to use and the only annoying thing is the plastic blade cover which never stays on.

I am really glad to have this battery powered metal shears. In the past I have been cutting sheet metal with aviation snips by hand. This is not a light weight tool. I weighed it on my scale and it weighed in at 4.6 pounds including battery. I measured the power consumed by the battery charger and the results were 45 watts while charging the battery and ½ watt after the battery was charged. I appreciate that the charger is an all-in-one bench top charger with just a power cord, unlike some other battery chargers that have a separate in line or wall adapter attached to a separate battery connection block. I am disappointed that the labels on the front and bottom of the charger are misaligned. The label on the front is so far off to the right that it is covering half of the green LED. Other than that, this is a good tool.

I'm always cutting myself when snipping metal, so I thought this electric shear would help with that. It takes a little getting used to, but it really works great (and safely for me). I had to cut a circle out of metal, which is very difficult with tin snips but relatively easy with these shears. It works by cutting a strip about 1/4 inch wide through the metal, so you have to position it so that the inner bar is on the line you need cutting. Cutting a straight line would be a snap. The circle was a little more challenging, but it worked well and gave me a perfect circle. The shears came with a battery and charger as most Wen products do. This is an impressive little tool that I will be using a lot on our ranch.

I have to admit. I am usually not a fan of brands I'm not familiar with. However, I was happily surprised when I tested out this 20v battery powered metal cutting shears by Wen. Very good power. The weight felt evenly distributed. The blades are extremely sharp. Everything about this metal cutting shears shows quality. I would not hesitate to purchase.

This model 20314 cordless 20-volt variable metal shear works very well and saves my wrist a lot of work wear/tear. Variable speeds from 0 to 2500 strokes per minute this depends on what material you are cutting and as you progress into it. Able to cut up to 14-gauge sheet metal and 18-gauge stainless steel and in a circle to a minimum of a 7’’ radius. The cutterhead swivels 360° so you can get the job done comfortably from your work angle as required To adjust the cutterhead angle just loosen the three cutterhead retaining bolts with the included 4mm hex wrench then swivel it to the angle you want and retighten the bolts. This cuts a nice clean 3/16’’ wide cut. Weighing only 5.4 pounds so it is not tiring to use when doing a lot cutting at one time. This is part of wens 20-volt battery tools and come with a two-year warranty. Battery charger recharges quickly and with the charge indicator built into the battery you know how much power to have to work with plus the charger displays a green light when it is fully charged. Make sure you read the instruction manual and follow all the safety recommendations. With this battery powered shear I no longer have to plug in a cord or air hose great tool to have in my service truck and I can recharge it as I drive.

Bought this to cut some thin 30 guage corrugated metal roofing, got 1 inch in, cutting action stopped and motor started fizzling and shooting sparks everywhere. Very defective and dangerous. First and LAST WEN tool I'll ever buy.

The WEN 4 Amp 18-Gauge Variable Speed Swivel Head Electric Metal Shear is a pleasure to use. My test was on some thin gauge metal. I was surprised how quickly the WEN cut through the metal with little pressure applied to the tool. The tool weighs in at 4.7 pounds but really doesn’t feel heavy in the hand. The 4 Amp motor lets it cut up to 18 gauge steel. Cuts are about 7/16 of an inch wide and curl up in front of the tool as you cut. Speed of cutting is variable based on trigger pressure. One nice feature is the ability to rotate the cutting head 360 degrees on the motor. This allows you to cut comfortably on near any surface. To change the cutting head location you loosen three screws with the included hex wrench, adjust to desired location and tighten the screws.

All my life I have cut sheet metal manually with either nibbler shears or tin snips and it is hard work! It can get quite complicated too when cutting in the middle of a large sheet or a confined area. The Wen metal shear is a great addition to my tool set because it makes cutting so easy and, dare I say it … pleasurable! The tool is like a regular corded electric drill but with a cutting head instead. That makes it familiar to operate and comfortable to hold. Trigger pressure regulates the cutting head speed and, there is a trigger lock so the operator does not need to keep pressure on the trigger for long cuts. Cutting straight through sheet metal is a doddle. A space large enough to get the shear in contact with the metal is required and the 1 3/4” pre-drilled hole in my test piece was ample – see video. The cutter takes out a piece of material approximately 7/32” wide and curls it nicely out of the way. In addition to a straight cut I also cut a gentle curve – see the video here https://youtu.be/wfZLlSibqno. The cutter has ample power and will cut up to 18 gauge sheet metal and 20 gauge stainless steel. With practice I imagine that quite complex shapes can be cut and success will come through patience and not forcing the blade because that is often how they break. Replacement blades are available and can be fitted by a careful operator. The shear head can be turned through 360 degrees and this added flexibility might make the difference between achieving the cut in awkward places or not. Swiveling the head is simply a matter of loosening three hex screws (hex key supplied), turning the head and tightening the screws. The slim manual provides a lot of information and there is an exploded view providing details of all replacement parts as well as advice on changing motor brushes and bearings. So many items purchased these days are not meant to be repaired and some manufacturers make repairing their products impossible. So, it is refreshing to see a manufacturer who is forward thinking and environmentally aware. The tool comes with a two year warranty. When I un-boxed the tool I discovered that the plastic blade cover was broken. I contacted Wen customer service as much to advise that their packaging may need to be reviewed as obtain a replacement cover. However, they were very much on the ball and offered to send a replacement blade cover. Later that same day I received email confirmation that the cover had been dispatched. Great customer service.

Works well for cutting Hardie panel and planks (as indicated, won’t work on thicker trim pieces). Produces no dust, just these little curly “worms” that are 3/8” wide as it cuts along. Found that if I rock the tool back-and-forth slightly, then it seems to cut more continuously. Definitely best to have the panel facing down and cut from the back side, as it can sometimes leave a slightly crushed edge on the top of the cut (so would be the back of the panel). Still need to use a saw for cutting the fiber cement trim boards, but really glad I bought this tool for dealing with panels and planking.

does a poor job with too much effort on fiber cement

Did not cut cement board very well

Does not work well on corrugated tin.

It worked OK but was very bulky and unbalanced. I had project with lots of hardware cloth top cut so maybe it's not the best tool for that application. It cut the material well but tended to wander of course. Also, it actually cuts out a small section of the material and spits them all over. All in all, it saved me a lot of time versus wire snips so I'm glad I had it.

Excellent bargain! Used tool to cut 24 gauge roof panels. No problems.

Tool worked great for cutting and covering my bottom part of my gazebo roof with sheet metal.

Would be 5 stars if it could be better on Angle bends on typical R-Panel metal siding. Otherwise it cuts great.

Absolutely perfect for what I had to do. I had an above ground pool that I needed to get rid of. It cut through it like butter.

I had a project that involved numerous cuts and sizes for a metal mesh in my basement. My arthritic hands were a major problem so I searched the HD site. This tool is a real hand and time saver. Great product.

Simple, powerful and easy to use.

It works really good im happy with it

I have had this metal shear for a couple of months and used it several times now. I don’t have any complaints. It’s a great type of tool to have around. It easily cuts 28 gauge steel panels, but getting the angle correct to make a cut over ribs can be a challenge. That isn’t a knock on this tool, just an observation on the limitations this type of tool. Note: put the good side down when cutting because tool marks do occur and can be bad enough to be very noticeable. All in all this item was a great value.

works ok, but came with two key screws almost out one with stripped threads in the chassis.

The machine doesn't cut metal roofing very well.

Worked great at reasonable cost