Accessories

Easiest cutting ever!
This fiber cement shear is the best I've used. Compared to other brands, it is lighter, more stable because of the flat shoe on the bottom, and more powerful.

The reversible cutters make this an extra valuable tool. The polished steel head and dark cutter blades helps to focus your attention on the cutting line, which improves accuracy.

As always with Makita, the carrying case is well designed and rugged.

Cant believe that I have waited so long!!!
I have used the older version of the Porter Cable shears. I took them on loan from a friend to remodel a bathroom and was greatley impressed. But as impressed as I was with the Porter Cable shears I am completley blown away with the Mikita shears. Smooth, well balanced, clean and powerful are just some of the things that my crew and I have to say about them. One house of hardi backer and full 8 1/4" lap siding and they sill look new and deliver clean cuts. I cant believe that I have dealt with the dust and clean up with the numerous hardi blades that I have been through. Extreemley satisfied!!!

Fiber Cement Shear
This is a great tool. If you need to cut lots of fiber cement, shears are the way to go. You basically have these choices: 1) saw with a fiber cement blade 2) hand snips 3) shear attachment for a drill 4) fiber cement shears. You can use a saw, but why would you want to? It's very messy, the expensive blades dull quickly and you need to wear a mask to keep from breathing in all that dust. Hand snips are OK for a couple of cuts, but they're tedious and slow. The shear attachments like the Malco TSFC are OK for small jobs too, but they're not as durable as dedicated shears. So basically if you've got more than just a handful of cuts to make, then go for these.

Once you've decided to take the plunge and pony up the considerable dough there are a few brands that make similar products. Kett makes a shear that works well, but I don't recommend them because the blades are not reversible which means that once they dull you have to replace them, and they are a bit pricey. The Snapper Shear (SS404) sold by PacTool is different because the blades are reversible, so once it gets dull, simply flip the blades over and continue using the other side. Once that second side is dull then you'll need to replace the blade, but basically the blade has lasted at least twice as long. The old SS404 used to be made from a Milwaukee drill, but I think they now use a Makita on the new ones and rebadge them. You can go with the SS404, but it's usually more expensive. Otherwise, this Makita is a pretty good little shear, and it hasn't let me down yet during my remodeling projects. The only thing it can't do well is cut arcs. If you need to cut arcs or curves, you'll need to locate and purchase a PacTool SS414.

The only thing negative I can say about this tool is that it's made in China, but since the quality seems to be acceptable and there are no longer any US-made options; I can overlook that for now.