Cut Rebar Like Butter - Cheap And Easy Method With Hand Tools

You don't need expensive tools to cut rebar. A cheap and easy way to cut rebar with basic hand tools. You won't believe it's not butter!
I also talk about other methods used for cutting rebar such as the bolt cutter, angle grinder, rebar cutter/bender, hydraulic rebar cutter, electric rebar cutter, hack saw, and metal chop saw. But there are still more options like the stationary metal bandsaw, portable band saw etc.
The point is, if you only need to cut a few pieces of rebar here and there, you don't need to buy expensive tools. And if you don't have any power tools, a pair of bolt cutters will work just fine on a 3/8 inch rebar.
Thanks for watching!

[@TheRussellStover]

And this is why I use youtube. I have bolt cutters but nothing else so its a big win for me!

[@lestarisanmiardjo7891]

Wow I did not think that would work! Thank you❤❤❤

[@savvybuilds]

Me too! lol

[@nebuchadnezzarsmith7846]

This is a good video but I'd seen another one that also used bolt cutters. In that he recommended the 42" bolt cutter from Harbor Freight - which I bought. It was cheaper than I expected and worked well. Savvy here says he is 170# and I am 130#. I laid the bolt cutter down on a concrete floor, not up like shown here, so I could press the other handle down. You need a solid surface. I put a dab of oil at the place to be cut. Helped a little. What really made it simple for me, at my size, was slipping a longer piece of metal pipe over the upper handle I press down on, greatly increasing the length of that upper handle and force to the jaws. I'm mostly using 3/8 but 1/2 was still possible. I too was surprised the jaws don't seem damaged. Much easier than using a grinder especially if you have many to cut.

[@windsunh2o]

Your timing of the 'like and subscribe' text after the success with the score lines was brilliant. And it worked for me 😁 I'll be giving this a try. Thanks!

[@savvybuilds]

I forgot about! I'll have to try that again :) Thanks

[@KenzertYT]

This was incredibly useful and I regularly just use a grinder, so I'm pretty surprised to know I can just cut them without having to have my power tools around if needed.

[@u812green7]

That's some tough butter!😂

[@savvybuilds]

lol

[@Sifisgood_official]

ONLY 30 inches? That's damn huge

[@Flightdevildoc]

Great idea but w/ a 8”-10” long bolt cutter handle, not possible to cut a 1/2” thick x 48” rebars, as I need much longer handle for stronger torque force. So another option, used my 6 month old Hercules Band Saw from Harbor Freight with an 18TPI blade, even though is for 1/8” to 1/4” thick metal (as 10/14 TPI are for 1/4” and thicker solid materials), thus did it in 2 stages, a 1/4” at the time, and in less than 20 secs, all 3 rebars were cut like wood at lowest speed w/ very minimal metal dust. Recommend getting a Hercules Band Saw as it is an important woodworking DYIer tool, $179 or cheaper when on sale at HF vs $300 or more from other brands. Hercules Band Saw Blade still cutting wood like butter.

[@Janeite445]

I need to cut some .625" rebar; I wonder if it would work for that too? And let's just say I have quite a bit more leverage. 😅

[@savvybuilds]

That might be hard to do lol

[@psidvicious]

Glad I read the comments first before posting my comment because…this will NOT work for .625” or ⅝“ or commonly known in the industry as “number 5 bar”. Shown in the video was number 4 bar or ½“. You would need a pair of 48” bolt cutters at minimum for #5 bar. That is still not going to be an easy cut. Btw, that’s how rebar is classified by name. By the number of 8th’s the bar diameter measures. #3, #4, #5….up to #22 which is extremely uncommon.

[@Malcomb35]

This method is hard af 😅😅....give me my chop saw 😅

[@savvybuilds]

😅

[@jessedunn6169]

Like me work harder not smarter lol.... when am I going to see the bed frame knife

[@savvybuilds]

Haha so true! Ah yes the bed frame knife... I have to get on that already! Been spending to much time thinking and planning. Less think more do.

[@jessedunn6169]

@@savvybuilds keep up the good work looks like ur channel is growing i enjoy each upload. I haven't done one myself but its in line next free weekend I have

[@savvybuilds]

@@jessedunn6169 Looking forward to it! You motivated me to stay up late last night to come up with a design. I settled on something simple to start. Kind of resembles a full tang stubby but slightly bigger. I wanted to go full machete but I have an old lawn mower blade waiting for that 😎

[@godzilla7382]

if you cut enough rebar to make a video about cutting rebar then it really is worth the money to buy a manual rebar cutter. the ones that lay on the floor sheer it so the only dust that is generated is the mill scale flaking off.

[@verbruggecas]

Wait, you put your body weight on a boltcutter? Your smarter than me doing it just with the arms

[@savvybuilds]

And you must be stronger than me lol! 😂

[@jebronlames5997]

I would rather destroy a cutoff wheel than my expensive pair of bolt cutters.

[@savvybuilds]

I imagine there might be a risk of that but I made about 25 cuts off camera and there was no visible damage. That being said, my bolt cutters were only $50 from Canadian tire so I was willing to take the risk. I was also trying to reduce dust in my garage.

[@jebronlames5997]

@@savvybuilds oh i gotcha yeah the bolt cutters definitely make less dust i just didn't know how many cuts you could get before it would start gouging up the blade. But before this i didn't know you could even use boot cutters. I guess I'd never thought about it. I don't ever need to cut rebar but we have an oxygen/acetylene torch that i bet would work pretty well also. No dust lol

[@savvybuilds]

@@jebronlames5997 I agree, a torch is definitely on my list of things to buy! If I do end up damaging them I'll make an update vid. I'll try to keep track of how many cuts they make before they start taking damage. Cheers

[@KenzertYT]

As long as the metal of the cutter is harder than softer grade rebar, it should be ok! I believe there are harder grades of rebar though and I wonder if it would damage the blade on a less quality pair of cutters.

[@TheRodriSosa]

I think the same I love the bolt cutters it's cool don't need power supply... And grinder well a lot of noise to use it

[@mustachio2]

jumping on the handle 4 times is not cutting it like butter lmao.

[@UndercoverFerret404]

Wait... so... cutting away some material, so the rebar is thinner, made it easier to cut...?? I don't wanna sound like a dick, but wasn't that to be expected? Less material to cut, easier it is?

[@lilnic804]

Just use a gas saw 😂

[@savvybuilds]

Hook me up!