Tube Cutter

A tube cutter is the right tool for cutting metal tubing where a hacksaw would leave a ragged edge. The cutter rolls a hardened cutting wheel against the tube while applying inward pressure; the wheel scores the tube's outer surface, and as you rotate the cutter the score deepens until the wall is cut through. The result is a clean, square edge with no chips and no fragments inside the tube.

The 360/6A is listed under Plumbing tools and Other workshop tools. Official coverage is copper, aluminium, inox, and steel tube from 3 to 35 mm (1/8 to 1-3/8 in), wall thickness up to 2 mm. The 4-roller body keeps the tube centered against the cutting wheel as you rotate the tool, which keeps the cut perpendicular to the tube axis without wandering.

How the cutter works in practice

Place the cutter around the tube at the cut line. Engage the cutting wheel with the ergonomic knob; turn the knob clockwise to advance the wheel against the tube. With light pressure on the wheel, rotate the cutter around the tube once. Advance the wheel slightly, rotate again. Continue until the cut is through. Don't over-tighten the wheel: too much pressure flattens the tube or causes the wheel to dig in unevenly.

The 360/6A does not have a built-in deburring tip. Unior's official feature list names a separate burr-removal tool, used individually after the cut. We carry that job as the Tube Deburring Tool 363A: place it over the tube end and twist until both edges are clean.

When to reach for the tube cutter vs. the hacksaw

• Tube cutter: for thin-wall metal tubing where the cut edge needs to be square and clean (copper, aluminium, inox, or steel, wall up to 2 mm)
• Hacksaw: for thicker steel sections (steerers, posts), for carbon fiber (use the ceramic blade), and for any cut that doesn't need to be perfectly square

The cutter and the hacksaw are complementary tools; neither replaces the other.

Specs

• Cuts copper, aluminum, inox (stainless), and steel tubing up to 2 mm wall thickness
• 4-roller centering body
• Ergonomic knob for cutting-wheel advance
• Instant wheel change
• Separate burr-removal tool after the cut; pair with the 363A reamer
• Spare cutting wheel stored in the handle; official spare is cutting wheel 358.1/7A
• Steel threaded insert (for longer life)
• Article 360/6A, code 626187; tube diameter 3–35 mm / 1/8–1-3/8 in; B 41.4 mm, D 19.8 mm, H 65.8 mm, L 160.6 mm, 340 g

Built in Zreče, Slovenia

Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. The 360/6A sits in Unior's plumbing and workshop catalog, next to the 358/6A, 360/6B, and 361/6A cutters and the 363A reamer it was improved alongside in 2021.

Pro tip from our mechanics

The most common error with a tube cutter is over-tightening the cutting wheel on the first pass. Light pressure, multiple rotations, gradual advancement; that's the rhythm that gives a clean cut. Crushing the wheel into the tube doesn't speed the cut; it just deforms the tube and ruins the cutting wheel. Our workshop setup guide covers cutting and the rest of the workshop hand-tool layer: How to set up a professional bike workshop →

FAQ

What tube sizes and metals does the 360/6A cut? Official coverage is copper, aluminium, inox, and steel tube from 3 to 35 mm (1/8 to 1-3/8 in), with a maximum wall thickness of 2 mm. Body dimensions are B 41.4 mm, D 19.8 mm, H 65.8 mm, L 160.6 mm; it weighs 340 g. Listed values may vary in tolerance.

Does the 360/6A have a built-in deburring tip? No. Unior's official feature list names a separate burr-removal tool, used individually after the cut, not a tip on the cutter body. After you cut, use the Tube Deburring Tool 363A: place it over the tube end and twist until both edges are clean.

Is there a spare cutting wheel, and can I buy it here? Yes. A spare cutting wheel lives in the handle (unscrew the black knob cap). The official spare is cutting wheel 358.1/7A, code 626191, 19.8 x 6.2 mm, also used on 358/6A and 360/6B. We do not currently list that spare as a Shopify product.

Is the 360/6A for hydraulic brake hose or bike-shop tubing? No official Unior source names hydraulic brake hose, frame-protector tubing, or bicycle fittings. The 360/6A is listed under Plumbing tools and Other workshop tools. Official coverage is copper, aluminium, inox, and steel tube from 3 to 35 mm, wall up to 2 mm.