Shop Fox M1040 Plate Shear, 8-Inch

The Shop Fox M1040-8 Plate Shear is a heavy-duty machine intended for straight cuts only, with a blade that holds the metal in place to ensure accuracy. Customers are generally satisfied with the product, which does a clean job of cutting through copper, nickel, silver, and thin steel, but with some caveats. Some customers have had difficulty achieving precision with thicker sheets of metal or making curved cuts, but others find the tool works well up to 18-gauge thickness. One customer even uses the cutter to make freins for organ trumpet pipes. The size of the cutting blade, advertised as 12 inches, is not quite accurate, with several customers finding that only material up to 10.5 inches wide will fit beneath the blade. The machine is designed to leave minimal curling or distortion of the cut material, although with thicker sheets, there may be some curling that can be easily straightened out. The finish on the machine is not perfect; the paint chips easily, showing that the item was painted over another color. Overall, the Shop Fox M1040-8 Plate Shear appears to be an efficient addition to any workshop that needs to make straight cuts through copper, nickel, silver, brass, and stainless steel up to about 18-gauge thickness. The machine requires some setup, such as adding a clamp to hold the metal in place and possibly shimming the base if it leans, but it is well-made and a good value for the price.