Internal pipe cutter

Wheeler-Rex is a pipe tool maker in Ashtabula, Ohio, and the 4290 is its internal cutter for 4-inch plastic pipe. It’s the one I’d reach for on a 4-inch building drain, and I’ve used it.

Wheeler-Rex says its internal cutters make accurate, square cuts at floor level or in other blind locations, are preset for depth, and make their cuts in seconds. It lists them for PVC and ABS pipe.

Its table gives the 4290 an adjustable cutting depth of 1⅝ to 11⅝ inches, the deepest here. The parts list shows a carbide-tipped blade, part 4293, on a machined cutter drum with a retainer plate and two springs.

Wheeler-Rex calls for a heavy-duty ½-inch drill at 350 to 450 rpm and 4.5 to 6 amps. Its manual says the blade feeds itself, the cut-off piece stays on the tool, and you should hold the trigger and side handle to control the torque.

Where it lost points: it fits one pipe size, which scored 8, and Wheeler-Rex lists PVC and ABS but not CPVC, which scored 8.

The manual’s caution matters on slab work: don’t cut below floor level without a ½-inch soft stub wrapper or equal clearance around the pipe, or the blade will be badly damaged if it touches the concrete.

Wheeler-Rex lists a 6-foot drive shaft (700778) as an accessory for its 3-inch and larger cutters, to reach deeper.

Only 5 were left when I checked. The price line shows the current seller.

The cutter drum rides inside the pipe and the flange sits on the pipe end, so the cut lands at the depth you set, square to the pipe. That’s what you want under a closet flange or a cleanout.

My call: it’s the tool for a plumber who cuts 4-inch stubs every month. For one remodel, the drill-bit style cutters are enough.

Superior Tool’s 37516 is the small drill-mounted inside cutter I keep in a bag, and I’ve used it. Superior says it cuts 1¼-inch or larger pipe from the inside, and it’s made for close quarters where a saw or PVC cutter won’t fit.

Superior lists plastic, PVC, CPVC and ABS pipe, the widest list here. It runs on a ⅜-inch or larger standard or cordless drill, and the blade is heat-treated steel for smoother cuts and long life.

The blade can be replaced: Superior sells part 47520 separately. The Amazon listing adds that it works where normal pipe cutting tools can’t fit and can remove a welded joint to salvage pipe.

One detail to check: Superior’s page lists a quick-release ¼-inch hex shank in its bullets and a 5/16-inch hex shank in its description. Check the shank against your chuck or driver when it arrives.

Where it lost points: Superior doesn’t list a depth setting, which scored 7, and its steel saw blade scored 8 against carbide and diamond edges.

Without a depth stop, you set the cut by how far you push the cutter in. My call: mark the shank with tape at the depth you want, then hold to the mark.

Only 2 were left when I checked. If it runs out, the card stays with the price hidden until it’s back.

Superior files it under cutting and preparation tools, next to its 1¼-inch PipeLOK ratcheting PVC cutter, PVC plumber’s saw and PVC cable saw, which are the outside-cut options when you can get around the pipe.

My call: this is the cutter for salvaging a fitting. Cut the pipe inside the hub, then clean out the rest of the pipe with a fitting reamer.

DEWALT’s DWAIPCIR is the inside cutter built for an impact driver, and it’s the one I grab when I don’t want to bring a drill. I’ve used it.

DEWALT’s product page says it cuts a wide range of PVC pipe from 1¼ to 8 inches, Schedule 40, and fits impact drivers and drills that take a ¼-inch hex shank.

The blade is a diamond grit wheel, which DEWALT says lasts 10 times longer and cuts twice as fast as its comparison cutter. Its footnote says that test was against a legacy IRWIN IRA81643 PVC pipe cutter on 2-inch Schedule 40 PVC set in concrete.

DEWALT adds a laser-etched depth gauge, an optimized barrel for square cuts and a black anodized aluminum barrel that resists rust. The tool is 6.6 inches long.

Where it lost points: the blade is permanently fixed, which scored 7, and DEWALT lists only PVC, which scored 7. DEWALT says the fixed blade can’t fall off during use, which is the trade-off.

DEWALT’s page also lists no warranty for it. That’s worth knowing for a wear part.

DEWALT also sells IMPACT CONNECT cutter attachments for copper and for PVC and PEX pipe. This one is the inside cutter.

It’s the only pick here built for an impact driver, which most plumbers already carry, and its depth marks are laser etched on the barrel, so you read the cut depth right on the tool before you start. One tool covering 1¼ to 8 inches also means one less thing in the truck.

My call: on an impact driver, let the tool do the work and keep the barrel tight against the pipe end; forcing it is how you get a cut that isn’t square.

The 3290 is Wheeler-Rex’s 3-inch internal cutter, the size for most toilet drains and vent stacks in a house. I’ve used it.

Wheeler-Rex’s table lists its cutting depth as 1⅝ to 8¼ inches. Its parts list shows a drive shaft, flanged drum, retainer plate, cutter drum assembly and blade, part 3293, held by springs.

The operating steps are the same as the 4290’s: measure the depth, set it and tighten the set screw, tip the tool in at a shallow angle so the blade is inside, push to depress the blade, then run a ½-inch drill clockwise at 350 to 450 rpm.

Wheeler-Rex’s manual explains how to tell a good cut: a cutting blade loads the drill down to about two-thirds of its no-load speed. If the drill runs near full speed, the blade isn’t cutting and the plastic heats up.

Where it lost points: one pipe size scored 8, PVC and ABS only scored 8, and its standard blade scored 8 against the 4290’s carbide tip.

Its blade comes out by removing three screws and swinging the retainer plate, and Wheeler-Rex says to lubricate the blade and spring cavities with powdered graphite. A blade installed backward won’t cut.

Seven were left when I checked. The price line shows the current seller.

Like the 4290, it takes Wheeler-Rex’s 6-foot drive shaft accessory, which helps when the stub sits at the bottom of a deep hole or behind a wall. The 3290 and the 3490 share the same depth range on Wheeler-Rex’s table.

My call: for a bathroom remodel on a slab, wrap the stub first, as Wheeler-Rex’s manual says, and cut a little high; you can trim down, not up.