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Alligator Shears for Recycling & Scrap Processing

Alligator Shears for Recycling & Scrap Processing

When your recycling facility or scrapyard needs to cut metals into smaller sizes for sorting and baling or shredding, alligator shears are a great choice. They offer powerful blades that can quickly cut through things like rebar, car radiators, and thick copper cables. The stationary design makes this tool safer to use than portable hydraulic shears while adding additional power to cut through tougher materials.

How Do Alligator Shears Work?

Alligator shears use a fixed jaw on the bottom and a hinged jaw on the top with hardened steel blades to cut through materials. The top jaw pivots downward to cut, similar to scissors. A hydraulic pump and cylinder drive the upper jaw, with guards that pivot along with the jaw to protect the operator from injuries. Together, the two jaws look similar to an alligator’s mouth, hence the name. Other common names for the shears include crocodile shears or lever shears. The jaws can vary in size from 4 inches to over 36 inches, though typical models range from 16 to 24 inches.

What Are Alligator Shears Used For?

Most often, they are used to cut scrap metal into manageable sizes for recycling at industrial recycling facilities, scrapyards, or demolition sites. But they can also be useful for cutting steel or aluminum stock to size as long as a precision cut is not required, such as when you’re cutting rebar to length, angle iron, pipes, or ground stakes. Unlike portable hydraulic shears, the material must be brought to the machine for cutting, so material sizes are limited to what can easily be carried. Alligator shears are often used to cut:

  • Car radiators
  • Car exhausts
  • Copper cables or wire
  • Aluminum extrusions
  • Rebar
  • Copper, aluminum, or steel pipes
  • Angle iron
  • Small sheet metal parts or assemblies

More powerful models can be used at steel suppliers or construction sites to cut I-beams, C-channel, or steel tubing to length.

Benefits of Alligator Shears

Alligator shears are a great tool for any facility that needs to cut large volumes of metal in a safe and controlled manner. Some of their primary benefits include:

  • Hardened steel jaws to cut through tough materials
  • Powerful hydraulic cylinders to drive the jaws
  • Clean cuts with no chips and minimal waste
  • Stationary design with guards for worker safety
  • Multiple sizes for varying materials

Alligator Shears & Hydraulic Shears for Your Recycling Facility

If you are considering alligator shears or hydraulic shears for your recycling facility or scrapyard, turn to our experts at Solid Equipment Company. We feature collection with up to 250 tons of force and 16-, 20-, or 24-inch blade lengths. We also feature portable hydraulic shears for the disassembly of larger objects like car bodies, frames, or buildings, as well as battery-operated shears for the ultimate in portability.

Our company offers both new  and high-quality used alligator or hydraulic shears at competitive prices. We strive to make your recycling business more productive and profitable, and we serve industrial recycling facilities, scrapyards, vehicle recyclers, and demolition companies throughout the United States. With our extensive knowledge, we can help with all your recycling equipment needs, and we offer great service and support with all our equipment.

Give us a call today at 855-909-0424 or contact us online to request a quote for alligator shears or hydraulic shears, and be sure to stop by our used equipment page for quality equipment at significant savings.FF

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