I would say it's the opposite of let the tool do the work. Good catch phrase, but in this case you have to fight the rotation, or readjust. Tip loading, or a twist that allows the metal to get between and spread the blades apart is what causes this to happen. I think of the tool doing the work as stepping back and letting things break when they do. It could read "let the tool do the work until it starts to spin" and readjust.
Yes, that's a good way to explain it when it comes to these Hurst edraulics. I don't have experience outside of Hurst. If they move off plane a little, they will be fine. I fight the roll, and if it looks like it's going to beat me, I readjust.
Thanks, I too have very limited expirience outside of hurst, and for some odd reason, the VFD that I am with ( which from 2017-2023 ran avg of 30-50 entrapment calls) has run ONE pin job since I started, and I wasnt even there. Needless to say, my knowledge is still limited to a few training cars.
This is incorrect. You don’t and can’t “fight the rotation” of 10,000+ PSI — reposition and get a deeper bite where the tool is designed to cut and you will limit roll.
we even teach removing your support hand after attaining a purchase.
Are you talking about cutters or spreaders? Attaining a purchase sounds like a spreader situation which I agree with you on.
You can absolutely fight the rotation, which will get it to puncture and bring lighter metals deeper in. Sometimes you lose, and need to readjust. Your rated psi numbers are not what you are fighting, you are coaxing the tool to assist the puncture. Try it next time you train on them.
What year is that Altima? Any idea? I’ve broken a hydraulic pair on a newer Jetta. Haven’t with our battery hurst tools yet but a neighboring company broke and snapped their cutter just like that on a newer vehicle. Rep for hurst said sometimes they can’t cut through the boron steel/newer parts of it. Not sure what gen that is either but that’s a factor too. That was a couple years ago and was probbly first or second gen batter hurst so I know they have an even newer and updated generation that’s capable of cutting through with an even higher psi now
Yah, that's what I was thinking too... not enough purchase to get the tool deep enough to be as close as possible to the base, thereby only cutting with the tips. Either that, or cutting the Nader pin thinking it was the hinge?
Also happens when you see the shears start spreading themselves apart. If they’re not cutting and start flexing in the wrong direction, it’s time to stop and try something else.
Guy got tired of drunks constantly crashing into his pipe fence.
So he rebuilt it out of thick wall drill pipe.
When we inevitably had to go for the next drunk, I broke two sets of blades before realizing what we were up against.
Also, the halo in an INDYCAR is so stout, the largest Holmatro cutter available will make two cuts, then the entire tool requires rebuild or replacement.
I don’t remember the specifics. Some kind of minivan. I was nearby with a patient. Heard the bang then saw the guy who got hit with it limping away (he was ok)
Throughout my career , I was taught not to cut the hinge or the Nader bolt. Use the jaws to rip hinge out of the sheet metal was what we were taught. And this was before the E-tools came out.
Where I’m from we have a lot of European cars which use a cast hinge. They are insanely strong. A lot of Japanese cars use a rolled hinge which just fall apart once some pressure is put on them. The way I was taught was to carefully shatter the glass then use the spreaders to crush the door exposing the lock then push the spreaders into that gap and spread it open till the lock catch pops. Alternately crush the panel in front of the A pillar to expose the hinges and essentially do the same thing to rip the hinges out of the steel. Which good cribbage the vehicle should be firmly supported to limit movement and eliminate risk of further injuring the entrapped persons
Not sure how you guys go about cutting the bottom hinge but usually we will drop the top hinge with spreaders then attack the bottom hinge from the top straight down with the cutters. That way you’re attacking the thinnest part of the hinge
I’ve talked to Hurst. They advised us not to try to cut the hinges. They recommended using the spreaders to tear the hinges off the body. This was after we’d snapped the blades on our cutters.
Yeh you’re really not suppose to cut them. If you have to to get the seat down, I try to cut low. Least amount of steel ti get through and you don’t risk hitting the patient
We’re going to see a lot more of these over the next few years. 7000 series aluminum was a bad choice. It gets brittle after 10 years because of the annealing process. Heat treated 6000 series aluminum doesn’t have this problem.
Lower B-Post, can’t remember the model, no hardened mental. The person was using the tool, seemed to be going fine, then pop. The tool broke just like you see in the photo. Could have had a hair line fracture or something beforehand.
Yup. My buddy and I did this in VMO class. We were cutting through the passenger seat of a Benz and just when we thought we got it, we pulled out the cutters and saw this exact same thing.
Pretty much if the cutters start twisting, stop, or you'll potentially snap it like this.
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u/Dweide_Schrude FFII/EMT-A Feb 24 '25
You hurt the Hurst!
What were you cutting??