YEARTOP Cordless Sheet Cutter for DE-WALT 20V Max Battery, Electric Metal Shears with 360° Pivoting Head, Maximum Torque 221 Ft-Lbs, Brushless Scissors for Stainless Steel, Metal, and Iron Cutting（Tool Only）

What it is and why I reached for it

I spend a lot of time cutting sheet metal for roofing trim, HVAC patches, and stainless splash guards. Angle grinders are quick but messy, snips are slow and fatiguing, and nibblers leave a jagged path of confetti. The YEARTOP cordless shear aims for the middle ground: controlled, spark‑free cutting with a brushless motor, a 360° pivoting head, and compatibility with DEWALT 20V Max batteries. It’s a bare tool, so I snapped on a 5.0 Ah pack and put it to work on a mix of 20‑gauge stainless, 18‑gauge mild steel, and lighter roofing panels.

Setup and battery compatibility

Out of the box, the shear is straightforward. Slide on a DEWALT 20V Max battery, check the safety lock, and you’re ready. The forward/reverse selector is where you’d expect it, and the pivot collar for the head has clear detents that let you index the head every few degrees around a full 360°. The lock-out is positive without being fussy; I could toggle it with gloves on.

Because it’s brushless, startup is immediate and smooth, with less “jerk” than I see in some brushed shears. There’s no included battery or charger, so budget for that if you’re not already on the DEWALT platform. With a 5.0 Ah battery, the tool balances well and stands upright without being tippy.

Cutting performance on common materials

• 20‑gauge stainless steel: This is near the top end of what I’d reasonably ask from a cordless shear. The YEARTOP tracked straight with a steady feed, producing a narrow ribbon of scrap and a clean edge that needed only a light pass with a deburring tool. It didn’t stall on me, but I had to keep my pace deliberate and let the 2300 RPM motor do the work. Push too hard and you’ll feel the cut wander.

• 18‑gauge mild steel: This is its sweet spot. The shear walked through cold‑rolled sheet with a calm, controlled sound and minimal vibration. Long, straight cuts were easy to keep on layout lines, especially with the head rotated to keep the body clear of the work.

• Thin roofing panels (26–29 gauge): Extremely easy. For corrugated profiles, I rotated the head to align the blades with the troughs and used a slight rocking motion over the crowns. Faster than snips, cleaner than a cut‑off wheel, and no scorch marks on painted panels.

• Wire mesh and hardware cloth: It cut cleanly, and the narrow kerf didn’t mangle the wires. As with any shear, the offcut strip can catch; reversing out of the cut helped disentangle a few times.

The manufacturer quotes a maximum torque figure and roughly 800 W of power. I can’t verify the exact numbers, but in practice the brushless drive feels strong and consistent, with enough reserve to keep the cut going in tougher stainless without surging or bogging.

Curve cutting and maneuverability

This is where the 360° pivoting head earns its keep. Being able to rotate the head to suit your body position or the panel’s geometry keeps your sight line clean and your wrist neutral. For large arcs and S‑curves, the tool tracked predictably. Tight radii are possible but not its forte; the blade geometry prefers gentle curves. On inside cuts, I drilled a starter hole big enough for the jaw and then worked outward. If I tried to force a sharp turn, the cut would flatten into a polygon, so I used small relief cuts to keep the path flowing. That’s standard shear technique, and it works here.

Cut quality and cleanup

The edge quality is the main reason I reach for shears. The YEARTOP leaves a flat, low‑burr edge with minimal paint lift on coated steel. Stainless edges, as always, benefit from a quick pass with a deburring tool or flap wheel, but I didn’t see the heavy rag that nibblers can leave. The kerf is narrow and produces a continuous ribbon of waste—keep it clear of your feet and the work surface so it doesn’t coil and snag the cut.

Because there are no sparks and almost no dust, cleanup is quick and you can work near finished surfaces without masking off an entire room. Noise is lower than a grinder and closer to a cordless drill; still wear ear protection, but your neighbors won’t hate you.

Ergonomics and controls

The handle angle and trigger feel familiar if you use other 20V tools. I appreciated the predictable trigger ramp and the way the tool settles into the cut without jumping. Vibration is modest, and I didn’t walk away with tingling hands after extended use. The forward/reverse switch is handy for backing out of a pinch or clearing a stuck strip. The rotating head collar has enough friction that it stays put during a cut but isn’t so stiff that you fight it with gloves on.

Weight with a 5.0 Ah pack is what I’d call “shop friendly”: fine for overhead or ladder work in short bursts, better on a bench for longer cuts. The tool’s footprint lets you get fairly close to walls and flanges, though like most shears, you’ll need clearance for the head and offcut to curl away.

Battery life and heat

With a 5.0 Ah pack, I finished an afternoon of intermittent cutting—several long rips in mild steel, a handful of stainless cutouts, and some roofing trim—on a single charge. Continuous heavy stainless will drain faster. The brushless motor stayed surprisingly cool; the head warms up (it’s doing the cutting), but not to the point of discoloring edges or cooking paint. If you’re pushing the upper thickness limits, a short rest between cuts extends both battery life and blade longevity.

Blades, maintenance, and durability

Blade wear is a function of material, technique, and heat. On stainless, don’t rush—let the shear feed at its preferred pace, and you’ll preserve the edge. I found no need for cutting fluid on mild steel; a light spritz on stainless helped reduce burrs in longer cuts. Keep the pivot and head clean; metal fines accumulate around moving parts. There’s no complicated maintenance routine here—wipe it down, check the jaws for nicks, and store it dry. The build feels solid with tight tolerances in the head assembly, and the housing survived a few shop bumps without drama.

Safety notes

The safety lock works, and I used it whenever I set the tool down with a battery attached. Shears pull the work toward the blades, so keep fingers, tape measures, and hoodie strings clear of the path. Eye protection is still a must—those curled strips can spring. Gloves help, but avoid bulky ones that reduce your feel on the line.

Limitations and quirks

• It’s a bare tool. If you’re not already on DEWALT 20V Max, the total cost goes up once you add a battery and charger.
• Tight, intricate curves and tiny radii are not its strength. Plan relief cuts or switch to a nibbler for scroll work.
• You need to guide it. If you muscle it or rush, the cut can drift. Scribe a visible line and maintain firm, even feed pressure.
• The offcut strip can snag on the work on certain curves; using reverse to back out avoids wrinkling the edge.

None of these are deal breakers; they’re the normal tradeoffs of scissor‑style shears. The upside is straight, flat edges with minimal cleanup and zero sparks.

Who it’s for

• Metal roofers, HVAC techs, fabricators, and DIYers who already own DEWALT 20V Max batteries.
• Anyone who wants cleaner, safer cuts than a grinder and faster, less fatiguing cuts than manual snips.
• Shops working within the stated limits: up to 18‑gauge mild steel and 20‑gauge stainless.

If you routinely cut thicker plate or do intricate scrolls, you’ll want a different tool—likely a nibbler or a corded/stationary solution.

Tips for best results

• Mark a bold line and keep your eye slightly ahead of the blades; steer with your leading hand, not just the wrist.
• Rotate the head so the tool body doesn’t block your view or fight the panel geometry.
• Drill a starter hole for interior cutouts; don’t force the jaw into a tight corner.
• Let the brushless motor maintain its cadence—steady pressure beats speed.
• Deburr stainless lightly after cutting; a quick pass makes edges shop‑safe.

Recommendation

I recommend the YEARTOP cordless shear for anyone working regularly with thin to medium sheet metal who wants clean, spark‑free cuts and already runs DEWALT 20V Max batteries. It combines a smooth brushless drive, a genuinely useful 360° pivoting head, and predictable cut quality on 18‑gauge mild steel and 20‑gauge stainless. It’s not the right pick for tight scrollwork or heavy plate, and it won’t replace every cutting method, but as a go‑to for straight runs, gentle curves, and field work where cleanliness and control matter, it’s earned a spot in my kit.