Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This cutter does not work well as shipped. However, with a little engineering change, it works very well.
The cutter sides and base are slightly tacky (rubber-like) so the pill tends to stay put, but it also means that it won't slide into place if it isn't placed right in the vertex. (See below.) As someone else mentioned, the side guides are soft and flexible and only secured on one end. I think rigid would be better. This seems to be the part most likely to break. Mine hasn't so far (3 months). Some models appear to be more solidly attached to the base.
Other than the guides, it seems to be well made, not flimsy. The clear top is great for seeing what you are doing.
There are two main problems.
(1) It doesn't always cut all the way through. I got this for Metformin (glucophage). These are not soft tablets, but they have an outer coating that has some sort of fibrous substance. If I don't press the cutter down fairly hard, I will get a pill that is still attached on the bottom and I have to cut again or pull the halves apart manually.
(2) If the pill is not placed exactly in the vertex of the cutting area, the cut can be considerably off-center. I've had a few that were as uneven as 75-25. Even if the pill is placed correctly, the cut is often off a little. This is probably not a huge problem.
At first, I thought the problem was the lack of a groove in the cutter base for the knife blade to sink into. After examining it awhile, I realized that the knife doesn't actually touch the base. Something is stopping it about 1-2 mm above the base. No wonder it doesn't cut cleanly. I don't know if I got a defective unit or if the quality control is not good or what, but mine definitely stops well above the base.
It looked like the sides of the cutter might be preventing it from close completely, so I took a Dremel tool and did a little grinding. No joy. I did some more. It still did not make contact. Then it occurred to me that raising the base might be a lot easier. I took a piece of cardboard from a box flap, cut it into a triangle to fit into the base, and glued it in place. Voila. The cutter works perfectly. It also cuts more evenly. I think the cardboard, being less tacky, allows the pill to slide right into the vertex. It also slides out more easily. If yours isn't cutting cleanly, glue something soft about 1/8" thick onto the base. I bet it will work perfectly.
I am deducting 2 stars for a poor design or poor QA and not working.
It comes in two versions: regular and locking. I have the locking version. It has a little plastic pin that locks the lid shut. I suppose if there are children around, this would be useful, although it shouldn't be left lying around anyway. The locking version has two small compartments below the cutter base instead of one large one on the non-locking version. I guess these are to catch the split pills. The small bins are too small for my fingers.
At first, I found the lock annoying. I was about to throw the locking pin away, when I made the change to the base. Now I actually like that it locks. If you are right handed, you can grasp the unit so that unlocking it is easy. I just wish I had one large bin instead of two. Maybe I'll make another engineering change and cut away the divider wall. Pretty soon, I will have done more engineering on this that the designer.
Be careful with the cutter. While I was grinding, I accidentally stuck my thumb. That sucker is sharp.
Anyway, it now works very well. If it had my changes, I would give it at least 4 stars, probably 5.
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Safety Tablet Cutter
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