When it comes to cutting sheet metal, roofers have a plethora of tools to choose from. And all have their drawbacks.

Handheld snips are reliable, but cause fatigue over long runs.

Electric shears and nibblers are faster, but create waste in the form of curlicue shavings and metal half-moon "fingernails," respectively.

Angle grinders throw off sparks, and heat the material they're cutting; at the point of the cut, they melt away the protective coating on a metal panel. That can lead to rust.

Construction equipment company Jetco reckons they've got a better tool. Rather than relying on a snipping motion, their battery-powered Wachtel Panel Cutter produces a smooth, continuous cut by using two wheels.

The feed wheel, up top, is knurled to grab and advance the material. The cutting wheel on the bottom slices through the material.

Along with a variable-speed trigger, this allows the operator to nicely control cuts, even up and down the valleys of corrugated metal roofing:

In addition to the ease of use, the Wachtel produces a cleanly cut edge with no burrs and no compromising of the protective layers. The tool doesn't vibrate in the manner of shears or nibblers, and the company says this reduces fatigue. There are no sparks, as with an angle grinder; there is no waste material; and being battery-operated, there's no cord to get in the way.

Jetco has licensed DeWalt's 20V battery design, so if you're already on DeWalt's system you needn't purchase a battery specifically for this tool.

The tool runs $400 without the battery, and $450 with a battery and charger. Replacement cut wheels and feed wheels run $40 and $45, respectively.