Crawling under a kitchen cabinet or behind a water heater leaves one hand free and the other holding a flashlight. A compact plastic pipe cutter thrives in that darkness. The curved jaw hooks around the tube like a piranha, while the ratchet advances the blade a little at a time—no back-and-forth motion, no second handle to swing. The ergonomic grip spreads pressure across four fingers, so your knuckles clear the sub-floor above. In tight quarters the cutter doubles as a measuring aid: the jaw depth acts as a quick gauge for stub-outs, and the smooth cut eliminates the need for a de-burring tool you probably left in the truck. When the job is done, a blade cover snaps on so the sharp edge never snags the tool-bag fabric.