Style of Guillotine / Shear :
Swing Beam : Metal Cutting Guillotine / Shear
Variable Rake : Vertical Cutting Guillotine / Shear
Guided Frame : Steel Cutting Guillotine / Shear

Guillotine - Mechanical : 
Mechanical power steel cutting guillotines offer thickness capacities in the order of 1mm to 4mm, strokes per minute upwards of 30spm. option of a DRO for the power back gauge, sheet support systems are generally viewed as a desirable option.

Guillotine - Hydraulic : 
heavy duty metal cutting guillotine for fabrication work, thickness capacities in the order of 4mm to 25mm, DRO for back gauge, Hydraulic heavy duty metal cutting guillotines are slower in strokes per minute than a mechanical steel cutting shear, but generally offer other features of value, such as:  variable cutting rake angle, stroke length limitation.

There are 2 types of  [Hydraulic ] Metal Cutting Guillotine.

Swing Beam - Guillotine cutting machine : 
Have a fixed metal cutting rake angle. The metal cutting rake angle differs between manufacturers, a rake angle under 3° degrees is preferable, high cutting rake angles of 3° to 4° indicating lightly built machines, the flatter the rake angle, the more frame rigidity required.

Variable Rake - Guillotine cutting machine : 
Allowing choice of cutting rake angles to assit in reduction of curl in the cut piece.

Optional Extras - What might you require  

Sheet support system - If cutting thin materials,
thin sheets bend and dip below the backgage system

Touch & Go - back gauge, type in dimension press go button, backgauge finds position, or a NC control, offering cutting programs, cut counter etc.

Guillotine blade quality - The chosen cutting blades of a steel cutting guillotine need consideration. Is the steel you are cutting carbon or stainless steel. Note* Manufacturers will fit as standard metal cutting guillotine blades for carbon steel cutting. These blades are very hard and produced to predominatley give wear resistance, however because of their hardness, they are likely to chip if used for cutting steels with the higher tensile strengths, like stainless steel . 

Preference : For country of manufacture, European, Turkish, Chinese. 

Europe : We represent RICO
Turkey  : We represent DURMAZLAR
China    : We represent 2 manufacturers, we market the
               Chinese metal shears under the name TECHNA-FAB

Price : Infuenced by the specification ie, type of controller NC or CNC, sheet support system,  build quality, specification of electrical - hydraulic components used

Finally : What machine function training will you receive, what back up can you expect if problems arise.