" I don't really have a whole lot of good hands-on experience with EMT shears, though. The ones I've handled were mostly low quality, cheap imports, more or less disposable stuff that wouldn't handle tougher jobs very well."

I just used my cheap import ones this morning trimming 16 gauge sheet metal to repair a front porch light enclosure. Tin snips weren't doing the job as the metal was a bit too thin for close to the edge trimming. Even cheap EMT snips cut through seat belt and climbing rope just fine. I keep some in each car along with my first aid kit, cpr barrier, vise grips and heavy vinyl coated gloves, for auto accidents.

You do have to use scissors correctly. Practice with wobbly cheap kids or EMT snips till you can cut any thickness of material. It is a matter of pushing the blades against each other sideways as well as up and down. One can even cut seatbelt with tiny thread snips if one practices.