A hydraulic rescue tool (10) with a quick-change head (26) that incorporates a cylinder (20) having a
piston rod (22) and a forward end structure (24). The forward end structure (24) has a separable head and a cylinder attaching bifurcated yoke (28). A pair of yoke quick release pins (48) jointly engage the head (26) and the bifurcated yoke (28) thus, creating an attachment therebetween. A pair of
cutting blades (50) are connected to the head (26), and links (54) connect to the
piston rod on a first end and to the
cutting blades (50) on a second end, thereby forcing the
cutting blades from an open position to a closed position by movement of the
piston rod (22). A pair of link quick release pins (60) engage the links (54), creating an attachment therebetween, permitting the links to be released by manually disengaging the quick release pins, thereby allowing the head, including the cutting blades, to be rapidly removed or repaired.