Rachet cutters are fine, but they do need to be sharp. Sometimes giving it a quick back and forth wiggle to break the surface layer of the pipe will allow it to cut better without cracking.
As for glue, depending on how much water is left in your line, you don’t really need “irrigation specific” glue. You can use standard primer and glue for PVC, but honestly, a one step “hot blue glue” will work fine, just make sure your pipe ends are square and clean.
Glad you got all this stuff figured out! Sorry it was so much extra work, but it’s done!