srieck, did you find that if you twisted them gently without applying up or down pressure that you could remove them every time without lifting the solder pads? I'd just like to know how reliable/safe this method is vs cutting them up with a wire cutters.

The cutting method shouldn't leak electrolyte if you do it right as it essentially pinches the cut capacitor shut. In any case, if they have already leaked you will need to wash the board anyway, so a little more spillage is probably not so bad.