The invention discloses a cut tobacco support strength detection method. Sample cut tobaccos in a measuring cylinder are pressed once by flattening the pressure, then the cut tobaccos in the measuringcylinder are pressed down for a certain period of time by applying the pressure, after the cut tobaccos with different support strength are pressed, the height variation is different, the support strength Q of the sample cut tobaccos is characterized by the ratio of the first compression height H0 to the height difference between the first compression height H0 and the second compression height H1, the overall support strength of the sample cut tobaccos is characterized, and thus the support strength of the cut tobaccos is reflected more accurately and truly. The invention discloses a cut tobacco support strength detector. The cut tobacco support strength detector comprises a base, a machine body, the measuring cylinder, a cut tobacco pressing mechanism, a cut tobacco height measuring mechanism and a detector control system; the cut tobacco pressing mechanism comprises a pressing head, a sliding shaft and a driving mechanism; the pressing head is connected to the lower end surface ofthe sliding shaft, under the control of the detector control system, the driving mechanism drives the sliding shaft to move up and down, and the support strength of the cut tobaccos is measured accurately.