My dad invented these wire strippers *US3087363A* applied for 1960, granted 1964. The patent has been cited for other devices. Funny thing is I used his wire strippers all through my youth not realizing he invented them. They were very handy for stripping wires working on guitar amps and effects pedals. Dad was a radar technician in the US Navy 1950-iirc 1954. Dad's last unpatented invention before he died in 1988 at the young age of 56 was a spring tensioned vertically reciprocating scroll saw that attached to the front of a radial arm saw and driven by a single connecting rod attached off center to a mock saw blade with a standard sealed precision bearing, giving free motion to the rod linkage. I worked great. 😊
@@JamieMurdock90 I believe those wire stripper are now called "Katapult or automatic gauged Wire Stripper" they're kinda like a mixed btw the self adjusting and gauged but you still have to put into the right size wires it prevents the wire from being damaged, from the wiggles of an gauged stripper but u have get the grip of a self adjusting. I personally like self adjusting cause it works on more than just small wires but also works for decent size cables.
Hey, bless your dad, and bless you for taking the time to post this. I think i know that radial arm attachment. I believe my uncle had it and loved it. I wish he were around to forward it to. He would be thrilled to read all you've mentioned. Best wishes to you and yours.
I love this no nonsense review. You started out with the best and compared everything else to it. I didn't have to stay til the end to see the other options, but because the video was so informative and high quality, I did.
Yeah, he did a great job. Thank you for appreciating his work. That probably why this one is up here, for me to be able to appreciate it as well. Best wishes & thank you very much!
I love my Irwin automatic stripper. I used a manual stripper while installing over 30 led lights in two different rooms of our home. It worked fine but cutting off sheathing and then manually stripping all of the wires became very tedious. I picked up the Irwin and it will not only strip the wires but also remove sheathing. The other feature I love is that you can put multiple wires in the stripper together and strip them all at one pull. It works great for Romex 12/2 and 12/3. Fast and efficient.
The best ones were the ones my dad had that someone stole after he died; they were 100% metal and had no brand I can recall seeing on them. The Klein's will be great after a few hundred uses to break them in. I bought the Irwin self-adjusting and they didn't work AT ALL for speaker wire (12 gauge). I took them back and got the Ideal which works but is not what I want so I'm taking these back too and getting the Automatic Wire Stripper 10-24 AWG by KNIPEX for $40. It's only about $10 more and is exactly what I want/need.
I loved the video! As a Journeyman Inside Wireman with 30 years (sigh - for the trolls out there- your state would call me a Master), *my personal choice* for a Self-Adjusting Semi-Automatic Wire Strippers ( *I actually don't use them much* ) would be the Klein - the crimpers on those other models (Irwin included) are completely useless. A *mechanical indent crimper* CLOSE TO THE JAW like T&B crimpers is what is needed for mechanical pressure connectors. The cutters on the Klein looked pretty good too (shear type). Those other tools with Anvil-Type wire cutters are infuriating on stranded wire if they aren't precision-built high quality tools. Obviously it's all about the intended purpose - the producer of the video had their preferences and I have mine - that's perfectly fine 💘 Here are some tips from my years of experience, FWIW: If you're using _oval crimpers_ (the Yelow, Blue, and Red dots at 5:32) for 'INSULATED TERMINALS' please *don't bother.* THEY JUST DON'T WORK. Use NYLON INSULATED TERMINALS that have see-through yellow/ blue/ red insulation for the 3 ranges of wire size commonly used in wiring and control applications both for industrial use and transportation and USE INDENT CRIMPERS like Thomas & Betts (T&B)/ Sta-Kon WT111. Opaque VINYL INSULATED TERMINALS are complete garbage. Some folks warm the insulation up with a heat gun, use an indentation type crimper, and slip the insulation back over the crimp - that's about the only way I will use vinyl insulated connectors but frankly that's a tremendous amount of work. Anyway, I digress. For strippers I like the Kleins and Ideals (curved, premium grips) primarily but I'm open to the Southwire, Irwin, and Channel-Lok strippers too. That's my windy two cents worth 🧓😁 I have an older Snap-On set of old style single stroke wire strippers with individual sizes that I use for wiring control panels and PLCs with crosslink-insulated wires (too hard to strip otherwise) and a cheaper version of the same thing (not awesome). Overall, most of us electricians learn to use whatever tools we learned with - I learned to use my pinky finger to open my pliers but that's kinda what I was paid to do 🤷♂️
Having worked as an commercial electrician for forty years the second most important thing about a pair of strippers is that it easily fits in a pocket. Most real electricians don't wear a tool pouch. We normally keep a pouch or more likely tool bag near but a pair of kleins, channel locks and screwdriver are generally in a back pocket and wire strippers in a front pocket. Now first important thing is a tool that works well for the type of work the electrician is doing. I liked a pair of ideal t-strippers I had. It had the #12 stripping hole next to the cutting edge. Saves a lot of time hunting for the right hole in awkward of dark working conditions. Then the pair I had started next at a #6 hole and descended down to a perhaps #18 wire size. Most useful stripper I ever owned.
The best wire strippers had the least coverage... the last set you mentioned are the ones that will hold up to the most abuse, and still keep working perfectly. The perfect set up reduces time/fatigue and is consistent over a long period. I wore out the kind you are showing in only a few nights of doing lighting install at Walmart. The last ones you covered I ended up buying several sets, and my work friends ended up with a set too. Itll handle most average sizes
I have owned the Irwin vise grip automatic stripper for about 2 years now. Rewired about every circuit on a 67 camaro they worked great for stripping wire. However the crimpers suck. I hate crimp connections any way so I solder and heat shrink every thing. So the work great for me.
I like your detailed overview of the strippers. As a panel builder myself, stripping over 1000 wire ends on a busy day, I really like the Knipex Multistrip. The lightness, reliability, and repeatability with the length adjustment is very nice.
The Ideal stripper is what I worked with in the air force, that's what I have now. All those other strippers except the Ideal and the Ideal knock-off stretch the insulation. Rust is entirely up to the owner, if you respect your tools, you take care of them, a little light oil goes a long way to keeping metal tools rust free. Good video.
Once in February, in Western PA (COLD) we did a primary voltage conversion at a bottling plant. My partner dragged his ass from the warm office to help do a couple of the final terminations of direct burial HV cable, we had already done 16 without him on the wretched day. Anyway, he crimped on a terminator, but the jagoff forgot to slip on the molded stress cone first! When he realized his boo-boo, he left it to me to undo. There was so little extra cable in the transfer box, I didn't have room to swing the stripping tools for the 1/2 inch thick dielectric, so I did what I would have said was impossible and (CAREFULLY) prepped the bitter end of the cable with my pocket knife. We renamed him "The Mad Crimper" which he hated - I didn't care because I never worked with him again.
In the latter stripper tool, you have missed a most important detail. The strippers you show all have blades that have slanted knife-edges. With these (and the manual strippers with similar-shaped blades) the stripper can cut deep into one side of the wire, nicking and even partially cutting the copper, while on the other side, fails to cut all the way through the insulation. If you get instead a "die-cutting" stripper (for example, "Stripmaster" sold by Ideal Tool Co.), the design is the same, except for the cutting edges. They have a narrow sharp section which cuts through the insulation, and a wider plain cylindrical smooth hole that guides the wire to remain centered in the cutter. If you strip Teflon wire, nothing but these will work! Another type of stripper not covered is the thermal stripper (such as Kinetics Teledyne Stripall). These have heated, dull, blades that melt the insulation. These will work on Teflon wire, and cannot damage the copper. You use lower temperature (settable) for vinyl insulation, and higher for Teflon. Most of these have straight blades. They work best when they are closed on the wire, given a quarter turn, then pulled off.
Fantastic information. For YEARS, I've been meaning to learn more about wire stripping tools, and which ones to buy. This answered all of my questions! Thank you for making this easy and to the point video.
For automotive use, I highly recommend the ideal strip masters. I’ve been doing automotive electrical repair for over 25 years and by far these are the best that I’ve come across. They’re super easy to use and make a perfect strip every time. If these will not fit underneath the dash somewhere, I use Klein curve manual strippers for tighter areas. If you combine these with a Thomas and Betts WT - 111 M for crimping non insulated terminals on , you’ll never look back. You can find these tools all day long for a dollar or two at garage sales and flea markets that work as well as brand new and usually even better because they’re already broken in by the time you find them used and not too stiff.
I ordered the Hakkos, a bunch actually. But gotta disagree with the Irwin self-adjusting as I own it and it works about half the time; also gotta whack it each time to knock out any debris as that'll screw it up, so can't go quickly. Yeah, maybe it's okay if you're doing the same wires again and again but I am often working on something with lots of different types.
Ok, i think i got it. Im gonna get all four. Kidding or not, ill be winding up with all four, im sure. Btw, ive had the generic GB for decades. Never knew they existed before. Only because im not stretching one of the three small springs until i have another to depend on, its been more than consistently great from day one. Thank you, and best wishes to you. Great, great video. You're finished well before my blow is over
I bought a dollar wire stripper for yes 1 dollar plus tax that lasted just over 10 years to include work for the military and home use. they recently gave out. afer buying a new set for 10 dollars I was dissapointed and wished I bought 10 of the originals when I had the chance. Great video. If you dont have a automatic stripper buy any of these and they'll blow your mind on how useful they are day to day.
Excellent video comparison of wire strippers. Clear and concise! I have the harbor freight version of the one at 5:50. I wasn't sure what that dial on the back did because you don't see anything moving when turning it. Thanks for explaining it.
You need to try some stripax. Yeah they are expensive. But they are 100% worth the price. Been carrying a set for over 4 years, and have never had them fail. And I work factory automation, so I strip a LOT of wire, between 32awg and 8AWG. And the stripax I often do 3-5 wires at one time.
For the last type of strippers, the one with separate holes for the wire, keep in mind that you need to use different size holes for stranded vs solid wire of the same gauge. Subtract 2 AWG for stranded wire. IOW the 14AWG solid wire would go in 14AWG hole. The 14 AWG stranded wire will go in 12AWG hole. Stranded wire is thicker because of space between strands.
Excellent review. I have seen these tools on sale for various prices and wondered if the extra cost was worth it, and you have answered that question perfectly. It was also a great demo of exactly how each type works, and the pros and cons. Thanks.
20+ years experience industrial electrician, 8 years building MCC's & BMS control panels, IMO for 0.5sqmm to 2.5 sqmm tri-rated the best stripper you can get is a Thomas & Betts Duostrip 200; fast and easy to use, much less fatigue when stripping a lot of wire and ambidextrous-so ideal if you are left handed. The model with the built in crimper is pointless, might get you out of a spot now and again, but the basic stripper is excellent.
I noticed you like the Haco wire strippers. Should look at the Paladin/Greenlee/Textron PA1117 and PA1118 set. The 2 pack is $15 at Menards. Coming from doing lots of delicate electronics work along with fiber optics, textron/paladin/greenlee are a trusted name in FO strippers with the PA1171.
I use a commercial electric lineman plier with strippers built in on the handle side. Saves me time with not having to switch between strippers and pliers
Half the time i just use my pliers, but if i am stripping all day, i love my klein strippers. I personally really enjoy the stiffer action, and dont need a crimper on the tool, as i already have them on my pliers and my actual crimpers
Ok, i need a couple of back ups, especially im the one who gets borrowed on (but thats part of what i try to make sure i can always do). Looking forward to your opinions. The catapult, which i saw in the beginning, is already on my list, twice. Now, im on to the automatics. Thank you. Im sure ill be saying that again at the end. Best wishes.
Yes, the style with the circular holes are the ones that make the best insulation cut. I do have Klein Tools KATAPULT 11063W and it's working great for me.
My dad had the last type - with the pre-defined wire sizes. Perhaps it was just his set, but it struggled to grip the wire, and when you released, the jaws squashed your newly-cut wire. Just something to look out for.
The last ones you showed are the ones that I have used for 20 years. A few years ago I was at Home Depot and picked up a set that's reversible. The brand is "Commercial Electric", has 20-10 awg on the left and metric on the right, thumb release and spring loaded. I bought it for installing a new DVR and camera system and LED lights inside and outside of my house. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say. The tool works ok but I kept reaching for my Klein lineman pliers with the crimper in the handle end. As you said, Electronics and Electrical work are a little different. Retired Electronics Technician and still doing a bit of both. If I were to get back into troubleshooting I would definitely be getting your Top Pick. I've developed a habit of stripping a little long, except when soldering into an RG solder in connector.
Have had the second to last from China for about 4 years now. Its getting worn but I have done everything from motorcycle repair to general electrical work. Very effective. That Irwin 2078300 looks promising
I have had through the years a number of wire strippers and my different places of employment have had several more. At one point when I did more field service, I prepared my own tool kit. One of my criteria was a minimized weight. So, no heavy or bulky wire strippers or any other overweight tools. I looked at Bibs as a light weight option and found it too dull. In fact, it mostly squeezed the insulation tight, rather than cut and peeled. A British made Eclipse fit my needs. Not for production use, but just ideal for the occasional field use. The fancier types (at work) often turned out to be too big in some tight corner and short wire end. However, that type with appropriate blade was the only one that worked with teflon/kapton combination or other wire wrap insulations. Most of the other strippers just slit teflon insulation lengthwise.
The Irwin hands down! If you are working in the cold and want to get warm speed matters. The Irwin gets em done quickly. It will cut wires but unless I want to just pound it out I will cut with something else. Worth every penny!!
More expensive, but the best in my opinion is the Patco PTS-10 for $79. It is a thermal type that melts the insulation, so the strands don't get nicked. It comes with a spare element, but I have never changed mine in over 30 years of use.
The Klein looks like the best bang for the buck. There's a lot to say for its metal stop. It's more durable than the plastic ones, which more likely to break off and difficult to find a replacement for. Of all strippers with the same design, it is the only one featuring a useful and serviceable wire cutter. You can always sharpen or replace them when they become dull. The others feature a dull cutter built into the frame. If the action is a bit stiff, you can always remove the cutters. For professionals, a built-in cutter may be convenient, but not the chief selling point of a wire stripper. Finally, Klein has a decent warranty program which the other lesser known brands lack.
Thanks for the great round-up but... the one thing that is important to me (beyond the efficacy of actually doing the job of wire-stripping) is... whether or not the stripping teeth (and the gripping ones, FTM) are replaceable and/or sharpenable...
For the vise grip the plastic yellow piece tends to snap off after heavy use. For myself at least with all other tools in a bag it gets snagged. I never ever used it anyway, I think I had a good feel of measurements from muscle memory. Other than that it is truly the gold standard. I can cut multiple wires at the same time as well (small size)
I have the Irwin automatics. A fantastic tool. I do wish they made the plastic length adjuster a bit more robust. For the price tho, an incredible innovative product that deserves to be in the toolbox
I was really hoping to see you review the Knipex automatic wire stripper. I really like my various cutters from this German brand. You seemed to review a knockoff of it, but not the original.
I use the "expensive one", you can buy these nowadays for around $75,-. The old Knipex 12-40-200 didn't work well for us, and they didn't even last a year! The newer 12-52-195 might be a good option, if u often have to switch from thin to thick 16mm wire, assuming they did prolonge the lifetime of this newer version.
I have one of the recommended Irwin strippers and they don't grip tightly enough to work on 12 and 14 ga. wire. Even with the adjustment screwed down as tight as it will go the clamp is inadequate. I took them apart to see if I could fix them but, no, there's no way to make them grip tighter. I even put in a shim to push the little adjustment pin further out but it still wasn't enough. By the by, it takes a pair of tweezers to put the little adjustment pin back in because it is so tiny. Sadly, it was the local Platt Electrical Supply store that recommended the Irwin stripper.
Been doing electronics EE for 40yrs. For the small gauge wires l prefer the Ideal squeeze type you tried at tge end,with the die with separate holes. Never had rust issues. I get very clean strips and can do partial strips. I have ones with various sizes up to 10g and one down to 30g. Although the big gauges are better stripped with other tools. For everything else I use the Vice Grips stripper. It is the most versital. I also have the CK knock-off but it doesn't work as smoothly and the grips are not as comfortable.
The only tool truck we get at our shop is Snap On so that's what I bought , I'm not sure what sizes I bought (I have 2 sets) 1 is about 9 inch and 1 is about 5 inch .. They work very well neither are automatic but the small set are spring loaded ... They get used usually a couple times a week , razor sharp and I love them ..
The last two strippers presented have a specialty that I have seen and shortly used a long time ago. The special jaws were made for Teflon + Kapton combination insulated wire wrap wire. That wire was needed for wide range temperature application (-55 to +125 degrees C; or -67 to 257 degrees F for those in the US). Nothing, including thermal strippers worked acceptably on that wire. Then somebody -- I think it may have been the local AMP representative -- came in with the special jaws. They had a supporting tubular part with the cutting ridges in the middle. Given the overall small size, you at first did not even notice the ridge and wondered how it performed the cutting. Anyway, those strippers did the job.
Great review. I'm looking to get one of these after years of using the smaller spring loaded models. I'm doing a lot of DIY electrical work and this was very helpful.
One thing the self adjusting strippers is also good at is stripping two or more wires at the same time, at the same length. Good for Ethernet and telephone cables to fit into modular terminals.
Like the options, but many of those have "pinch points" just where your hand and fingers are. OUCH!!! Cut myself once with the cutter below the hinge point.
I've had 3 of the last one and they all broke in the same place. They could not do large very or they will malfunction but on all the smaller stuff, they worked well.
The “Catapult” (Klein model name) design is the proverbial cat’s arse of all of these. Knipex makes a set of the grab-n-rips that is probably the best I have ever used.
The good ones in this video are great but they only go up to 6mm. What happens if you want to trim electric mains cable without using a knife? Should be really easy to make pliers with two curved cutters that overlap and squeeze together at fixed diameters - but I can't find any.
You must have small hands. I have no problem using the none spring loaded ones with one hand. I find the spring loaded ones are a pain when constantly putting in and out of tool pouch.
Since I do both electrical and electronic work I keep 2 pairs of Klien manual strippers in my kits. I can cover from 10 to 30ga wire and combined they weigh less and take up less space than any of the automatic units. Plus the auto strippers suck on THHN wire.
I'm old, but my favorite is the good Ole Miller wire strippers, very simple in construction. I've never used the stop screw, always just felt for the proper pressure. One of the problems with many strippers, they can easily nick the conductor. If you are doing production work, that's another story. Another one of my favorites, originally was made by AMP, later by Paladin, and apparently now by some company I've never heard of, Kkmeter. It will adjust to all sizes of wire within it's range. What is unique is the actual insulation cutter, not a simple knife but a bunch of little teeth that conform around the insulation. The tool is also good for stripping ribbon cable, if you are into that stuff, as it can strip multiple conductors at the same time. Jim
I recently bought Klein wire stripper and 2nd item was ratcheting crimper tool by Klein The Crimpers look and feel heavy duty $40 Amazon (2 tools 1 pkg)
I like the spring loaded single notch types. You need to develop a feeling for when you've cut only the insulation but I like them for their compactness and low price.
I have a Weicon No 5 - and i really really recommend it! There are different types, like No 5 Pro, No 7 and so on depending on what you are after, but No 5 is cheap, light and strips Extremely well and will suit most of every DIU and also professional people.
You neglected to mention one of the most significant advantages of the Irwin stripper. It is great to removing the sheathing from Romex. Just put the Romex in the jaws and it pulls the sheathing from the Romex. That feature alone saves tons of time when house wiring.
The best is still a thermal wire stripper. It does the least damage to the wires and is only one of the few strippers that works well for wires with Teflon insulation without nicking the wires.
1:54 This model is called "Draper Adjustable Automatic Wire/Cable Cutter/Stripper,Crimping Pliers, 35385" on ebay UK. I have one and it is fantastic.... 20 GBP
I prefer the normal style wire strippers. Southwire and Klein make a great compact set that fit in your hand nicely and makes stripper easier to push with your thumb. But I do tear those springs out. I much prefer to open them myself
Wow, about the cheapest I can find them is $75 though. I'd have to be doing the work professionally to justify that. They do look like they work great though.
The Irwin adjustable wire stripper. I ground out the crimping jaws due to the crush injury to the fleshy parts of my fingers when the strip completed. I have professional cable crimpers and there is no need for crappy crimp jaws in the handle area that won't do the job anyway. The manufactures need to look at their designs before production and definitely before selling them.
If you want to make any stripper more effective and can even not use any stippers on sonme wires is a simple lighter torch. Softens the sheath to allow an easy strip and eliminates any wire scoring from bad strippers.
6:00 If they puched a square hole in the middle of the bite, and made the metal jaws slide over eachother, it would bite into the sheeting on 4 sides. And it would still be universal size.
Please look into German tools as well they are superior in many many ways. Weidmuller stripax is my favorite but jokari makes nice ones as well. Does the least damage to the sheathing, and has the best options for production or pre wiring work. It can leave the stripped part on the cable so it doesn’t fray.
I have a cheap one i bought from an online store in The Philippines... exact same problem as you showed in the video in that it just slips over larger wire rather than stripping it.
you can replace the blades in the parallel wire strippers so they’re the best by far if you can sharpen curved cut outs you can re use the same blade insert but it will after a couple of sharpens be slightly larger and eventually you will need to replace them
Thanks for saving me $30. For some reason I thought my life would be better with some automatic strippers, but I've always used the small ones like you use and will stick to it!
so true...until the day comes when you;re forced to manage with only one good hand, while the other has less than 50% strength...you never can tell,eh?
Katapult® Wire Stripper and Cutter for Solid and Stranded Wire Model# 11063W Best ones I've used. Once you used them enough you can eye ball the correct gauge hole and have 0 issues. They even have a teeth set that goes all the way to 26 gauge.
*The best wire stripper is the wire stripper that you find next to you.* I use a really old-school (vintage) "BIB MODEL 8" by Multicore Solders Ltd. Made in England. Patented 28029/64. (So it's from 1964). It's probably not the best, but it's right next to me.
Thank you so much for your genuine review. I was about to make wrong choice by picking up wrong tool. Thank you so, so much! One more thing I suppose the range of vise grip is more (10-24 awg) than klein tools (10-22 awg) for crimping
I usally use the " Weidmüller Stripax ", or a cable shear.. Whatever is nearest… I am not a huge fan of the "Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper", as the metal clamps most times leaves deep marks on the isolation or even damages it. The clamps on the Weidmüller is made of plastic, and uses more friction than force to hold the wire when it pulls off the isolation..
I literally had just researched every single one of these tools and many more options on Amazon a few days ago. I found pairs of self adjusters as cheap as $8 or so, but those seem to have more common issues, obviously. Like you mentioned, tons of the unknown brand options and even some big company rebrands are probably all made by the same few Chinese factories. I have the same pair of Irwin manual strippers you said you bought on accident, and they work alright. I do need to get a set more like the small spring loaded ones you love. I also want a self adjusting set for when I want to work faster though. Overall great video, well made, clever in terms of adding to your revenue as well. You clearly know what you are doing on RUclips and I subscribed.
Great video my friend. Only wish you’d have done the Mulwark strippers I just bought. They seem like quality and other videos say they’re good, however the other videos aren’t as in depth as yours
I find the automatic ones work good for awhile then start slipping and damaging the wire. I've tried a few different brand and now just use the simple channel lock strippers I've had for years. Find they work best.
Get the type that he showed last with the blades that come down. This is what we use in our shop. We make doors for switch gear and use multi strand 14-10 AWG mostly.
My dad invented these wire strippers *US3087363A* applied for 1960, granted 1964. The patent has been cited for other devices. Funny thing is I used his wire strippers all through my youth not realizing he invented them. They were very handy for stripping wires working on guitar amps and effects pedals. Dad was a radar technician in the US Navy 1950-iirc 1954.
Dad's last unpatented invention before he died in 1988 at the young age of 56 was a spring tensioned vertically reciprocating scroll saw that attached to the front of a radial arm saw and driven by a single connecting rod attached off center to a mock saw blade with a standard sealed precision bearing, giving free motion to the rod linkage. I worked great. 😊
I would love to see a photo of dad's version! Is it out there?
@@JamieMurdock90 I believe those wire stripper are now called "Katapult or automatic gauged Wire Stripper" they're kinda like a mixed btw the self adjusting and gauged but you still have to put into the right size wires it prevents the wire from being damaged, from the wiggles of an gauged stripper but u have get the grip of a self adjusting. I personally like self adjusting cause it works on more than just small wires but also works for decent size cables.
Thank your father, he saved my tooth, I stripped wire with my tooth usualy until I discovered thsi tool
Hey, bless your dad, and bless you for taking the time to post this. I think i know that radial arm attachment. I believe my uncle had it and loved it. I wish he were around to forward it to. He would be thrilled to read all you've mentioned. Best wishes to you and yours.
I love this no nonsense review. You started out with the best and compared everything else to it. I didn't have to stay til the end to see the other options, but because the video was so informative and high quality, I did.
Yeah, he did a great job. Thank you for appreciating his work. That probably why this one is up here, for me to be able to appreciate it as well. Best wishes & thank you very much!
I love my Irwin automatic stripper. I used a manual stripper while installing over 30 led lights in two different rooms of our home. It worked fine but cutting off sheathing and then manually stripping all of the wires became very tedious. I picked up the Irwin and it will not only strip the wires but also remove sheathing. The other feature I love is that you can put multiple wires in the stripper together and strip them all at one pull. It works great for Romex 12/2 and 12/3. Fast and efficient.
The best ones were the ones my dad had that someone stole after he died; they were 100% metal and had no brand I can recall seeing on them. The Klein's will be great after a few hundred uses to break them in. I bought the Irwin self-adjusting and they didn't work AT ALL for speaker wire (12 gauge). I took them back and got the Ideal which works but is not what I want so I'm taking these back too and getting the Automatic Wire Stripper 10-24 AWG by KNIPEX for $40. It's only about $10 more and is exactly what I want/need.
Now THIS is how a comparison review should be done !! No nonsense or bs "unboxing", just quality information. Thank you !
I have the Irwin Automatic Strippers and they quickly became one of my favorite tools. I really enjoy using them and they have saved me a lot of time!
I loved the video!
As a Journeyman Inside Wireman with 30 years (sigh - for the trolls out there- your state would call me a Master), *my personal choice* for a Self-Adjusting Semi-Automatic Wire Strippers ( *I actually don't use them much* ) would be the Klein - the crimpers on those other models (Irwin included) are completely useless. A *mechanical indent crimper* CLOSE TO THE JAW like T&B crimpers is what is needed for mechanical pressure connectors.
The cutters on the Klein looked pretty good too (shear type). Those other tools with Anvil-Type wire cutters are infuriating on stranded wire if they aren't precision-built high quality tools.
Obviously it's all about the intended purpose - the producer of the video had their preferences and I have mine - that's perfectly fine 💘
Here are some tips from my years of experience, FWIW:
If you're using _oval crimpers_ (the Yelow, Blue, and Red dots at 5:32) for 'INSULATED TERMINALS' please *don't bother.* THEY JUST DON'T WORK.
Use NYLON INSULATED TERMINALS that have see-through yellow/ blue/ red insulation for the 3 ranges of wire size commonly used in wiring and control applications both for industrial use and transportation and USE INDENT CRIMPERS like Thomas & Betts (T&B)/ Sta-Kon WT111.
Opaque VINYL INSULATED TERMINALS are complete garbage. Some folks warm the insulation up with a heat gun, use an indentation type crimper, and slip the insulation back over the crimp - that's about the only way I will use vinyl insulated connectors but frankly that's a tremendous amount of work.
Anyway, I digress. For strippers I like the Kleins and Ideals (curved, premium grips) primarily but I'm open to the Southwire, Irwin, and Channel-Lok strippers too.
That's my windy two cents worth 🧓😁
I have an older Snap-On set of old style single stroke wire strippers with individual sizes that I use for wiring control panels and PLCs with crosslink-insulated wires (too hard to strip otherwise) and a cheaper version of the same thing (not awesome). Overall, most of us electricians learn to use whatever tools we learned with - I learned to use my pinky finger to open my pliers but that's kinda what I was paid to do 🤷♂️
Thanks. You have achieved something very rare-you made in intelligent, non-judgmental and useful comment on RUclips!
Having worked as an commercial electrician for forty years the second most important thing about a pair of strippers is that it easily fits in a pocket. Most real electricians don't wear a tool pouch. We normally keep a pouch or more likely tool bag near but a pair of kleins, channel locks and screwdriver are generally in a back pocket and wire strippers in a front pocket. Now first important thing is a tool that works well for the type of work the electrician is doing. I liked a pair of ideal t-strippers I had. It had the #12 stripping hole next to the cutting edge. Saves a lot of time hunting for the right hole in awkward of dark working conditions. Then the pair I had started next at a #6 hole and descended down to a perhaps #18 wire size. Most useful stripper I ever owned.
The best wire strippers had the least coverage... the last set you mentioned are the ones that will hold up to the most abuse, and still keep working perfectly. The perfect set up reduces time/fatigue and is consistent over a long period. I wore out the kind you are showing in only a few nights of doing lighting install at Walmart. The last ones you covered I ended up buying several sets, and my work friends ended up with a set too. Itll handle most average sizes
got used to stripping wires with an Olfa for about 5 years. now any wire stripper feels like a luxury.
I have owned the Irwin vise grip automatic stripper for about 2 years now. Rewired about every circuit on a 67 camaro they worked great for stripping wire. However the crimpers suck. I hate crimp connections any way so I solder and heat shrink every thing. So the work great for me.
That Garner-Bender is the best one for modern (thin) automotive wiring because with those small heads you can work in confined spaces.
I like your detailed overview of the strippers. As a panel builder myself, stripping over 1000 wire ends on a busy day, I really like the Knipex Multistrip. The lightness, reliability, and repeatability with the length adjustment is very nice.
Those Ideal 16-26AWG strippers are pretty much the standard for Aviation. Consistent and reliable. Work perfect for Mil-Spec wire.
@Tree Power you may confused with MIL spec one. Common industrial Ideal model 45-097 is not so expensive as shown in this video. It is around 50 usd.
The Ideal stripper is what I worked with in the air force, that's what I have now. All those other strippers except the Ideal and the Ideal knock-off stretch the insulation. Rust is entirely up to the owner, if you respect your tools, you take care of them, a little light oil goes a long way to keeping metal tools rust free. Good video.
And we suppose to guess what you worked with in the air force?
35 years from houses to power plants....klien needlenose- strippers are my go to....use a razor knife for big wire...
Once in February, in Western PA (COLD) we did a primary voltage conversion at a bottling plant. My partner dragged his ass from the warm office to help do a couple of the final terminations of direct burial HV cable, we had already done 16 without him on the wretched day. Anyway, he crimped on a terminator, but the jagoff forgot to slip on the molded stress cone first! When he realized his boo-boo, he left it to me to undo. There was so little extra cable in the transfer box, I didn't have room to swing the stripping tools for the 1/2 inch thick dielectric, so I did what I would have said was impossible and (CAREFULLY) prepped the bitter end of the cable with my pocket knife. We renamed him "The Mad Crimper" which he hated - I didn't care because I never worked with him again.
In the latter stripper tool, you have missed a most important detail. The strippers you show all have blades that have slanted knife-edges. With these (and the manual strippers with similar-shaped blades) the stripper can cut deep into one side of the wire, nicking and even partially cutting the copper, while on the other side, fails to cut all the way through the insulation. If you get instead a "die-cutting" stripper (for example, "Stripmaster" sold by Ideal Tool Co.), the design is the same, except for the cutting edges. They have a narrow sharp section which cuts through the insulation, and a wider plain cylindrical smooth hole that guides the wire to remain centered in the cutter. If you strip Teflon wire, nothing but these will work!
Another type of stripper not covered is the thermal stripper (such as Kinetics Teledyne Stripall). These have heated, dull, blades that melt the insulation. These will work on Teflon wire, and cannot damage the copper. You use lower temperature (settable) for vinyl insulation, and higher for Teflon. Most of these have straight blades. They work best when they are closed on the wire, given a quarter turn, then pulled off.
Fantastic information. For YEARS, I've been meaning to learn more about wire stripping tools, and which ones to buy. This answered all of my questions! Thank you for making this easy and to the point video.
I have the Klein ones and have used them for over 5+ years and have no issues with them. IMO those are the gold standard ones.
For automotive use, I highly recommend the ideal strip masters. I’ve been doing automotive electrical repair for over 25 years and by far these are the best that I’ve come across. They’re super easy to use and make a perfect strip every time. If these will not fit underneath the dash somewhere, I use Klein curve manual strippers for tighter areas. If you combine these with a Thomas and Betts WT - 111 M for crimping non insulated terminals on , you’ll never look back. You can find these tools all day long for a dollar or two at garage sales and flea markets that work as well as brand new and usually even better because they’re already broken in by the time you find them used and not too stiff.
Phew... I bought a wire stripper from Amazon, and then I decided to look for reviews, and heck I was lucky, thanks to your video!
I tend to look for reviews BEFORE I buy a thing, but whatever works I guess.
@@BadgerMonkey
I know, I usually do so, but this time I didn't!
I ordered the Hakkos, a bunch actually. But gotta disagree with the Irwin self-adjusting as I own it and it works about half the time; also gotta whack it each time to knock out any debris as that'll screw it up, so can't go quickly. Yeah, maybe it's okay if you're doing the same wires again and again but I am often working on something with lots of different types.
Ok, i think i got it. Im gonna get all four. Kidding or not, ill be winding up with all four, im sure. Btw, ive had the generic GB for decades. Never knew they existed before. Only because im not stretching one of the three small springs until i have another to depend on, its been more than consistently great from day one. Thank you, and best wishes to you. Great, great video. You're finished well before my blow is over
I bought a dollar wire stripper for yes 1 dollar plus tax that lasted just over 10 years to include work for the military and home use. they recently gave out. afer buying a new set for 10 dollars I was dissapointed and wished I bought 10 of the originals when I had the chance. Great video. If you dont have a automatic stripper buy any of these and they'll blow your mind on how useful they are day to day.
Excellent video comparison of wire strippers. Clear and concise! I have the harbor freight version of the one at 5:50. I wasn't sure what that dial on the back did because you don't see anything moving when turning it. Thanks for explaining it.
You need to try some stripax. Yeah they are expensive. But they are 100% worth the price. Been carrying a set for over 4 years, and have never had them fail. And I work factory automation, so I strip a LOT of wire, between 32awg and 8AWG. And the stripax I often do 3-5 wires at one time.
For the last type of strippers, the one with separate holes for the wire, keep in mind that you need to use different size holes for stranded vs solid wire of the same gauge. Subtract 2 AWG for stranded wire. IOW the 14AWG solid wire would go in 14AWG hole. The 14 AWG stranded wire will go in 12AWG hole. Stranded wire is thicker because of space between strands.
I’ve had the last one shown for 20 years still looks mint and works great
Excellent review. I have seen these tools on sale for various prices and wondered if the extra cost was worth it, and you have answered that question perfectly. It was also a great demo of exactly how each type works, and the pros and cons. Thanks.
20+ years experience industrial electrician, 8 years building MCC's & BMS control panels, IMO for 0.5sqmm to 2.5 sqmm tri-rated the best stripper you can get is a Thomas & Betts Duostrip 200; fast and easy to use, much less fatigue when stripping a lot of wire and ambidextrous-so ideal if you are left handed. The model with the built in crimper is pointless, might get you out of a spot now and again, but the basic stripper is excellent.
I noticed you like the Haco wire strippers. Should look at the Paladin/Greenlee/Textron PA1117 and PA1118 set. The 2 pack is $15 at Menards. Coming from doing lots of delicate electronics work along with fiber optics, textron/paladin/greenlee are a trusted name in FO strippers with the PA1171.
I worked for Graybar in St Louis, MO, USA we sold the Ideal strippers. Sold a pile of them. Bought a pair for my personal use, Love them
I use a commercial electric lineman plier with strippers built in on the handle side. Saves me time with not having to switch between strippers and pliers
The Irwin looked like it pinched the sheeting on the 24ga too much.
Glad you spotted it as well
Half the time i just use my pliers, but if i am stripping all day, i love my klein strippers.
I personally really enjoy the stiffer action, and dont need a crimper on the tool, as i already have them on my pliers and my actual crimpers
Thanks, I was hesitant to buy the Irwin stripper, but for my purposes it will likely work fine.
Ok, i need a couple of back ups, especially im the one who gets borrowed on (but thats part of what i try to make sure i can always do). Looking forward to your opinions. The catapult, which i saw in the beginning, is already on my list, twice. Now, im on to the automatics. Thank you. Im sure ill be saying that again at the end. Best wishes.
It looked like all the automatic strippers damaged the remaining insulation except for the ones with the various hole size dies.
I have the Irwin ones, and from my experience they don't compromise the insulation. The cut is just a little rougher.
Yes, the style with the circular holes are the ones that make the best insulation cut. I do have Klein Tools KATAPULT 11063W and it's working great for me.
My dad had the last type - with the pre-defined wire sizes. Perhaps it was just his set, but it struggled to grip the wire, and when you released, the jaws squashed your newly-cut wire. Just something to look out for.
The last ones you showed are the ones that I have used for 20 years.
A few years ago I was at Home Depot and picked up a set that's reversible. The brand is "Commercial Electric", has 20-10 awg on the left and metric on the right, thumb release and spring loaded.
I bought it for installing a new DVR and camera system and LED lights inside and outside of my house.
Hindsight is 20/20 as they say. The tool works ok but I kept reaching for my Klein lineman pliers with the crimper in the handle end.
As you said, Electronics and Electrical work are a little different. Retired Electronics Technician and still doing a bit of both.
If I were to get back into troubleshooting I would definitely be getting your Top Pick. I've developed a habit of stripping a little long, except when soldering into an RG solder in connector.
Just bought one called workpro that is just a square block and since it has 4 sides, it does everything from 26 - 6 gauge, coax cable, 14-2 and 12-2.
Have had the second to last from China for about 4 years now. Its getting worn but I have done everything from motorcycle repair to general electrical work. Very effective. That Irwin 2078300 looks promising
I have had through the years a number of wire strippers and my different places of employment have had several more. At one point when I did more field service, I prepared my own tool kit. One of my criteria was a minimized weight. So, no heavy or bulky wire strippers or any other overweight tools. I looked at Bibs as a light weight option and found it too dull. In fact, it mostly squeezed the insulation tight, rather than cut and peeled. A British made Eclipse fit my needs. Not for production use, but just ideal for the occasional field use. The fancier types (at work) often turned out to be too big in some tight corner and short wire end. However, that type with appropriate blade was the only one that worked with teflon/kapton combination or other wire wrap insulations. Most of the other strippers just slit teflon insulation lengthwise.
Why wasn't thermal wire strippers included?
The Irwin hands down! If you are working in the cold and want to get warm speed matters. The Irwin gets em done quickly. It will cut wires but unless I want to just pound it out I will cut with something else. Worth every penny!!
More expensive, but the best in my opinion is the Patco PTS-10 for $79. It is a thermal type that melts the insulation, so the strands don't get nicked. It comes with a spare element, but I have never changed mine in over 30 years of use.
The Klein looks like the best bang for the buck. There's a lot to say for its metal stop. It's more durable than the plastic ones, which more likely to break off and difficult to find a replacement for. Of all strippers with the same design, it is the only one featuring a useful and serviceable wire cutter. You can always sharpen or replace them when they become dull. The others feature a dull cutter built into the frame. If the action is a bit stiff, you can always remove the cutters. For professionals, a built-in cutter may be convenient, but not the chief selling point of a wire stripper. Finally, Klein has a decent warranty program which the other lesser known brands lack.
Thanks for the great round-up but... the one thing that is important to me (beyond the efficacy of actually doing the job of wire-stripping) is... whether or not the stripping teeth (and the gripping ones, FTM) are replaceable and/or sharpenable...
For the vise grip the plastic yellow piece tends to snap off after heavy use. For myself at least with all other tools in a bag it gets snagged. I never ever used it anyway, I think I had a good feel of measurements from muscle memory. Other than that it is truly the gold standard.
I can cut multiple wires at the same time as well (small size)
I have the Irwin automatics. A fantastic tool. I do wish they made the plastic length adjuster a bit more robust. For the price tho, an incredible innovative product that deserves to be in the toolbox
Irwin also makes the best box cutter knife ever! Opens with a sliding switch, fast replacement of blades, they are sharp and last a long time.
I was really hoping to see you review the Knipex automatic wire stripper. I really like my various cutters from this German brand. You seemed to review a knockoff of it, but not the original.
I use the "expensive one", you can buy these nowadays for around $75,-. The old Knipex 12-40-200 didn't work well for us, and they didn't even last a year! The newer 12-52-195 might be a good option, if u often have to switch from thin to thick 16mm wire, assuming they did prolonge the lifetime of this newer version.
I have one of the recommended Irwin strippers and they don't grip tightly enough to work on 12 and 14 ga. wire. Even with the adjustment screwed down as tight as it will go the clamp is inadequate. I took them apart to see if I could fix them but, no, there's no way to make them grip tighter. I even put in a shim to push the little adjustment pin further out but it still wasn't enough. By the by, it takes a pair of tweezers to put the little adjustment pin back in because it is so tiny. Sadly, it was the local Platt Electrical Supply store that recommended the Irwin stripper.
AWESOME video! To the point and you followed up your opinions with reasons. THANK YOU!
Been doing electronics EE for 40yrs. For the small gauge wires l prefer the Ideal squeeze type you tried at tge end,with the die with separate holes. Never had rust issues. I get very clean strips and can do partial strips. I have ones with various sizes up to 10g and one down to 30g. Although the big gauges are better stripped with other tools. For everything else I use the Vice Grips stripper. It is the most versital. I also have the CK knock-off but it doesn't work as smoothly and the grips are not as comfortable.
The only tool truck we get at our shop is Snap On so that's what I bought , I'm not sure what sizes I bought (I have 2 sets) 1 is about 9 inch and 1 is about 5 inch .. They work very well neither are automatic but the small set are spring loaded ... They get used usually a couple times a week , razor sharp and I love them ..
The last two strippers presented have a specialty that I have seen and shortly used a long time ago. The special jaws were made for Teflon + Kapton combination insulated wire wrap wire. That wire was needed for wide range temperature application (-55 to +125 degrees C; or -67 to 257 degrees F for those in the US). Nothing, including thermal strippers worked acceptably on that wire. Then somebody -- I think it may have been the local AMP representative -- came in with the special jaws. They had a supporting tubular part with the cutting ridges in the middle. Given the overall small size, you at first did not even notice the ridge and wondered how it performed the cutting. Anyway, those strippers did the job.
Great review. I'm looking to get one of these after years of using the smaller spring loaded models. I'm doing a lot of DIY electrical work and this was very helpful.
One thing the self adjusting strippers is also good at is stripping two or more wires at the same time, at the same length. Good for Ethernet and telephone cables to fit into modular terminals.
Like the options, but many of those have "pinch points" just where your hand and fingers are. OUCH!!! Cut myself once with the cutter below the hinge point.
I've had 3 of the last one and they all broke in the same place. They could not do large very or they will malfunction but on all the smaller stuff, they worked well.
The “Catapult” (Klein model name) design is the proverbial cat’s arse of all of these. Knipex makes a set of the grab-n-rips that is probably the best I have ever used.
The good ones in this video are great but they only go up to 6mm. What happens if you want to trim electric mains cable without using a knife?
Should be really easy to make pliers with two curved cutters that overlap and squeeze together at fixed diameters - but I can't find any.
Wow, a video that gets straight to point without a lot of waffle. Well done and a sub from me.
You must have small hands. I have no problem using the none spring loaded ones with one hand. I find the spring loaded ones are a pain when constantly putting in and out of tool pouch.
I have a pair (2) of Greenlee strippers that range 30-20 and 24-10 awg. I use the 30-20 set most of the time.
you missed one of the most important tools. the knipex ergostrip.
review it and fall in love with it
Since I do both electrical and electronic work I keep 2 pairs of Klien manual strippers in my kits. I can cover from 10 to 30ga wire and combined they weigh less and take up less space than any of the automatic units. Plus the auto strippers suck on THHN wire.
I'm old, but my favorite is the good Ole Miller wire strippers, very simple in construction. I've never used the stop screw, always just felt for the proper pressure. One of the problems with many strippers, they can easily nick the conductor. If you are doing production work, that's another story. Another one of my favorites, originally was made by AMP, later by Paladin, and apparently now by some company I've never heard of, Kkmeter. It will adjust to all sizes of wire within it's range. What is unique is the actual insulation cutter, not a simple knife but a bunch of little teeth that conform around the insulation. The tool is also good for stripping ribbon cable, if you are into that stuff, as it can strip multiple conductors at the same time. Jim
I recently bought Klein wire stripper and 2nd item was ratcheting crimper tool by Klein The Crimpers look and feel heavy duty
$40 Amazon (2 tools 1 pkg)
I like the spring loaded single notch types. You need to develop a feeling for when you've cut only the insulation but I like them for their compactness and low price.
I have a Weicon No 5 - and i really really recommend it! There are different types, like No 5 Pro, No 7 and so on depending on what you are after, but No 5 is cheap, light and strips Extremely well and will suit most of every DIU and also professional people.
If price is no fear, Thomas & Betts wite strippets, the wire goes into the nose then just click. Under a dash or a small hole priceless.
Do you happen to have a model number?
You neglected to mention one of the most significant advantages of the Irwin stripper. It is great to removing the sheathing from Romex. Just put the Romex in the jaws and it pulls the sheathing from the Romex. That feature alone saves tons of time when house wiring.
The best is still a thermal wire stripper. It does the least damage to the wires and is only one of the few strippers that works well for wires with Teflon insulation without nicking the wires.
1:54 This model is called "Draper Adjustable Automatic Wire/Cable Cutter/Stripper,Crimping Pliers, 35385" on ebay UK. I have one and it is fantastic.... 20 GBP
I have those Irwin auto stripper, and use them mostly
I prefer the normal style wire strippers. Southwire and Klein make a great compact set that fit in your hand nicely and makes stripper easier to push with your thumb. But I do tear those springs out. I much prefer to open them myself
You should really look into the Stripax series by Weidmüller. A bit more expensive but you can often find them used for a decent price.
I wondered who made the good version of the... t-rex-head style cheap wire strippers. I'll try to pick up a pair.
Wow, about the cheapest I can find them is $75 though. I'd have to be doing the work professionally to justify that. They do look like they work great though.
They are worth every cent
The Irwin adjustable wire stripper. I ground out the crimping jaws due to the crush injury to the fleshy parts of my fingers when the strip completed. I have professional cable crimpers and there is no need for crappy crimp jaws in the handle area that won't do the job anyway.
The manufactures need to look at their designs before production and definitely before selling them.
If you want to make any stripper more effective and can even not use any stippers on sonme wires is a simple lighter torch. Softens the sheath to allow an easy strip and eliminates any wire scoring from bad strippers.
6:00 If they puched a square hole in the middle of the bite, and made the metal jaws slide over eachother, it would bite into the sheeting on 4 sides. And it would still be universal size.
Please look into German tools as well they are superior in many many ways. Weidmuller stripax is my favorite but jokari makes nice ones as well. Does the least damage to the sheathing, and has the best options for production or pre wiring work. It can leave the stripped part on the cable so it doesn’t fray.
Best strippers I’ve used for electrical are the Gardner Bender GESP-224 Pro
I have a cheap one i bought from an online store in The Philippines... exact same problem as you showed in the video in that it just slips over larger wire rather than stripping it.
you can replace the blades in the parallel wire strippers so they’re the best by far if you can sharpen curved cut outs you can re use the same blade insert but it will after a couple of sharpens be slightly larger and eventually you will need to replace them
My favorite is. Ideals Kinetix, I don't use auto strippers, and I use kliens ratchet crimpers , which give a much better crimp than the manual ones
Is there an update or is the vicegrip automatic still the king?
Where is good once like knipex and all best brands?
Thanks for saving me $30. For some reason I thought my life would be better with some automatic strippers, but I've always used the small ones like you use and will stick to it!
so true...until the day comes when you;re forced to manage with only one good hand, while the other has less than 50% strength...you never can tell,eh?
Katapult® Wire Stripper and Cutter for Solid and Stranded Wire
Model# 11063W
Best ones I've used. Once you used them enough you can eye ball the correct gauge hole and have 0 issues. They even have a teeth set that goes all the way to 26 gauge.
*The best wire stripper is the wire stripper that you find next to you.* I use a really old-school (vintage) "BIB MODEL 8" by Multicore Solders Ltd. Made in England. Patented 28029/64. (So it's from 1964). It's probably not the best, but it's right next to me.
Thank you so much for your genuine review. I was about to make wrong choice by picking up wrong tool. Thank you so, so much!
One more thing I suppose the range of vise grip is more (10-24 awg) than klein tools (10-22 awg) for crimping
I picked up the one that looks like a dinosaur years ago. I always thought it just broke the wires until I realised you could change the tension.
whatch this cool video! ruclips.net/video/otNlco7P_fA/видео.html
I usally use the " Weidmüller Stripax ", or a cable shear.. Whatever is nearest…
I am not a huge fan of the "Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper", as the metal clamps most times leaves deep marks on the isolation or even damages it.
The clamps on the Weidmüller is made of plastic, and uses more friction than force to hold the wire when it pulls off the isolation..
Ideal 22-30 the best one all round, after some time using it you can strip any wire any gauge way faster then any automatic stripper.
I literally had just researched every single one of these tools and many more options on Amazon a few days ago. I found pairs of self adjusters as cheap as $8 or so, but those seem to have more common issues, obviously. Like you mentioned, tons of the unknown brand options and even some big company rebrands are probably all made by the same few Chinese factories.
I have the same pair of Irwin manual strippers you said you bought on accident, and they work alright. I do need to get a set more like the small spring loaded ones you love. I also want a self adjusting set for when I want to work faster though. Overall great video, well made, clever in terms of adding to your revenue as well. You clearly know what you are doing on RUclips and I subscribed.
Great video my friend. Only wish you’d have done the Mulwark strippers I just bought. They seem like quality and other videos say they’re good, however the other videos aren’t as in depth as yours
i still use the radio shack 1s love them out of all and i have them all
I find the automatic ones work good for awhile then start slipping and damaging the wire. I've tried a few different brand and now just use the simple channel lock strippers I've had for years. Find they work best.
Get the type that he showed last with the blades that come down. This is what we use in our shop. We make doors for switch gear and use multi strand 14-10 AWG mostly.
I was doing it all manually with my scissors because those cheap strippers sucked. Gotta get a new one now..