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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Stripping isolation from copper is an essential task for most of us. Today we will compare several wire strippers, and we will find out if the German strippers really are better than the Asian, as quite a few viewers suggested. And we will find out which strippers would fit a typical American president!
Links:
Toy s.click.aliexpr...
FS-D3 bit.ly/2vjJVvh
Yellow s.click.aliexpr...
Toozo s.click.aliexpr...
Manual Stripper small s.click.aliexpr...
Jokari amzn.to/2GHe1PB
Knipex bit.ly/2L1SDc8
amzn.to/2UV1bWR
amzn.to/2GKidyo
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Now I have to explain to the wife why I just spent $100 on strippers. I BLAME THE GUY WITH A SWISS ACCENT!
In 1$ bills ;)
luma I thought the absolute same thing. 👋
Not only strippers, but strippers with an affinity for silicone. Is there a complex American measurement system for the diameter of stripper poles, and silicone augmentations? I think some field research is necessary.
@@ziggystardog Oh god I just now got the joke...
That's nothing. The original strippers the Chinese ones were cloned from cost $200 and more.
And here am I, stripping wires with my front teeth like an animal..
like a rodent
Common practice of an electrician, but not possible on PTFE wires
@@sriyantra1939 you underestimate my perfectly shaped and sharpened front teeth!
@@lucythebrazen There's a joke in there somewhere. Actually I know the joke, but it's not very classy, and we try to keep shit posh here on youtube....
no recommend on telephone wire when it is still plugged in, i still have a dent in my tongue
Isolation staying on the copper is a good thing sometimes; makes it super easy to twist tightly before tinning etc
Exactly what I thought!
A Crimp-tool comparison would be great!
Greetings from Germany.
For example/hint from the industrial environment we use the "PZ6 Roto" from Weidmüller, they are great. We've had many different brands and versions and mostly everyone of the asked departments have chosen the PZ6.
Weidmüller creates tools of choice where quality counts more than price.
The large number of different connectors would make any comparison very limited. You'll have to stick to only two or three most common types, and you'll not be covering more than 30% of the maker's most used. Anyway, I think Andreas did one for so-called "Dupont" connectors.
A proper crimp tool video would be 2 hours long, and all that would cover is the Knipex 97 43 200 system.
@@philippwie3539 and there are many special crimping tools like for isolated, non isolated, bnc ....
And Andreas did one already one for the small dupont connectors
@@crckdns ...a little to expensive for hobby use.
"Most american units are weird" - I had to laugh so hard :D Thank you, Herr Spiess!
You are welcome!
Well, there are two kinds of countries, those who use the metric system, and those who have put a man on the moon.
@@basshead. Yeah, because thats the reason :-) Now I had to laugh even harder. Let's not start a fight here and enjoy some of Mr. Spiess' magnificent videos.
@basshead
Your so right...there are two kind of countries 🙂
The one that have put a man on the moon and the other, "metric one" , which have had the knowledge and invented the gear to do lift them in space. 😉😂
Wernher von Braun
+Enigma rbs What a load of crap.
Great video Andreas, thanks! I use a Weidmüller Stripax stripper for most of my work, it's very similar to the Knipex you demonstrated. One remark: The 'Yellow' stripper you reviewed is something I would not want to miss in my electronics toolbox :) But I don't use it for stripping single wires, I use it to strip the outter insulation off of multi-wire cables (e.g. typical 3x1.5mm2 power cable, UTP cable, etc...) For that purpose it's the best tool I've come across so far.
And with Stripax you can adjust the cutting force. I think there are better than Knipex stripper.
The only case were I use manual stripper is when working this PTFE isolated wires for medical devices. These are very hard to handle with automatic stripper.
I too have the Stripax, awesome tool and the amount of adjustability is astounding!
I had to read the manual 3 times to figure out what those things do XD
Yellow type strippers are also excellent for splicing in. If you're messing with automotive electronics it really improves things. Makes splicing into the loom a cinch as you can strip mid wire and splice. You have to use decent insulation tape (self amalgamating stuff if you can get it) as you can't get heat shrink over the join but it works well on my own projects (I'm not a professional mechanic :)).
Thumbs up for Weidmueller Stripax! My first one was an older model that I inherited from my uncle when I was in trade school as an automation electrician, and I was sold. Later I've bought several of them for use in my work as an electronics engineer at different employers. Very capable and reliable tool. Costs in the neighborhood of 90-100 EUR though
The yellow are garbage the the vice grip equivalent are much better use mostly for multi conductor and larger awg up to 8 soft insulation can be a problem. Do the Stripax or Knipex strip multiple wires well at same time 4 to 6 about 20 AWG ? Currently use a Matco variant of the toy, thay do but cause more damage to insulation at grip point than I would like.
I've been using the yellow one for several months. So far it's good for me stripping most electronic cables.
I have been using a Yellow (mine is red) and another which is similar in design for years, and I love them. I agree it's not perfect for precision use, but for general use, and for the price, they are a no-brainer.
I had a cheap "yellow" one, that broke after one day of use
@@teknochaos Probably a Chinese knockoff of a Chinese knockoff. . . . . . . . . :-)
_I've been using the yellow one for several months._ *chuckles*
I have one but from Unior at the time it cost me 25€ and after 1 to 2 years of some use I haven't had any problems, the only thing is I need to get a wire stripper from jokari for larger wires
I've had the Knipex for about 4 years (slightly different model) , and have stripped thousands of wires with them, so I can confirm they have good durability
The yellow's gripping force can be adjusted with a screw. it's quite annoying to adjust it for different cable sizes but it can work better than shown here. At least mine does. Still not that useful and better for electricians, as you said.
I have a very similar one but it's red, and that has the adjustment knob. The advantage is that I can strip PVC insulated solid core and silicone insulated fine stranded wire in the same guage, just by changing the force adjustment. Without that one or the other is going to fail.
This may be most suitable for production work, where stripping the same size of wire repeatedly is required. But working this way is inefficient, and it is much better to have a truly automatic (mechanized) stripper for the job.
@@nrdesign1991 I agree. Eaven in production you have different sizes and the handling of the automatics is easyer.
It's shit for electricians because it is harder to get into tight spots and a bit dodgy to strip live wires with this
I have a yellow stripper like this, one of the best strippers ever for electrical work as it was intended for, when I do electronic work thinner wires I use another stripper the right tool for the right job this video implies one stripper can do it all and that is just not true
I know a stripper aficionado. He collects all the tools. We meet every now and then at the strip club.
I believe the current US president is well versed into strippers
Jealous?
Boomshakalaka!!!!
I didn't know there were sooo many different types of wire strippers. I have a wire stripper made by a Canadian company Ideal Industries Inc. It's called "Stripmaster" and comes in many wire size combinations. Mine is 10 - 20 AWG. The cutting blades are replaceable with many combinations of wire range. My strippers are 46 years old and still going strong. A little bit of machine oil on the moving parts and it performs like new. They cut the insulation square and slide it off without damage to the wire strands. Thanks Andreas love you work.
If you read the comments you see there are even more...
I have been striving to be ambidextrous for years. I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
Are you expecting to grow a new one? On a serious note, you will not improve dexterity until you force the "inferior" arm/hand to perform tasks. It will be very difficult initially, then it will get easier.
@@michaels3003 I just cast my 'line' out there and then wait to see who I reel in. This was an old joke that my father used when I was a child.
@@ReevansElectro , I knew it was a joke, but I thought maybe somebody would want to improve their dexterity. I did that and I am no longer "extremely right-handed."
So frustrating playing tennis against a ambidextrous player. You can’t aim for their backhand.
It was easy for me. Just a very rude teacher with punishment tools ;-)
After watching this video I went to my workshop to check out my wire stripper. It is a Weidmüller stripax. I bought it in the mid 1980 when I was still a student and I can remember that it was very expensive for me. This was in the days when Austria was not yet a member of the EU, the markets were controlled by a few importers and the prices for many things were extraordinary high. But I wanted this wire stripper because it was the professional tool used by most professionals I knew. And I have not regretted it. The tool works as good as on the first day. OK, I use it only occasionally and I have never used it with really thick wires, my maximum was at 1.5mm² (approx. AWG 15) or maybe once 2.5mm² (approx. AWG 13). The range is specified from 0.5mm² (AWG 20) to 4.0mm² (AWG 11) It has a stop for the length of the stripped end and an adjustment for the thickness of the isolation. The tool is entirely symmetrical and suited lefthanders as well, all markings are identical on both sides. Inside the handle there is eve a small brush with copper bristles, but I never figured out what this is good for, because I never had the need to clean the tool.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Long-lasting tools sometimes are cheaper than "cheap" tools.
we've been using the knipex in our shop for around 8 years. it's seen sandy environments, oil, interns, brake cleaner, and most importantly, tefzel wires (the white aircraft stuff, ETFE insulation, tough, slippery and wears out blades). it's seen zero maintenance in this time and still works perfectly, although the blades have a few nicks.
i've been using knipex since my school days (saved up for them, stuff's expensive) and have 0 problems besides my father stealing them from time to time. i switched professions and went from electrical maintenance and automation in the petrochemical industry to automotive engineering, specialized in hydraulics and have come to love knipex in a whole new way, namely the adjustable parallel yaws wrench pliers. they are the greatest invention to go in a toolbox since ratchet spanners. they have a huge range, are always tight and prevent overtightening which is an issue with most fittings. and they are about €25, so about a third of the normal knipex tax.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
nautical miles is an international standard, its used everywhere at sea. For example we have the speed measurement knots, which is one nautical mile an hour
It's one of the few "imperial" units based on reality - one nautical mile = one minute of arc.
Not to mention almost the entire aviation industry uses knots.
@@benedictrehiesi5166 only for hight and speed. Distance is in km and volume of fuel also metric. and when you fly over russia also the height and speed is to be given in metric.
The yellow ones have the adjustment screw for cutting pressure for this exact reason.
you might want to lower it for small diameters and increase it for larger and thicker insulations.
It did not work with mine. But there seem to be different makes around, some good and other not.
Not only have you provided a convincing mechanical proof, but also that engineers have a sense of humor. QED!
Thank you!
Left Hander here too.
It would be interesting to see the demographic of your subscribers, the percentage of left handers.
Leaving the stripped sleeve on the wire tip is good with multi-strand wire, as it provides a good fixed point to twist the strands together without fraying the ends.
Left handed here too ☝
I assume the statistics would be similar to the general population. With a sample size of more than 100'000.
I was taught to strip wires that way back in 1980 - then tin wires with any excess solder taken to the end of the wire so it could be trimmed to needed length
Shown how to do it so no excess heat would warp the plastic insulation - silicone makes it easier now
@@keithroberts5946 my grandfather taught me back in the fifties when he converted an old Rockola jukebox to a home stereo system. He said the very same thing about cloth insulation, about tinning it correctly so the insulation doesn't char. Weird how the process doesn't change...only the tools and material.
Left hander here :)
Yo'
I got through 15/16ths of the video, but then I was distracted by a squirrel outside my window.
Greeting from Philly.
That's 0.9375 for our overseas friends. We always used decimals while working as a machinist at the Philly Shipyard.
:-))
@@AndreasSpiess There are decimals in imperial measurements, lots and lots of decimals.... I work at a tool and die shop we almost never deal with anything beyond 0.001 of an inch though (if that much), depends on the tooling.
Some strippers intentionally leave the cut sleeve on the end of the wire to allow you to keep the wires tidy until you need to tin it, and to make twisting them more uniform and neater.
Thank you for your tip!
Excellent video. One does not have to be German to realize what a great tool knipex is...as is all of their tools. They're so good even thieves prefer them. My knipex pliers were "liberated" from my toolbox while I was working in a crawl space. They moved the crescent pliers to get at the knipex.
Ah, good tools are hard to come by! Even harder to keep.
Thanks for sharing...
I worked for Hilti. Same problem there
The yellow one is much better than you described, i used it to strip up to 8AWG, but of course you need to regulate it with the little brass knob. and it's Also good for stripping wires in the middle (that's why the stopper is small)
I agree. It works great for me.
me too apart from cat 5 cables which i have to adjust the screw, not only that i can strip a 3 core flex in 1 hit,
Adjusting the knob will not effect the cutting force tho, only the gripping force. Andreas had trouble with the (un-adjustable) cutting action.
the trouble with cheap tools is the first lot off the dies are great but as the die wears they dont change the die as often as they should. so quality and usability is not as good, my guess his tool was one of those,
Agreed. The adjustment knob is important for this style of stripper. Also, the depth stop is DESIGNED to be able to be used or to be bypassed - in that way, you can use the stop only for critical tasks.
I have 3 or 4 of these that I have purchased from different places at different times, and I have found small differences in the design and quality between them.
Thank you SO MUCH Andreas for this and your other review/testing videos.
This is a long comment but I just have to tell you that:
1- You're literally the first person I see on youtube complaining about American measuring system. It's extremely confusing and despite the fact that all the world uses the metric system all youtubers, websites, books, etc. still use the American system which makes everything very hard to understand. I'm happy to see someone finally mentions this. (Also I loved the bit about us not being smart enough to use their system 😂😂😂)
2- I totally agree with you that that the AWG system is much easier and better. Here all wires are in mm2 and it's just confusing specially with thinner wires.
3- You are the most awesome and smart and independent youtuber because of all the tests that you do without promoting anything. They are extremely detailed and valuable. I can't find anything like your tests on any other channel. I always feel like an alien because people don't seem to care about the details of things like me. But you actually test all of this very important stuff in great detail and I feel like I'm testing them myself.
Thank you very very much for all of your work.
Thank you for your nice words! I try to test the things I am interested in. And I am no salesman ;-)
Hello Andreas,
I purchased a Knipex recently and i was a bit dissapointed:
It could not strip normal "electrician wire " of 1.5mm² or 2.5mm² ...( non silicone insulation )
The problem is, i think, the lack of an insulation thickness adjustment ...
I finally purchased a " TE connectivity " ( ex 'AMP' ) and left the Knipex on side...😞
Thank you for this video !
Interesting. I did not try these because I hardly use them and then I use the same knife as for the outer plastic :-(
I can't help giggling, so many puns... 😄😄
Regarding the Yellow: you can use the screw to adjust the holding force to strip thicker wires.
Yes … even the TOY can be adjusted... just don't expect this guy to figure that out.
@Hope4Today9 Now He is stupid like hell and has no eyes to see the adjustment screw on the toy
I've had a Paladin AWG20-11 wire stripper for about 30 years, and it still works just as great as when it was new. With the force set to the thinnest insulation, it even handles smaller wires well. The Paladin crimpers I got at the same time still have their "Made in West Germany" sticker. Thank you, former employer who let us keep our toolboxes. :)
Thank you for sharing your experience!
On the yellow stripper the brass screw on the left jaw adjusts the grabbing force. You should increase it to strip thick wires. This is why I using these strippers, it is adjustable. The end stop is unusable at best, but if you do not crimp batches, you probably never will use it anyway.
The problem with ALL the sharp balde not adjustable ones is that the automatic trigger mechanishm wears out, the internal frictions changes, and either it slips and does not cut the insulation or jams and cuts the copper too.
The yellow one serves me for at least a decade now... Sturdy design.
I agree. I've tried almost all brands and the yellow are the best long term solution. Also, with the "yellow" style the blades ARE replaceable.... you can clearly see the torx/hex screws that hold them in place.
What I've done is removed the cutting blades and sharpened them using a diamond stone. This really improves the performance for a tiny amount of effort, however it doesn't really allow you to reduce the pressure on the brass adjustment screw.
+2. I've used several of these auto and manual strippers and the yellow design is the one I will die with. On the one I have the end stop is adjustable or even removable so that is not a concern for me.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I think there are a few makes around. Some good and others not so good. Mine was not so good...
In case it helps someone decide how to choose one based on the "yellow" design, I'll add that mine were made in Taiwan and cost around US$18.
I have been following you for more than a year, but youtube magically recommended this +3 year old video of yours I had missed because I bought a wire stripper two days ago.
I bought an expensive (24 euro) branded "Yellow" and have been stripping every cable I can find like an idiot. Yes, even this expensive one cannot strip "fat" silicone. I have to help it a bit pressing the cutting side... but for all others.. it works like a charm, silicone or not .... but I hadn't realized the "left handed" problem... luckily I'm right handed.
What convinced me is another video by someone else that demonstrated that this "yellow" kind of stripper works for OTHER cables.. RJ45, coaxial, without harming the "inside" cable.. even if these cables are thick, you can squeeze them inside a bit and it works.... and bonus.. the crimpers, if you ever need it.
In summary.. not for fat silicone or lefthanders.. for all the rest... I think they are the best type.
You are right. Mine was defective and, after many feedbacks in this video, I purchased a new on. It works, too.
Kinda missing the swiss army knife in this list... :)
I guess for a hobby user the Toozo are a good and relatively cheap option, but anyone who uses a tool in a professional setting and very regularly, paying for the real Knipex/Stripax tools pays off because these tools last much longer.
I use the stripper on my Bantam all the time.
Bottle opener to 90 degrees. Lift the knife. Put wire in the hole. Lower knife onto wire and gently press until through insulation. Spin knife around wire and pull.
Works great for thicker wires. Gets a bit fiddly with thin wires though.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I have a variant of the "Toy" stripper. Mine is not as flimsy as the one Andreas tried. It has a adjuster at the back of it's "head". But it rarely needs adjusting and automatically adapts to wire sizes. It strips a lamp cord in 3 pulls. Takes off the outer and inner isolations without adjustment. The metal parts are red but the hard plastic is black. The front jaws have 5 jagged rows of teeth each.
Been using this cutter for over 20 years. Nowhere near everyday use so it's not a professional tool.
But if you look for these toy strippers make sure to get the one with the adjuster and black plastic parts.
Great video Andreas! I love my Knipex tools too. =)
Thank you for sharing your experience!
@@AndreasSpiess Glad to help out. =)
I have a red version of the yellow. After many years, it works flawlessly on many different gauges.
@Andreas, I don't think your review of the yellow stripper was fair.
There are quite a few makes of this tool. Some seem to be good, others not.
I have the red version as well. It's really hit or miss. I'm looking to replace mine with a different version. Often I try once with the red version and then grab the manual ones.
@@AndreasSpiess Looks like you started another religious war :)
Agree, I have an Irwin one (blue for arguments sake :)) it works well for me as an electrician. 1mm to 4mm wire. it does struggle alittle though when i use it for appliance wire @0.75mm
Andreas, you are a true scientist. You included a limitation of your evaluation at the end of the video. Thanks for another delightful video.
You are welcome!
I must restore my old Radio Shack strippers one day. They worked really well, but have become all gummed up. They are a combination of manual and automatic, in that there are 4 wire-size positions in the blade (though they'll handle more than 4 sizes IIRC), but they have a wire clamp and work similarly to the automatic ones.
thank you a LOT for this video. My old stripper was ruining 20% of my wires. I bought the Knipex you review, it is just another planet. It works with decision and fluidity. I bougth also Klein hand stripper, it is also very good, but with the Knipex i don't need to apply force so I prefer it. Keep on the good work. It is video like yours that make possible for many hobbist like me, who are fully self taught, to move forward ! 20 years ago i could not have reached the point i am now, there was no internet, there was no youtube.
I am glad the video was helpful. We all profit a lot from the internet and from the cheap parts for our hobby. I love it!
I have the Yellow stripper and it works better than that, you need to adjust it for the wire you need. Also it is fits well in the tool box.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Ideal Stripmaster for the win. Replaceable cutting dies available in almost all wire gauges, plus special dies for specific cables like coax. The dies make square cuts (no scalloping at the end of the cut insulation) and don’t nick the conductors. They’re not even expensive.
I read the first time the name Stripmaster in the comments of this video :-(
With small wires... I just use a lighter to soften the pvc and use my fingers to pull off the pvc coating while soft.
Ten years ago I bought a Weidmuller stripper and to this day I am happy to use it. It works on everything from AWG 28 to 10 and 0.08 mm^2 to 6 mm^2. Equally good for right and left hand.
I rate them too. We use all different types at work and choose them if they are free. Superb tool.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Those yellow ones have an adjustment screw you failed to mention.
Maybe I was too disappointed :-(
@@AndreasSpiess I have some of a similar design. I purchased them about 25 years ago at NAPA auto parts in the states. They are my favorite strippers for small wires.
Also, they work much better without that stop on the right side.
Mine didn't have that.
As a (retired) professional I have been using the same "yellow" Unistripper for what must be over 20 years. It will strip multiple cables in one go from 6 core alarm cable, UK twin and earth cables up to 4mm as well as 6mm singles. Sometimes they need a little "help" with cold 10mm bonding cables but no more than a finger push from the spare (left) hand. I would never use them for just one cable as the side cutters usually already in the hand are by far the fastest, but for multiple cables they are the dog's doodahs.
Incidentally, the slug of insulation left on the wire end after stripping has some very positive benefits.
1) it is rarely possible to strip the cable inside a small enclosure. The slug allows the stripped cable to be passed through a gland or grommet without splaying the strands and
2) by rolling the slug between the finger and thumb as it is pulled off the end of the wire, it presents a perfect twisted end prep for termination. Granted - this would be difficult to perform wearing white cotton gloves ;-)
I have to agree, that they may not appeal to US presidents As a right handed person I think they would work just as well holding them upside down as the right way up.
Love your channel. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Silicone wire is a lot more difficult to strip, so the strippers that failed at 10 awg may be able to strip 10 awg pvc with no issue.
Yellow one has adjustable end stop. Lidl sold the same kind in a kit, just red color. Also you have adjustment for cutting force, which you adjust based on wire size
"Most American units are weird."
What a pleasant sense of humour.
I have purchased the "Toy", the "Yellow" and the "Manual" strippers, and I agree with you entirely. The toy lasted about 10 minutes before they died. I have trouble stripping thinner wire with the yellow, and I don't use thick wire. I am very happy with the manual strippers, and will continue to use them.
I also would not have changed. But I had many viewer voices. So I decided to do this video.
i have the yellow one.. although made by a better brand. its perfect.
I have the RS Components version of the "Toy" strippers that I bought in the late 80s. Using virtually every workday since building and installing control panels, I've only just replaced the cutting jaws. Apart from a regular strip, clean and regrease they've never let me down stripping everything from 0.2 mm to 6 mm cables. Tried other types, end strip, manual strip etc but couldn't get on with them.Seen many imitations of them over the years, seen other workers try the cheap versions and watched them break.I think I paid about £35 for them including the spare blades. My son is into electronics and they are now his go-to tool for stripping cables. But as you say, buy the best of the type that works for you as longevity, ease of use and maintenance are very important in a tool that will be in use everyday.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
OUCH!!, $105 USD + shipping for the Knipex.
Free shipping on KCTool
Thanks Andreas for your review, you helped me choose today the stripper I need. Will go for the Knipex. BTW the replacement blade insert module is about 17€
Thanks for the price tag. I did not research.
I’ll likely still stay with my manual strippers. All manual strippers are not the same, however. The only decent ones I have come from Klein tools. From the name, I’m assuming they are German, or at a minimum German-American. Seems silly that it’s hard to make such a simple tool well, but I’ve never found any better than Klein.
Ziggy Stardog, American. Founded by a German immigrant in 1857...
If you read the comments it is quite obvious why ;-)
I use the knipex stripper both at home and at my work. This is clearly the best choice and after two years of daily use it still works very well.
What you did not cover is the fact that the knipex is (I think) the only cutter that opens the jaws before returning the blades back to the front. Other strippers we have all grab the wires, strip the insulation off, push the stripper blades back to the front (pushing the copper wires out of model) and only then open the jaws. The knipex grabs the insulation, pulls the insulation off and then opens the jaws so you can remove the wires before the blades push back again - a huge advantage if you want to have a nice wire end to work with.
I was not aware of that fact. Thanks!
just a small corrective point ... in english speaking countries we call it 'insulation' - i guess you were thinking of 'isolierung' - i'm sure most people understand though in the end
Thanks. I know it now (after many comments)
still far better than my german auf jeden fall :D
the yellow excels at stripping back insulation in the middle of a wire to tee in a connection. I use them for that and the manual strippers for doing the end of a wire.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I've had two "yellow ones" for quite some time now. One performs almost as bad as the one being reviewed here, the other one performs perfectly fine. (I got the latter, more expensive one first, then bought another, cheaper one after lending the first one to my father).
Chinese "budget-friendly" products are like fortune cookies - you never know exactly what you're going to get.
You are right. They sell a few makes. Some viewers also have a good experience with them.
I mostly use 'Ideal-style' strippers that use a die with different size holes but otherwise work similar to automatic strippers. The only disadvantage to this style is that, like the manual strippers you show, it requires 2 different models in order to get the full range of wire sizes. And at $25-35 each, that adds up.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
i also have the yellow one and it performs fine. sometimes you need to adjust the brass screw.
There seem to be a few different makes available. Good ones and not so good ones
@@AndreasSpiess as always.
There's a good reason for wire stripper to retain some of the insulation on the wire. Then you can lightly twist the wires while you slide the insulation off much neater than if you tried to twist them after pulling off the insulation, or can retain it on a bit longer between processing steps to prevent the wire from fraying.
Thank you for the tip!
Metric cables are simpler in Europe common sizes 0.5 ,0.75,1.0,2.5 ,4.0,6.0
You are missing 10 and 16 wich you will usually see in your main connection to your house.
(Just for the people)
International: IEC 60228 and German : VDE 0295
@@puddinggamez8599 other sizes were not forgotten just my opinion, I regularly work with cable's upto 70mm odd ocasion upto 400mm
@@rogergregory5981 I know i just put it there for other people who might not be accustomed with it, best regards.
@@puddinggamez8599 and what about 25,35,50,75,95,120 mm² ?
Last 4 are very fun to work with... :-P
@@Hobby_Electric Youd only have those for mains and machines eg productionlines but its not as common to use them in normal industry since its not everyday your company would buy bigger machines but nonetheless IEC and VDE got those covered too.
I got so tired of doing carpentry math that I went and ordered a metric measuring tape. I love it!
It is probably easier because of the 10 fingers. But how is it with carpenters? AFAIK they loose fingers sometimes ;-)
Stripping "action" begins around 6:00 mins. Get your dollars bills ready!
Just long enough to pour a Bud and make a sammich.
Great sense of humor. And a very good tool test.
Thank you!
And what about the original PTS4? Seems like the “toy” one, but definitely not a toy. For me the best tool for this kind of job, and it’s the same more than 30 years.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Not sure if the "Toy" looks more like an eagle, or a t-rex.
If I get rid of my isolation, doesn't that mean I won't be alone anymore? :-)
:-)
The FS-D3 seems to be a 1to1 knock-off of an Weidmüller Stripax. My Stripax is now 10 Years old. Still works like a charm.
Yes, Weidmüller is the best. 👍
Which one do you recommend? They sell a few different versions
@@AndreasSpiess The normal "Stripax" without "16" serves me as my 96% device. If you are doing normal repairs and "Unterverteilungen", then it will fit almost all the time. You can do a complete house cabling with just a Stripax and a Knipex 1386200 - and three screwdrivers.
If you are more the Energieanlagen-guy and have more of 10mm^2 , then you should have a look at the Stripax 16. I have only >16mm^2, when i do connect hybrid solar converters to their battery packs or have to redo a burned cabling of my welding machines. All those strippers working from the end can't do silicone cables or braided shielding - there you are back to the "Kabelmesser" or swiss army knive - if the workplace safety guy looks the other way.
@@AndreasSpiess I believe the Knipex multistrip will match as well. The only difference might be the way it holds the isolation not to cut.
Great video again!
Also. Your sense of humour is coming across well now.
Keep it up.
☺
Thank you!
"Best stripper", you sure got a nice clickbait thumbnail XD 10/10 would click again
Usefull yet funny review as allways. Too bad you don’t have wires with plastic insulation, because many of us do and i bet these strippers perform a lot worse with non-silicone insulation.
I used what I have in my lab :-(
Boy oh boy Andreas do you come with some baggage! (Politically correct, left-handed, anti-imperial system with stimulating views of silicon .......). I only hope you find making these videos as cathartic as I find them humourous. A real fillip early on a Sunday morning. Power on you favourite 'guy with the Swiss accent' :) I remember our blue handled diagonal cutters - that lasted for years being (I was going to say stamped but of course that is too crude) 'engraved' with 'Swiss Made' on the shaft (in fact probably hand-signed - they were so expensive).
Richard Wenner what a great response Mr Wenner. Now that comment did rather make me smile and I’m sure Andreas too 😀😁👍🏴
@@deangreenhough3479 Ta Dean. Had the pleasure of meeting AS. Great bloke, fine engineer and impish humour. He did say he would do a 'World Tour' when he achieved 500,000 viewers so do keep linking. (I really don't know where he gets the time).
@Richard: I do what I can. And you will be even more surprised in a few weeks...
For wire stripping I use Knipex. Worth the money. Now a diversion...
Circa 1500 London Mile - 5000 feet (defined in furlongs using the German 'foot' length which was longer than the English).
Statute mile - 5280 feet.
Nautical mile - 6076 feet.
Roman mile - 4852 feet.
Irish Mile - 6720 feet.
Scottish Mile - 5952 feet.
There was also a 'short mile' and long mile. All very straight forward so I can see no reason for confusion. BTW Sign posts (especially older ones) are based on paced measurements so will vary depending on who paced the distances out. So two towns could be actually just over 2 miles apart but one would be signposted as 2 1/2 miles away whilst the other only 2 miles. Accuracy being unimportant.
Interesting. Most of those definitions did not survive...
I love your sense of humor. Like+subscribe.
Welcome to the channel!
ISolation is when you get lost in the Forrest or stranded alone on an island. INsulation is something that separates some thing from something else (i.e. conductive copper wire from other conducting things or to minimize heat transfer). Even though your English is orders of magnitude better than my Swiss/French/German/Italian... I was compelled to point his out.
Having stripped wires for over 40 years, the two manual strippers are the best because they cut the insulation cleanly on a level plane and very seldom leave any nicks or gouges. I generally only use the smaller hole one, because for the few thicker wires I need to strip, you can carefully use the largest hole, but not fully close the jaws and rotate the wire / cutter > 45 degrees. If this does not work well, the originally sharp blades are worn and it is time for replacing the tool. If you get a bargain one of these from China, the blades and holes may not align or be sharp, so spend > $6 ea. or you will be disappointed.
"Fun Fact": US Presidents: of all USA presidents, only 1 was an engineer. After years of negotiations and struggle, both Houses of the US government passed a law to transition the USA to the Metric system over 10 years. Jimmy Carter, the engineer, single handedly killed it.
Thank you for correcting my mistake. Now I know !
But in many european languages it is the same word, ie. in german “isolierung”, in danish “isolering”....
It is sad when you said strippers and American Presidents for the first time. I automatically assumed Trump and his past strippers.
Herr Spiess has a good and clever sense of humor, I do not think this was accidental.
I also thought he meant strippers for people with small hands.
They weren't strippers. One was an adult film actor, and one was a Playboy model. Those are the ones that the (now) pious tRump seems to recognize.
@@MrShobar Oh judging by Trumps past, he probably did go after MANY MANY MANY strippers. He basically shagged everyone in Manhatten when he was younger.
I have a clone of the Knipex stripper with a manual adjustment slider for very thin wires. I only strip thin wires for PCBs / competent hookup. The stripper works perfectly every time for around two years now. Can highly recommend it.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I use the free version. My teeth.
I did when I was young. Now I regret it!
Haha. You will stop when you get copper stuck in your lip. Been there done that.
Oliver Lewin It’s served me well for at least 30 years so far. It’s hard to explain but you sort of “feel” how to strip the wire without damaging the wire itself
@@darktherapy I'd rather use a tool lol. I must strip and terminate a couple of hundred wires a day at least lol.
Oliver Lewin Yes that would make sense to use a tool if that’s what you’re doing every day. But I get by now and then without one.
Nice test.
Usually the manual wire strippers are calibrated for solid wire. Klein explicitly lists both solid and stranded, and the stranded is always one size up from the solid.
The biggest problem with the automatics is slick insulation. US THHN wire designed for sliding through metallic conduit has a very hard, slick outer coating and most automatics can't touch it. Those that can fail on fine wire.
Thank you for the information!
FWIW, Snap-On contracted with Jokari for "re-branded" tools...
one benefit of not removing the insulation completely is if you want to twist the wire for soldering or crimping - if you grab the piece of insulation and twist it as you pull it off it will give you a neatly and tightly twisted wire .
God point. Thank you!
10:05 That's what happens when I try to write with my left hand too.
Thanks for this great review.
You are welcome!
BTW, it's INsulation, not Isolation... And definitely not inSOLation ;-)
Thanks for the correction!
I have a pair of the GreenLee auto wire strippers that are similar to this style. I paid $65.00 for them and as the others, they claim to work on more wire sizes than they actually do. My common size I use in my trade is 10-18 AWG. They fail on 12 AWG so I dare not attempt the 10s.
I love the auto strip, BUT, I noticed the other style auto strippers (not shown) completely sever the insulation, as do the manuals....cutting all the way around, and then pull the wire. I think this style is superior.
The style you demonstrate, only cuts roughly half the insulation and then pull and stretches the remaining intact insulation in a tearing motion, hoping the gripper doesn't start to loose its grip of the main wire insulation. The auto stripper that does the complete job is the Knipex (different style) but it costs almost $160.00.... ouch!
You had me at stripper
It's nice to learn and smile at the same time. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
i never got the chinese "toy" stripper to work in the first place
It is good to know that the American wire sizing is so simple. Since I work for Philips (the Dutch) I have been using metric for about 40 years. And I have NO IDEA what an inch is. Well, I know, but I don’t pay attention to it. Your wire size information was great!! I have a similar chart also. I laughed so hard regarding your description. And I have no idea why the USA has not bitten the bullet and switched to metric completely. It is so stupid of us not to demand a change to a much easier standard.
Changing behavior is not easy for most of us
who needs tools for thin wire stripping? teeth does the trick perfect! ;) pro tip! and it's free?!
Instruction unclear... broke because of dentist bills. No money for strippers anymore.
@@blise518B i said thin wires. xD signal wires, aduino projects, 3D printers. so on xD not house wires.
and yes. i know there are places you cannot get your face too. and as he said in the video. thats the time to use the manuel wire stripper. sure. so automatic for medium wires, knife for huge wires and teeth/manuel for small wires.
I have been using the Jokari strippers for over a year now still strips the same and no problems at all. I only strip PVC wires and then it can cut small wires with (most of the time) with no problem. Larger wires as 2.5mm² (I don't work in AWG) do become a problem over there but that might be out of the stripping spectrum.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I have looked at wire strippers and crimpers from germany and china as well. I found manual ones just work while its hit and miss with automatic. Crimpers are my new favourite from china. Perhaps you can even look at waterproof connectors for outdoor weatherproof iot.
Thank you for sharing your experience! So far I have no plans for waterproof connectors. Good idea!
Andrew, I am busting a gut over your comparison of metric and imperial measuring systems. We “younger” Americans long for the ascendancy of the metric system. (I am 67.) Please keep entertaining and amusing us.
Thank you! I will try...
The one you named "toy" is actually a toy-ified devolution of what used to be a good wire stripper. The original one I know (and still have and use almost daily) I got from Düwi (now part of REV Ritter GmbH, one of the larger DIY hardware store brands in Germany). It has a significantly more complex spring mechanism inside to adjust the gripping force to the wire diameter, and a force adjustment thumbscrew on the back of the "dragon head". No idea whether you can still get these original models nowadays, but there's really a huge difference between that one and the current toy versions.
You are right. I had also a similar one when I was young
I have a similar cutter to the Yellow one, with the same issue. However this can be overcome by wrapping a rubber band around the heads so that the head stays in place until it can grip.
Thank you for the tip!
Well, i don't know what you did, but i have the yellow stripper, and i have no issues stripping a 10AWG sllicone wire. It has an ajustment screw to set a higher clamping force if you are handling thicker gauges. Anyway, i use it for smaller stuff, and i can't say i have any issues with it, for the price and a smaller AWG usecase. still, i see that there might be better alternatives.
If you read the comments it seems there are a few different makes around...
I've been using Jokari strippers for about 7 years now, daily and extensively. The ones shown in this video (20050) and the newer model 20100 are best for AWG26 to AWG 18 and my main tool (Jokari 20060) is best for AWG 22 to AWG 10, also strips the insulation in the middle of the wire (I have removed that red wire stopper). After many years of struggling with Yellow-like ones and accidentally shorting out adjacent wires while stripping with those and other metal wire strippers, I highly recommend the Jokari brand or Molex. Overall, no wire stripper tool is universal for all applications or wire gauge, you need to pick a specific one. Also, don't buy from EBay, quality and warranty is never guaranteed there. I buy them from TME and they come to US in 3 days with DHL for only $10.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
The best stripper (wire) I've ever used, cost $300+ US dollars back in the 80's ! It was required for use when making wire harnesses/assemblies in the aerospace industry. Needless to say it worked perfectly, no nicks even on PTFE !!
A few viewers mentioned the quality needed in the aerospace industry. Great stuff!
@@AndreasSpiess The Ideal Stripmaster doesn't cost 300 dollars today and is used in the aerospace industry.
To test these you have to strip TWICE. This way you can see if the first strip nicked the copper.
Otherwise good test. I'm a retired electrician that used manual strippers for my entire career. I wish I had bought the Knipex from day one, maybe I wouldn't have arthritis at the base of my thumbs.
Thanks for the tip! Of course, you are much more an expert in this matter.
Andreas Spiess ...It provided a good living. I truly wish I had used those from the start. Also, here in the US we use many more wire nuts for connections. Twisting those for a lifetime is no good for your fingers either.
I use the Knipex 12-20-200 and the Hazet 1863 (made in GB not Germany) and have for years they are outstanding. New cutters for the Knipex are $9USD. My son has a set of Felo 62681 that look just like the Jokari except they are yellow. He uses them as I do, professionally, and he likes them a lot. Mostly due to their size. He can reach in tight areas with them and work.
With manual strippers I tend to put in the wire squeeze lightly then release and rotate 1/4 turn and squeeze lightly again and remove. This stops the cutting of the copper wires and even the damaging is them.
Excellent review.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Good comparison, better descriptions, perfect video 👍 Funny and informative. Thank you for sharing 👍
You are welcome!
But the error in the AWG system is that it is a meaningless number that has nothing to do with its actual size much like one of the favourite statements from the USA of "back in the day" what day ? yesterday ? day before yesterday? also meaningless. mm is a much better idea at least it is representative of a reference point.
As I said: Sometimes I like simplicity: A thinner wire has a higher AWG and vice versa. This is sufficient for me.
My Jokari works well after 5 years. Used in home electrics (complete Makeover, mostly 1.5mm^2, some 2.5mm^2) and small electronics projects.
Other than yours it usually takes the stripped insulation completely off the wire. If I want it to stay on I have to interrupt the pressing prematurely.
After around 6 months of regular use on my thicker wires it began to hold the removed insulation in its jars instead of dropping them. That is quite annoying as I have to remove them with a small screwdriver. But it is only an intermittent problem and I got used to it.
Thank you for sharing your experience!