I hung two ceiling fans yesterday, and I was using a dinky manual hand job or questionable quality. It's no fun wrestling with a wire stripper at the top of a ladder.

My purpose would be just for around home and car, occasional use. I see them in Amazon for 6-15$, which is the pos I think I was using, then at the high end over $200, obviously for an electrical pro. I wasn't seeing much in-between, which I thought was a little weird.

So what do you guys like for wire strippers ?

Single edged razor blade.

Been doing aircraft electrical work for more than 30 years and they seem to be the best and easiest to use.

Klein make good hand tools for electrical work and they should fit in your price range.

I have these at work, and I miss them when I need some at home. Best ones I've used yet.

I've seen them branded as both Paladin and Greenlee, FWIW.

Always used my pocket knife, multipurpose tool.

Wire stripper?

quote:

Originally posted by sasquatch28:
Klein make good hand tools for electrical work and they should fit in your price range.

Klein. They make a set for different gauge wires that look like the cheap $8 set you have, but work really well. I've had 2 sets for a few years now and most of their strippers are less than $30. (Much cheaper than the ones in Las Vegas and they last a heck of a lot longer!!!!)

I like These since I do a lot of crimping of butt connectors, but they make all different styles.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kle...-Tool-1001/100647872

I'm in oil & gas, and we have had to outlaw pocket knives, box cutters, razor blades, etc. as impromptu wire strippers for electrical maintenance and construction due to the staggering amount of injuries. During the incident (typically stitches on cut hand, cut fingers, cut legs, cut abdomens, etc) investigation, the #1 reason for using an impromptu tool instead of a wire stripper is, "been doing it that way forever, and I've never cut myself before."

All of my personal wire strippers are old, but I have both the style like Vtoky as well as the jaw type. $15 to $30 spent now will last decades and is much cheaper than a trip to the ER for stitches.

These are by far my favorite.

http://www.kleintools.com/cata...-wire-strippercutter

I only like simple dedicated Crimpers (like these), and simple dedicated Strippers.

The strippers have to be this style, I can't stand ones like this or like this.

(former mobile and home audio and studio installer, fwiw. I've stripped and crimped eleventy kabillion connections over the years)

I have an older set of these. wire strippers

I've also used end cutters to stripe wire. end cutters

Used linesmen pliers in a pinch but really find them to be a PIA to use over other options.

I suggest you use real wire strippers for a couple of reasons.

quote:

Originally posted by barley:
These are by far my favorite.

http://www.kleintools.com/cata...-wire-strippercutter

+1
.

Klein is good.


But this Milwaukee pair is my favorite.

lineman shears or a dedicated tool, the klein's are nice but over kill.

I have a couple like the Milwaukee pair buy they are never around when you need them.

normally I use whatever knife I am carrying with a set of flat dikes.

background, been in telecom for 24 years

I've always used a pair of these.

yup...those....loved the knife that came in the kit as well....you could put a razors edge on it

I am a master electrician and use these every single day, so far the best pair of strippers I have ever found. They will also cut 6-32 and 8-32 screws as well, which are the most common screws for outlets and lights.

Ideal T-Stripper

I like the Klein curves, tried other and keep coming back to these.

https://www.kleintools.com/cat...rcutter-closing-lock

When I first started out in the low voltage industry, my boss was a master electrician. He taught me to use my dyke (diagonal cutting pliers) to strip wires. I can do that for 28ga up to 12ga. Anything larger I will use my utility knife. I can strip up to 6 22ga at the same time to all the same length and leave the stripped insulation barely on to help twisting the strands.

He also showed me how to break in my tools correctly like my pliers. I got my preference for Klein tool from him. Those were all I saw in his bag and those were what I brought.