I like my Klein wire strippers that have curved handles. If I have a lot of wires to strip will use one of the two.old automatic wire strippers that I owned for over 35 years. If I might have to cut a 6/32 or 8/32 screw like to carry the combination wire stripper , screw cutter & so so crimper. Prefer the type that have wire stripper on outboard side if hinged joint. The type where wire stripper is on handle end take longer to install wire.Had to retire an old pair because after stripping thousands of wires became dull and took more pressure to operate. Home Depot list the Ideal #10 to 22 gauge model 45 - 092 automat wire stripper for $29.93 . Old school & prefer to purchase my hand electrical tools from electrical supply house. Reason is they always have them in stock and triple the variety of Insulated screwdrivers then big box stores. Back in the day before THHN/THWN wire came out we would strip insulation on solid #14 12 & 10 gauge TW wire with the serrated jaw on handle end if side cutters. It crushed the insulation to an easy to pull off oval shape.
Wire Strippers
- Thread starter Eddie702
- Start date
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
When I started in the business as an apprentice in the 80's all of my journeymen used their lineman's pliers to strip wires. In fact many only carried two tools, pliers and a screwdriver. They would mock me for using wire strippers.
When I started back in 1970 none of the old time electricians even owned a wire stripper. We only used solid TW wire on #14 to 10 gauge. I have used my linesman pliers to strip wires. Most of the young guys that I worked with did not have the touch to not knick wire when attempting to use their ljnesman.pliers to strip insulation. The old timers that I started out with carried a third tool Square D Wiggies.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Yes the industry has surely changed. I see guys on YouTube using a cordless drill to strip #12 wire. When I started I would wear gloves year round and all day long to keep my hands clean and soft (partially because I was also a guitar player). For that I was constantly being ridiculed. Their favorite line even in the summer was "what's with the gloves are your hands cold"? I won't say what my response was but it had something to do with my girlfriends cat.
James L
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician
Very similar to me in the '90s
The second shop I worked at, several guys there had 30+ years of experience.
Some of them started wiring in the late 1950s
One of them had been in prison for probably 20 years, and had just hired on. He was riding a bicycle back and forth to work, and I think he only owned four tools - Hammer, box knife, screwdriver, and Kleins. He was surprised. I even owned a Phillips screwdriver
Eddie702
Licensed Electrician
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Electrician
I recently rewired some stuff I had done in the 80s. Mostly all metal boxes, boxes mounted with pan head sheet metal slotted screws. No cordless drills back then. I think the first one I bought was a 12 volt Porter Cable in the early 90. Very low on power. I then bought a Milwaukee which I think I had less than a month as it was stolen off a job. Then I bought a cheap Ryobi which lasted forever. I think I had that over 20 years but by then I worked for someone else and they provided a drill so the Ryobi was mostly home use.
I am going to try the old Miller strippers like I started with.
No looking for the right size hole just strip by feel like I used to. Think I have an old pair somewhere.
I am going to try the old Miller strippers like I started with.
No looking for the right size hole just strip by feel like I used to. Think I have an old pair somewhere.
hbiss
EC, New York NEC: 2017
- Location
- Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- EC
You won't be sorry.
When I was doing cable, that's what we all used to strip and prepare RG59 and RG6 for connectors.
I think the only reason I don't use them now is psychological. I changed from electronics technician and cable guy to electrician so I felt I had to use a real electrician's stripper.
-Hal
Last edited:
Seven-Delta-FortyOne
Goin’ Down In Flames........
- Location
- Humboldt
- Occupation
- EC and GC
These. Had em for probably 25 years.
Bought the milwaukees a few years back. Used them for about ten minutes. They are probably on a shelf somewhere. Junk.
On my Kleins I marked the most-used notches with color-coded Sharpies. I can't read those numbers either, and the Klein doesn't have any embossing on them. It's my tool, I can mark it however I want.
I owned two Klein awls back in the 70's to make holes for sheet metal screws. Also had a Klein electricians hammer for banging in roofing nails to attach boxes. Klein hammer had a longer distance from handle to hammer tip to drive roofing nails into 21/8" deep boxes. Ended up with carpal tunnel in my right hand from years of using a screwdriver.
Eddie702
Licensed Electrician
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Electrician
Yeah. I have carpal tunnel in both wrists and some other nerve damage in my left hand which doesn't work to well. Tinnitus in my ears from too much hammer drilling and other aliments.
The Golden Years are fun.
The Golden Years are fun.
My electrician dad lost most of his hearing due to working conditions. Back in the 80's the large plant that I worked for had several noisy areas so I asked my boss to have the nurse make me a custom set of ear plugs. Told me that I didn't need them because I did not work in any noisy areas. That night they called me to look at a double decker
cocoa bean grinder. People in that department all wore heating protection. I refused to work on it because company was too cheap to purchase even disposal foam ear plugs. Next day the nurse made me a set of ear plugs. Same with areas that they washed down every night where they would have 3" of water on the floors. Refused to supply me with company boots saying I did not work in wet areas. When the facilities directory gave me a lecture for refusing work told him that he needs to have my boss who sits in his office all day to get his X ray vision fixed and my health is more important then the company penny pinching on worker safety. Best thing OSHA came in a few years later and because so many workers getting carpal tunnel & other injuries came back with a panel truck to take over 12 medical filing cabinets from nurses office. After that company hired a college grad safety officer. Our electric shop workers all got over a 100 hours of overtime fixing OSHA violations and running power to lift tables & long arms that picked up 100# bags with a vacuum lift.
ELA
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrical Test Engineer
What a fun trip down memory lane. I had forgotten that we only used our Kleins to strip wire back in the 70s as a young apprentice/electrician.
I was also pretty good at that but would not be able to say I never nicked a wire.
I later went into electronics and over the years accumilated many different stripper types. Having to strip a lot of smaller gauge wires got tricky with the Kleins. Never did try stripping my 30awg prototyping wire with them
delaware74b
Member
- Location
- Delaware, USA
Those are the cat's meow. Sharpest set of cutters I've seen on a set of strippers. I upgraded to those after the blue grips split down the handles on my last set of Southwire strippers. I'm replacing all my hand tools to Knipex.I use the these from Knipex.
Knipex Forged Wire Stripper, 8 in, Cordless 13 72 8 | Zoro
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electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
- Occupation
- Electrician
"cordless" LOL