Recommendations for self-adjusting wire stripper

[3157Trexx]

I've been looking for a self-adjusting wire stripper to save some time while building our team's electrical board, any recommendations?

[philso]

The one in the link below is similar to the ones our production staff use at work.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-Stripmaster-10-22-AWG-Wire-Stripper-45-292/202819657

[Mike Marandola]

I don't have them yet but I have played with the Irwin pair in the store and they have pretty good build quality for the price. They have great Amazon reviews too. (http://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Self-Adjusting-Stripper-2078300/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1418104599&sr=1-2&keywords=self+adjusting+strippers&pebp=1418104628494)

[omsahmad]

The one in the link below is similar to the ones our production staff use at work.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-Stripmaster-10-22-AWG-Wire-Stripper-45-292/202819657

I second one similar to these. In my opinion they work better then other self adjusting wire strippers, but note its large size make it difficult to stick into tight spots.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I like the Home Depot strippers. Be advised that there are good ones and bad ones using this design. One of them is marketed under the Ideal Tool name that seems to be the better of the bunch. I do not like the Amazon strippers as they tend to pull some strands and generally squeeze the insulation. I have a small pair of standard wire strippers that I use at work. I think they came from McMaster. They are Ideal T-Strippers, #45-318. Not self adjusting but simple graduated strippers that have a locking closer and grippers at the ends that are like pliers.

[MichaelBick]

We have gotten mcmaster part# 7221K24. It's expensive but it's a really great stripper.

[Hope O'Connor]

they're kinda pricy but check out Phoenix Contact. After using one of their strippers for a project I hate using any other kind.

[StevenCain]

Tractor Supply had one for fifteen dollars last year. I didn't get to test then out.

[Labman]

I can vouch for Klein Katapult 11063. They are not self adjusting but strip perfectly. Home Depot used to sell them, now find them on Amazon for $29.25.

I wish someone made an easy stripper for the AWG 6 battery cables. Anyone have ideas?

[tr6scott]

We just got a used set of the WEIDMULLER STRIPAX and really like the depth gauge, and it can strip very fine to 10ga, but does require tension adjustment between the two extremes. Along with this we also received a PZ-6 roto ferrule crimper and ferrules donated by our local Weidmuller rep, when I talked to him about issues we were having with spider legs and the new Weidmuller connectors being used.

Both these tools can be used with stripper and crimper in line with the wire, as opposed to 90 degrees to the wire. I was shocked how nice this feature is when trying to get into tight spots on the bot, it does make a difference in this use.

[Tungrus]

I had hard time figuring ferrule sizes, what do you use for 12, 14 and 16 AWG wires? Thanks.

[Chexposito]

I had hard time figuring ferrule sizes, what do you use for 12, 14 and 16 AWG wires? Thanks.

Check digikey, they size by wire gauge.

[gurellia53]

I don't have them yet but I have played with the Irwin pair in the store and they have pretty good build quality for the price. They have great Amazon reviews too. (http://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Self-Adjusting-Stripper-2078300/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1418104599&sr=1-2&keywords=self+adjusting+strippers&pebp=1418104628494)

+1

I found these at Lowes. If I remember correctly they were in the pliers section, not the wire stripper section. I haven't put them through a ton of use, but I've stripped some 14 gauge and been very satisfied so far.

[philso]

I wish someone made an easy stripper for the AWG 6 battery cables. Anyone have ideas?

Use a utility knife or a cable slitter like the one below. The video in the link shows how to use it properly.

http://www.grainger.com/product/WESTWARD-Cable-Slitter-1YMZ9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3TnvUT5Bls


Otherwise, you could use one of these:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100961862719407130044/albums/6099819280228373393/6099819286395518898?pid=6099819286395518898&oid=100961862719407130044
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100961862719407130044/albums/6099819280228373393/6099819301804185586?pid=6099819301804185586&oid=100961862719407130044

The cable is inserted into the silver coloured port at the bottom of the second picture. Two seconds later, the cable jacket is slit without nicking the conductors. We use it for 6AWG up to 500MCM.

[Jim Wilks]

We just got a used set of the WEIDMULLER STRIPAX and really like the depth gauge, and it can strip very fine to 10ga, but does require tension adjustment between the two extremes.

Once you try premium strippers like these, you just won't go back to the cheapo ones again.

[Domtech]

I have used both the home depot ones and the irwin ones.

The home depot ones are not that impressive, while our team has liked the Irwin ones so much the we bought a 2 pairs after using a members for a while.

Once properly adjusted they will take the sheathing of cat 5 with one squeeze and strip all 8 strands with the second squeeze.

The main thing that our team likes about it though, is that it will strip both sides of 12 awg zip-cord at the same time. And with the stop it lets you keep the stripped amount consistent for your whole robot.

[Mr. Lim]

We've had all brands and styles of wire strippers in our lab and have settled on one as being the best we've seen so far (and by a lot).

The Ideal brand Grip and Strip is the only one we buy now. It seems like everything else is a waste of money.

We standardised on 12 and 18 gauge wire on the robot, and it strips both nicely.

They are very student-proof, and don't over strip causing weak connections.

[tr6scott]

I had hard time figuring ferrule sizes, what do you use for 12, 14 and 16 AWG wires? Thanks.

http://www.clrwtr.com/PDF/Weidmuller/Weidmuller-Tool-Accessories.pdf

I had a hard time finding it to in Weidmuller site.

I also just checked with our purchasing guy at the shop, and it seems we use ZF ferrules as the shop consumables, as the ZF products are about the 1/3 of the cost of the Weidmuller.

http://www.zf-usa.com/ferrules/

It appears that their tools look very similar to the Weidmuller line, and our Weidmuller distributor is also the Z+F distributor.

I have both ferrules on my desk at the moment, and can not tell them apart.

[2508electronics]

My team has the good old fashioned ones with the different sized holes but since I am the only one that does wiring, I just bring my own wire strippers in. I have the Gardner Bender Wire Strippers. They are small and durable and work very well unless I touch the end of the wires after eating pizza because of the grease. A few tries then and it strips no problem. They work from 10g up to about 26-28g wire. I got them at Menards for about $20. Oh and it also has wire cutters and crimping for the standard red, blue and yellow connectors along with larger bare connectors (I think it is 4-8g bare connectors)

http://www.gardnerbender.com/en/gs-394

[JDL]

Ideal Stripmaster's. Every industrial control panel shop has like a hundred of them laying around, they are the goto.

The Klein version the orange box sells are ok but the handles come off, I bought one to try and after the first terminal cabinet I had to glue them back on.

[adityaag]

I don't have them yet but I have played with the Irwin pair in the store and they have pretty good build quality for the price. They have great Amazon reviews too. (http://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GRIP-Self-Adjusting-Stripper-2078300/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1418104599&sr=1-2&keywords=self+adjusting+strippers&pebp=1418104628494)

We've got the Irwin ones this year. They're amazing.. changed my life.

[electroken]

Call me old-school... my personal favorite:

http://www.claussco.com/product/375762/ACM18651/_/7.5%22+Ti+Wire+Stripper?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=adwords_pla&os=pla&m=3980&c=6&gclid=CNTqv_TxmMMCFVU8gQodzgoAew