Our lead electrician has devised a method for one person to put cables in wago connectors. What are your thoughts? How does your team do it?
I am the lead Electrician of my team and I tell the people on my team it takes two people; one to open the hole and the other to put the wire in
I hold the Wago Tool with my chin. Same idea 
I am also the lead electrician; we often use the method shown in the photo. However, if possible, I find it a lot easier to pop the connector into a port on the PDB or sidecar, then open the ports. It holds it for you quite nicely.
It does take three hand-using operations, but only two of them are necessary at a time. Hold the connector and push the tool/screwdriver in: the clamp opens up. Let go of the tool and you can use the now-free hand to insert the wire. Hold the wire in place with the same hand that’s holding the connector and pull the tool/screwdriver out: the clamp closes and the connection is made.
If you’re “prying” the clamp open, you’re not pushing the tool in far enough (it might be too wide to fit).
I usually place the white WAGO connectors (which I hate, just saying) on a hard surface like the table or a solid robot part, then use one hand to hold the tool and another to insert the wire.
I either push the screwdriver against the robot frame or hold it in my mouth(probably not good but it works :P).
I like to make it easy by sticking it in a vice, but I can do it by myself in the air if need be. Just hold the WAGO connector against your hip. Tricky, but it can be done.
I do this. Never had an issue with it.
I usually hold the wago connector with one hand then hold the wire against the screwdriver with the end in the closed connector in the other. Then when the hole is open I slide the wire down the screwdriver into the hole. Takes some practice but it works well once you do it a few times.
Guys,
You know if you use an Xcellite green screwdriver, (a green tweaker in my job) then you simply insert the blade and twist to hold open the retention springs. Insert the wire, and then turn and remove the screwdriver.
We started using the Wago 734-231 tool that I got from work. We recently started using a Wago connector like the ones used on the Solenoid Breakout and the Analog Breakout so we had a bag of them and will be getting more.
https://eshop.wago.com/JPBC/0_5StartPage.jsp;jsessionid=8674E305DFD98A45B4E26E608DC1C7D0
When I get to our build site later today, I will post some pictures showing how to use it properly since it is not intuitive. Using the tool the most obvious way is no better than digging around with a small screw driver. It was a revelation for us when we were shown how to use it properly.
You use one hand to hold the connector and the tool (opening the jaws in the process) and insert the wire with the other hand. The long shaft will also work for the Wago connector on the +5Vdc connection on the PDB. It will NOT work for the large Wago connectors on each side of the PDB that are for the various 12Vdc power connections.
It is pretty inexpensive ($0.26) but all the companies that I have found selling it have minimum order values of $15-$50 plus shipping in the order of $15. If you find a place to buy them, get a bunch. Last week, our Production staff installed 5 circuit boards, each with about 24 connections and broke 2 of these tools.
Most people don’t push the screwdriver in far enough to lock the WAGOs in the open position.
Push the screwdriver into the connector firmly as you are prying it open.
You should actually be pushing in harder than you prying.
Eventually the screwdriver will “bottom out” and you can let go of it.
The screwdriver will STAY in the WAGO by itself, without having to hold it there, and the connector will be held in the open position. Hands-free!
+1 for Al, Mr. Lim and Alan
This is clearly the “right tool for the right job”. Owning and using the right tool makes it easy and **“WILL NOT DAMAGE THE CONNECTOR!” **
(linked to the tool) will NOT work for the large Wago connectors on each side of the PDB that are for the various 12Vdc power connections.
Which is why you get a second tool for those connectors. :rolleyes:
Just stop and think for a second. An engineer, one that has most likely been in FIRST, designed and developed that connector. Do you really think they would have made it a two person operation -or- required you to jam it against your hip or face?
The 2015 control system doesn’t use the small wago connectors. They are replaced by tool-less push-in connectors from Weidmuller. These are the same connectors used on the 2CAN. They require a little practice to get the wire stripped to the correct length, and the wire must fairly straight (too many insertions and removals may require starting over), but should remove the need for inexperienced people to use their forehead or chin.
The following is a link to some photos showing how to use the Wago 734-231 tool. We are finding that it opens the connector up more than sticking in a screwdriver.
https://plus.google.com/photos/100961862719407130044/albums/5981229628216165697
It is not clear what point you are trying to make. The tool we are using is the tool that Wago recommends for that connector. They recommend a different tool for their larger connectors.
I find that if you get it in right, the wago tool will stay in place well enough for you to put the wire in with your wago-ing hand. It’s still a pain, though.