I need some high-quality wire strippers

LEDBE
high-side

high-side

Newly Enlightened
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Hi all,:wave:
Can someone recommend a good quality set of wire strippers?
I'm using 24-26 gauge wire w/ teflon insulation for most of my light mods, and that insulation is kind of tough to strip clean.
Thanks.
 
I'll second the Stripmaster style in the link above. In the navy I was trained to do repairs to nuclear reactor control systems where a single nick on a small wire would ruin the job. This style of stripper was the only kind we were allowed to use. It holds the wire while it pulls off the insulation. It protects both the wire and the reamining insulation from damage. And you can get interchangable dies to fit most models for specialized stripping needs.
 
Thanks for the recommendations guys.
If the Ideal strippers are good enough for Aerospace and working on Nukes, I imagine they should be good enough for flashlights.;)
The thermal strippers are just a bit out of my price range...
 
Thanks for asking about this. I have been putting up with some lame generic strippers that I hate using so much I just cut-roll the wire under an Xacto blade.

LOL....I tried to get a better understanding of what the Stripmaster looked like, and how it works....and this was the "less than informative" pdf on the above Ideal website link.

Now you have to decide which range of sizes Hmmm. It seems 14-22 AWG is a good starting point?

I also am seeing there are these $33 ones, and also some ones for $175 ??? I'm hoping you guys are talking about the $33 category???
 
I have an older version of Matco automatic wire stripper. I like it very much. The closest I could find on the web site was WS1895, it looks like an upgraded version of it.
 
LuxLuthor said:
....I tried to get a better understanding of what the Stripmaster looked like, and how it works....I also am seeing there are these $33 ones, and also some ones for $175 ??? I'm hoping you guys are talking about the $33 category???
Click to expand...
Of course for the nuke work we used the $175 versions, but for my personal use I purchased the $30 version. Functionally they are the same and for any normal use there is not any difference. The only real difference I was ever able to see was that the cutting dies on the nuke grade ones were slightly different. They had a feature where they would interlock as they came together to ensure they were exacly aligned as the cut was made. And the grinding on the dies was probably more precise.

As for how they work: In the "at rest" position the two sides are together and the top and bottom parts on each side are spread apart. One side has a set of grippers, the other side has the set of cutting dies. The dies have multiple openings for the various size wires. The first picture in your link shows putting the wire in the die. The end you want to strip goes to the die side, the long part of the wire goes to the gripper side. As you start squeezing the handles, the gripper side moves first and clamps down on the wire. Then the two halves of the die come together and cut the insulation. As you keep squeezing the two sides seperate, puling the insulation off the end of the wire. (2nd picture) At the end of the stroke, as you are releasing the handles, there is a little cam that momentarily delays the two sides coming together to allow the gripper halves to seperate and release the wire. (3rd picture) This lets you move the wire out of the way before the sides come back together so you don't "birdcage" the strands on the end of the freshly stripped wire. This is sorta done automatically because as the gripper releases the wire, the die side mostly stays stationary and the gripper side moves to meet it.

This may sound complicated and difficult to use, but it's actually very simple. In reality it's just a matter of laying the wire in the right sized slot on the cutting die, then a quick squeeze and release and you're done. About the only disadvantage is the size, those small scissor style stripper tips can sometimes get to areas the bigger stripmaster style can't.
 
Ray, thanks for your generous offer. I just bought a pair from Tool Shed on everyone's recommendation, so I should be all set. Isn't it amazing though that for such a highly regarded item, there is no detailed/closeup photos or even a meaningful PDF....showing function...blade replacements, etc.??

Don, I think I understand from your description, and what is the difference between the two. I was mainly trying to see visually what was in the $175 version....hoping it was something more than a "Fleece The Taxpayer" version of items I saw often in my U.S. Navy years. I also wondered if there is a fixed strip length, as sometimes I need really short for JST crimp pins, and other times longer lengths.

One other question....about wire cutters. I have been using these (170M & 1178M) Xcelite clippers because I like the pointed, precise cutting tips...but notice they dull easier than I expected. Then again, they are cheap enough buying more is not a big problem....but thought I would see what you guys use for wire cutters. (I'm not asking for use on solid wire--have that covered). Thanks again!
 
Last edited:
LuxLuthor said:
One other question....about wire cutters. I have been using these (170M & 1178M) Xcelite clippers because I like the pointed, precise cutting tips...but notice they dull easier than I expected. Then again, they are cheap enough buying more is not a big problem....but thought I would see what you guys use for wire cutters. (I'm not asking for use on solid wire--have that covered). Thanks again!
Click to expand...

My personal favorite right now is my Erem cutter. I use it for delicate cutting. It's my favorite for cutting resistor leads, as it doesn't make them flay across the room, and it cuts very flush to the PCB easily.

Also, excellent for cutting wire. ;)

-Ed
 
Stripmasters with the DIE type cutters is one way (you get the right size die - either E or EE depending on which thickness of insulation). The knife type blades are not rated for "Military" work.

The other option (and a GOOD one) is No-Nik strippers. They used to be sold under the Klaus brand, but now they seem to be sold under the Ripley Miller brand name. If anything, for small gage stuff, they worked BETTER than stripmasters, but you need a seperate stripper for every gage of wire (at like $30 each)
 
I have used a pair of RadioShack wire strippers much like the Stripmaster version above for 30 years. I have a few other models also.

RadioShack has several similar models available:
http://www.radioshack.com/
Kronus™ Automatic Wire Stripper
$16.99 Model: 64-2982 Catalog #: 64-2982

This model looks like the Stripmaster link:
Kronus™ Automatic Wire Stripper
$13.99 Model: 64-2981 Catalog #: 64-2981

Remember the old neighborhood RadioShack store when looking for tools and equipment. While quality and price varies somewhat I have been often pleasantly surprised.
 
RE The Radio Shack stripmaster clones. They are very very good as replacements for "normal" stripmasters

Then there are the "Custom" stripmasters. These have a very specific market - defense/aerospace work. You see, there are a couple of problems in doing that kind of work

1) You want to strip the length very consistantly. They have an adjustable depth stop, so that you can put in the wire "just the right amount" - BTW that right amount tends to vary on the wireman's technique, and what he is doing with the wire - if it's being soldered to a hook on a relay, it's one thing, if it's going into a pin to be crimped for a connector, it can be something else

2) You usually want the 'slub' (the piece of the insulation that you are taking off) to remain on the end of the wire, to prevent the wire from fraying while you strip say, the other 100 wires for the connector, plus you use the slub to put the right twist back on the wire. Pulling the insulation off thens to untwist the wire slightly

3)99% of the "normal" stripmasters you will see have "knife" type blades. This works fine for all the various PVC type insulations and the like. TEFLON insulation (600v type 'E" or 1000 volt type "EE") tends to stretch a bit if you don't cut RIGHT down to the wire strands. The knife units leave a little space between the wire and the blade (mfg tolerance). The DIES (notice I didn't say blades) for the Custom Stripmasters are a LOT tighter tolerance, and are DIFFERENT for "Type E" and "Type EE" wire (which has very strict tolerances on not only the wire, but the insulation). Properly adjusted, they NEVER leave one of those little tails, which could get crimped into a connector, and cause a failure down the road. Those dies cost a LOT more than a whole stripmaster with a knife type cutter, but only make sense if you are working with Teflon E or EE wire

I have both downstairs - a regular pair of radio shack clones, and 2 pairs of custom stripmasters. Back when (in the 80s) I worked as an electronic tech for a company that was still building electronics for the Navy that had serious wiring harnesses in them. Techs were NOT allowed to do ANY wiring, but eventually, I ended up running the environmental test lab, where we built a LOT of test fixtures. Usally I had a "prototype wireman" at my beck and call, but I had a lot of my own tools. About 2 years after I left the company, they were going out of business, and I went back to visit (I left on VERY good terms with them) - the President of the company handed me a whole BUNCH of tools, including the 2 pairs of stripmasters
 
Hehe, my OLD RadioShack strippers have a number of adjustments, a strip gauge, and a stroke limit but I don't know what the new ones have.
 
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