[zenfishbike]

I'm tired of these cheap wire strippers that don't cut accurately through the insulation and/or cut into the wire. Please recommend ones that really work right the first time, pro grade I would imagine? Cost not an issue, can't put a price on my sanity! Thanks!

[Peter J]

I have a fair collection of oddball stuff. My next ones will be Knipex. Nice German made stuff.

https://www.knipex.com/products/wire-strippers-and-stripping-tools

Either  these:
https://www.knipex.com/products/wire-strippers-and-stripping-tools/knipex-multistrip-10-automatic-insulation-stripper/knipex-multistrip-insulation-stripper/1242195

or these:

https://www.knipex.com/products/wire-strippers-and-stripping-tools/knipex-wirestripper-wielofunkcyjne-szczypce-dla-elektryk%C3%B3w-model-ameryka%C5%84ski/knipex-wirestrippermultifunction-electrician-pliersamerican-style/13718

I've had a pair of Thomas and Betts for something like 30 years, but they just don't perform as well as they once did. I've probably got all the good out of them and certainly my money's worth.

https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-WT2000-Crimping-Strippers/dp/B00193IBQM/ref=asc_df_B00193IBQM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309735728871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12518088355241810662&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029601&hvtargid=pla-524304799828&psc=1

[mlundy57]

The multistrip 10 looks like a good option. My self-adjusting strippers work fine for 16ga and up but the smaller the wire, the less effective they are. They really don't like the individual strands of the speaker wire. I'm going to give these Knipex a try.

Thanks for the tip Peter

Mike

[mkrawcz]

This is what I use. If your stripping Teflon wire like the GR-Research speaker wire. You need something like this design. Although the first one Peter linked looks like a really good option.
https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-wire-stripper-and-cutter-56266.html

[Folsom]

Haven’t used an auto tool that doesn’t knick wire or worse.

If you have repeats dialing these in are great. You can wire that is otherwise really difficult.

https://www.kctool.com/knipex-11-02-160-6-3-wire-insulation-strippers-multigrip/

If an automatic were to work well it would probably be this.

https://www.kctool.com/knipex-12-12-02-precision-wire-insulation-strippers-with-adapted-blade-awg-32-14/

I have a metric version of some Knipex that strip below the pivot. Haven’t seen same thing in non-metric. These could be good if you only need larger sizes.

https://www.kctool.com/knipex-13-72-8-forged-wire-strippers-8-multigrip/

[Folsom]

This is what I use. If your stripping Teflon wire like the GR-Research speaker wire. You need something like this design. Although the first one Peter linked looks like a really good option.
https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-wire-stripper-and-cutter-56266.html

I hate those. That style sucks. The Knipex does not have their stupid “grip” to seperate that works like donkey shit. You’re better off using non-auto vs those.

[Norman Tracy]

Good strippers are worth the extra money.

Opps, that statement can be taken a couple of ways.  Clarifying WIRE strippers.

The point is to get the insulation off and not nick the wire in the process. In industry we prioritize that depending on application. An electrician is taught as an apprentice to strip ROMEX quickly with his diagonal cutters because nicks in the conductor do not matter in the low vibration environment of a house or building. An aerospace mechanic caught using diagonal cutters to strip will get written up and sent for retraining. Nicked conductors in a 737 high vibration environment are the point where the copper will tend to break after hours and hours of vibration.

And of course that intangible satisfaction the craftsman gets when a tool is exactly right of the job at hand.

Peter J's and Folsom's recommendations are good ones I concur with for mechanical strippers. Above that one gets into the wire gauge specific types with cutting dies sized to the wire.

zenfishbike did say cost not an issue so for completeness lets talk about thermal strippers. On this type a set of purposely too dull to nick the copper blades are heated red hot and melt the insulation off the wire. Insert wire, close blades, they heat and the insulation is removed as you pull the wire out.

I have an older workhorse version of this guy. The white grip closes the jaws, red buttons turns on heater.



$525 at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Teledyne-Thermal-Wire-Stripper-Stripall/dp/B01FFV9XGU/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B01FFV9XGU&psc=1

Where thermal strippers really shine is every electronics assembly technicians most hated insulation, Teflon. If you're doing a bunch of Kimber TC or GR speaker cables this is your new favorite tool. If you've worked with Teflon/PTFE insulation you've experienced how mechanical strippers tend to stretch it out over the wire or leave strands of Teflon on the copper. And how this varies with brand or even color of the PTFE being stripped. Not an issue with thermal stripper.

Downsides of thermal strippers are:

• Blade end gets very hot, the blades want to brand you or light your bench on fire. Like using a soldering iron, with out a holder. Or maybe not, soldering iron tips don't glow bright cherry red in use.
• Smoke. You're melting plastic. PTFE is not too bad. PVC VERY BAD like I think this smoke is killing me bad.
• Not useable for all wire types (see PVC comment). Best stripper for PTFE, makes sticky burned stinky mess out of PVC.
• With some wires the removed insulation sticks to the hot blades. I use an Xacto to remove it after a few cuts.

Amazon and other have less expensive thermal strippers I have not tried. I for one welcome reviews of anyone who has.
https://www.amazon.com/PATCO-Thermal-Wire-Stripper-PTS-30/dp/B00R3R8E6U
another C-note gets temp control
https://www.amazon.com/PATCO-Thermal-Wire-Stripper-PTS-300/dp/B00U9BWVZ2/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Patco&qid=1652909653&sr=8-7

[Norman Tracy]

This is what I use. If your stripping Teflon wire like the GR-Research speaker wire. You need something like this design. Although the first one Peter linked looks like a really good option.
https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-wire-stripper-and-cutter-56266.html

I have a set like these, different manufacturer but look identical. Not quite the hatred Folsom has. But they are very wire specific. On some its magic how quickly and easily they strip. Then another brand of the same AWG cable, and it all goes bad. Mine work pretty good on Kimber TC but other Teflon cable and all they do is stretch the insulation.

This thread certainly illustrates how craftspersons develop strong opinions on our tools!

[zenfishbike]

WOW! What great responses and now what a great resource! Thanks everyone, from me and for everyone else who may find this useful in their journey.

[AKLegal]

These auto adjust for wire gage. The best tool purchase I have made in the last two years.

https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-VISE-GRIP-2078300-Self-Adjusting-Stripper/dp/B000OQ21CA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3K6SEXNDLBCGW&keywords=irwin+wire+stripper&qid=1652928645&sprefix=irwin+wire%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-3

[mlundy57]

The Knipex multi-strip 10 came in today. Unless I'm doing something way wrong, they don't work worth a flip on the 16ga speaker hookup wire. My cheap ones work much better.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

One thing I've noticed about polyethylene is that its a bit more flexible than PVC found on most wires, making it a pain to use at times, where its more likely to stretch it than strip it.
While PVC tends to leave a clean break

[mlundy57]

One thing I've noticed about polyethylene is that its a bit more flexible than PVC found on most wires, making it a pain to use at times, where its more likely to stretch it than strip it.
While PVC tends to leave a clean break

OK. But for $100, if these don't work any better than this, they are going back.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

I dont blame you one bit. It should definitely be better than that for $100

[timind]

I have used a pair of these for years https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-69-Dial-Stripper/dp/B00004T7WR and love them.



Mine are 20 years old so I just ordered a new pair. Hope they're same quality as the old ones. These are for small wires mainly. I don't like the strippers that pull, never work well for me.

[mlundy57]

I’m looking at the thermal strippers Norm mentioned

[Early B.]

I use this cheap one:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01018CX46/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It works 95% of the time. It's the 5% that makes you want to toss it in the trash, but based on the comments here, even the expensive ones aren't foolproof. 

[mlundy57]

I've returned the Knipex and ordered a PATCO PTS-40 thermal stripper  https://patcoinc.net/products/pts-40/



Lets give this a try.

[Early B.]

I've returned the Knipex and ordered a PATCO PTS-40 thermal stripper  https://patcoinc.net/products/pts-40/
Lets give this a try.

Since the largest size this one will handle is 16ga, what stripper will you use for 10 - 14ga?

[mlundy57]

Since the largest size this one will handle is 16ga, what stripper will you use for 10 - 14ga?

I don't use 10 - 14ga individual wires for anything speaker / electronics related anymore. The only thing I use in those gauges is romex and I'll use regular strippers for that.