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Best Wire Strippers for small AWG Electronic Repair in 2022?
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tooki:

--- Quote from: Someone on July 13, 2022, 05:05:45 am ---Their valued patent was for segmented blades that conform around the wire, completely automatic, no size adjustment., single action stripping of multiple conductors.

While that is still available as a "stripax", Weidmuller also sell a bunch of u/v or straight blade strippers under the same branding/look so it gets very confusing unless you actually talk about the specific stripping technology. Just like a curie point soldering iron /= "metcal" type as they brand all sorts of things now.

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Can you give an example of a model with the segmented blades? I don’t think I’ve ever seen them.


--- Quote from: Someone on July 13, 2022, 05:05:45 am ---However, "automatic" seems to be bandied about with no caution :P 30 posts in and still the communication is just shouting random words that no-one agrees on the meaning of ....

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That is a good point! I can think of various aspects of automaticness (somehow, that invented word seems more apt than “automation” :p )
- automatic wire size adjustment vs. set-once (like the yellow CK ones) vs. selecting the right opening on each use (like with the Klein and Ideal ones shown)
- how much adjustment does the cutter need, even in “automatic” ones like Stripax.
- “one squeeze” operation to cut and pull off the insulation
- fully automatic (no squeeze) stripping where wires are inserted by hand (not covered in this thread)
- industrial full automatic where a machine does it without human intervention
Someone:

--- Quote from: tooki on July 13, 2022, 06:22:45 am ---
--- Quote from: Someone on July 13, 2022, 05:05:45 am ---Their valued patent was for segmented blades that conform around the wire, completely automatic, no size adjustment., single action stripping of multiple conductors.

While that is still available as a "stripax", Weidmuller also sell a bunch of u/v or straight blade strippers under the same branding/look so it gets very confusing unless you actually talk about the specific stripping technology. Just like a curie point soldering iron /= "metcal" type as they brand all sorts of things now.
--- End quote ---
Can you give an example of a model with the segmented blades? I don’t think I’ve ever seen them.
--- End quote ---
The current model 9005000000 uses them 0.08-10mm² AWG 28-8. Going back through stock here, they don't have model numbers printed on the units so its hard to determine. But 2 stripax's: 0.08-6mm2 AWG 28-10, and an 80's 0.5-4.0mm2 AWG 20-11, both have the same design of segmented blades pivoted at length and held against a conforming/rubber pad. It was the defining characteristic, that made them work so superior to all other options.

... that said the Panduit ST-100 claims a single automatic range of 0.03-16 mm2 with an unknown blade method, and Molex 63817-0000 with a "straight" blade claims 0.05-10.00 mm2 AWG 34-8
wraper:

--- Quote from: tooki on July 12, 2022, 10:14:06 pm ---One caveat with the Stripax-style strippers, especially the Knipex model I suggest above: the blades are fairly delicate. DO NOT strip anything but copper wire with them, DO NOT attempt to strip wire larger than the maximum, and DO NOT let kids or careless adults play with them. I’ve seen new blades get ruined in under a week by careless people who play around with tools and clamp down on steel wire or a component or whatever “for fun”.

In the hands of a careful person they’ll last a long time.

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Knipex Multistrip 10 looks similar to Stripax on a first glance but is not even close (I own both). Total trash which is often sold for more than Stripax. Complete waste of money. I suspect their newer PreciStrip16 may be OK by its looks and considering it's  adjustable but would not take chances spending money on Knipex stripper.
ajb:
We have a bunch of Xcelite SAS 3210, aka Pressmaster 4320-0612 wire strippers at work, and they do quite nicely down to 28AWG (the smallest we use), and have exchangeable cartridges with V blades for PTFE wire.  Biggest downside is that the strip length adjustment is too coarse and the notches leave a bit too much wiggle room, so it takes some finesse to get consistent length strips for small terminals.

https://www.tme.com/us/en-us/details/pr.embla0612/strippers-for-wire-cable/pressmaster/4320-0612/

Those style, or in fact any style of automatic stripper I've ever seen, has a significant downside when it comes to dealing with multiconductor cable because of the amount of space the gripper at the front takes up, so it's worth having a good pair of scissor-style strippers on hand as well (this style, if not this particular pair: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JVJDIA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1)

For household work, these are my goto: https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/combination-cutting-tools/pliers-all-purpose-needle-nose-pliers-crimper-85-inch  They have exactly the features you want for standard North American residential wiring, and are way better pliers than any other pair of conventional strippers, so better for dealing with stubborn boxes and wires. 


--- Quote ---The kind I have been using for short, precise stripping lengths are the CK precision ones like the one in the attached photo. They come both in a few ranges of adjustable (with the 330013 covering exactly the range you want) or single fixed wire gauges. (Note that the mm sizes on those are diameter, not cross sectional area, and that the AWG numbers are for solid wire. Stranded wire is 2 gauges larger in terms of stripping size, e.g. a 22AWG stranded wire is the same diameter as 20AWG solid, so use a 20AWG stripper.) What I love about these is that the strip depth stop can be set extremely small, and without fixed steps (like Stripax and co, which are in 1mm steps). The downside is that it’s not automatic, and that they’re in extremely short supply right now. I ordered one in November and it finally came in April. They are sold under many other brand names, some with better availability, but at higher prices.

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I came across those a few months ago and they looked like exactly what I wanted, but yeah, supply is hard to find lately.  Beware of the knockoffs available on Amazon, they look the part, but the depth stop just slides around willy-nilly and is completely useless.  I ended up finding them at McMaster, albeit with a ridiculous leadtime, and eventually they just cancelled that order.  Looks like Newark has stock now, though.
bflores:
Thank you for all, for the recommendations.   I got a few of them in, and I am ready for some personal testing, to see what I personally prefer.  I invested close to $200 on all of these.  I didn't have the stomach to purchase a $200-$400 individual tool.  I'll use these new tools for a bit, and chime in with my hobbyist 2 cents.  Thanks again for all the recommendations!

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