Suggestion for wire stripper for small gauges

[coppice]

I'm quite pleased to report that I received my $0.99 strippers (automatic) from AliExpress today, and it gives me even greater pleasure to stick my tongue out at @tooki and the other naysayers and say "You were wrong! Wrong wrong wrong!".

I have tried a number of that type of stripper. Really impressive.... on the first day. I've never encountered one that maintained that performance for more than a very short time. For $0.99 maybe that's OK.

[Analog Kid]

Here's the tool: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832730717604.html

The page shows three different models. I assume it's the "LB1" version which you got? Offered at 8.79€ for me, so 10x the price you quoted, but that's still cheap.

Sorry, should have checked: it's actually the FS-D3 model. Actual price (non-loss-leader/first-time purchase) to the US is $7.69, which is still cheap.

However, it looks a lot like the Knipex knock-off wich was mentioned earlier in this thread. Several Amazon reviews describe how that one literally fell apart after a dozen operations. But maybe using it specifically on thin wire is fine, provided it keeps its precision for a reasonable time.

We'll have to see about longevity. I'll report back here. I won't be using this on anything much thicker, as I have very good automatic strippers for that.

What's the insluation material on your AWG30 wire? You mentioned wire-wrap wire, so is it Kynar or some other material which is tougher than PVC?

Good question: I don't know. The wire-wrap wire is what I got from Jameco: "WIRE WRAPPING WIRE" from VT Corporation. It seems fairly soft, so probly not Kynar? How do you tell?

The other (stranded) wire is just PVC.

[PlainName]

Which made me wonder: did Ali have access to a time machine?

There is something up with them today. I just got notification that some stuff on order is out for delivery, but it was delivered 12 hours ago!

Because the very first time I tested my new toy, on a piece of 30-gauge wire-wrap wire, it stripped the wire perfectly

Nice. And well done for ignoring everyone and just doing it

I wonder how long it will keep doing it, though, and whether every example is the same. The one I mentioned before on Amazon (which this seems to be a copy of, if not the same thing) had good and bad reviews with the bad ones noting that 2 out of 3 fell apart (chaps got on,  super happy with it so got another which fell apart, replaced and the replacement fell apart).

[PlainName]

It seems fairly soft, so probly not Kynar? How do you tell?

Solder iron. Kynar won't melt (straight away) whereas plastic stuff will shrink if you're lucky, make a mess if you aren't. Wire wrapping shouldn't involve heat so it could well be very non-heat resistant.

[ebastler]

What's the insluation material on your AWG30 wire? You mentioned wire-wrap wire, so is it Kynar or some other material which is tougher than PVC?

Good question: I don't know. The wire-wrap wire is what I got from Jameco: "WIRE WRAPPING WIRE" from VT Corporation. It seems fairly soft, so probly not Kynar? How do you tell?

Found the part number, which seems to be "B-30-1000", on Amazon. Seems to be PVC-insulated:
https://www.amazon.com/B-30-1000-30AWG-Plated-Copper-Wrepping/dp/B008AGUDEY

[Analog Kid]

Regarding tools falling apart and getting replacements, an incident to share:

Years ago I bought a really nice automatic wire stripper made by GB (Gardner Bender), for work as an electrician. I forget exactly what the problem was, but something was either missing or damaged when I got it home. I contacted the manufacturer and explained the problem. They said they'd take care of it.

Well, a week or so later I got a package from them; it didn't contain any replacement parts. Instead they sent me two complete tools! Way to go for customer service. (This was about a decade or so ago.)

[Analog Kid]

What's the insluation material on your AWG30 wire? You mentioned wire-wrap wire, so is it Kynar or some other material which is tougher than PVC?

Good question: I don't know. The wire-wrap wire is what I got from Jameco: "WIRE WRAPPING WIRE" from VT Corporation. It seems fairly soft, so probly not Kynar? How do you tell?

Found the part number, which seems to be "B-30-1000", on Amazon. Seems to be PVC-insulated:
https://www.amazon.com/B-30-1000-30AWG-Plated-Copper-Wrepping/dp/B008AGUDEY

Yep, that's the stuff. And it is indeed tin-plated copper; I just scraped it and it's Cu.
No need for Kynar here; it's for regular (soldered) use, not wire-wrapping.

BTW, Jameco's price for this ($8.25) is better than Amazon's ($10.60), although Jameco only sells this in quantities of 3 for some reason; now I have a lifetime supply of 30AWG wire.

[ebastler]

No need for Kynar here; it's for regular (soldered) use, not wire-wrapping.

I switched to Teflon-insulated 30AWG long ago for most soldered prototype wiring. I need to change connections around during development and debugging, and I just got fed up with the melting and frayed insulation, wires sticking together, and overlooked shorts I got from PVC-insulated wire.

Hence my interest in a good wire stripper which handles AWG30 with tougher insulation. I am still using my decades-old manual stripper: two jaws with V-shaped cutting edges, a screw with counter nut to set the wire diameter, no replaceable blades. Actually still cuts alright, but not having an automatic clamp to hold the wire is annyoing. There must be a better way!

[shabaz]

Snap, I have that same clone wire-stripper and same B-30 wire. (I also have a proper Knipex Multistrip somewhere, but I can't find it).

This is not a very good recommendation because these clone tools are so variable; what works for you might not work for others, especially if their wire is slightly different!
 
I can make that tool strip some wires, especially PVC.

Subject it to better insulation, and it's very variable. It can manage some reels of Tefzel wire that I have (if I squeeze it at a certain speed and with a certain amount of strip distance), but won't work if I vary those parameters, and on some reels of Kynar it's completely out of it's depth as a wire stripper. With PTFE it's worse than any other tool I own; it just stretches the insulation a little bit.

That wire in your photo is misleading, it looks like it might be Kynar or Teflon but it's actually PVC. It's so soft, you can strip it with fingernails, no need for a wire stripper actually. The photo shows an end that I stripped with fingernails.

I bought that reel in the hope it was Kynar, but it wasn't. You can see in the photo that I put a warning label on it so I don't confuse it, but really I should just throw it out. I never use it.

All the rest of the 30 AWG wire I own is either Kynar/Tefzel or PTFE.

In summary, that tool and PVC wire is good from far, but far from good. If you're on a budget, you may as well just buy a used (better) tool from ebay.

[tszaboo]

OK, I've decided that I'm too lazy to go through the dozen or more suggestions in that other thread someone posted here. Life's too short.

So you don't have time to read through only 3 pages in a thread, but we are supposed to donate our time to you to solve your specific problem. Got it. Entitlement. You are the main character.

[tooki]

OK, I've decided that I'm too lazy to go through the dozen or more suggestions in that other thread someone posted here. Life's too short.

So you don't have time to read through only 3 pages in a thread, but we are supposed to donate our time to you to solve your specific problem. Got it. Entitlement. You are the main character.

Yeah. No time for that. But plenty of time to be rude to people explaining things to him, with a great (and now explicitly stated) focus on “proving us naysayers wrong” (that is, those of us who said the requirements are unreasonable and that cheap tools are a lottery).

[tooki]

I'm quite pleased to report that I received my $0.99 strippers (automatic) from AliExpress today, and it gives me even greater pleasure to stick my tongue out at @tooki and the other naysayers and say "You were wrong! Wrong wrong wrong!".

Because the very first time I tested my new toy, on a piece of 30-gauge wire-wrap wire, it stripped the wire perfectly. (I really didn't expect that.) Here are the results:

(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

Thus proving that yes, it is possible to obtain a pair of automatic wire strippers capable of stripping small wire (down to 30 AWG) without spending an arm and a leg. Both stranded and solid.

You can retract your gloating: the photos show clearly that it’s causing significant insulation damage on that thin wire.

And of course we still don’t know how well they’ll last.


Bear in mind that if you’d actually managed to find a <$20 tool that consistently* works as well as a $80 Knipex, and lasts reasonably long, we’d all be delighted.

Of course your attitude in that reply just shows how awful a personality you have.



*consistent in the sense of little to no unit-to-unit variation. One of the huge problems with really cheap tools is huge variation between units — some are excellent, some are terrible.

[Analog Kid]

Bear in mind that if you’d actually managed to find a <$20 tool that consistently* works as well as a $80 Knipex, and lasts reasonably long, we’d all be delighted.

*consistent in the sense of little to no unit-to-unit variation. One of the huge problems with really cheap tools is huge variation between units — some are excellent, some are terrible.

But that is not, and never was, my goal here, as you'll see if you re-read my earlier posts.

Yes, I know all about variations between instances of cheap tools: I happened to luck out here. I figured that the $0.99 gamble was worth it.

Damaged insulation? Maybe the pictures weren't the best, but the state of the insulation is OK for my purposes. Would more expen$ive strippers do a better job? Undoubtedly. Expecting a <$20 unit to perform as well as a name-brand $80 one would indeed be foolish. For now, these are good enough for me.

We'll see how well they hold up, and I'll post updates on that.

those of us who said the requirements are unreasonable and that cheap tools are a lottery

Yes, a lottery which I appear to have won here. I make no claims that such would always be the case. Please don't try to stuff words in my mouth.

Of course your attitude in that reply just shows how awful a personality you have.

Right back atcha, friend.

[tooki]

Bear in mind that if you’d actually managed to find a <$20 tool that consistently* works as well as a $80 Knipex, and lasts reasonably long, we’d all be delighted.

*consistent in the sense of little to no unit-to-unit variation. One of the huge problems with really cheap tools is huge variation between units — some are excellent, some are terrible.

But that is not, and never was, my goal here, as you'll see if you re-read my earlier posts.

Yes, I know all about variations between instances of cheap tools: I happened to luck out here. I figured that the $0.99 gamble was worth it.

Damaged insulation? Maybe the pictures weren't the best, but the state of the insulation is OK for my purposes. Would more expen$ive strippers do a better job? Undoubtedly. Expecting a <$20 unit to perform as well as a name-brand $80 one would indeed be foolish. For now, these are good enough for me.

We'll see how well they hold up, and I'll post updates on that.

those of us who said the requirements are unreasonable and that cheap tools are a lottery

Yes, a lottery which I appear to have won here. I make no claims that such would always be the case. Please don't try to stuff words in my mouth.

Well, if you’re happy with that amount of damage — I certainly wouldn’t — then great.

You were always clear that it’s for hobby use and needn’t reach professional standards. But as I explained early on, not causing significant damage to the work is a basic requirement even for hobby use. (And yes, I would call that significant damage.)

Note also that I never said you had stated that as the goal, but given that “strip well and don’t damage the wire” is the totally reasonable baseline requirement for a wire stripper, we obviously all applied that basic benchmark.

Of course your attitude in that reply just shows how awful a personality you have.

Right back atcha, friend.

No, you don’t get to turn it around. YOU were nasty from the get-go, and have continued to be nasty.  Calling you out for being nasty is not itself nasty.

[Analog Kid]

Regarding the "damaged insulation", I just went back and took another look-see at the stripped wires. The only damage is that the (PVC, very soft) insulation got somewhat crushed; it didn't get pierced or torn and is still intact. So just cosmetic damage. That I can live with.

[ebastler]

Regarding the "damaged insulation", I just went back and took another look-see at the stripped wires. The only damage is that the (PVC, very soft) insulation got somewhat crushed; it didn't get pierced or torn and is still intact. So just cosmetic damage. That I can live with.

If the wire is meant to be soldered afterwards, I would not be happy with the damage. PVC reacts strongly to the soldering temperatures anyway, and will likely shrink even more in places where it was previously overstretched or squeezed.

Which raises the question whether there is an insulation material which is soft enough for those budget strippers to cut, but tough enough not to incur damage from their clamping action? 

[PlainName]

You could use bare wire: cut, and then trim some sleeving to length and slide it on. But doing it that way could take almost ten years just to build one hand of a robot.

[Analog Kid]

If the wire is meant to be soldered afterwards, I would not be happy with the damage. PVC reacts strongly to the soldering temperatures anyway, and will likely shrink even more in places where it was previously overstretched or squeezed.

True. However, even in my (admittedly somewhat limited) experience I've found that this problem can be compensated for by careful planning to avoid shorts and such. You need to anticipate the amount of insulation shrinkage. And use a nice hot iron to minimize soldering time. It's something of a challenge but doable.

I managed to solder the mess shown below successfully using soft PVC insulated wire (salvaged CAT 5 conductors) with no shorts. It was no picnic, but the circuit works just fine.

[Electro Fan]

Found in the Rabbit Hole:  a fail, a potential success, a recommendation, and a bonus finding.

Fail
After following this thread I fell in the rabbit hole and tried a $15.99 D-3 0.03-10 mm² / AWG 32-7 wire stripper.  It will strip insulation from 22 AWG solid wire pretty well but you will probably wind up with dents/nicks that are observable with the naked eye and are clearly viewable with a 10x loupe.  In looking under a microscope it appeared that the depth of the dent/nick on the 22 AWG is roughly a third of the diameter of stripped 30 AWG kynar wire. When using it for 22 AWG stranded wire it made the strips but took several (6 or more?) strands with the removed insulation every time.  It was unable to successfully strip 30 AWG kynar wire on any of about a dozen attempts – it just cut the wire into two sections.  The only use case I can see for it would be maybe using 22 AWG on a breadboard where you want to cut the same length of insulation off each of several wires (using the adjustable stop) but only if you don’t care about the dents/nicks.  It is possible that my unit was not as good as others of the same make or design due to unit to unit variation but after using the D-3 my guess was that the design and price point made it unlikely that such a design and price point would enable the correct pressure to the blades such that it could allow highly accurate depth during stripping.  So I wouldn’t recommend the D-3 but YMMV.  But I didn’t completely give up….

Potential Success
I saw that a model called a TUBTAP is available for $17.99 and figured it was worth another try.  Like the D-3 the TUBTAP is spec’d for 32-7 AWG.  It is similar to the D-3 but it has a red detent slider adjustment for stripping tension.  (Note that there is a very similar model, also called a TUPTAP for $1.00 less that does not have the tension adjustment.)  Set on the lowest tension setting I tried it on a solid 22 AWG and it worked nicely first try, second try.  So rather than goof around with lots of tests I just went for the 30 AWG kynar wire and it worked.  With the 10x loupe it you can see a very slight bend where the strip was made on the 30 AWG kynar wire but no dents/nicks.  It also worked with 18 AWG solid and with 18 AWG stranded – not a single strand went with the insulation that was removed.  I’m reluctant to goof around too much with the tension setting – I’m just going to leave it on low and see how long it will keep working with 18 to 30 AWG.  My initial thought is that the best use case might be for solid 22 AWG when you want repeatable strip lengths for breadboards.  Maybe it will lose the proper good tension over time and maybe I just got lucky and won the unit to unit lottery but given that it’s returnable at Amazon it’s worth a try if you have an interest, particularly for making 22 AWG breadboard jumpers.

Recommendation
Even though the TUBTAP has worked well on the first day I’m not ready to declare it my go to wire stripper.  I have used and highly recommend a Greenlee green handle PA1118 (which has become a Paladin orange handle PA1118) and it has stripped 20-30 AWG with excellent results year after year – but it is fully manual (pick a slot and no depth stop, and no front on stripping – pull from the side).  The upside is that I can’t see any nick/dent with just my eyes or with the 10x loupe on 22 AWG and I can only barely sometimes find where a strip was made when searching with the microscope.  I have never had the PA1118 fail to strip insulation from 30 AWG kynar (or any AWG from 20-30).  Paladin also makes a PA1117 that strips 10-24 AWG.  The PA1117 works just as well as the PA1118, only difference is the AWG range. Or if you want precision stripping from 10 to 30 AWG you can get the two models together packaged as PA1123.

Bonus Finding
As a bonus while in the rabbit hole I found lots of reviews on lots of wire strippers including the Klein self-adjusting 11061 wire stripper for 10-20 AWG solid, 12-22 AWG stranded, and Romex 12/2 and 14/3.  It turns out this will easily and nicely strip both 18 and 22 AWG solid (22 solid being outside the spec).  On these wires I couldn’t see any sign of the strips with the 10x loupe.  A caveat is that the 11061 is larger and heavier than say the Greenlee/Paladin strippers, and it might make more sense for electricians than electronics enthusiasts.  One other caveat is that when the handles are initially squeezed together there is a bit of grinding feel/sound.  I think the cutter blades (not the stripper blades) just barely touch – you can see some of the black coating give way to the silver metal color, and it might also be that some part of the pivot assembly is contributing to the binding feel.  This isn’t too big of a deal given how versatile and repeatably accurate it operates but it’s worth noting.  It’s more notable on small wires than larger wires such as Romex.  On Romex you can strip off the outer sheath and then strip the inside conductors without changing a setting.  For this type of work it becomes a very fast to use wire stripper.  The size and weight of the tool probably make it more of a natural choice for Romex than electronics but if you do some of both and are looking for this type of stripper I would say the 11061 lives up to the many good reviews it receives and it is easily worth the ~$22 price, especially if you collect wire strippers.  😊

In summary:  if I was just doing electronics from ~18 AWG to lots of 22 AWG breadboarding to 30 AWG kynar, I’d be using Paladin wire strippers.
 
 
 

[PlainName]

It is similar to the D-3 but it has a red detent slider adjustment for stripping tension.

After my experience with eh Knipex I figured an adjuster is necessary for 30awg on automatics, so succumbed to temptation and ordered one of those to try. Be interesting to see how it compares - the 12 40 200 I'm trying consistently breaks, and leaves in the stripped insulation, one strand regardless of wire gauge or brand.

[ebastler]

I saw that a model called a TUBTAP is available for $17.99 and figured it was worth another try.  Like the D-3 the TUBTAP is spec’d for 32-7 AWG.  It is similar to the D-3 but it has a red detent slider adjustment for stripping tension.  (Note that there is a very similar model, also called a TUPTAP for $1.00 less that does not have the tension adjustment.)

Could you provide a specific link please? I see a few wire strippers marketed under the "Tubtap" brand, but could not spot one which matches your description. (Specified down to 32 AWG, with tension adjustment.) Thanks!

[Electro Fan]

I saw that a model called a TUBTAP is available for $17.99 and figured it was worth another try.  Like the D-3 the TUBTAP is spec’d for 32-7 AWG.  It is similar to the D-3 but it has a red detent slider adjustment for stripping tension.  (Note that there is a very similar model, also called a TUPTAP for $1.00 less that does not have the tension adjustment.)

Could you provide a specific link please? I see a few wire strippers marketed under the "Tubtap" brand, but could not spot one which matches your description. (Specified down to 32 AWG, with tension adjustment.) Thanks!

search Amazon for “TUBTAP Wire Stripper Tool, 3 in 1 Self Adjusting Wire Stripper Strength/Length and Cutting Heavy Duty Automatic Electrical Wire Strippers tool 32-7 AWG for Electronic, Electric, Automotive Repair”

[ebastler]

search Amazon for “TUBTAP Wire Stripper Tool, 3 in 1 Self Adjusting Wire Stripper Strength/Length and Cutting Heavy Duty Automatic Electrical Wire Strippers tool 32-7 AWG for Electronic, Electric, Automotive Repair”

Got it, thank you! Looks like a hybrid between the Knipex MultiStrip 10 (1242195, nearly a look-alike but without the tension adjustment) and the NexStrip (1272190, with tension adjustment but a much stronger lower "jaw" which holds a crimp tool). The feature set and form factor of the Tubtap knock-off would be my preference, but there does not seem to be a direct Knipex equivalent?

[khach]

JOKARI PWS-Plus down to 30 awg

[Electro Fan]

As much as it’s cool that we can get wire strippers like the TUBTAP for under $20 I wonder about the long term precision/dependability at such a price.  Having said that what this learning project has helped me see is the use case for nose first wire strippers.  I can see the nose first orientation would be preferable to side cutters when the other end of a somewhat short wire needs to remain in place (such as with solder on a PCB, like what Analog Kid is doing.)  For this use case it would be good to have a dependable nose first wire stripper.