Upgrade to wire strippers - automatic or otherwise

[r-mm]

Hi all.  I do mostly automotive wiring with a side of equipment repair and home stuff.  8-18ga is where it usually falls.  A few years back I went from plain old pliers to a cheap Felo automatic stripper as so - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QWYNPGY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was well worth the change but now I'm doing some small run parts for sale not just hobby use and would like to upgrade again to something that is:
-more precise (Felo cuts aren't always perpendicular to length)
-allow shorter than Felo's min 6mm length
-beautiful cool tool.  i like nice stuff and not ashamed of it.

I recently went to Pressmaster for crimping (like it so far - fair price) and thought to look at their stripper as well.  Wonder if any here care to weigh in on what worked for them.  Budget around a hundred bucks plus or minus. 

https://www.pressmaster.se/product/embla_16

[profanum429]

I have a pair of Phoenix Contact Wirefox-E 10 strippers; Digikey has them at https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/phoenix-contact/1212706/4449153 and I've found mine work pretty well. I enjoy using them and haven't had any issues so far.

We have some Xcelite ones at work (same body style as the Pressmaster one); those have given me a little trouble with some wires, usually silicone wire. I haven't had the same issues with the Wirefox ones.

[S. Petrukhin]

In mass production, I use this tool with a longitudinal loading. Stripping tens of thousands of wires showed this method to be the most convenient. There is an adjustable length limiter, much faster and more convenient to lay the wire. But it is not very convenient when repairing when the wire is short.

I use a Russian-made tool, I can't tell you how to find it from other manufacturers, maybe the photo will help you.

[georges80]

https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/combination-cutting-tools/katapult-wire-stripper-and-cutter-solid-and-stranded-wire

works quite well when I've used it with automotive wire, sxl, gxl, txl etc.

cheers,
george.

[nightfire]

@work I have a Knipex Stripper: https://www.knipex.de/selbsteinstellende_abisolierzangen?v=533&sku=1250200

At home a Jokari one: https://www.jokari.de/de/Super-4-plus.htm

They shall be able to do 6mm²/10AWG, but the practical limit where these are doing a nice job is in my opinion 2,5 mm²/14AWG.

But especially Knipex has some other, beefier models available on their page...

[r-mm]

Decided to give Pressmaster another go since I'm liking their MCT crimper.   Ill let you guys know how it goes. 

Best price I found.  And $6 shipping/free tee shirt

https://www.wirecare.com/category/tools/wire-strippers/pressmaster-strippers/embla-sbc-self-adjusting-stripping-and-cutting-tool-8awg-34awg-straight-blade-apex-part-sas3210?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6Or_BRC_ARIsAPzuer_POfQcly6iygvFTJjVMKtCM7A9zqrugxzVZC1OmyiXaGsMc0CarN8aAtRgEALw_wcB

[kripton2035]

I've used and loved the jokari line of tools : https://www.jokari.de/

especially the super 4 plus for 24 to 10 AWG : https://www.jokari.de/de/Super-4-plus.htm
and the PWS Plus for 36 to 20 AWG : https://www.jokari.de/de/PWSPlus-002.htm

[r-mm]

Those look near identical to the Felo I have now.  I like them but they have limitations I noted in my first post. 

[nightfire]

Yes, those simple strippers have their limitations- interestingly the Felo version looks very similar, maybe Jokari (Inventor of the Jokari Stripper) has contracts with FELO so that they manufacture also the Jokari branded tools? (According to the homepage, FELO does also OEM manufacturing)

For big wires another take to the issue could be a Jokari-Style Knife:
https://www.jokari.de/de/Secura-No-27.htm
Depending on the cables handled, it can provide some cleaner cuts, but no precise length adjustment as you hold it on manually.

[radar_macgyver]

I use the Pressmaster series¹, try to get the cassettes meant for PTFE wire, they have two blades per jaw, set at 90 degrees. I find these make a better cut than the standard ones, even on PVC wire.

1: Well it's a Pressmaster OEM, sold by Waytek Wire

[r-mm]

I too bought my Pressmaster¹ from Waytek but did see the stripper on their site - did you?

1. Crimper

I believe this is the PVC cassette?   If so its range is a little less desirable than the one I linked to... https://www.wirecare.com/category/tools/wire-strippers/pressmaster-strippers/4320-0615-embla-replacement-cassette-v-blade-apex-part-sas3210trb

[r-mm]

edit - i am a dope I see you linked me to it!  Funny - they brand the MCT crimp tool as Waytek on the tool itself but its listed under Pressmaster on their site...

[radar_macgyver]

Yup, that's the one. Here's the same PTFE cassette from Waytek:

https://www.waytekwire.com/item/555BV/Replacement-V-Blade-Cassette/

The tool comes with the standard cassette for PVC, the PTFE one has the angled blades.

[r-mm]

The Waytek branded tool is stamped "Made in Sweden" as I presume the Pressmaster is ?

[radar_macgyver]

Fairly certain it says that, but I'll check to be sure - it's at work. I do have a Waytek 560 crimper at home, and that's a rebadge of a Pressmaster MCT, with "Made in Sweden" embossed on the back.

[r-mm]

Yes me too.  Thanks for checking. 

I'm curious why more people don't seem to know about pressmaster... the price is quite good for a non chinese tool with quality materials and interchangable dies. 

[r-mm]

Walled Waytek and confirmed: Yes their part 555 = Pressmaster.  Great price from them - added to my latest order!

[Electro Fan]

highly recommended - accurate wire strips EVERY time - one of my favorite tools, makes you look forward to stripping a wire because you know it will work precisely EVERY time

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tempo-communications/PA1123/1990599

[radar_macgyver]

Verified, my Waytek 555 has an embossed "made in Sweden" label.

[BlackICE]

I bought the right angle version and it works well, but not to specs as it has issues with stripping smaller than 28 gauge. If I knew that I would have gone for the Teflon stripping head that isn't spec'd to do smaller wires like the normal head.

[AKM]

The best automatic strippers i worked with are the Stripax from Weidmuller.

[r-mm]

Verified, my Waytek 555 has an embossed "made in Sweden" label.

I had a pending Waytek order that I threw the 555 / Embala strippers on to.  They come with the straight blade (black color) cassette, not the V blade (blue) PTFE cassette you suggested.  Can you elaborate on  the difference you saw between the two?  On first attempt with some TXL/GXL 16/12ga automotive wire I was not that impressed.  Especially with the 12ga the strip looked more like a tear at the two sides the blade does not contact the insulation.  Even the $28 Felo has more of a V-shaped blade. 

https://www.waytekwire.com/item/555BV/Replacement-V-Blade-Cassette/

[radar_macgyver]

The straight blade doesn't cut the sides of the wire insulation, and on wires with thicker insulation (600V class, as opposed to 300V) it tends to tear rather than cut, as you observed. The PTFE V-shaped blades cut the insulation on four sides, minimizing the tearing. The standard (black) cassette doesn't work at all on PTFE insulation.

In general, with this tool I found it needed some adjustment of the strip depth (the +/- slider at the top) before it would give a reliable cut for a given wire gauge. Once set, though, it works like a champ.

[r-mm]

Is there some stripping task the straight blade is better at ?

[BlackICE]

I see two advantages of the straight blade. When is it can strip multiple wires at the same time. Another that you don't have to center the wire anywhere in the Jaws will work. But with the V blades you might not get the same flexibility.