Strippers.....
Playing around with Strippers this morning to settle into a groove.
I don't work much with stranded as opposed to solid. My GOTO stripper is always a pair of Ideal Reflex for solid work. On the occasional low voltage side, depending on angle of approach of how much stranded I'm working with, I'll generally use the Reflex or the Ideal Stripmaster.
Took a 10 stranded and ran through the motions on testing.
Stranded *due to the stranded friction* on the jacket, IMO does not strip as easily as solid. The Stripmaster seemed to be the most efficient, with the strip and then *pull* action mechanism of things. The latter auto-stripper I have *panduit I think-it's old*, does the same. I have hesitation using the autostripper cause on rare occasions, it has cut 1 or 2 outer strands on some wire I've worked with, and I end up starting all over again.
The Knipex variant in the pic, just weird overall.
I picked this up awhile back. I cannot find a application on where I would use this versus other tools in my lineup.
I think the Stripmaster would be most consistent out of the bunch, but the
ergonomics is weird and you need to be in the proper position to use it. Not the tool if you are going to use it at all various angles of approach.
My Go to Stripper for solid wire, Reflex, they are -ok- on stranded. I've got like 4-5 pairs of the Reflex. One of them is just for Romex. It's a luck of the draw. On the very same wire, if I don't cut and pull hard on the insulation in one motion, sometimes it will just strip the outer nylon sheath-lube jacket. Then when I go to pull off the insulation, the OD has changed slightly so it's not a smooth removal on getting the insulation off.
On the latter times, if I just pinch the plier to strip with the Reflex and give it a good yank, the insulation comes off with no problems.
