Rant: I spent 4 years stripping wire with the wrong side of my strippers

Been doing commercial work for a while. Always used the 10-12 gauge hole on my Klein strippers for 12 AWG solid because it fit tight. Last week at a job near Philly, an old timer watched me do a panel and just said 'you know that side is for stranded, right?' Pointed out the little marking on the tool I never looked at. Now I feel like an idiot every time I grab them. Did anyone else just assume the hole that fits is the right one?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_fiona18d ago

I had a similar thing happen to me a few years back. A guy I was working with on a big job in Baltimore pointed out the same marking on my Kleins. I looked at it and just laughed. I have been stripping wire for over a decade and never noticed that little groove. But I still use the side that fits anyway. The wire goes in, it strips clean, and I move on. I just don't see how it makes a real difference on solid wire as long as the insulation comes off without nicking the copper. It works fine for me, so I am not switching.

adam_adams1mo ago

Well now you've just unlocked the next level of residential electrician training.

kim6931mo ago

Most stranded holes have a slight bevel shaped different from solid wire holes though.

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