Warning: cheap wire strippers will cost you time and money

I bought a $15 pair of wire strippers from a hardware store on Elm Street last month and the blade chipped on the third use. Ended up nicking a 12-gauge wire in a junction box and had to redo the whole run. Anyone have a solid brand they stick with for daily work?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason7981mo ago

Actually, spending $15 on strippers sounds like you got exactly what you paid for. A good pair of Kleins or Knipex will run you $40-$60 but last years without chipping or dulling. Doesn't cheaper stuff just end up costing more in the long run when you factor in wasted time and do-overs?

eva_garcia561mo ago

Ha, you're not wrong but man does it hurt to drop $50 on a tool I'll probably lose in a crawl space next month. My last cheap pair literally had the spring fly off on the third wire I stripped. I bent down to pick it up and my neighbor's dog ran off with it. So yeah, I'm starting to think that $15 lesson might actually cost me more in the long run if I factor in the embarrassment too.