NEIKO 02037A Compact Wire Stripper | 4-in-1 Multi Purpose Electricians Pliers | Wire Crimper, Cutter and Gripper | 12-20 AWG Wire Service Tool | Crimps Insulated & Non-Insulated | Electrical Stripping

Before getting this tool, I have been stripping wires with a utility knife. It usually works, though sometimes it cuts too deep and cuts through inner wires of multi-wire cables like CAT5, or stranded wire and some strands get cut off. It's time consuming to strip wire this way. I finally broke down and got one of these. Wow! It makes stripping wires fast, easy, accurate, and repeatable. I tried it on solid and stranded wire from #14 house wire to the stranded wires inside CAT5 - all fast and flawless. An adjustable strip gauge is perfect for when having a repeatable strip for a critical length. The crimper and cutter are just more gravy. Basically, it seems to do everything it's supposed to do, and does it well. So what about the things it does NOT supposed to do? I tried it on the PVC casing of 3-wire #14 house wire. It doesn't fit into the jaws, so obviously that does not work. But it does strip the wires inside. I tried some very thin stranded hookup wire with a tough, slippery outside, and it could not get a purchase on that. These are the only things I have found so far that it could not do, and after all, it is not advertised to do these things. I tried it with the casing of CAT5. Flawless, and no damage to the wires inside; strips the stranded wire inside just fine too. Old 4-wire telephone cable: perfect, and it can strip the small gauge solid wire inside. I tried a thin shielded cable (just a bit more than an eighth of an inch thick) and it was able to take off the outside jacket. That speaker wire with the clear casing? Works as expected, but it can also strip both conductors at once (suggest that you split them first, which is easier than after stripping). It can strip both conductors at once for medium-gauge AC appliance wire. I'll update this report with results of trying CATV cable, other large-gauge shielded cable, and anything else I can find around. I'm very happy with this purchase, and only wish I had bought one years ago.

UPDATE(12/17/15): I still have this and I still use it when needed. UPDATE(03/08/15): Great tool. UPDATE(02/10/14): After using this auto-magical tool a bit, I love it even more, though the single point crimper takes a bit of squeezing effort. For "once-in-a-while" crimping it's ok, however, a ratcheting crimper would be much better. I may get a multi-point ratcheting crimper for easy crimping especially in cramped spaces. You might think to yourself: "Self, I won't use this tool very much. I'll just continue using my normal stripping knife." Then immediately qualify that thought by thinking, "And a box of band-aids and tube of antibiotic ointment are certainly much cheaper than buying this wire stripper." LOL. REVIEW 12-05-13: Adjust the red plastic wire-stop piece for the length of insulation to remove, insert wire(s), squeeze and your done. The wire is stripped. You're done. Done! I've tried different gauge wire (10AWG - 22AWG) and the stripper worked 99% of the time in one squeeze. The tool works well for multi-strand wires too (outside insulation then the individual strands). Once in a while the insulation that is removed gets stuck in the tool but that's really not a big deal to clear it. The single point crimper works well enough when you need it. And the wire cutter comes in handy now and then; the stripping action activates first before the wire is cut so you need to keep squeezing to overcome that action before you get a cut wire. It's neat that you can strip a middle section of wire (rotate the red wire stop piece out of the way and move the tool to the middle of the wire). The tool seems sturdy and has some weight to it. If you strip enough wires to warrant getting a wire stripping tool, do yourself a favor and go for an automatic tool such as this one. No more cringing when it's time to strip wires. ;-)

I work at a Dealership local to me, where I do a large majority of all the electrical work. These pliers are really great. The tip of the pliers have sideways serrations, making them great for removing fuses in tight spots. The wire strippers work excellent for most automotive purposes. If you have extremely small gauge wires then you have to turn the pliers sideways slightly to get it to strip better, but certainly works well. My only two real gripes is that when crimping wires together, the pliers sort of dig into your hand. It's not too bad, but if you're having to do a major wiring job and splice a bunch of stuff together, then they can start to become uncomfortable while splicing stuff together. Also, another small thing, but the wire cutters are inside the pliers on the bottom side of the pivot. They cut great, but it is a bit awkward. Again, especially if you're using them to cut several wires, like replacing a connector pigtail. Other than that, they are a great all-round and do it all electeical pliers. If you're comparing them side, I think the OTC ones are better objectively speaking, but they are also $45 dollars. For that, I think you'd be better off saving your cash and buying these. Definitely recommended for someone to throw into an emergency tool bag in the trunk of their car. They get used all the time in my shop

Best wire cutters and crimpers I’ve had

Picked this up for automotive wiring and general electrical work. Strips insulation clean and crimps consistently. Good value tool that’s been reliable so far.

This Neiko works by pulling the insulation off, stretching it until it snaps so the cut insulation ends are a bit jagged, and is most noticeable as insulation get thicker but importantly, its very unlikely to cut any of the wires while stripping. I found that thicker insulation requires just a touch longer length to strip as the insulation stretches a bit more before it snaps off; also the adjustable wire grip compensates for wire thickness to allow more grip or as the jaw wear with age. Before this was invented, best strippers had a fixed set of sharp AWG sized openings. You needed several strippers for different AWG wires. Those strippers worked well and fast, one squeeze they nicked the insulation just so deep and the other end pulled the ends off the insulation out. Another popular stripper has a profile of a T.Rex: you fed wire into the mouth; its front teeth gripped one end and pulled it off, and could take a wider set of AWG wires than the bladed version. The bladed version got dull with age, and if you chose the wrong slot, it could cut off a few strands of wire. The T Rex stripper does not strip a wide range of AWG like this Neiko can strip so you tend to need at least two or three T Rex types. Pros Heavy duty steel construction Works as described, strips insulation by pulling it apart until it snaps off so unlikely will cut wires Made in Taiwan, the quality of finish, construction is high Can strip multiple wired cables like Romex! Extremely wide range of stripping, I've tried it from 26 -12 AWG flawlessly, its rated for 30-8 AWG Adjustable wire grip for slippery wires or jaw wear with age Cons Larger and heavier than most strippers Notes: There are many "copies" of this stripper design. All legitimate ones are from the OEM Taiwanese company KYP Tools and who invented the design in 1984. If you have a KYP, Neiko, and Irwin version side by side, they are identical except for the overmolded handles, color, lack of brand name on the OEM while the KYP has its logo in on the back of the head. KYP has at least 3 patented versions of this stripper as well as variations within each version. The Neiko model is KY665. FWIW I could not find the patent number for its claimed US patents. There are "non-KYP copies" that look similar but not identical, likely because KYP claims its patented in China. The true models are all KYP made. The enclosed photos compare a non-KYP version, Irwin, and KYP versions. You can notice similarities and differences.

It usually works ok if all conditions are met but that seldom happens.

Don’t spend the money on a name brand tool. This is just as great and probably made by the same manufacturer.