Going back a few years, electrical multi-tools were firmly in DIYer and hobbyist territory, or at least that’s how it seemed. That’s no longer the case, ever since professional brands launched beefier versions a few years ago.
Multi-functional electrical tools could do it all – cut, strip, loop, and twist wires, and shear-cut #6 and #8 machine screws.
Many have conduit deburring edges on the jaws, and some also have wire terminal crimpers.
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I graduated from a multi-functional electrical tool a while ago, or so I thought. I have since purchased a Klein forged-style wire stripper, and have tested other models from a range of brands.
I don’t often travel with my tools, and so reducing tool count or weight isn’t a high priority for me. I have found that forged wire strippers are better for some tasks, but clunkier for others, although my experiences can vary wildly depending on the task and the types of wires and cables I’m working with.
Generally speaking, I like “forged” style wire strippers, but they’re not must-haves for me, at least not in the same sense as many of my other electrical tools – wire cutters, strippers, and the like.
I can definitely see how they would benefit an electrician looking to save time and avoid having to juggle multiple unitasker tools.
While not indispensable for my needs, I’m glad the category evolved and that there are plenty of competent forged-style combination wiring tools available today.
What’s your take on these types of tools? “Must-have”, “good to have,” or “don’t bother?”
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Here are purchase links for the ones shown above, plus a couple of other popular models:
- Klein Tools via Amazon
- Irwin 7-in-1 via Amazon
- Channellock Forged Stripper via Amazon
- Knipex Forged Stripper via Amazon
- Milwaukee Tool 6-in-1 via Home Depot
- Milwaukee Tool 7-in-1 via Home Depot
Milwaukee’s 6-in-1 tends to be the most affordable, and while most expensive, Knipex’s seems to be most popular. Klein’s fall in the middle between the two. It’s worth looking at various brands’ offerings if you have specific selection criteria.
You can also get less expensive combination electrical tools from various brands. I have yet to part with my older Stanley (shown just above), but it hasn’t touched a wire in more than 10 years. There’s no comparison between inexpensive and more modern forged construction all-in-one wiring tools.
MM
I like these tools. The old stamped all-in-one tools are terrible but the forged ones are surprisingly good. Dedicated tools are superior but all-in-ones have their place just like sometimes you’d rather grab an adjustable wrench than a socket set. Not everybody does enough electrical work to justify buying dedicated strippers, crimpers, dikes, etc, and sometimes you don’t have room to carry a bunch of tools.
We’ve sometimes talked about putting together tool kits for beginners. In my opinion one of these tools belongs in such a kit. They’re not super expensive, they’re compact, and you can do a lot with them.
Scott K
I bought the combo Stanley stripper before my first electrical project and it’s served me well over the last decade. I’ve needed it less and less over the years, but I don’t do enough electrical to justify an upgrade. I was initially attracted to it because of the labels, price, and number of features.
Jared
Despite wanting to try the Channellock and then the Knipex when they came out, I never actually went out and bought a pair. I can totally see this being a handy tool when you want to pack light or avoid switching pliers.
On the other hand, I almost always work out of my tool bag when doing electrical work – which holds all my property tools just fine. I don’t really suffer much time loss grabbing my strippers, linesman or needlenose as needed.
Overall though? Cool concept. I STILL want a pair even if I don’t see a need.
BigTimeTommy
They aren’t good enough multi-taskers to replace a pair of linesman’s pliers. So considering they’re an additional tool to carry on my belt and they’ll be unitasker wire strippers, I’d rather have a light cheap stamped steel stripper. For wiring control panels etc. it’s worth using an automatic stripper.
There are forged strippers with notches specifically for Romex which seem useful for someone doing a lot of residential installations, you could do a lot with just a pair of those and a screwdriver in your pocket.
Andy
I agree with you completely. I got the milwaukee all-in-one because I thought the wider tip would mean I can stop having to carry my linesman’s with me every where, but it’s not quite right for getting the job done. But it’s also a little too large to be comfortable and agile as a dedicated stripper. However, they are the best cutters in my kit. Ha ha, so rather than eliminating a tool from my bag, I’ve added one.
And as an almost entirely residential user, yes I basically just use my Romex specific Kleins for everything anyway. I’m in love with them, it’s amazing. I should probably let go of my regular ordinary Kleins, but I… just can’t seem to do it. We’ve been through everything together!
ITCD
I like them. Stronger than plain stamped steel, and usually have a grip on the end which isn’t a replacement for a lineman but is awful handy at times when you’re already busy and have your hands full.
Peter Fox
I’m a big fan as long as they are well thought out and designed.
Currently my everyday tool belt has a Kinpex 13-72-8 that I ground the nose a little thinner so that it is somewhere in between a Lineman’s and needle nose in thickness. Roughly approximating a modern duckbill pliers. The shear type cutter and 20 – 12 AWG wire strippers are very good and have held up well for the several years have had it. But probably the best feature is the 6-32 and 8-32 screw cutter. They both sides holes slightly over-sized and angled so you can just slide the screw in on an angle and then tip it perpendicular before cutting it. No need to thread it in, just slide tip and cut. It does have properly machined support for the threads so they are cut clean and ready to use.
The other version that I have picked up and used a bit is the Neiko 02038A. These are a bit thinner and definitely not up to as much abuse but are very well made none the less. the strippers and cutters are decent and the overall from is useful. The biggest complaint I have is the same one everyone has, The grips are not well attached and will fall off until you use real glue to secure them.
Otherwise I have never had an issue with the stamped wire strippers and even some stamped combination tools as long as they are from a decent manufacturer. Ideals T-stripper line is pretty much the default for basic wire strippers and Stride/Imperial tool has some really good ones as well.
Lastly I honestly have no idea why some people as obsessed with Lineman style pliers for working with smaller sized building wiring. I have never found any use case that made sense to me. If I were an actual lineman and needed a pliers to manipulate heavier tie wire and preformed wire securing devices along with having to be able to work at height with a limited but efficient set of tools it would make sense. Modern multi-purpose wire pliers cover everything I need and do a far better job that some over built tool deigned over 100 years ago for a different but related trade.
Wayne R.
That Neiko is on Amazon for $16.
Wayne R.
I ordered one of the Neiko 02038A tools based on your comments and I liked the shape & cost. It came in a few days ago.
It’s very slim and I like it a lot. The handles seem like they’re not likely to slip off anytime soon, but I’ll be prepared if they do. The long nose pliers aspect of these is very good, and is heavy enough to feel like a good rival to the Klein D203-8 (though the Klein still wins the role for heavy duty long nose pliers).
Thanks!
Terry
I’m a retired IBEW electrician. I have several different wire strippers including the Milwaukee 7-in-1 which I like… but I doubt I’ll use them much.
Perhaps it’s just old habit but I always reach for my, tried and true, industry standard, small Klein strippers. Interestingly enough and not long ago I purchased a similar stripper by Ideal (link below) because it’s made of stainless steel.
The Klein strippers will rust a little over time and when used in wet environments. They also tend to wear out quicker with high use.l but nonetheless, I still reach for the smaller Klein strippers over the others.
I removed the handles from a old pair Kleins and put them on the Ideal. This gives me the look and feel of Klein but in stainless steel. So far, they’re holding up nicely.
Honestly, I have more tools than I’ll ever use especially at this stage of life. I’m admittedly a tool addict.
Brad
I have the Milwaukee 7-in-1’s I tend to use them as needle-noes pliers most of the time. I prefer my dedicated Paladin or if I must the newer Greenlee strippers.
Not a fan of multi tools when doing real low/high voltage work.
Farkleberry
They’re great to keep in a handyman tote or kit, or to keep stashed in vehicles, etc.
CICCIO
I like keep them separate.
I love my Greenlee stainless steel stripper and Klein needle nose pliers.
Tried a lot of them before, and these are absolute the best in my opinion.
Having said that i like work with separate tools, it make feel comfortable, someone else can find this stripper pliers combination more suitable with the job they do.
Nathan
Probably better than cheap ones. Don’t know they replace linesmen pliers
So not sure. I’m not a pro electrician but playing with wires on planes I started using a dedicated stripper device and I’ve never looked back.
That klien might work don’t think I’d buy one but I could see a pro trying it.
I also use a dedicated crimper but again playing with cars and planes you often need specific crimp ends.
Nathan
I do have another wire stripper that is odd and it’s a knipex device. 2 forked ends that overlap each other to form a sharp diamond shape of various sizes. You set the set screws and it holds a size. Works on any gage wire I’ve ever come across. Knipex end type wire stripper.
IronWood
I love my single-purpose Kleins and don’t really see an advantage to the forged multi-function ones. I’m usually doing wiring out of a belt or bag, so I’ve got proper linemans and needle nose anyway. For marine or heavy equipment wiring work I have my Pressmaster Embla strippers that are pretty awesome. I like the tools that I have and know, and don’t really see “trying out” a new stripper style at this point.
And Stuart, you can throw away those old dime store Stanleys!! Too bulky using the stripper and the crimps from that style are pretty suspect.
James
Klein automatic strippers. Any time I have anything more than 1 connection to make I break those out. Such a pleasure to use; almost inspiring.
Nevertheless, I love the Milwaukee forged 6in1 or 7in1, not sure which. They stay in my lab and grab bag and they work as small lineman pliers or as big needle nose or for shearing small bolts or miscellaneous cutting.
Great tool; just don’t really use them for stripping more than 3-4 wires.
Steve
This is exactly what I would have posted. The forged strippers are great for a toolbag, but I really prefer the automatic ones for getting the stickout just right for crimping connectors.
S
I don’t care for them. I’ve tried using them a few different times, with different versions. They’re a nice concept, combining the two main electrical tools into one package
They’re just too much of a ‘multitool’ for me. Far too bulky to easily and quickly strip wires, and leverage issues with the pliers end being so far away from the pivot makes for more hand issues. They also don’t pull fish tapes the same as a typical lineman’s.
I also didn’t like the duckbill ends that would inevitably catch on every edge and ripple of my tool belt pocket and rip it up.
I’ve always gone right back to a dedicated wire strippers, separate lineman’s, and conduit reamer pliers. Each tool performs it’s tasks better for me
frampton
The Knipex forged strippers are outstanding. They’re lighter than linesmen’s and great strippers, too. Plus, you can cut 6-32 and 8-32 screws without having to thread them. This is a great feature that allows me to carry only 2″ screws and then cut them to size.
Mark M.
Great for a vehicle or deer lease kit, not a fan for a tool belt. I’ve been twisting wires since 1993 and I’ll always grab an $11 pair of stamped Klein strippers, the smaller and lighter the better. These forged ones are kinda like a Leatherman…handy, cool, good at a lot of things but not great at any.
Scott F
You are the first to mention stamped preference, is it just about cost (and/or weight)?
Sky
I love mine. They are just a better pair of strippers, not a replacement for linemans.
Derek
I’d like to pick up the Knipex ones with the standard grip at some point. Would be nice to upgrade my old Craftsman strippers. They work fine, but I’m just a home DIY person so it would be nice to simplify my tool bag and move the strippers and linesman pliers to the dedicated electrical box. Don’t need all of that to replace one outlet.
Wayne R.
I’ve never found a pair of those old-style strippers like the Stanley pictured that was worth one single dang. On the other hand, I’ve found the Klein Kurve stripper family to be excellent. Inexpensive, precise, sharp, easy to use, durable, slim in a tool bag.
There are a few models, too, for different wire sizes and even Romex.
If I was back into doing a lot of wiring, I’d likely get one of these new heavy models to try out, perhaps adopt, but I’ve never suffered once I found those Kurve strippers. They’ve been go-to for a long time.
Gwiz
Just a note: The Klein pliers you have linked are not the ones you have pictured.
Stuart
Thanks, good catch! I fixed the link to include both.
The K12035 is less expensive, the K12065CR has an added crimper. I believe those are the only differences.
DAVID PERKINS
I am a DIY homeowner and never liked the stamped strippers. I just used a linesman plier to do the job. So when these no forged models came outI tried the Husky. I was very disappointed as the strippers wouldn’t strip. The wires would just slide out without stripping the insulation.
Then Milwaukee came out with one and was on sale, so I decided to try that one. I was very happy now that it actually works. I keep it with my linesman pliers and reach for it often.
I suppose if I was an electrician repeating often the task of stripping, I would probably just use the tool in my hand. But for a DIYer, time isn’t money. You just want to do a good job.
Alexk
Feather Boa? Check
G string? Check
Large snake? Check
Forged wire pliers? Too heavy for the G string.
Being that there are no other stripper jokes posted, maybe Stuart deletes these? I hope I’m not the only one that thought of it when I saw the heading.
Bonnie
I’m a DIY’er, but I’ve wired and re-wired a few buildings at this point. The old style combos like that Stanley you pictured are all garbage. But I love my Klein Kurve stamped strippers/cutters (though I actually preferred an older short-jaw version that only had 10,12,14 gauges). I have proper linesman pliers, dykes, etc but I almost never reach for those, and having a single solid combo is absolutely the best when crawling around in a narrow crawlspace or attic
JR Ramos
In my limited observation of a handful of master electricians and two journeymen, these are still very much in the DIY category. One of the younger guys carried a Klein kurve but doesn’t really use it. The rest don’t like these at all. Where a person would think they are time savers, they often are not because it takes time to find the hole, they don’t replace linesman pliers, and if a conductor is nicked then you have to cut and restrip and hope you aren’t short. The single-purpose tools (picking the right ones) are fast and accurate in a skilled hand. Nobody seems to have trouble fumbling them or losing them and it looked like everyone except the young guy traveled light in the pouches. The conduit reaming features apparently are usually not suitable for commercial work.
For myself, I like them…haven’t seen the benefit or need to buy any of this “newer” crop of forged combos but I like the multipurpose stamped ones…good ones. And old GB model and a Much Nicer one from Engineer are great to work with, and a pair of the mini yellow Klein for when I did some house rewiring. Actually I wouldn’t mind getting a romex stripper sometime but I’ll wait until that need arises again. The GB is a crimper/stripper and those were great quality at the time (not as well made these days but decent)…I think the Knipex ones are better but I wish they weren’t all marked in metric.
As I got into fine electronics work and coping with stupid-small wires sometimes, I used the Engineer a lot more because they are so very well made with precise hole sizing, and then a little inline Jokari stripper (same thing Knipex sells rebadged) which is wonderful.
Klein seems like the only company to give the DIY market much attention, and it has certainly done so over the last 20 years or so. Greenlee shied away from it and stayed focused on tradesmen and then all but faded away it seems like. Channellock would be in the same ballpark even more DIY oriented. But that seems to be where these models originated and stayed. You don’t see any of those general/DIY brands in electrician’s bags (some of which is fierce tradition and union-play but a big part of it is tools that work and minimize lost time, callbacks, or other bigger risks of a commercial electrician). Knipex has made its way in to a lot of bags but usually just cutting pliers.
JoeM
Umm… Where do the Klein Comfort Curve 1019 model fall in this discussion? Are they the “Old Fashioned” or the “Forged” type? You convinced me to buy the 1019s several years back, and I rather like them, for what few instances I’ve needed them. I have no regrets buying them, and they do the job, including the job where they’re comfortable to hold for long periods of time.
I’ve only ever tried a Mastercraft Store-Brand basic crimper/stripper from a kit, and the Klein I own. I own two mechanical wire strippers of two different types, but they don’t do the job on every wire, the way the Klein does. If the Klein 1019 isn’t one of these “Forged” types, I haven’t used one to compare. But I do favour the Klein for Residential wires, and my Mechanical ones for fine electronic, or speaker, wires. Is there a model of the Klein Comfort Curve that is in the Forged category, or “Beefed Up” if you will? If there is, I’d love to know the model number so I could get a set. If they’re as comfortable as the ones you already got me to buy, then I would go Klein day in, and day out.
(That you got me to buy the Klein Comfort Curve 1019 is not as big a joke as the times you got me to buy the Pentel 1000, or a Pilot Metropolitain Fountain Pen. Though I poke fun at you for things like that, or the Engineer EDC Scissors… I regret nothing there… And I deeply appreciate your advice on these items! BTW: Jetpens? LAMY 50mL jars of fountain pen ink come with a built in toilet-paper-like textured paper strip dispenser at the bottom, to wipe the nib after refill! And the ink is so much smoother than the Pilot ink!)
Stuart
I wouldn’t consider those to be part of any conversation on forged wire strippers, which typically have a substantial pliers component.
I don’t think I ever recommended the 1019, I’m more of a 11055 and 11057 fan.
You’re not liking Pilot Iroshizuku ink? Maybe try a different paper. Every nib, ink, and paper combination has a different feel to it. Goulet Pens and other dealers have “ink samples” that let you try different inks for much less than it would cost to get a full bottle. I don’t think I’ve ever tried Lamy ink.
CICCIO
Gardner Bender also have a pair of wire stripper pliers, a straight one and a curved one, without the premium cost of big brands
Richard Miller
The type like the yellow handled Stanley are crap. Terrible design. I’ve never owned one, but have had the misfortune of having to use them.
I’ve used a Klein multi-purpose professionally (trades) for many years. Wore some out, but they served me well.
I would also carry a Lineman’s, a “dykes”, and a couple other pliers.
I don’t like the looks of the forged ones. That big grip area will get in the way of efficient wire stripping. DIY territory.
eddiesky
I have a Knipex and its good. I still have that “stamped” crimper and a “stamped” Klein stripper-only. But what I wish the Knipex, as well as the Klein in your photo, is that it had needle-nose tip. I still have to keep a set to wrap for 12/14GA wires on receptacles/switches. I never backstab so this is critical need.
A forged stripper, needle-nose, that locks and can handle 22-10GA like that Irwin/Visegrip image is ideal. But also having backups of each separately in the toolbox is ok.
Sam
I have a pair of craftsman forged pliers/strippers and they are great. The pliers I have are closer to a needle nose which comes in handy a lot more than my 9″ linesman pliers when doing a lot of boxes. Generally I’ll do knock outs with a flathead with a striking handle (designed to be hit) and use the pliers to twist the KO the rest of the way. They also have a pretty decent grip for tightening lock rings.
https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-Pliers-8-Inch-Function-CMHT81715/dp/B07QL3K9DT?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2ZHV9KQJMINI
J . Newell
I know that this is a seriously late comment on this post, but for what it might be worth…
I have used (and still own, purchased with my own cash) several tools in this category, including both the Klein hybrid pliers (two different sizes and configurations of the gray handle pliers-wirecutters-wirestrippers) and both of the Milwaukee combo tools (6-in-1 and 7-in-one). I have also purchased the Knipex tools in this category (the forged wcrecutters and the electrician’s installation pliers). My $0.05:
1. They can be very convenient and very useful and often but not always fulfill the mission of allowing you to simplify and reduce the tools you need on your belt or in the bag that you’re carrying around (not the giant bag that weighs 40 pounds, but the small one that’s got just a few tools essential for the tasks you’re doing for the next hour or two).
2. On the whole, and not because I’m a Knipex snob or fanboy, I prefer the available functions and the ergonomics of the Knipex wirecutt/wirestripper/pliers.
3. All three of these companies have two versions that overlap significantly or even almost completely. The biggest difference I see is whether you’re getting plier jaws that are like those on lineman’s pliers (broad; excellent for tasks like twisting Romex conductors or getting a really firm grip on something) or jaws like those on needlenose pliers (tapering to a narrow, almost pointy, tip, good for tasks like forming hooks on wire or retrieving the screw you just dropped into some place you can’t get your fingers). I guess that there is no way to avoid this situation because there really is no way to “solve” the problem that sometimes you really need or at least want broad jaws and sometimes you really need pointy tips.