A reader asked for help finding a new automatic wire stripper. That sounds easy, right? Not quite.
Here’s the tricky part – While I’m familiar with many brands and styles of automatic wire strippers, I can’t say I’ve ever swapped parts on one.
Here’s what they wrote:
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Hi, I have a Phoenix Contact Wirefox 6sc automatic wire stripper. After years of faithful service, it broke and I’m looking at a replacement. The PC tools aren’t the easiest to get here in the US and was looking for something easier to source and get blades for. What would you suggest?
Here’s the Phoenix Contact Wirefox 6SC. Note the two-part handle grips, the removable cutter module, and the shape of the wire cutting loop below the lower jaw. This will be important later.
The reader said “After years of faithful service, it broke,” which is good, but they want a model that has more easily available replacement blades.
My first thought was to look at Knipex. I have these automatic wire strippers, and they’re quite good for many types of wire.
They have another style that’s a bit pricier.
I also looked at Jokari, which I believe to be the OEM for some of Knipex’s wire strippers.
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Certain Knipex and Jokari automatic wire strippers have replacement parts, but they don’t seem to be widely available.
At this point I should point out that the Phoenix Contact 6SC wire stripper is not a casual use tool. In other words, off-the-shelf wire strippers from the home center, such as by Irwin or Klein Tools, probably won’t work well for the user that wrote in.
Phoenix Contact specializes in industrial wiring components and accessories. When installing these products, such as in control panels and such, you need high repeatability and accuracy.
And, as I learned from this request, some users need replaceable parts to extend the longevity of their tools.
That makes sense. If a control panel requires hundreds of connections, a good wire stripper is necessary and will see heavy use of time.
What about this model from McMaster Carr? It retails for around $76 and replacement blades are available for a little over $23. But… it seems only one style of replacement blade cartridge is available, and it doesn’t quite match the style of the Wirefox 6SC.
I’ve heard good things about Weidmuller Stripax wire strippers, but am not yet familiar with the brand, and aren’t sure how widely available replacement parts would be.
What about this one from Automation Direct? It retails for $63, and there are a couple of different styles of replacement blade assemblies you can buy.
The direct replacement, for 34-8 AWG, is $24.50, and a similar blade as the Wirefox 6SC is $31.
Hold on…
Are these the same tool?
The McMaster and Automation Direct tools are both listed as being made in Sweden.
Here’s an Xcelite version, which is available at Amazon.
Digging deeper, I came across the Pressmaster Embla SBC. There’s also the VBC, which has V-blades as standard.
Pressmaster looks to be the OEM, which would mean they manufacturer tools for Phoenix Contact, Automation Direct, and probably others.
The Embla looks to be available with 3 styles of replacement knives.
Assuming all of the tools are the same but with different labeling, that would suggest that the reader can keep his Wirefox tool and simply load it with compatible replacement knife blades wherever they can find them.
The V-blade cassette has part number 4320-0615, and looks identical to the ones sold by Automation Direct and Phoenix for their respective tools.
Here’s where I hit a snag. Phoenix Contact’s images are swapped for a lot of products.
I can easily find straight and V-blade cartridges for the Pressmaster Embla. However, the Wirefox 6SC looks to have a different blade set, suited for “cables and conductors (especially for cables protected against short circuits and ground leakages) 1.5-6mm².”
I can’t find alternate sources for this SC 1.5-6mm² blade set.
Here are all of the replacement blades for the Pressmaster Embla:
- 4320-0614 – Straight Blades, 0.02-10mm² (34-8 AWG)
- 4320-0615 – V-Blades, 0.1-4mm² (28-12 AWG)
- 4320-0669 – Semicircular Blades, 4-16mm² (10-5 AWG)
It seems that maybe the SC are special shielded cable jaws. I can’t find these anywhere else, and unless it’s simply well-hidden, that could suggest that they’re specially-made for Phoenix Contact, which would explain their high price and limited availability.
Hmm. This is a closeup of the V-blades with 0.1-4mm² wire stripping capacity.
Assuming these product images are accurate, is there truly a difference?
Or is it rated for “cables protected against short circuits and ground leakages” up to 6mm² (~10 AWG) or PTFE-insulated wires up to 4mm² (12 AWG)?
So either the SC blades are blade specially for Phoenix Contact, and the likely OEM doesn’t sell it anywhere else I could find, or they’re labeled so as to match suitability to a specialized wire type.
The images could inaccurately give the impression the two products are identical aside from their markings, but that seems less probable.
The Pressmaster Embla fits the readers’ requirement of an automatic wire stripper that’s easier to source with also-easily-sourced replacement blades. The SC blade part, however, is the only part I’m not 100% convinced on.
That all said, is there a different model wire stripper you might recommend?
It – in any of its forms – looks decent. I have found that some models work well for thinner wires, other for thicker, and that different insulation types can really throw performance and repeatability way off. I’ll pick one up for review, and maybe one or two others based on readers’ suggestions.
fred
How about the Paladin (aka Greenlee) Stripax Pro – mine is an older model (PA1113) made in Taiwan:
https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-1113-Stripax-Stripper-Cutter/dp/B0006BHCFO
fred
Replacement blades cost almost as the tool.
https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-2113-Stripax-Replacement-Stripping/dp/B001ND6WHI
Stuart
Weidmuller has their Stripax (9005000000) at around $105, and replacement blades are available at a few suppliers (1119030000).
Buying tools like this from Amazon 3rd party sellers will rarely produce the best pricing or availability. They have the tool at competitive pricing but not the replacement blade set.
fred
Amazon does seem to have a good price ($50.40 today) on the Weicon 7:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009W8I6EI
MM
I have two Stripax strippers. Both of mine are marked Paladin. One is the Pro 6 just like Fred’s link here, though I paid less than half what Amazon is asking for it. The other is an older model, it just says “Stripax” on it. The newer Pro 6 model is the better of the two but they’re both great. I can highly recommend the Stripax models.
Nate
PC blades can be ordered easily enough through a distributor(rs-online, AWC, etc). They may have a short leadtime for some models sometimes, so i always keep spares. I bought a replacement PC SC blade for one of my electricians last year. Seems like it was $30-40. They last a long time and from my perspective on time savings(labor savings), they pay for themselves. The flat blade works great, but the v blade is better on some non pvc insulation. I believe the blades are interchangeable for most of PC’s strippers.
For those that strip single pair or small multipair cables, the wirefox sac is a must. I noticed a few months ago that knipex has what appears to be a wirefox sac except with red accents and have assumed someone else made both companies tools. Thanks for the alternative blade options!
DC
I have an older version of this stripper without the contoured handles from the 1980’s when I worked at a car stereo/alarm shop. Broke one and bought another after about a year and it’s still in use today at home. Back then it was made in Sweden, Paladin was a Swedish company until Greenlee bought them out.
Paul
Ideal sells replacement blades for their Stripmaster series.
https://www.idealind.com/us/en/shop/product-type/aerospace/stripmaster.html
AC
Will those press masters do 12 & 14 gauge thnn? I tried the fancy knipex ones that look similar and they will not. They work on most every other wite, just not THNN which is the 120v standard in the US.
Stuart
It should. I ordered a test sample to see for myself. Will take some time since Automation Direct has them backordered until the end of the month.
My goal is to test on thin wire, machine tool wire, THHN, thicker wire, and silicone jacketed wire. I can’t find a single tool that can handle all of this.
I ordered both straight and v-shape blades.
AC
I tried the Knipex 12 52 195 and I can tell you, they don’t do THNN with the included blades. Pretty disappointing for a $100 wire strippers.
Jim Felt
I had that experience too. Returned mine.
fred
I recall trying to strip Leeds&Northrup thermocouple wire back in the 1950’s or ’60’s with several kinds of strippers. The old stuff was problematical on two fronts. First it had an outer jacket of woven asbestos then a tough inner layer. Folks seemed to use single-edge razor blades and/or surgical scissors.
MM
I have never found a stripper of this type which will do THHN well. My Stripax Pro 6 sometimes does a passable job if you put it on the thickest insulation setting but I prefer to use a different type of stripper for THHN most of the time. However they will do nearly everything else. I feel these are meant more for control panel wiring and electronics or automotive work, not so much for Electrician type work, at least in North America.
Mopar4wd
Yeah have to agree at work we have tons of higher end auto strippers like the wire fox, yet I notice when the production wiring guys work on our building they pull out the old school Kleins.
Nate
Most of these strippers are made for industrial controls guys. You can do 12AWG THHN with a flat blade stripper, but you have to turn up the clamp pressure to the max. When I’m doing 12awg that isn’t MTW, i either use a conventional stripper or my klein automatic stripper.
Klein Tools 11063W Wire Cutter / Wire Stripper, Heavy Duty Automatic Wire Stripper Tool for 8-20 AWG Solid and 10-22 AWG Stranded Electrical Wire https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BC39YFQ
These take a bit to get used to, but they are super reliable on any gauge that is shown in the jaws.
Nate
When my eBay-used Paladins finally died, I searched for an affordable replacement, landed on the AutomationDirect version, and I’ve been unconditionally delighted with them.
I figured they were whitebox and sold under several brands but never bothered looking, since AD’s price was reasonable and they always had ’em in stock. I do wonder about those other blade cartridges, but honestly, I’ve not found myself in a situation where the stock cartridge felt inadequate.
it’s_jake
mcmaster will let you know make and model of anything if you ask. hold my automatic wire strippers, i’ll be right back
it’s_jake
And we’re back with an answer
mcmaster item is Pressmaster AB, part number 4320-0612.
Rob
I bought the Xcelite because a review said they were as good if not better than the Knipex and we already have knipex. I do like them better except when stripping the very small LED leads. The Xcelite just rips the smaller gauge to bits.
Mopar4wd
Yeah I like the Xcelites but certain wires they do tend to chew up. But they are the ones I keep in my personnel kit.
TKN
Honestly how many of these are just rebranded Pressmasteds and exactly identical?
Stuart
A lot?
So far, I believe Phoenix Contact, Molex, Automation Direct, and Xcelite to have the same tool, there could be more.
Daniel L
Pressmaster is indeed the OEM. They actually do a lot of OEM production for a slew of different companies. Their mobile crimp platform with interchangable jaws is relabled and sold by gedore, Phoenix contacts, RS-online, etc.
I have the PC branded set, and I find with the PTFE jaws they do THHN easily. Just adjust the force slider until you get a clean strip. Honestly, I can’t imagine that the SC and PTFE jaws are either any different, or different enough to really matter.
PTFE is an extremely tough material to cut through, which could explain why pressmaster markets those blades as having less cutting capacity than…whatever SC cables are. Can’t say I’m familiar with those.
As far as alternatives, I’m a huge fan of the Weicon Magic 7 strippers. I do a lot of multi-conductor plenum-rated cable work: these allow for stripping the outer jacket as well as the individual conductors with a single tool. Can’t say that I’m familiar with their replacement blades though.
Franco
“whatever SC cables are. Can’t say I’m familiar with those.”….fiber cable???
Stuart
As mentioned in the post, I’m guessing it’s for Shielded Cables.
Daniel L
A quick Google search turned up two items associated with wire and cable that “SC” could be referring to.
Option 1 is SC (Stage) cable. Temporary power for entertainment, audio, lighting, etc. Looks like it uses Chlorinated Polyethelene as an insulator: high durability, low flexibility. Makes sense to use the more aggressive V cut pattern on a harder material. Thus why I tend to use those blades on THHN…both the nylon and the PVC on that kind of wire tends to be pretty dense.
Option 2 is a type of fiber optic *connector*. SC: Subscriber Connector. Seems less likely? I can’t say for certain.
Not sure about sheilded cable…typically these are used for specifically stripping one conductor at a time, a sheilded cable implies a second conductor. Coax and similarly constructed cables are technically sheilded cables…I can’t quite seem to find anything concerning SC sheilded cables.
Stuart
The manufacture specifically says it’s for “cables and conductors (especially for cables protected against short circuits and ground leakages) 1.5-6mm².”
The “ground leakage” part suggests shielded cables.
Also keep in mind that Phoenix specializes in control panel components. SC for shielded cables seems logical.
Why are the jaws for SC and PTFE different despite appearing identical? That’s the question.
It seems to me that the PTFE jaws might be labeled with a lower range due to insulation being harder to cut, and the SC jaws might be labeled with a higher range due to being softer to cut.
nate f
You have to be careful with phoenix contact’s acronyms. They are not always based on english or the type of english we speak. I looked all this up at one point, but I believe the SC and other “V” shaped blades for harder to strip insulations like rubber and silicone. It’s hard to find the literature I found in the past that described this.
Now, for smaller Shielded cables or multiconductor you want the Wirefox SAC. They have (3) versions for different diameters. I personally have the original SAC and everyone i show it to buys one. It will change your life. you’ll never knick another wire while stripping insulation and it works so fast. Works great for ethernet too. Pressmaster doesn’t make the SAC, but I’ve seen that knipex has a red version in their catalog.
For thicker cables you will want the wirefox-D. These are made by pressmaster also if you want to get it cheaper.
Peter Fox
My preferred automatic wire strippers are the Ideal strip master series. unfortunately they do require that you know the wire size you are stripping and select the correct hole based on that size. However because they are a round stripping hole verses V-notch or flat blades they do better in thin insulation. If you work with thin high temp wire they even offer wire strippers specific to the type of wire and insulation thickness. Additionally they well consistently hold up in a production environment for years with only basic cleaning and maintenance.
For automatic strippers that you don’t need to know the size I have become quite fond of the Weicon #5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NUMVHQ It has V-notch blades which work well on most common wire types. They are low enough in cost to have several pairs spread between my various tool boxes. The only grip I have is the strip length wire stop can only be adjusted from 3/16″ to 1/2″ (5mm to 12mm). The wire is easily removable However I would like at least 3/4″ and prefer 1″.
TonyT
Did you try calling Phoenix about the SC blades? I won’t guarantee they’ll answer your questions (especially if you want to know who the OEM is), but I’ve had good experiences with my local Phoenix Contact rep.
Stuart
So, Phoenix Contact’s tech support is trying to convince me the two blades are different despite looking identical in product photos because they’re designed for different tools and have different stripping capacity specs.
However, Wirefox 4, 6, 6SC, and 10 all look to be the same exact Pressmaster tool but with different blades.
Pressmaster has 1 tool body and 3 blades. Given that the Phoenix-branded strippers and replacement blades look to be Pressmaster tools with a high rebranding premium, I’m not inclined to order test samples, especially when they look identical aside from application labeling.
Wire strippers often have dual-marked holes for solid and stranded conductors. I wonder if that’s why these blades have different labeling for PTFE-insulated and SC cables.
TonyT
Thanks for calling, even if Phoenix wasn’t helpful. Probably only the product line manager in Germany knows the answer 🙂
Looking at Phoenix’s international web site, the best I could come up with is that Wirefox 4, 6SC, and 10 are the same tool with different blades (I couldn’t find a plain Wirefox 6, only the Wirefox 6SC or Quick Wirefox 6, which is a different style), and Phoenix offers 4 blades:
1) Wirefox 4/SB, V-blade, marked with PTFE, for cables and conductors (especially for rubber and silicone insulations) of 0.1 – 4 mm2.
2) Wirefox 6SC/SB, V-blade, marked with PTFE, for cables and conductors (especially for cables protected against short circuits and ground leakages) 1.5 – 6 mm2
3) Wirefox 10/SB, flat blade, for cables and conductors of 0.02 – 10 mm2
4) Wirefox 16/SB, V-blade, for cables and conductors of 4 – 16 mm2
My guess is that you’re right, and the Wirefox 6SC/SB is specially made for Phoenix.
I’m not sure if SC means shielded cable; based on looking at a few shielded Phoenix cables, adding SH for shielded seems more common, with maybe SC/SC0 being used at times.
Yes, Phoenix’s rebranded components do tend to have higher prices than the original.
Stuart
It was easier for me to email.
I still think the tools are identical. Pressmaster makes 3 styles of blade sets, so where does this identical-looking SC blade set come from?
They did explain SC after I asked:
I’m not at all familiar with “short-circuit proof” cables.
Mr B
Danielson makes a wide range of strippers. I know they are widely used in Aerospace. I think they may be an OEM supplier for other brands.
frampton
I have owned many automatic wire strippers. I have the Knipex Precistrip, which is excellent and probably my all-time favorite. They’re also at an all-time low price right now on Amazon, according to the Camels (about $90). The Irwin Vice Grip Wire Stripper is a solid choice at about $25.00. I am also a fan of the Titan Tools 11469 for about the same price. It is a cheaply made tool that performs surprisingly well – especially well suited for ribbon cable (but I wouldn’t use it for fine wires). The Ideal Industries 45-235 is the only stripper I have found that works on UF Romex.
fred
I think that the Ideal 45-235 is made for them by someone in Germany – looks like the Jokari 20030 and some others.
Dominic S
May not be the same category or quality, but I’ve been using Klein Katapults for years and they are awesome.
TomD
I use something like this: https://www.southwire.com/tools-equipment/cable-preparation-termination/romex-wire-stripper/p/65028240 that I got at Ace. The jacket is always the hard part for me, the wire is easy (chomp, spin, pull). You don’t have to do much wiring at all to get a pretty accurate feel for how much to strip.
Alex
Weidmuller Stripax is great if you don’t mind the price.
kri
https://www.wezag.de/en/tools/
think they make gedores and other brands strippers
Franklin Remodel
As the original reader who sent the question, I can confirm the Automation Direct cutters are the same as the Phoenix Contact ones. I bought both the straight (black cartridge) and the V cutter (blue) from AD and they fit my PC Wirefox 6SC. I did pick up a PC Wirefox 10 and the handles are exactly the same. The only difference is the 10 comes with the black cartridge and the 6sc comes with the blue.
Thanks for all the advice.
Stuart
I’m glad it worked out!
Hopefully this will save you money too.
Automation Direct: $31
Phoenix Contact: $76 (Mouser), similar elsewhere