- Most electricians have a favorite way to strip wires,
or should I say a favorite tool.
One that's been in the toolbox for years, feels just right,
and strips conductors perfectly,
with just the right amount of effort.
And when that tool reaches the end of its life,
or mysteriously disappears on site,
or perhaps that person you loaned it to never returns it
you can't help but go back to the exact same model.
However, you may find yourself working
with various cables and conductor types,
only to struggle with small cross-section conductors
or different insulation materials,
using your current favorite tool, fortunately,
the Quickstrip Vario automatic wire stripper from Wago
is here to help.
Now this tool is especially useful when you have hundreds,
or even thousands of wires to terminate,
such as when you're building an electrical control panel,
or wiring a large distribution board.
Now, Wago is well known
for its vast selection of connectors,
including the 221 series connectors favored by electricians,
and the top job DIN rail series
used in control panel assembly, what not many realize
is that Wago offers a comprehensive range of tools
to complement the connectors, including this one,
which looks like a comb.
Now, we recently reviewed the slim Wago test probes,
as well as this handy data cable stripper.
If you've missed those, don't worry,
we'll include a link in the description.
However, back to today's mission,
looking at the Quickstrip Vario.
Now this stripper has a feature we haven't seen
in any of the other automatic strippers
we've reviewed on the channel,
so stick around to the end of the video to learn more.
It's really simple to operate,
you can set the maximum strip length of up to 20 millimeters
with the help of this backstop.
This feature's handy if you need to strip a lot of wires
to the same length,
especially when you're building a control panel,
perhaps adding some ferrules to the end of those wires.
The stripper can remove insulation
from conductors ranging in size from 16 millimeters squared,
down to 0.03 millimeters squared.
However, the actual performance of the stripper
will vary depending on the factors
such as the thickness of the material of the insulation,
as well as the type of conductor being used,
we've found a difference
between solid and finely-stranded conductors, but again,
having that adjustment is really useful.
So, to adjust, use the slider at the top.
And that applies a different pressure on the cutting blades
for different thicknesses of conductor insulation.
However, be cautious not to apply too much pressure,
as it may damage the conductors in small diameter cables,
like security cables with thin insulation.
On the other hand, if you apply too little pressure,
it may not remove the insulation,
which is particularly challenging
with harder materials such as XLPE.
Now we often get asked about XLPE,
as it's a common insulation material
used in armored cables and low smoke cables,
and it's always a real challenge to strip.
Based on our tests, we've observed that this particular tool
works best with smaller diameter XLPE conductors,
like this 1.5 millimeter squared twin and CPC cable,
as well as 2.5 millimeter squared SWA cable cores.
However, as the conductor's diameter increases,
the tool struggles to strip 16 millimeters squared,
due to the flat construction of the blades.
Now, fortunately, Wago provide alternative blade options
including an oval-shaped blade designed specifically
for 10 and 16 millimeter squared conductor,
so we'll see if we can get a set of those,
and report back how it handles those larger conductor sizes.
But that's also good news,
because it also means you can get replacement blade sets.
Now we've found the standard blades
perform well with PVC cables across the range,
including the thick insulation
on this tri-rated class six conductor,
and easily handle alternative insulation
such as the silicon on this fire performance cable,
rubber, such as this HO5RR-F cable,
and small-diameter data cables.
A few other features to explore with the tool,
on the side, there's a cutting function,
which is designed for flexible cables
up to 10 millimeters squared,
or solid conductors up to 1.5 millimeters squared.
It also includes a safety function
so you don't trap your fingers.
The tool can be locked in the closed position
for easy storage in your tool bag,
and there's also a loop at the back to attach a lanyard
if you're somebody who drops their tools.
Now let's talk about that mystery function,
by using this lower slide, you can part-strip a conductor
leaving the insulation slug intact the end of the conductor.
This technique comes in handy
when preparing a large number of conductors
that need to be terminated, or ferruled later,
as it prevents
the individual conductor strands from fraying,
making it more difficult to put the ferrule on.
Also, the slug enables you to twist the wire.
Now, the topic of twisting a wire before crimping a ferrule
generates a lot of comments.
Some people prefer to twist slightly,
to mimic the original conductor twist when it was made,
while others don't twist at all.
So what's your take on this?
Share your opinion in the comments.
Now our team has been using this tool for several months now
and has found it be a dependable addition
to the E-fix toolkit
that even regularly makes an appearance
on our electrician's challenge,
helping those who are new to the world of cable stripping.
We'd greatly appreciate hearing your feedback on the tool,
or any challenges you might have encountered
while stripping wires,
so we can try and replicate them here at Lineside Studios.
For those who enjoy Wago's innovative products,
and work extensively
with electrical panels or control systems,
we highly recommend watching this video here,
showcasing the top job DIN rail terminals.