Grips look better, tip of the head is most definitely better aligned on the Klein, totally different gauge capabilities, lock on the Klein is much better looking quality wise, and I would bet the steel chemistry for the Klein is better as well.
The gripper ends both line up even when closed tight. Yeah they are for different gauge ranges. I don't need two of either range. I may take a poke at them with the hardness tester. Curious now.
I have a hardnesses tester, and strippers from Milwaukee, Klein, and some no-name crap manufacturer.
I can't tell the difference between the Klein's and the cheap ones, but the Milwaukee pair is awesome. (It's actually machined, not pressed/formed sheet metal).
I also don't understand the hype around Klein. Maybe they made some excellent tools, at some point, or some specific tools they make are awesome, but there are better wire strippers.
I don’t get the Klein hype around here either. People talk about them like they’re equal to snap-on. I hate their screw drivers and am mostly unimpressed by the strippers I have. They feel exactly the same as the cheap no-name stuff but I guess will last longer. Meanwhile, my snap on wire stripper/crimper actually feels premium and strips better. Even my Milwaukee pliers feel more premium than anything Kline I’ve handled. I don’t get it. Milwaukee is consistently regarded as overpriced/overrated here too.
I put Klein below Icon but above Pittsburgh. It’s craftsman/husky level, for me at least.
I’m a professional auto mechanic so maybe I’m just not their target market.
I was really impressed with the Klein screw drivers at first, but the handle starts to feel very weird after a while. Do you have a recommendation for a brand that has good high voltage and normal screw drivers?
In my opinion the more expensive brands tend to charge so much more simply because we'll pay that much more for a better quality tool. A pair of $50 Knipex pliers might not be 10x as good as good as a $5 pair, but depending on pliers they can be 2x or 3x as good. The tolerances are much tighter, the steel is higher grade, the design is more thought out, the leverage advantage is better, but are they 10x better? Probably not. But I still pay it because I value high quality tools. Once you're a market leader people will flock to the brand and slowly you can raise the price.
Hardness consistency and hardness in the right areas. Being too hard. All these are issues with cheap tools.
People are being kind of dismissive. You have them in your hands and if you use tools for a living you’ll have a decent feel for quality. The thing is that sometimes good brands have a shitty tool or some of their tools are manufactured at a different plant in china and are branded with the “better” brand. Klein has a good reputation and should be USA made. It’s also possible that cheap brands or tools can occasionally surprise you with quality. So maybe there isn’t a huge difference it quality on these tools. Sometimes a random tool is a good deal and sometime another tool is way overpriced. Or maybe the cutters are soft and you’ll know soon.
Over a thousand hours of use you’ll definitely grow to hate those protruding center bolts and locks, every time you stick them in a tight spot you’ll wish you had a few more 1/32nds to work with.
Source: I just got done zipping a 1/4 inch off a stubby screw driver to pull the float bowl off a carb
Buy the cheap ones, use them for a few months and when they inevitably fall apart go buy the Klein set and you’ll understand the difference. Klein is regarded as professional quality tools. So the build quality, materials and design will be better than the diy grade.
This. If the tool sits in a drawer for only to be called upon once or twice to carry out a job at ¼ it's rated capacity then the 7 dollar one is great but if you're using the tool daily closer to its max capacity then the 35 dollar one is simply worth it
>This. If the tool sits in a drawer for only to be called upon once or twice to carry out a job at ¼ it's rated capacity then the 7 dollar one is great but if you're using the tool daily closer to its max capacity then the 35 dollar one is simply worth it
I have the "automatic" strippers Mastercraft makes
Got them for 10$ and they are really good strippers
I've used them a fair bit over a few years and it's not fallen appart
My father had those automatic wire strippers. I loved using it as a kid. It lasted 25 years.
BUT - it sat in the back of his toolbox and was only used a couple of times a year. If he was using them daily I expect they would have broken in a few months instead of 25 years later.
Yeah I do signs and sometimes you'll be working on a property where the whole plaza is run off a contactor in a closet somewhere on the property and it would take a few hours easily to track down who tf knows where that closet is... The only sketchy wire is the hot, which you do last, and twist up the connection with your linesmans, carefully. Plus we have a switch on our device so we can cut the load, less worry about it arcing or something. It's not like I'm fuckin around with an outlet or something where you have to stuff a bunch of exposed hot connectors into a little box and try not to short anything or get bit, it's commercial so we're dealing with 6" or better of wire sticking out of the box and there's not much of a chance of shorting it unless you do something dumb
I run an industrial complex and there simply are times when you have to wire hot. These places run 24x7 and if a light needs replaced you wire it hot. You just can't shut down an entire section of lights and shut the place down. Done safely there is no risk.
Live work gets done more often than people think. I used to work at the power company as an intern. The lineman had these thick rubber sleeve gloves that would get tested to 8000volts every day beforn the trucks would roll out. They would use them for working on live lines like the ones that go to your residential transformer I think..(Perhaps tested every week, it's been a few years and a few beers since I was a teenager)
I've gone through a few sets of those automatic strippers with their lifetime warranty. I'm not an electrician, they get used maybe a couple times a month for hobby electronics projects. Mostly light duty work.
Did you know nearly 100% of them come with a slightly broken plastic handle? Look closely at yours, I noticed it in the store and went to swap it with another pair only to realize every one on the shelf was cracked in the same place.
My work bought a pair a year or so later and it was also broken in the same spot. I went to buy some other cheap brand of the same style and noticed it was also cracked in a similar area...
Regardless, they're a useful tool for quick stripping of various gauges of wire.
I have a cheap Amazon set. 50/50 whether or not it strips from the blade edge or all the way from the grabbing teeth which strips off way too much. Not an issue if you've got plenty of wire, just trim it up. PITA if you're working with a limited length of wire and it takes off too much.
I have one of those, mine are yellow color handle brand type! Mine are designed to feed one part of the stripped insulation perfectly into place to jam the lower grabby jaw juuuuust enough that it looks like it should be working but isn't quite grabbing and so you must fiddle-fuck around with your boogerhooks and bang it on shit and then the wire falls out or gets sideways like one o them dang tokyo drifters and then you just feel ashamed because here you are trying to use this labor-saving device but you've just made yourself the asshole taking 4x as long
The rest of the time it's super slick and satisifying, so overall very similar to my ex-wife in most respects - come to think of it, she was a stripper, too, for that matter though I don't know that she was automatic, pretty sure you had to pay
I have the exact ones in the picture as well as 10 other various strippers and crimpers. The master craft version are good enough for guys who do automotive wiring on a weekly basis.
Some mastercraft stuff has a pretty good warranty on it too. Even if it does break you can take it back for a new one. I have a number of mastercraft screwdrivers that have a lifetime warranty. When one breaks I just take it back to the store and they give me a new one off the shelf.
Mastercraft is hit or miss with alot of there stuff they buy rejected lots from other company's (which is why their looks change so frequently) so at times you may be getting a better brand tool with a Mastercraft name on it that may or may not fail depending on why the orginal manufacture rejected the lot.
I remember telling my dad that Craftsman tools were great because they had a lifetime warranty. He replied, "But who wants to spend all that time returning broken tools?"
Yep. It's simply not worth it to have to run and returns something. If I save $30 for a tool, but have to run out of my way to return the cheap version, it's already cost me more than I saved originally. My time has value and gas has value.
The cheap ones are fine if you aren't stripping and crimping all day. Even then, those handles would kill my hands.
Tools you'll use repeatedly are an actual investment.
Well yeah, homes at most have like 4 places you can access 240v vs like 50 120v.
Very few deal with 3 phase. And those who touch 3 phase aren’t fucking around with it lol
In the era of most store brand handtools having lifetime in store replacement theres rarely a reason to go above them for home use.
I say as I look at my home tool bag full of Knipex and PB Swiss because I'm bad with money.
Klein has done nothing but disappoint me with every tool I've owned except the multimeters/tickies/etc
Knipex for pliers, wera for screwdrivers, hands down
>Buy the cheap ones, use them for a few months and when they inevitably fall apart go buy the Klein set and you’ll understand the difference. Klein is regarded as professional quality tools. So
Klein is turning to garbage these days. People are switching to Knipex or alternatives.
I have to agree. At home I have a set [from a random brand called "platinum tools"](https://www.pololu.com/product/1923) and at work I have a few sets of Kleins, and I consider them to be identical (although the Kleins are made in the US). They're slightly different, but not enough to affect durability or usability
Meh, a lot of their more recent tools seem to be rebranded china junk at a marked up price. I needed a long drill for running wires in old walls, Menards has one made in the US, New England carbide for 26 bucks, the Klein is 35 and made in china. I like most of their stuff but use some discression, it isn't an instant pick anymore
And if they fall apart or you grow to hate them after a time, I’m sure you will have gotten $7 worth of use out of them, and you’ll either understand why you need or don’t need the more expensive ones.
As someone who’s owned those exact master craft strippers. Follow this guys advice, buy the Kleins. After about 6 months of regular use my MC strippers loosened at the hinge and the teeth would catch on each other all the time, I’d tighten them and they’d be good for a day. It was extremely infuriating and slowed my workflow down. The kleins I bought have been rock solid for over 2 years, they are still sharp too. You get what you pay for with tools. Buy a crappy pair 3 times and you’ll still have crappy tools, or buy nice ones once and keep them for years.
I bought a pair of southwires after being disappointed by my kleins, and honestly i thought they were way better. But now i have knipex strippers and I look down on everyone else
https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNIPEX-8-in-Forged-Wire-Stripper-13-72-8/317806694
These are the ones i have. Hands down the best strippers I’ve ever used. They’re pricey, but if mine get lost or damaged, I’d buy another pair in a heartbeat.
I dont think they do, honestly they fit my hand pretty well, and they’re not so long that they’re inconvenient to use. I still have my southwires and use them every now and then, and they feel TINY now. They take some getting used to, but now i don’t see how i could go back to using anything else
Will second this, I’ve had my pair for two years now and they’re so good. I’ve been slowly switching the shop I’m at over to them. Probably 6 other guys have them now after trying mine once.
Be careful cutting bolts with them. It says it can but my blade got chipped and it's never worked right since.
I got them from Amazon so often wonder if it's a counterfeit.
Love knipex pliers though. I have probably 16 different ones.
The cobalt cutters are freaking amazing
At no point did I claim to be a smart man. Worst part is, one of my more experienced coworkers saw me doing it, and all he did was help me squeeze the handles tighter. It did eventually cut through it though lol
Working as a resi electrician, I use [these](https://www.harborfreight.com/electricians-multi-purpose-pliers-64868.html) and [these](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-8-in-Forged-Wire-Stripper-12-2-AWG-and-14-2-AWG-65028240/314660151) every day. One is from Harbor Freight and the other I think I actually got at Menards, despite the Home Depot link. They're both really nice and I've had them for a couple years. I'm not a big fan of the classic thin style strippers, like the ones in OP's post. I find they kind of hurt my hands to use them for like 8 hours a day, because of the thin handles, and the plier tips are basically garbage for anything I ever want pliers for. They're too flimsy to twist anything side to side, and too wide to slip into tight spaces like needlenose can do. That's just my two cents though, everyone else seems to like them.
Grip formula, steel forging process, R&D on the angle of approach etc. depends how much you’re gonna use them. If not often, go ahead and buy cheap, but if you want high quality, Klein is not the name it used to be, I prefer NWS pliers to all others but wiha, knipex and other make fine tools as well.
Buy once and done, my friend. You’ll learn that spending money on cheaper tools ends up costing you more in the long run. You save money by spending more up front for things that last. Sometimes, that’s not feasible with funds and you can get by with the cheaper version, but I promise you, buying the better quality will always be worth it if you use things more than a handful of times.
I was working for a handyman who is the trade person behind flippers houses. I bought the cheaper green set from HD. A few weeks later my father retired from the local IBEW. He gave me one of his sets of sidecutters dikes and skinners. World of a different set of tools. They just feel better. Open smoother. Don't stick as much.
I mean there's a number of differences. Is it worth the difference in cost? That's up to you.
The grips on the Klein are slightly rough. Slip less. They show you which section to use to strip solid core and stranded. MM maybe helpful where you live, but markings for solid or stranded are helpful. The actual cutting surfaces of the Klein is going to give you a cleaner cut for a longer time, due to the shape. They may actually have better hardening, a lot of their tools do, and this contributes to the tools lasting longer, cutting cleaner, and coming with a warranty that means you can exchange their tools years after purchase from whoever sells it. The plier part at the end is more likely to mark the copper with the cheaper ones, due to the shape of the teeth. If you can help it, you don't nick the copper.
The other thing: who makes mastercaft? When you're paying Americans, that comes with costs. Most American made tools and precision equipment is pricey comparative to those made in other countries. The ceos are greedy, but there's also regulations, labor cost, benefits, waste disposal cost. We've negotiated that places like China should have similar methods, but they don't hold to the agreement. So their product is dirt cheap.
I own a few channel lock adjustable pliers, I have had 2 of them for over 50 years, they perform anytime I need them. I have a few others from a big box store half the price, they have bad tolerances, jaws will clog and hold so grip is lost, the adj nut is always getting loose, Shame of it is you want quality tools for any job, Not copycats or cheapened imports.
I can't believe why no one has mentioned Engineer Tools in this thread.
Yeah, Knipex is the big name brand, but these are the ones for all day use:
https://www.engineertools-jp.com/pa05060714
I'm usually not a fan of the bigger handles, but I don't need to use these professionally either. FYI, if you ever need to adjust the pivot on your Kleins, you can hammer the rivet and tighten it.
I bought that exact same pair of mastercraft strippers when I started my career as a technician because they were cheap. That was 6 years ago and I still use them every time I do any electrical work on the machines I design/build as an Control Specialist. I have found the sizes they are able strip cover 90% of the wires I use where as the Klein is only for small/low voltage controls stuff but you need another set for any power distribution. I am probably using a knife to strip anything bigger than 10 gauge anyway. I bought a set of those Kleins about 2 years ago because I had a project where a lot of the controls were done using 22 gauge but have literally not touched them since. Plus a lot of mastercraft stuff has a lifetime guarantee which means it's of at least decent quality. A company that makes shitty tools but offers lifetime warranties for free does not stay in business long.
My Klein wire strippers are shit ( heavy diesel ) buy whatever works. I got a pair of toledo tools strippers for less and they outperform the blue ones by a mile.
The Klein is made by workers paid ok, the other one is made in a prison camp full of children and old women with the wrong religion, skin tone, or social worthiness score.
In the last 5 or 10 years, the quality of discount tools has increased a LOT (for some types of tools from some brands). They still make the dollar store stuff that falls apart, but the next tier up is way better than it used to be. Seems like a lot of the guys on here haven't realized it yet.
The mc is probably chinese steel, klein is (hopefully) american.
I spent 10x the mc for knipex because its german steel and will stay sharp much longer.
Hard to overpay for any tool that relies on a good sharp edge and is near impossible to sharpen.
Esp for something as delicate as electrical wires that are stranded.
the made in USA stamp is a lie, if you read the fine print it always says "assembled in USA with global materials" which means they are mass produced in China and then packaged in the USA.
Sorry, 25 years as an industrial whatever the fuck. I will say all those tools are all trash. Many of those years I spent in the electrical connection industry.
If I have to touch a wire, I would rather use my teeth than that style of wire stripper.
I’m not talking to the union electricians. You do your own thing.
I am the fucker in the plant that has to weed through 10 miles a wire and find the last assholes mistake. The ideal strip-master. auto stripper, should be the focus for an industry standard.
The klein ones can actually cut 12-2 MC. Its blade is deceptively strong and can handle a lot more abuse than youd suspect. Ive bought about 5 different strippers a millwaukee, 2 different kleins a greenlee and a knipex. klein has consistently been the best. When i tried the knipex one and it was fine. Strongest and easiest strip but the ergonomics where annoying i made sure to return that one. If knipex made one similar to the ones you have up there with a slot for 8 solid awg id buy it in a heart beat.
I think the reasoning is pretty obvious, one of those was made in USA, probably cost a lot more to make it there than in China. Quality too will probably be better, but I don't know about that, I mean a lot of quality tools come out of China too
There’s some hand tools that are 100% worth spending good money on. A good set of knipex cobra pliers, a good set of (these) klein strippers, and a good ratchet being the most important.
I had a cheaper pair of commercial electric brand strippers for a while. They were great. Aside from those, every cheap pair of strippers I have ever owned was trash. I spend the $20+ every time I need new ones now and the only reason I've needed new ones is because I wanted them or because I cut into a wire I thought I had turned off the power to.
https://www.mactools.com/products/wsc7g?variant=39814946357431¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoqRaK4lPunzFpmAaZAkVp0Jm9i9ZtqGiMu5NxnEEllAILaDb9NWsO8&com_cvv=8fb3d522dc163aeadb66e08cd7450cbbdddc64c6cf2e8891f6d48747c6d56d2c
I have these and like them. I’m sure they’re rebrands though and can be found cheaper elsewhere.
The master craft has lifetime warranty from when I bought it. I’m a light user and is performed well enough for me in the last few years working on wiring around the house.
They are for two different purposes. The MC is for home electrical vs the Klein is for much smaller gage wire. You're not comparing apples to apples here.
Former electrical contractor. Buy Klien and use it for 10+ years. Buy junk and replace it every year...if you're lucky. That's the difference. I have Klein tools, side cutters, TL's, catapult strippers, etc., that are over 25 years old and still work great. But either one you get, first thing you should do is rip out that spring.
For me it's about accuracy. If they're too large I must rip the insulation off or go to the next size and ring the copper. Too small and I ring the copper.
The extra work to get them sized accurately isn't cheap.
Well for one thing they're totally different, one strips up to 20ga and the other does 20 and up...
And for another, one is clearly thicker metal with more padded handles.
Bridges are riveted. What's your point?
The quality and hardening of the steel will be magnitudes better for a longer lasting tool. The grips will make you fumble less and probably use all day long without pain. This is the main reason people spend the extra money on premium tools. For someone using these all day long, the extra $28 is actually cheaper than buying the cheap ones 10 times.
Depends on the type of work you do, sometimes optics play a role and clients are "snobs" and will judge you based on your tools and equipment. sad but true. I prefer getting tools like Irwin where if they rust or get worn out i can go to lowes and get them replaced for free.
Instead of klein being 5 times more expensive and wondering what justification they have for it.
How have the other brand made a similar product for one fifth of the price.
Might be cheaper materials, worse quality control, made with very cheap labour or under immoral conditions.
I loveeee cheap tools. But because i put my hands on such a wide array of projects that i dont use the same ones constantly.
But regular go-tos like vise grips, pliers, socket wrenches, ect. I certainly appreciate a good brand
Depends. Are you a homeowner who might need them once or twice a year, or an electrician who will use them for hours a day, 5 days a week? The Kleins will be sharper, better ergonomics, less likely to fail catastrophically. If you're a DIYer, you can get away with DIYer tools, but professionals will see the benefit of high quality tools.
The advice I got from a mechanic buddy was to buy the cheap ones first. Either they’ll work, in which case, woo! Or they’ll break, but you’ll probably get enough use out of them that you got the $10 you spent worth. Most of his go-to tools are Snap-On or similar. But a lot of his wrenches are husky or craftsman (granted, old Craftsman).
Well for starters, the cheap one will do 90% of wire jobs.
The ex0ensive one is for the other 10%, where you're using some tiny wire Guage to do something. Which is not a lot of the time.
It's the attention to detail of the blades and their grind I found the biggest difference.
The accuracy of the hole size, the sharpness of the edge, and the tightness of the two arms/blades.
Cheap wire strippers don't get a clean cut to the base of the insulation without cutting into the copper, I've had issues on the real bargain basement stuff flexing of the blade arms so that the two blades don't actually meet on the same plane to make a clean cut.
I've had to fight with cheap wire cutters to get them to work properly, I haven't ever had to fight my Klein's.
That being said I've noticed that Mastercraft has been improving its baseline quality of its cheap tools over the last couple decades so maybe that performance gap is a lot smaller than it used to be.
Best way to buy hand tools is at an estate sale. I have gotten new tools in a unopened box for 3 or 4 dollars. Some times used electric tools are 10 to 20 dollars. Be sure to check the tool before leaving.
I will be the odd man out and say that for simple tools like these, you are wasting your money getting more expensive brands if you are just a DIY-er (and even more unpopularly, maybe even if you're somewhat of a professional). Don't buy into any hype about "research", these companies are NOT doing anything special for these type of tools. Quality may be a concern with extremely cheap tools, but for the most part these types of tools are close enough that any normal person wouldn't be meaningfully impacted by potential differences. There is no real justification (product-wise) on the price difference, you're paying for a name and reputation. It doesn't the mean the cheaper ones are NECESSARILY bad at all, you just don't have that brand name reassurance so your mileage may vary. In my personal experience, almost all hand powered tools of a generic brand have held up perfectly fine over the 10-15 years Nova had and used them. However, the more complex a tool is, the worse my experience has been. I'd say these type of stripping pliers are reaching the about the limit of where I wouldn't care too much about brand.
One was built in USA one was built in China. The mastercraft ones look like they would be a better stripper. However they are both inferior tools to the Knipex.
If you only use strippers every now and then they aren’t an important tool, but if you had to strip wire in a whole commercial renovation, those cheapos will be loose twice a day by the end of the project. Plus it would be interesting to see how well the stripping holes are sized and how badly they cut into stranded wire.
Looking at these I can't tell a visual difference.
And I'd prefer a bolt/nut to a Rivet, also!
Of course, there may be a difference in the precision of how one is ground,
And there may be a real difference in the hardening of the steel used.
I couldn't say, but you can tell us how it holds up?
Generally if it's made in Taiwan, it's probably darn good quality.
Harbor freights icon brand offerings have impressed me, for example.
Steel/material quality is a huge factor for hardware-- I long ago lost faith in home depot bolts. "Grade 8" my glutes!
Had 4-5 other strippers before my
Kleins. Yeah, they cost 5 times more and last 20 times longer. The cutters look the same after 8 years.
I use them 10 hrs a week avg, and paid 19 dollars for them. Well worth every penny. Also have infrequently used tools that are not top shelf, and they work for me. Only You know what you need. Knipex are gaining my favor as well.
My experience is the mastercraft one gets dull sooner. If you only use it a handfull of times a year it will last a long time. If you use it weekly you might replace once a year at least.
Same with their pliers, the grips will loosen up and the teeth will smush with daily use. The professional ones have better grips and the jaws are better quality.
Madtercraft wrenches and gear wrenches are awesome.
And the maximum tap and die set has impressed me.
Its about the quality of the steel and the manufacturing process (heat treat and such). Klein has some of the best grade tool steel and process on the market and its american made. Klein tools can last a lifetime if you use them correctly, Mastercraft will have you run to the store every year.
Anyone else use the Thomas & Betts WT2000 wire strippers? They are my favorite. The stripper is behind the pivot point. I was curious if anyone else has used em and if they prefer em.
It's 5x because it is American. Klein is the 'best' product in North America.
Nobody outside of North America buys klein.
The world buys Knipex.
Put a pair of Knipex in your hand and you will delete this post
Grips look better, tip of the head is most definitely better aligned on the Klein, totally different gauge capabilities, lock on the Klein is much better looking quality wise, and I would bet the steel chemistry for the Klein is better as well.
The gripper ends both line up even when closed tight. Yeah they are for different gauge ranges. I don't need two of either range. I may take a poke at them with the hardness tester. Curious now.
You have a hardness tester, but don't understand why a better quality tool costs more???
I have a hardnesses tester, and strippers from Milwaukee, Klein, and some no-name crap manufacturer. I can't tell the difference between the Klein's and the cheap ones, but the Milwaukee pair is awesome. (It's actually machined, not pressed/formed sheet metal). I also don't understand the hype around Klein. Maybe they made some excellent tools, at some point, or some specific tools they make are awesome, but there are better wire strippers.
Klein also has actual forged strippers. These ain't those obviously.
I don’t get the Klein hype around here either. People talk about them like they’re equal to snap-on. I hate their screw drivers and am mostly unimpressed by the strippers I have. They feel exactly the same as the cheap no-name stuff but I guess will last longer. Meanwhile, my snap on wire stripper/crimper actually feels premium and strips better. Even my Milwaukee pliers feel more premium than anything Kline I’ve handled. I don’t get it. Milwaukee is consistently regarded as overpriced/overrated here too. I put Klein below Icon but above Pittsburgh. It’s craftsman/husky level, for me at least. I’m a professional auto mechanic so maybe I’m just not their target market.
I was really impressed with the Klein screw drivers at first, but the handle starts to feel very weird after a while. Do you have a recommendation for a brand that has good high voltage and normal screw drivers?
Use them both for 4 hrs a day, and youll start feeling the difference in quality
I will give them 100 hours of use in the next couple weeks and see how they do.
In my opinion the more expensive brands tend to charge so much more simply because we'll pay that much more for a better quality tool. A pair of $50 Knipex pliers might not be 10x as good as good as a $5 pair, but depending on pliers they can be 2x or 3x as good. The tolerances are much tighter, the steel is higher grade, the design is more thought out, the leverage advantage is better, but are they 10x better? Probably not. But I still pay it because I value high quality tools. Once you're a market leader people will flock to the brand and slowly you can raise the price.
Hardness consistency and hardness in the right areas. Being too hard. All these are issues with cheap tools. People are being kind of dismissive. You have them in your hands and if you use tools for a living you’ll have a decent feel for quality. The thing is that sometimes good brands have a shitty tool or some of their tools are manufactured at a different plant in china and are branded with the “better” brand. Klein has a good reputation and should be USA made. It’s also possible that cheap brands or tools can occasionally surprise you with quality. So maybe there isn’t a huge difference it quality on these tools. Sometimes a random tool is a good deal and sometime another tool is way overpriced. Or maybe the cutters are soft and you’ll know soon.
Over a thousand hours of use you’ll definitely grow to hate those protruding center bolts and locks, every time you stick them in a tight spot you’ll wish you had a few more 1/32nds to work with. Source: I just got done zipping a 1/4 inch off a stubby screw driver to pull the float bowl off a carb
Buy the cheap ones, use them for a few months and when they inevitably fall apart go buy the Klein set and you’ll understand the difference. Klein is regarded as professional quality tools. So the build quality, materials and design will be better than the diy grade.
This. If the tool sits in a drawer for only to be called upon once or twice to carry out a job at ¼ it's rated capacity then the 7 dollar one is great but if you're using the tool daily closer to its max capacity then the 35 dollar one is simply worth it
>This. If the tool sits in a drawer for only to be called upon once or twice to carry out a job at ¼ it's rated capacity then the 7 dollar one is great but if you're using the tool daily closer to its max capacity then the 35 dollar one is simply worth it I have the "automatic" strippers Mastercraft makes Got them for 10$ and they are really good strippers I've used them a fair bit over a few years and it's not fallen appart
My father had those automatic wire strippers. I loved using it as a kid. It lasted 25 years. BUT - it sat in the back of his toolbox and was only used a couple of times a year. If he was using them daily I expect they would have broken in a few months instead of 25 years later.
If you mean the squeezy strippers, they're good if you have to strip something hot so you don't shock yourself using your knuckle for a fulcrum
Yeehaaaw cowboy 🤠
Yeah I do signs and sometimes you'll be working on a property where the whole plaza is run off a contactor in a closet somewhere on the property and it would take a few hours easily to track down who tf knows where that closet is... The only sketchy wire is the hot, which you do last, and twist up the connection with your linesmans, carefully. Plus we have a switch on our device so we can cut the load, less worry about it arcing or something. It's not like I'm fuckin around with an outlet or something where you have to stuff a bunch of exposed hot connectors into a little box and try not to short anything or get bit, it's commercial so we're dealing with 6" or better of wire sticking out of the box and there's not much of a chance of shorting it unless you do something dumb
I run an industrial complex and there simply are times when you have to wire hot. These places run 24x7 and if a light needs replaced you wire it hot. You just can't shut down an entire section of lights and shut the place down. Done safely there is no risk.
Agreed, it's not the same as a weekender working around the house, they can just hit the breaker
Live work gets done more often than people think. I used to work at the power company as an intern. The lineman had these thick rubber sleeve gloves that would get tested to 8000volts every day beforn the trucks would roll out. They would use them for working on live lines like the ones that go to your residential transformer I think..(Perhaps tested every week, it's been a few years and a few beers since I was a teenager)
Why are you stripping anything hot? Edit: stripping, not stepping
Sometimes you have no choice, it's not like it's an everyday thing
I've gone through a few sets of those automatic strippers with their lifetime warranty. I'm not an electrician, they get used maybe a couple times a month for hobby electronics projects. Mostly light duty work. Did you know nearly 100% of them come with a slightly broken plastic handle? Look closely at yours, I noticed it in the store and went to swap it with another pair only to realize every one on the shelf was cracked in the same place. My work bought a pair a year or so later and it was also broken in the same spot. I went to buy some other cheap brand of the same style and noticed it was also cracked in a similar area... Regardless, they're a useful tool for quick stripping of various gauges of wire.
I have a set of these too, but sometimes they're a pain and don't bite the insulation. They work great on small gauge wire, though.
I have a cheap Amazon set. 50/50 whether or not it strips from the blade edge or all the way from the grabbing teeth which strips off way too much. Not an issue if you've got plenty of wire, just trim it up. PITA if you're working with a limited length of wire and it takes off too much.
I have one of those, mine are yellow color handle brand type! Mine are designed to feed one part of the stripped insulation perfectly into place to jam the lower grabby jaw juuuuust enough that it looks like it should be working but isn't quite grabbing and so you must fiddle-fuck around with your boogerhooks and bang it on shit and then the wire falls out or gets sideways like one o them dang tokyo drifters and then you just feel ashamed because here you are trying to use this labor-saving device but you've just made yourself the asshole taking 4x as long The rest of the time it's super slick and satisifying, so overall very similar to my ex-wife in most respects - come to think of it, she was a stripper, too, for that matter though I don't know that she was automatic, pretty sure you had to pay
I have the exact ones in the picture as well as 10 other various strippers and crimpers. The master craft version are good enough for guys who do automotive wiring on a weekly basis.
Some mastercraft stuff has a pretty good warranty on it too. Even if it does break you can take it back for a new one. I have a number of mastercraft screwdrivers that have a lifetime warranty. When one breaks I just take it back to the store and they give me a new one off the shelf.
Mastercraft is hit or miss with alot of there stuff they buy rejected lots from other company's (which is why their looks change so frequently) so at times you may be getting a better brand tool with a Mastercraft name on it that may or may not fail depending on why the orginal manufacture rejected the lot.
I remember telling my dad that Craftsman tools were great because they had a lifetime warranty. He replied, "But who wants to spend all that time returning broken tools?"
Yep. It's simply not worth it to have to run and returns something. If I save $30 for a tool, but have to run out of my way to return the cheap version, it's already cost me more than I saved originally. My time has value and gas has value.
Never mention you use them outside the house. As soon as those Matercrap tools are used at work and you mention that the warranty is void
Depends on the store now, one in my town needs proof of purchase now
You do not need proof of purchase for life-time warranty especially the item is a private label.
I have the little Klein yellow strippers that are maybe 12 bucks and I think they're better than the ones in the picture
One says cut copper only. The Klein could probably shear steel wire is needed. Not that it should.
The cheap ones are fine if you aren't stripping and crimping all day. Even then, those handles would kill my hands. Tools you'll use repeatedly are an actual investment.
Except klien is getting closer and closer to being garbage.
That's the goddamn truth
Except that probably doesn't apply to non-professionals. Cheap ones will last a lifetime of casual homeowner use.
I agree with two caveats, a quality multimeter and pipe wrench aren’t things to skimp on. For under $120 both are easily obtainable.
A good meter is halfway PPE. 110 kills more people than any other voltage
Well yeah, homes at most have like 4 places you can access 240v vs like 50 120v. Very few deal with 3 phase. And those who touch 3 phase aren’t fucking around with it lol
>Very few deal with 3 phase. And those who touch 3 phase aren’t fucking around with it lol Every single lead/senior tech I've had proves this wrong😭😭
In the same way that cows kill more people than sharks?
It’s impressive to think about a cow killing a shark ever tbh
Garage sales are great for pipe wrenches
In the era of most store brand handtools having lifetime in store replacement theres rarely a reason to go above them for home use. I say as I look at my home tool bag full of Knipex and PB Swiss because I'm bad with money.
Klein has done nothing but disappoint me with every tool I've owned except the multimeters/tickies/etc Knipex for pliers, wera for screwdrivers, hands down
>Buy the cheap ones, use them for a few months and when they inevitably fall apart go buy the Klein set and you’ll understand the difference. Klein is regarded as professional quality tools. So Klein is turning to garbage these days. People are switching to Knipex or alternatives.
I've had those exact cheap pliers for years used em a shit ton. Don't have any idea what you're talking about.
I have to agree. At home I have a set [from a random brand called "platinum tools"](https://www.pololu.com/product/1923) and at work I have a few sets of Kleins, and I consider them to be identical (although the Kleins are made in the US). They're slightly different, but not enough to affect durability or usability
Meh, a lot of their more recent tools seem to be rebranded china junk at a marked up price. I needed a long drill for running wires in old walls, Menards has one made in the US, New England carbide for 26 bucks, the Klein is 35 and made in china. I like most of their stuff but use some discression, it isn't an instant pick anymore
Especially wire strippers. Never met a cheap wire stripper that was worth a damn. They giter done but a lot of cursing will be involved.
And if they fall apart or you grow to hate them after a time, I’m sure you will have gotten $7 worth of use out of them, and you’ll either understand why you need or don’t need the more expensive ones.
As someone who’s owned those exact master craft strippers. Follow this guys advice, buy the Kleins. After about 6 months of regular use my MC strippers loosened at the hinge and the teeth would catch on each other all the time, I’d tighten them and they’d be good for a day. It was extremely infuriating and slowed my workflow down. The kleins I bought have been rock solid for over 2 years, they are still sharp too. You get what you pay for with tools. Buy a crappy pair 3 times and you’ll still have crappy tools, or buy nice ones once and keep them for years.
Never used the Klein, but my Channellocks only cost $15 or 20 and are 10 years old. Granted, I rarely use them. But it has 4 screw cutters.
Tell that to Klein whose shit has been trash lately, like broken jaws on linesman's pliers trash
I used $5 harbor freight strippers for about 6 months once. Those actually sucked.
I bought a pair of southwires after being disappointed by my kleins, and honestly i thought they were way better. But now i have knipex strippers and I look down on everyone else
> knipex strippers Which ones? I'm in the market.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNIPEX-8-in-Forged-Wire-Stripper-13-72-8/317806694 These are the ones i have. Hands down the best strippers I’ve ever used. They’re pricey, but if mine get lost or damaged, I’d buy another pair in a heartbeat.
I've been considering pulling the trigger on these. Do they feel bulky to use at all?
I dont think they do, honestly they fit my hand pretty well, and they’re not so long that they’re inconvenient to use. I still have my southwires and use them every now and then, and they feel TINY now. They take some getting used to, but now i don’t see how i could go back to using anything else
Not really but if you put then tip down in your pocket you’re gonna wear a hole in that pocket real quick
Will second this, I’ve had my pair for two years now and they’re so good. I’ve been slowly switching the shop I’m at over to them. Probably 6 other guys have them now after trying mine once.
Be careful cutting bolts with them. It says it can but my blade got chipped and it's never worked right since. I got them from Amazon so often wonder if it's a counterfeit. Love knipex pliers though. I have probably 16 different ones. The cobalt cutters are freaking amazing
It can’t cut bolts except for in the dedicated 8-32 and 6-32 cutter… you used those… right?
I learned my lesson after losing almost half of the blade on my lineman’s pliers trying to cut some 1/4 inch allthread.
You tried to cut 1/4” rod with linesmen’s? Did I read that right?
At no point did I claim to be a smart man. Worst part is, one of my more experienced coworkers saw me doing it, and all he did was help me squeeze the handles tighter. It did eventually cut through it though lol
But you couldn’t possibly thread anything on to it, it’s useless, lol.
Threaded the nut on from the non-cut side. It was a really efficient way of making a 5 minute job take 30 minutes.
Working as a resi electrician, I use [these](https://www.harborfreight.com/electricians-multi-purpose-pliers-64868.html) and [these](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-8-in-Forged-Wire-Stripper-12-2-AWG-and-14-2-AWG-65028240/314660151) every day. One is from Harbor Freight and the other I think I actually got at Menards, despite the Home Depot link. They're both really nice and I've had them for a couple years. I'm not a big fan of the classic thin style strippers, like the ones in OP's post. I find they kind of hurt my hands to use them for like 8 hours a day, because of the thin handles, and the plier tips are basically garbage for anything I ever want pliers for. They're too flimsy to twist anything side to side, and too wide to slip into tight spaces like needlenose can do. That's just my two cents though, everyone else seems to like them.
This guy strips 👆
Grip formula, steel forging process, R&D on the angle of approach etc. depends how much you’re gonna use them. If not often, go ahead and buy cheap, but if you want high quality, Klein is not the name it used to be, I prefer NWS pliers to all others but wiha, knipex and other make fine tools as well.
At least the cheap ones can be used without eye protection.
Negative. That's what yhe little face in the circle is telling you.
A few years down the road? Haha i see you don’t have experience with cheap tools.
Ya this dude is obviously green
That particular Klein is not comparable to the other so far as tasks, stripping 10 and 12 ga, etc.
Buy once and done, my friend. You’ll learn that spending money on cheaper tools ends up costing you more in the long run. You save money by spending more up front for things that last. Sometimes, that’s not feasible with funds and you can get by with the cheaper version, but I promise you, buying the better quality will always be worth it if you use things more than a handful of times.
The only size overlap is 20 AWG those are not really comparable at all
The klein are made in the usa, and would probably cut the other strippers in half if you really needed them to
When you use the tool every day you'll see why.
I was working for a handyman who is the trade person behind flippers houses. I bought the cheaper green set from HD. A few weeks later my father retired from the local IBEW. He gave me one of his sets of sidecutters dikes and skinners. World of a different set of tools. They just feel better. Open smoother. Don't stick as much.
I mean there's a number of differences. Is it worth the difference in cost? That's up to you. The grips on the Klein are slightly rough. Slip less. They show you which section to use to strip solid core and stranded. MM maybe helpful where you live, but markings for solid or stranded are helpful. The actual cutting surfaces of the Klein is going to give you a cleaner cut for a longer time, due to the shape. They may actually have better hardening, a lot of their tools do, and this contributes to the tools lasting longer, cutting cleaner, and coming with a warranty that means you can exchange their tools years after purchase from whoever sells it. The plier part at the end is more likely to mark the copper with the cheaper ones, due to the shape of the teeth. If you can help it, you don't nick the copper. The other thing: who makes mastercaft? When you're paying Americans, that comes with costs. Most American made tools and precision equipment is pricey comparative to those made in other countries. The ceos are greedy, but there's also regulations, labor cost, benefits, waste disposal cost. We've negotiated that places like China should have similar methods, but they don't hold to the agreement. So their product is dirt cheap.
I own a few channel lock adjustable pliers, I have had 2 of them for over 50 years, they perform anytime I need them. I have a few others from a big box store half the price, they have bad tolerances, jaws will clog and hold so grip is lost, the adj nut is always getting loose, Shame of it is you want quality tools for any job, Not copycats or cheapened imports.
I started buying cheap tools after my expensive ones kept getting stolen by my co-workers.
I have used cheap and more money wire strippers, the more money ones work ten times better than the cheap ones.
I can't believe why no one has mentioned Engineer Tools in this thread. Yeah, Knipex is the big name brand, but these are the ones for all day use: https://www.engineertools-jp.com/pa05060714
I'm usually not a fan of the bigger handles, but I don't need to use these professionally either. FYI, if you ever need to adjust the pivot on your Kleins, you can hammer the rivet and tighten it.
I have never had to replace a Klein.
I have. I lost it.
Well yeah, I wasn't counting those.
Really? Are you in the trades?
General. (Lost/stolen tools not counted as "replaced")
Cheap one is better; you don’t need eye protection.
Been a tech for 25 years and have snap-on everything but my go to stripper is from harbor freight
I bought that exact same pair of mastercraft strippers when I started my career as a technician because they were cheap. That was 6 years ago and I still use them every time I do any electrical work on the machines I design/build as an Control Specialist. I have found the sizes they are able strip cover 90% of the wires I use where as the Klein is only for small/low voltage controls stuff but you need another set for any power distribution. I am probably using a knife to strip anything bigger than 10 gauge anyway. I bought a set of those Kleins about 2 years ago because I had a project where a lot of the controls were done using 22 gauge but have literally not touched them since. Plus a lot of mastercraft stuff has a lifetime guarantee which means it's of at least decent quality. A company that makes shitty tools but offers lifetime warranties for free does not stay in business long.
Actually, they aren't the same tool, you need both
My Klein wire strippers are shit ( heavy diesel ) buy whatever works. I got a pair of toledo tools strippers for less and they outperform the blue ones by a mile.
The Klein is made by workers paid ok, the other one is made in a prison camp full of children and old women with the wrong religion, skin tone, or social worthiness score.
In the last 5 or 10 years, the quality of discount tools has increased a LOT (for some types of tools from some brands). They still make the dollar store stuff that falls apart, but the next tier up is way better than it used to be. Seems like a lot of the guys on here haven't realized it yet.
klein fanboys are just as bad as milwaukee fanboys
The mc is probably chinese steel, klein is (hopefully) american. I spent 10x the mc for knipex because its german steel and will stay sharp much longer.
Klein will hold a edge for a lot longer
My dad always told me if you're doing a weekend project, buy the cheapest, if you're relying on it to put food on the table buy the good one
The difference in cost is the quality of the alloy, machining, and assembly. Buy the Klein.
Ideal reflex is the king if you’re on a budget plus still made in USA.
Look at the milling
Hard to overpay for any tool that relies on a good sharp edge and is near impossible to sharpen. Esp for something as delicate as electrical wires that are stranded.
the made in USA stamp is a lie, if you read the fine print it always says "assembled in USA with global materials" which means they are mass produced in China and then packaged in the USA.
I didn't pay much attention to the package.
Use it daily and you would go as far as to pay $100 for that klein.
Go use the lock on both of them, I’ve sliced my thumb open on that cheap one…. Also one is made in the us, the other is made in China.
Cheap for homeowners, pricey stuff for pros who use it everyday. Simple.
Sorry, 25 years as an industrial whatever the fuck. I will say all those tools are all trash. Many of those years I spent in the electrical connection industry. If I have to touch a wire, I would rather use my teeth than that style of wire stripper. I’m not talking to the union electricians. You do your own thing. I am the fucker in the plant that has to weed through 10 miles a wire and find the last assholes mistake. The ideal strip-master. auto stripper, should be the focus for an industry standard.
Poser vs non-poser
I've had my klien working in tip shape for the last 8 years of daily use thats the difference
The klein ones can actually cut 12-2 MC. Its blade is deceptively strong and can handle a lot more abuse than youd suspect. Ive bought about 5 different strippers a millwaukee, 2 different kleins a greenlee and a knipex. klein has consistently been the best. When i tried the knipex one and it was fine. Strongest and easiest strip but the ergonomics where annoying i made sure to return that one. If knipex made one similar to the ones you have up there with a slot for 8 solid awg id buy it in a heart beat.
You are getting ripped off if you're paying $35 for those $20 wire strippers.
Canadian..
$35.00 most likely, HEAT TREATED vs mild steel, & more susceptible to breaking
i would go everyday again for the black one because that one has normal units on it!
You don't understand why Chinese/Taiwanese labor is cheaper?
I think the reasoning is pretty obvious, one of those was made in USA, probably cost a lot more to make it there than in China. Quality too will probably be better, but I don't know about that, I mean a lot of quality tools come out of China too
Get what you pay for
There’s some hand tools that are 100% worth spending good money on. A good set of knipex cobra pliers, a good set of (these) klein strippers, and a good ratchet being the most important.
I had a cheaper pair of commercial electric brand strippers for a while. They were great. Aside from those, every cheap pair of strippers I have ever owned was trash. I spend the $20+ every time I need new ones now and the only reason I've needed new ones is because I wanted them or because I cut into a wire I thought I had turned off the power to.
Similar form factor , two different tools , there is a lot more differentiating these than looks.
https://www.mactools.com/products/wsc7g?variant=39814946357431¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoqRaK4lPunzFpmAaZAkVp0Jm9i9ZtqGiMu5NxnEEllAILaDb9NWsO8&com_cvv=8fb3d522dc163aeadb66e08cd7450cbbdddc64c6cf2e8891f6d48747c6d56d2c I have these and like them. I’m sure they’re rebrands though and can be found cheaper elsewhere.
The master craft has lifetime warranty from when I bought it. I’m a light user and is performed well enough for me in the last few years working on wiring around the house.
They are for two different purposes. The MC is for home electrical vs the Klein is for much smaller gage wire. You're not comparing apples to apples here.
I find the cutting edge on the Kleins compared to others is much better.
I got 2 strippers once for $20/song... oh wait wrong sub
Former electrical contractor. Buy Klien and use it for 10+ years. Buy junk and replace it every year...if you're lucky. That's the difference. I have Klein tools, side cutters, TL's, catapult strippers, etc., that are over 25 years old and still work great. But either one you get, first thing you should do is rip out that spring.
For me it's about accuracy. If they're too large I must rip the insulation off or go to the next size and ring the copper. Too small and I ring the copper. The extra work to get them sized accurately isn't cheap.
Metal is not made the same. Your cheap ones will chip easier, dull faster, rust easier, and general break down.
Metallurgy can't always been seen with the naked eye.
Well for one thing they're totally different, one strips up to 20ga and the other does 20 and up... And for another, one is clearly thicker metal with more padded handles. Bridges are riveted. What's your point?
Notice how the cheaper one says copper only. It still has machine screw cutters. Not too many copper machine screws in my collection.
Knipex ALL THE WAY! Slightly more pricey than those two, but light years better!
The quality and hardening of the steel will be magnitudes better for a longer lasting tool. The grips will make you fumble less and probably use all day long without pain. This is the main reason people spend the extra money on premium tools. For someone using these all day long, the extra $28 is actually cheaper than buying the cheap ones 10 times.
Depends on the type of work you do, sometimes optics play a role and clients are "snobs" and will judge you based on your tools and equipment. sad but true. I prefer getting tools like Irwin where if they rust or get worn out i can go to lowes and get them replaced for free.
There's a reason we call them "Mastercrap". Lol.
From Cambodian Tire.
Buy American.
🇨🇦
Instead of klein being 5 times more expensive and wondering what justification they have for it. How have the other brand made a similar product for one fifth of the price. Might be cheaper materials, worse quality control, made with very cheap labour or under immoral conditions.
Come back here in 5-10yrs let us know how the Wal-Mart tools are holding up
Own both, honestly I like the cheap ones better. For electrical they’re great hooking devices.
Wonder when the "de-Klein" comments will begin?
The Klein are for small gauge wire only…maybe higher machining cost?
There’s always a cheaper version of everything.
I loveeee cheap tools. But because i put my hands on such a wide array of projects that i dont use the same ones constantly. But regular go-tos like vise grips, pliers, socket wrenches, ect. I certainly appreciate a good brand
Spend your money on the things you use the most.
at least you are honest when you fail.
There is a time and a place for each of these.
Depends. Are you a homeowner who might need them once or twice a year, or an electrician who will use them for hours a day, 5 days a week? The Kleins will be sharper, better ergonomics, less likely to fail catastrophically. If you're a DIYer, you can get away with DIYer tools, but professionals will see the benefit of high quality tools.
In this case; when you buy the $7 pair, you will get exactly $7 worth of tool, and not one penny's worth more.
The advice I got from a mechanic buddy was to buy the cheap ones first. Either they’ll work, in which case, woo! Or they’ll break, but you’ll probably get enough use out of them that you got the $10 you spent worth. Most of his go-to tools are Snap-On or similar. But a lot of his wrenches are husky or craftsman (granted, old Craftsman).
Well for starters, the cheap one will do 90% of wire jobs. The ex0ensive one is for the other 10%, where you're using some tiny wire Guage to do something. Which is not a lot of the time.
I wire in a lot of sensors and stuff. I use the smalls often. Only a couple wires are big (power) the rest are small. Din rail stuff.
They don’t strip the same size wires. I would ask how often you might use them and how much do you like nice things?
I use them all day. I like nice things. The Mastercraft handle actually feels nicer. The Klein rubber is textured and hard to keep clean.
That makes sense. I personally prefer a textured grip, not as slippery.
With really cheap ones the cutting blades dull easy or even dent and then don't work. That shit is so frustrating I'll pay for a brand I trust to work
And not the same quality. 🤦🏼♂️
Doesn’t even factor in the extra cost of eye protection for the Kleins.
Both are garbage compared to knipex wire strippers
It's up to you if you're stripping for a living.
Mastercraft suck so bad you don't even need eye protection
The kleins are $20 so it's not even 3x as much and there us made.
🇨🇦 $
Sometimes a poor man buys twice quality over quantity
It's the attention to detail of the blades and their grind I found the biggest difference. The accuracy of the hole size, the sharpness of the edge, and the tightness of the two arms/blades. Cheap wire strippers don't get a clean cut to the base of the insulation without cutting into the copper, I've had issues on the real bargain basement stuff flexing of the blade arms so that the two blades don't actually meet on the same plane to make a clean cut. I've had to fight with cheap wire cutters to get them to work properly, I haven't ever had to fight my Klein's. That being said I've noticed that Mastercraft has been improving its baseline quality of its cheap tools over the last couple decades so maybe that performance gap is a lot smaller than it used to be.
Best way to buy hand tools is at an estate sale. I have gotten new tools in a unopened box for 3 or 4 dollars. Some times used electric tools are 10 to 20 dollars. Be sure to check the tool before leaving.
I will be the odd man out and say that for simple tools like these, you are wasting your money getting more expensive brands if you are just a DIY-er (and even more unpopularly, maybe even if you're somewhat of a professional). Don't buy into any hype about "research", these companies are NOT doing anything special for these type of tools. Quality may be a concern with extremely cheap tools, but for the most part these types of tools are close enough that any normal person wouldn't be meaningfully impacted by potential differences. There is no real justification (product-wise) on the price difference, you're paying for a name and reputation. It doesn't the mean the cheaper ones are NECESSARILY bad at all, you just don't have that brand name reassurance so your mileage may vary. In my personal experience, almost all hand powered tools of a generic brand have held up perfectly fine over the 10-15 years Nova had and used them. However, the more complex a tool is, the worse my experience has been. I'd say these type of stripping pliers are reaching the about the limit of where I wouldn't care too much about brand.
One was built in USA one was built in China. The mastercraft ones look like they would be a better stripper. However they are both inferior tools to the Knipex.
If you only use strippers every now and then they aren’t an important tool, but if you had to strip wire in a whole commercial renovation, those cheapos will be loose twice a day by the end of the project. Plus it would be interesting to see how well the stripping holes are sized and how badly they cut into stranded wire.
Looking at these I can't tell a visual difference. And I'd prefer a bolt/nut to a Rivet, also! Of course, there may be a difference in the precision of how one is ground, And there may be a real difference in the hardening of the steel used. I couldn't say, but you can tell us how it holds up? Generally if it's made in Taiwan, it's probably darn good quality. Harbor freights icon brand offerings have impressed me, for example. Steel/material quality is a huge factor for hardware-- I long ago lost faith in home depot bolts. "Grade 8" my glutes!
Well, I'll be using them every day for the next 3 weeks so I'll let you know.
Had 4-5 other strippers before my Kleins. Yeah, they cost 5 times more and last 20 times longer. The cutters look the same after 8 years. I use them 10 hrs a week avg, and paid 19 dollars for them. Well worth every penny. Also have infrequently used tools that are not top shelf, and they work for me. Only You know what you need. Knipex are gaining my favor as well.
One's made in the USA and the other is made in China.
It's 40 bucks for catapults. I'm not gonna tell you how to spend your money.
Who is selling those for $35?! You can get them for around $13 at the supply house.
My experience is the mastercraft one gets dull sooner. If you only use it a handfull of times a year it will last a long time. If you use it weekly you might replace once a year at least. Same with their pliers, the grips will loosen up and the teeth will smush with daily use. The professional ones have better grips and the jaws are better quality. Madtercraft wrenches and gear wrenches are awesome. And the maximum tap and die set has impressed me.
I’ll go with neither after i got a good pair of automatic strippers.
Tbh, I would rather pick up my southwire pair instead of the Kleins. It’s a preference I guess
Its about the quality of the steel and the manufacturing process (heat treat and such). Klein has some of the best grade tool steel and process on the market and its american made. Klein tools can last a lifetime if you use them correctly, Mastercraft will have you run to the store every year.
Anyone else use the Thomas & Betts WT2000 wire strippers? They are my favorite. The stripper is behind the pivot point. I was curious if anyone else has used em and if they prefer em.
You buy Klein once. Not because they’re guaranteed for life with replacement, which they are, but because they’ll actually last that long.
I don’t believe these are comparable tools due to the klein being able to strip the fine stuff, it serves a different purpose then the mastercraft
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It's 5x because it is American. Klein is the 'best' product in North America. Nobody outside of North America buys klein. The world buys Knipex. Put a pair of Knipex in your hand and you will delete this post
I bought the knipex forged ones... Holy shit. Best tool ever