Adjustable wire strippers have just one notch, but allow you to adjust the tool to the specific gauge of wire you’ll be stripping. This is convenient if you work with a range of wire sizes, but if you forget to readjust the setting before switching wires, you might end up damaging or cutting the wire instead of merely stripping it.

Wire gauges: Smaller wire strippers will have notches for the most common wire gauges, while larger strippers will handle the less common sizes, too. Make sure to compare the gauges a pair of strippers can fit to the wire sizes you know you’ll be cutting. Spring-loaded: A spring-loaded handle is another feature that makes it more comfortable to use wire strippers for lengthy work sessions. This is especially useful if you want to be able to use the tool with just one hand. Automatic or self-adjusting wire strippers are the fastest type of wire stripper, but also generally the most expensive. These tools “sense” the gauge of wire being stripped, thanks to small spring-loaded teeth in the blade, and automatically adjust to the correct size. That means you don't have to have a separate wire stripper for a range of wire gauges, nor do you need to spend time adjusting the tool to your wire size.Ethernet cable, also called category 5e or just cat-5e, and Cat-6, a recent addition for wider bandwidth, is used for computer networks, phones, and similar equipment. Heavy-Duty Construction: Constructed from solid aluminum alloy, this wire stripper can withstand rigorous environments and easily endure years of heavy use. Equipped with high hardness blades to ensure its operational stability. The 6-inch Wire Stripper by Irwin is the simplest wire stripper they offer. It features manual wire stripping for electrical wire gauges between 10 and 24 AWG.

Needle-nose tip: If you need to guide cut wires through conduit or bend them onto terminals, it can be less of a hassle if the strippers have a needle nose plier tip to grip them with. It’ll save you the time spent switching between tools. There are numerous types of cables. Some of the most commonly used cables in the typical home include: MULTI-FUNCTIONAL WIRE TOOL: Easy to use self-adjusting wire and cable stripper is a handy piece of equipment that will serve a wide range of wire adjusting and maintenance needs including home electrical jobs, installing lighting to working with tiny circuit boards. An indispensable tool for electrical projects at in the home, garage, workshop, on the job and even for marine use This highly precise tool is made from steel reinforced with chromium and vanadium, so it will maintain its edge and accuracy for years as long as you treat it right. It's designed with a narrow head that easily reaches into tight spots, and the handle is comfortable and easy to grip. The tool weighs less than half a pound is just over 7 inches in length, so it won't take up too much room in your tool box. Automatic vs. manual: This is a major distinction between wire strippers. Automatic strippers are designed to cut the insulation and pull it away in a single step. Manual strippers take more time and effort because you’ll need to yank it off the wire with your other hand. The downside of automatic strippers is that they often break smaller gauge wires, so manual strippers are better for delicate wiring work.These may seem like simple, standardized hand tools, but there are actually a few important features that set one wire stripper apart from another. Some are designed to do repetitive stripping fast, and others are intended for repair work that requires care and versatility. Below are the key features to think about when shopping for a modern set of wire strippers.

Michelle Ullman is the home improvement/tool expert for The Spruce. She has extensive experience not only in writing about all things related to the home, but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs around the house and yard.

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This tool uses a self-adjusting mechanism to strip away up to two inches of insulation with each squeeze of its handle grips. You can control the amount of insulation it removes with an adjustable stopper, and a swivel knob lets you make small adjustments when stripping wires smaller than 20 AWG. It strips 10 to 24-gauge wires without any extra adjustments, and it has a crimper that fits 10-22 AWG wires, both insulated or non-insulated. You can even use it to crimp ignition terminals between 7 and 9mm in size. The main purpose of wire strippers is to make it simple to remove the plastic insulation from the end of a cut piece of electrical wire. This is necessary to connect the wire to a terminal or to splice two wires together. Many wire strippers will also cut wire, so you don’t need to switch between tools when cutting and stripping numerous lengths of wire at a time. UF cable is often buried or used in damp areas. It is similar to NM-B cable, but is mostly used to run electricity to outdoor fixtures or garages. It’s designed with larger gauge wire handling in mind, featuring a large flat surface you can use to twist up to three wires at a time for terminal posts or splicing.