Noah wrote in, asking if we had seen these new Klein Heavy Duty wire strippers. Yes, but only online. I might order a pair from Home Depot to get some quick hands-on time.
The new Klein wire strippers, K12055SEN, look completely different from any of Klein’s usual electrical tools. It’s certainly unlikely any of the Klein wire strippers that I own, from the jaws, to the handle.
The new heavy duty strippers are said to be 4X stronger than other wire strippers, hence the heavy duty part. They can strip solid wire from 10 to 18 AWG, and stranded from 12 to 20 AWG.
Klein says that with this tool you can cut or twist up to 3 wires at once. You can also shear 6-32 and 8-32 machine screws.
The front jaw is knurled (cross-grooved?) for twisting, grabbing, and looping wire.
It’s not very clear from the first photo, but there’s a lock to keep the spring-action stripper closed for more compact carrying or storage.
COO: USA
Price: $30
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Buy Now(via Amazon) – Temporarily Unavailable
First Thoughts
I can’t shake the feeling that these pliers were inspired by Milwaukee’s wire strippers.
Here’s the 2nd generation prototype.
And, 2nd from the top, is Milwaukee’s 1st generation wire strippers.
The new Klein handle grip looks to be a cross between their Klein Kurve wire strippers, and more standard ones.
You can buy the new Klein heavy duty wire stripper for $30.
Hmm, does this new stripper take the place of their all-purpose pliers. It seems that these all-purpose pliers were perhaps inspired by Milwaukee’s design, with the new heavy duty stripper being more of an evolution.
But the heavy duty stripper looks different enough from past Klein and competitors’ offerings that it might have been designed from the ground up. I’m not really sure.
Which works better? Are either pliers/strippers now made redundant by the other?
I’ve never found complaints with my Klein wire strippers, and if there was something they couldn’t do, such as twist wires, I’d grab lineman’s-style side-cutting pliers or something similar.
Thank you to Noah for the heads-up!