Reddit mentions of Klein Tools 1019 Klein Kurve Wire Stripper / Crimper / Cutter for B and IDC Connectors, Terminals, More

No worries, you've got a good mindset to learn and no time like the present.

I'll add that most swear by solder and heatshrink + electrical tape. This is nice once you're really acclimated but you'll likely end up reconnecting things several times as you tinker and expand. I'll list below my couple of absolute favorite things I've picked up over the years and why I bought it:

Ratcheting Wire Crimper-- Can't tell you how many crimps have failed just because I didn't apply enough force. The ratchet ensures you get that final click down.

And a pricier ratchet I invested in over time-- Nice because it's more modular but not needed.


Posi Twists and also Posi Taps-- These make for quick connections + testing. Various sizes available but I tend to get some that cover 14+, and another set for smaller gauges ~22+

Solder Seal Wire Connectors-- I started buying these in bulk recently because they're just stupidly easy to use and make a rather quick and solid connection. Soldering is another experience onto itself if you've never done it before. While I tend to do more circuit-board soldering than wire to wire, it's all relatively similar and you'll find certain products that you fancy more over time. The biggest thing I'd say here is to buy solder WITH lead. Can't tell you how much frustration I've had over shit solder, haha.

My most recent wire stripper-- I chose because it has the largest range of gauges and there's no internal spring that forces the stripper open. Having one tool to do 10awg all the way to 26 is pretty sweet.

I don’t use them often, but the Klein automatic wire stripper works good if you are stripping a large amount of wire every day. It is bulky and some people have problems using them and don’t like them, so it may or may not be a good choice for you.

I have used the Klein kurve stripper before and it is decent, but I haven’t used one that goes from 10-24 awg. This model of Klein kurve wire stripper goes from 10-26 solid and 12-28 stranded.

I personally prefer and use wire strippers with thicker handles and use the Klein heavy duty wire stripper because of the thicker handles and I can twist wire and don’t need to carry lineman’s pliers. I don’t strip wire below 14 awg often so I just keep a cheap pair of strippers in my tool bag for those smaller sizes.

No, the stripper part would not work as a wire measuring tool. The holes are sized just big enough to cut through the insulation of the wire and not damage the conductors inside. They are not sized to fit around the outside of the insulation or measure it, so if you bit down on the wire to measure it, it might damage the insulation. (Unless you're talking about measuring the already stripped conductor part, then I guess it would work).

The tool that you have is not great, but it probably will get the job done if that's all you have.

These are my personal favorite wire strippers. Although, not the best crimping tool on the market, they also have crimpers built in for 4 differnt types of crimps. (insulated, non-insulated, IDC, and Type B) and they do a totally acceptable job crimping.