IRWINVISE-GRIP Wire Stripping Tool/Wire Cutter, 5-Inch (2078305)

I am electrician, I know about cutters and pliers. My humblest opinion about this tool:- Excellent price (really cheap).- Excellent quality (cheap does not mean "Bad quality").- The materials are excellent.- Not difficult to handle (you do not need to be a professional to use this tool).- Very sharp!!.- Great for the shop.- Easy to adjust.- It have a lock to keep the stripper closed and safe (to prevent accidents).- The size is excellent for a wire stripper.I recommend this tool as a five stars tool!!

I am not a big electronics guru, but have done a fair bit of wire stripping and soldering in my day. The small gauge wire like 24 awg has always been a pain to strip without damaging the wire strands. These strippers do an amazing job. I am pretty much blown away. But then again, I absolutely love every single one of my Irwin tools. I have had my share of Snap-On, Blue Point, Klein, and other high end tools, and these are right up there in quality. Just buy these. You won't be disappointed. Amazing tool!

I honestly thought these were going to suck, but they are great! You use the little offset wheel on one side as a stopper for the gauge. Simple and super effective. I even bought a second set for my home kit bag.

So I’ve had 3 pair of these. They usually last about a year which I would say is pretty good for the price. They are very sharp and work well. The reason I give them 4 stars is because you kind of have to tinker with them when you get them. I use these almost everyday as I install low voltage wiring. The lock that holds these shut is pretty loose so it flys around a bit. I usually just take my lineman’s and crush the rivet tighter. My second reason for 4 stars is because the “gauge” is very loose as well. As soon as you open them it spins. That’s really annoying. Especially because you can’t close and lock them unless it’s on a certain spot. It just makes the job take longer. I honestly don’t even use the gauge so what I do is just drill the rivet out and remove it. Then it can’t bother me anymore! I wish they made a pair without them. I love Irwin tools. My bag is filled with different pliers from them but these you kind of have to tinker with. Regardless it’s not hard to do, and it makes them worth it. Oh and the spring last about a year, give or take, until it snaps. But for $6 you just order another pair. Ps the handles on these are really comfortable. They aren’t like most (flat). These are rounded. Fits nice in the hand.

I'm an electrical tech, I keep these in my front pocket at all times. Very sharp and the dial on the side lets you adjust the cutting depth. Favorite wire strippers on my tool kit.

In my opinion, this are the best style of wire strippers available. There’s no guessing on if you cut deep enough or which size slit to use, just set the gauge of the wire with the dial, or go without! Either way you will love these wire strippers! Highly recommend!

Very petite tool. Worked perfect for proper small diameter wires. High Irwin quality

I'm trying to duplicate a current set of AMP wire strippers for use at a second job site. I've been using the Amps for years in my main shop and they are my go-to strippers for a whole variety of wiring tasks from small-gauge electronic circuits to 120/240V house wiring. I have several types of strippers, but my Amp strippers (see photo) are always my first choice. Unfortunately, the Amp strippers seam to be no longer available. The Vise-Grip strippers are very similar to the Amp strippers, but unfortunately lack some of the Amps useful features. I've pointed these out in the attached comparison photo.I corrected one of the Amp's main shortcomings with a quick trip to the end mill (see photos). Here I cut a second notch to set a good working opening position...It works like a champ...Vice Grip needs to add the second notch...won't cost anything.In terms of other things I'd change in the design if I could:1) Extend the length of the tip cutter a bit to make it big enough to be useful...I use Amp's tip cutter all the time for cutting in tight quarters.2) Curve the handles so they are more parallel to the hand when the tool is open. The Vice-Grip straight handles want to slip out of the hand. The difference between these and the Amp's curved handles is dramatic. Easy to fix by the manufacturer.Bottom Line: With the added second notch for setting a convenient max-opening distance, the Vice-Grips should work pretty well.BTW...At first I purchased a similar set of STANLEY wire strippers...Pretty bad. They have curved handles and a good tip cutter, but lack a return spring (very important) and opening notches (unneeded with no spring). I found that with no return spring they were really hard to use, I threw them away and bought the Vice-Grips. Still not perfect...but serviceable.NOTE: Still waiting for Amazon to post photos (09-15-15)