REVIEWED: KNIPEX ERGOSTRIP - cable stripper - ideal for RIGHT or LEFT handed ELECTRICIANS
The KNIPEX ERGOSTRIP is ideal for stripping round cables. We put it to the test on a range of cables we use in the workshop.
This versatile tool removes inner and outer insulation. With stripping size guides for inner conductors and a sheath knife to remove long lengths of the outer sheath.
We the Knipex wire stripping tool on round PVC flex, HO7-RNF flex, Twisted pair, CAT 6 data cable, FP200 fire alarm cable and even UK meter tails.
== 🕐 Time Stamps - Cut to the action 🕕 ==
00:00 The Ergostrip from Knipex
00:31 Removes outer sheath and inner insulation from round cables
02:00 Sheath splitting blade
02:47 Left-handed electrician tries out a right-handed cable stripper
03:28 3 Core PVC flex outer sheath
03:55 Twisted-pair outer sheath
04:10 HO7RNF cable rubber sheath
04:50 Stripping inner conductors
06:00 FP200 fire alarm cable
06:35 Meter tails - 25mm sq
06:55 Cat 6 data cable
07:35 Will also strip Coax cables.
== AD ===========================
🧰 Check price and availability
Knipex 16 95 01 SB ErgoStrip® Universal Stripping Tool - Right Handed
👉 hub.efixx.co.uk/knipex-ergostrip
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#efixx #knipex #electricianstools
A game changer for flex/H07/5 cable. Does tend to nick the inner cores sometimes, especially for SWA inner sheath so be careful or else you'll be cutting back 👍
yes i have one, i have been using it for a while now i think its a gem of a tool well done to knipex once again.
Love this tool, great for most applications. Excellent for Alarm Cables.
Thanks for advice
I have been using one for about two years now. It is good but you do have to test it first on the cable type. I found it can nick or score the inner conductors on some flex type cables if you apply too much pressure and I think that may be caused by different chemical composition of flexible cable types particularly ones with a hard outer sheath. Once I got used to it I really liked it. Not sure I would use it on coax as I have always used a Corex 2 for that purpose and the Corex will strip all the parts of a coax in one strip. The Ergostrip is great for NYM cables and I would highly recommend it for that. Finally, Knipex do a demo video on KZhead, you should look at before using the tool as they appear to score the outer sheath and then move the tool back down the sheath before pulling to slide the outer sheath off.
I've been installing lots of the newer style lot20 storage heaters for a housing association which as you know have two power supplies. This tool was actually on my Christmas list. I'm not sure on the price if its a little expensive,i think they had come down in price but they a lot quicker and easier when making 4 flexible cable ends off per heater( have to keep emptying the French chalk out though) :) so we'll worth it saving time.
Just picked this tool up from these videos and had a practice, not a single cut on the insulation...........I love it! thanks for the heads up :-)
Really like how you used it on the meter tails.i use it for slitting small swa inner bedding ,also great for repetitive stripping of flex when terminating into the heating joint box.
That looks really good. When you're tired after a long day, it's so easy to cut too deep with a Stanley knife. I want one. Thanks for the video!
Go on treat yourself
I love mine and find them quite handy, I also purchased the flat model
Great piece of kit
Love all your videos, keep up the good work
I've done thousands of cat5E, cat 6, cat6A and cat 7 with this tool, not one damaged. Same with coax 6, never had any problem. Great review guys
Yeah, but they should not have stripped the individual wires, as all connectors are IDC.
With my ck strippers which are similar to these, it is unfortunatley possible to Nik the inner Insulation down to the copper core so I'll be picking a pair of these up Great video gents 👍
I bought a set of these about a month ago. They are superb! Great video too, as there were a couple of applications i wouldn't have thought about using them for such as tails.
Thanks for the feedback Nigel 👍
Love this tool.
I love mine use it all the time . Great for data cable.
How long do the blades last?
Had it for about 2 years and had no issues. I don’t think it needs to be razor sharp to strip most cable. I have found when using once you have scored the cable if you move the move it Slightly lower down the cable and bend it up and down on the cable the sheathing comes off a lot easier.
I got this soling for stripping cat 6 sheltered and 5 wire cables. This was sometimes very difficult to do before without nicking the wires underneath. Now, easy prays. Combined this with my Klein pass thru cat 6 crumpets and ends, makes making com cables a breeze. Love it!!
Funny I have been using mine for CAT6 as well. Really cuts down stripping time although on some cable types it can nick the inner strands, just a bit of care needed on my part. Other than that 💪
Cat 6 crumpets? 😂
I have never really been interested in these, at first I thought it's just another stripping tool that will end up at the bottom of the tool bag but after watching this it's got loads of positives that will make it a useful tool to be added to the collection.
That toolbox must be getting full!
@@efixx it sure is now 😂
I do lots of data cabling, CCTV (POE and traditional coax) and install intruder alarms. For me it's a brilliant tool, I use it to strip all data cabling, even down the individual cores for older balun style systems - the same for coax systems as well. And I use it to strip the inner cores on the mains connections to a fused spur for alarm panels. Was working with an electrician whilst installing an alarm before Christmas and showed it to him and it wasn't for him - his words were he didn't need another tool to carry around. Each to their own, I guess!
Great feedback thanks 🙏
Use it and love it👍😀
Lovely tool
I use it for flex, saves time without worrying about inner conductor insulation. Locking mechanism can do with improvement, it's become slightly loose.
Locking mechanisms on any of these tools are shite. Just gravity is enough to open it. But couldnt imagine working without one.
great vid guys. I think I'll take a punt on one of these. I purchased a Jokari stripper,similar to this ,just out of curiosity & was well impressed after years of using the "classic" wire strippers . The time that these type of wire strippers save is something else. I work in France & the electrical system here is different than the UK as in there are a shed load of cables ,so, a tool that can make the job quicker is an investment.The blades won't last forever but if I had to buy two a year,I'd still be quids in .The knipex seems to be more versatile as well.
Great 👍 let us know how you get on if you take the plunge!
This tool is amazing. I first thought it was a funny looking novelty tool but once you've used it you wont be without. It saves so much time and is great at removing the inner sheathing on SWA cable as well.
Agree - we left it alone for a while as it just looked weird
Day 1 of using the ergostrip I tried stripping some t+e and chipped one of the blades, great for everything else though
I agree it's expensive but I've been using this a few months now. If time is money then this has saved me alot of both. I work in the food industry and I'm not allowed a Stanley knife :( so stripping the sheath on cables used to be the bane of my existence.
Great feedback
Thanks guys. I need to get me some of these
Go on treat yourself 🤩
Great review
does it only work on circular cables or would it also work on the flat grey cable (Prysmian 6243YH Grey)
Hi guys, interesting demo. I’ve been using it for a while now and find you need to be very careful with some cables such as twin and earth as it will damage the inner core insulation if not careful. It’s definitely meant for round cables rather than flat!!
I don't think they recommend it for flat cable , check out Knipex video on KZhead
Good review, looks impractical. Ill stick with my utility knife 😊
Never bothered with wire strippers before. I just use my side cutters for twin and a stanley for anything else. It's just an extra tool to have to carry around. But yesterday I had to replace an 8 zone conventional fire panel with 4 sounder circuits and an extra cable to shut off a gas guard. All in all, 13 FP200s and another FP for the mains, some old, some new. Some enhanced with the screen, some standard with no screen. I'd managed to re-route most of the wiring for back entry as the old panel was an absolute mess, and it was such a nightmare to keep everything in place i decided it would be easier to strip the cables back further once I had mounted the new panel. I had such a hard time stripping the wiring back as I'd nick the FPs where they enter the back box and try to bend them. On the newer stuff this is usually enough for a not so neat cut, but the outer sheath does come off. But the old stuff just was not interested, and don't get me started on old enhanced. I'm wondering if one of these would be ideal for stripping FPs already inside a fire panel. I replace quite a lot of beaten up fire alarm panels so if it does that specific job then it would be a worthwhile addition to my tool box.
I've been using the ergostrip for nearly a year now. As a maintenance spark in a hospital environment it's a great tool, you can really get into backboxes to strip data cable with it. However on the mention of coax, if you put too much clamping pressure on it I have found that you can easily damage the fine braided shielding. Just takes a few attempts to get a good feel for it though.
Thanks for the tip on the coax
Has it not work out yet?
I have a 4core fp cable for a fire alarm system. Will this work or is the cable too thick. I have another 5 fire alarm jobs lined up so looking to speed up my workflow
That's nuts we use both nym or t&e for diff situations, irish electrician here.
Good
It seems I have to get one. Have learned to use mouse in left hand after injury, no issues. The brain can learn.
Hi both of you, From your experience of having for 2 years of stripper what advice can you give me. I am thinking of buying this tool but the down side is it can not be use for flat cables. Is there any tool that does both round and flat cables 2 in 1 tool?
Are these handy for HVAC?
Must have
Since this video there seem to be a couple more varieties of this tool, the "KNIPEX Universal Stripping Tool (125 mm) 16 80 125 SB" and the "KNIPEX Stripping Tool for flat and round cable (125 mm) 16 64 125 SB". It would be great if you felt like doing another video comparing all three and helping us work out which one is the best buy for a UK sparks!
ive asked the same, seems the one that says it strips flat as well only misses a couple of thin wire sizes and is a third cheaper. I hope efix answers.
I have been using the Jokari All-rounder for the the last couple of years abd it's still going strong. It can be used by either hand and it is a lot cheaper.
I am also used to the Jokari and prefere it. But i have to admit I never seriously tried the Knipex. I had it in my hands a few times and thought Nah.
I do security and fire. I'd love to find something for 22 and 24ga. Stranded and solid wire. I've been using the small yellow strippers that everyone makes and I don't like them. They're all about feel and sharpness. This does seem like I could use it for that, but I'm not sure. Anyone
I was today years old when I discovered the K in knipex isn’t silent. It’s good to Know I wasn’t the only one pronouncing it ‘Nippex’ and not ‘K-nippex’.
KNIPEX UK 🇬🇧 don’t pronounce the K - kzhead.info/sun/gqyfoptteIOonYk/bejne.html
@@efixx ahhh that’s a relief! I thought I was going to have to start adding the K 😭😭
I prefer the Jokari banana colour one. The Knipex is too large to get ‘end on’ stripping when reterminating in smaller domestic boxes.
Blades can be replaced ?
As good as it was makes me 😠😠😠 is the blades are not replaceable and its not a cheap tool for what it is other than that 👍👍
Cant replace the blades on a pair of side cutters either!
@@efixx not the same type of tool i can't see why the blades cannot be pulled out and replaced 👀👀👀
Seems quite expensive
@@efixx good point. You can sharpen side cutters easily with a file or grinding stone though. Not sure it would work with this product. Great vid as always and enjoy your content.
I would imagine it has something to do with the gap between the blades needing to be exact. If they can be moved then they could become less precise. But why not write to knipex and ask.
Whats the name of this pen to mark the wall ?
Is It ok for stripping flat cable without managing the inner cores/wires?
No it doesn’t work on flat cables - you need one of these - kzhead.info/sun/pquKqtGCpX2aaaM/bejne.html
I love mine it’s a nifty little stripper
I take it this can’t be used on twin & earth cable? Only round cables? Thanks
Round cables
Is this suitable for stripping 12, 24, and 48 fibre optic cable (round)?
Hmmm - that’s a new one for us to try
I am from Sri Lanka. How can we order this?
Another great review, will look out for an offer on them. Does anyone know how long they've been out? Tough for Gary, a left hander in a right handers world. Just shows how the best have always had to adapt - Eric Clapton bought Jimi Hendrix his first ever left handed Stratocaster
I use it on my wife all the time!
🤔
Where can buy this in India . Also is this suitable for PUR Multi core cables
Try www.goodwill.in or RS Components India.
Does this work on the inner sheath of SWA
Yes - but you would have to be careful with the pressure on the blades as the bedding material in SWA isn’t a constant thickness around the cores.
What about twin and earth flat grey cable, how does it fair ??
Round cables only
@@efixx thanks
👍👍
CONFUSED..Firstly.can the ergostripuniversal strip twin and earth outer. There is another similar looking knipex universal !! code 16 64 125 SB which clearly states itcan cuttwin and earth and is a third cheaper. Please tel us in your opinion which is best for majority cable use. (Most leccy willhave a nice expensive stripper allready forvery thin cables.)
I use such strippers very often, you can also get them here by different manufacturers, most common is Jokari or Knipex. They're All german cables are round shaped except one type. NYM and NYY are the standard ones and round, in older installations you can find NYIF, which is flat. It's still permitted to install this type, but no one does it anymore. NYIF is a cable with PVC inner insulation and a rubber sheathing. asset.conrad.com/media10/add/160267/c1/-/en/001152554DS02/datasheet-1152554-faber-kabel-020289-multi-wire-planar-cable-nyif-j-3-g-150-mm-ecru-sold-per-metre.pdf It must be nailed directly to the brickwork with special nails which have an insulated head (mostly cardboard). You'll have to nail between the wires into the sheathing, afterwards the plasterers plaster over it. If you need to go around a corner or make a 90° bend you'll have to cut the sheathing between the wires and fold the cable over. No contact to wood or other combustible materials. Not suitable for wet rooms. Back in the old days it was a cheap cable type, but now it's more expensive than NYM. The best thing is, when you rip it out of the wall you'll get a perfect new chase for NYM cable. In the old bedroom of my grandparents they used that type back in the 1950s. They used that in combination with conduits and H07V-U...ehm, sorry, since this was in the 50s and before harmonisation it is NYA of course... 😜 Main difference between twin-and-earth and german cables: CPC is always of the same size as the line(s), and the CPC must be identified with a green/yellow insulation over the whole length of the cable. So a sleeving isn't required. Only one exception, when the CPC is identified by position in the cable (excentric) like it's the case on the SWA or on NYCY (NYY with a copper shield which serves as CPC). Keep up the good work!
Quick question we use NYMJ in Ireland a lot too but never in a chase in domestic we use twin and earth(our t+e has the same size cpc and it's insulated) in commercial it's steel conduit and singles. Any way my question is do you plaster directly over the bare cable or sleeve it in some kind of conduit?
@@solidus784 You can do both, in most cases in domestic installations it's simply plastered directly over the cables. Cables are rated for this, so no problem at all. Even the old NYM from the 1960s directly embedded into plaster are still perfectly fine today. NYM is rated for dry, wet and damp rooms. For surface mounted installation without additional mechanical protection, embedded into plaster or concrete. Only exception for concrete: Not vibrated or stomped concrete (compacted concrete) because the compacting process can damage the outer sheathing of the cable. Outdoor installation only when protected from direct exposure to sunlight. Should not be embedded directly into soil. For outdoor installation we use NYY-J, also for buried cables.
Has anyone used it on TRS cable? I quite like to use it for outdoor lighting but can be a pain to strip 8 meters high.
It's fine for that although with more rubbery cables it can help to give it a tight bend after scoring the outer insulation so it strips easier. This tool is heavily used in the outdoor events world where everything is TRS, they discovered it long before "normal" sparks :-) .
Great info 🙏
Lefties playing right hand clubs, bats: that is more about favouring backhand or forehand playing style. Eg, in cricket, lots of right handers bat left handed and vice versa. Snooker & pool would be less natural to play opposite way round. My daughter is right handed but left eye dominant which affects using a hand saw.
Lets see a shielded (screened) cable.
Hi is there any stripper on same design for 25mm meter tails. If yes could you give me a model number please. TIA
6:37
You did the Cat6 wrong. You cut off a small portion and then use the rip cord. That way you avoid nicking wires.
If someone just got a picture of him holding it at the start they would think ...
I've used one for years, I do a lot of temporary/event/art installation type work mostly SELV/Data but some mains and wouldn't be without it, some jobs can easily be 500 plus cables/wires and it's one of my most used tools, pretty much lives in my pocket all the time, last job it was used on was a Christmas shop window display for the Microsoft store in Oxford street and it probably stripped well over 1000 wire ends on that job alone. It was also used very heavily in the making of the chameleon costume for Justin Hawkins of "the Darkness" on the UK version of the Masked singer. kzhead.info/sun/Zdd7dZSJrYmYmqs/bejne.html
Great endorsement of the Ergostrip - thanks 🙏
I've got one, don't like it. I keep nicking the cable when using it to take the outer sheath off
we found this at first on some cables - it didn;t happen if we kept out thumb on the side grip.
@@efixx Okay thanks, i'll give it a bash tomorrow.
i'd like to how it goes for you
@@aldobongers807 @efixx I got around to trying it out today. Works wonders. Honestly feel like a bit of an idiot because I only tried it a few times and nicked it each time and just gave up with it. Guess I should have read the instructions. I used it to strip 2 core flex inside an outdoor light which is awkward to get snips (side cutters) into. Beautiful. Thanks for helping
Can it cut cable
No just strips it
Such a gimmic lol, my Stanley Fat Max strippers are watching this with me :V
11.12.21 ws c13 hood gls nk guerra
Like the joke about the "right handed cue" lol.
And darts 🎯
I bought this thinking it would cope with anything, oh how wrong I was, wiring lights no good at all on 1mm T&E, yes alright you never said it was but I got carried away with the demo, I never thought to ask does it suit all cables. Technically you owe me £30.
The k isn’t silent boys 😉
Watch a KNIPEX video by KNIPEX in the UK
Don’t need to I speak German, also why not link to a German video, it’s a German brand 😉
Sorry, Knipex. That will slowly find its way to the back of the drawer, eventually never to be seen again until it appears on the Antiques Road Show.
Make sure you keep the box 📦- usually gets a higher valuation.
Mine lives in my pocket, most used tool I have.,
Keep “upsetting data installers”, seeing how these can handle data cables is useful.
Pronounced "KINIPEX" I've been informed by a German fellow before.
I like the idea of that tool, but for a lump of coloured plastic with a a fancy name on it the price is too high ? I seen them prised at between fithteen and thirty-five pounds, so no thank you. Great video and demonstration though Thank you
I kinda think the same way as you but everyone i know that has one swears by them.
Mine saved me WAY more than that on it's first job and I've had one for probably 2-3 years now.
I have just received mine and I have to say It's a great tool. But I still think at £35 is way too much. But yes I like it
Bought 2 from a online retailer in December and a complete waste of money and plastic and to make matters worse neither Knipex or the retailer want to do anything about replacing it what happened to the good old 12 months guarantee? What this space 👎
Which country are you based in?
@@efixx I’m in the uk
@@efixx scotland
what was the problem
@@aldobongers807 the small flex cutting blades are sitting to far into the housing so it makes it very difficult to strip the sheath of small flex
That's witchcraft!
sub titles spoil the view of whats taking place !
That’s a setting on your KZhead app - switch them off to avoid seeing them
just get better at using your pliers hahaha
Wak, just get a pair of ck croppers an get gd at using them, don't need all this
Even at £30 its the cheapest stripper you'll ever throw your money at.
But can it pole dance?
@@matekochkoch Unfortunately not, but you won't get in trouble for touching this one.
Kuh-nip-x