WEICONTools Automatic Wire Stripper No. 5, Wire Stripper for Cables from 0.2-6 mm², Side Cutter, Made in Germany

First impressions, this arrived with the box already open and the tool loose inside with no wrapping or other info, so did wonder if this was a returned item. Couldn't find an unboxing video to compare with, but it showed no wear on the blades or marks anywhere, so proceeded to try it rather than return, and it's very nice indeed.The finish could be better and smoother in a few places, however overall In the hand it feels very comfortable and well designed, and also very light being essentially all plastic. Operation is smooth and quiet. Stripping wires such as stranded mains T&E, bread board solid core jumper wires and very thin 4 core 0.14mm stranded signal wire was effortless with no loss of strands from cutting too deep. The stripping is 2mm longer than that indicated on the adjustable slider, but hardly an issue. The lock is probably a handy feature if needing to stow in a small space.So overall very nice, and substantially better than the ubiquitous sub-£10 strippers with flat cut and rip blades.

Best automatic wire strippers I’ve used, if your looking for something fast comfortable and durable, this is it. Will strip wires from 0.2 - 6mm and does a great job every time. The stripping jaws are sharp and very well made and designed. All in all it’s a great tool and very easy to use.

These work very well. The only slight drawback is that, although the blades are supposed to be replaceable, this is only really true for the top blade, and they are also overpriced and I really feel at least one spare blade should have come with the tool. It has finally gone dull after many, many wire strips such that it sometimes doesn't strip properly. Having said that, here's a great tip I just discovered after balking at the cost of a new blade. If you look straight into the jaws of the tool from the front and push the red length adjuster away from you, you'll see a small pozi head screw holding in the top blade. Carefully remove this with a mini screwdriver and you can take this blade out (take note of which way round it goes - the flat side goes towards the nose of the tool). Now you can actually sharpen this blade yourself, if you have something suitable. It doesn't need much. In fact, you could probably just lay it flat side down on some leather and strop it sharp. I just did this and it is as good as new.

Not the cheapest, but it's great performance and ease of use make this a great value tool

makes preparing cable easy

These are an essential tool in any electrician’s tool kit, so much so that I carry one in the bag and one in van in case I’ve mislaid one. Their main advantage is that insulation is removed without having to grab the wire with one hand and pull the insulation from it with the other (with side cutters for example, which, incidentally is bad practice because of the risk of cutting into the conductor) meaning that wires can be cut and positioned in an enclosure, back box, etc ready for connection.They are excellent value for money compared to similar types on the market that will cost far more.

I bought both this and the CK wire strippers to replace my old ones that died after 30 years because they both get good reviews.They are surprisingly lightweight but seem to have a robust enough design, time will tell. They strip insulation cleanly of thin (0.5mm2) cables. Sometimes I have to have a second attempt, I think that's because the cable has to be lined up with a guide in the jaws and with my declining eyesight I find that hard to do reliability (my old ones would strip anywhere along the blade width). It also means you can't strip multiple cables at a time.I can't make the wire cutters work without risking mangling the ends, so stick to side cutters.Despite the comments above I go to these in preference to the CK because they are lightweight and I find them more ergonomic (just stick a wire in and pull rather than line in the jaws).The shape does make them awkward to fit into a tool box, but that was true of my old ones too.

The Weicon No. 5 wire stripper is simply superb. Don't be put off by its plastic body; I was pleased to discover it's the tough, high quality "engineering" plastic which has a really nice feel. That along with the great ergonomic design mean it's a pleasure to use, so much so that I'm actually finding excuses just to use it! I read a review where someone had broken the stripping length tab - it does not say on the instructions, but you just pinch and slide - no need to use force. Also note it does not strip very thin (< 1.0mm) wire, but it is not designed for that. If you are a hobbyist who does not want to buy "high end" wire strippers, these are perfect.