Electrical Connection Tools

Wire Stripper or T-Stripper

• An electricians wire stripper may be the hand tool we most associate with electricians. They are thin metal pliers, often yellow-handled, specifically made for stripping the insulation off of wires. Most of the strippers have multiple grooves that are the precise diameter of the common sizes or gauges or wiring. So, for example, if you're using 12-gauge wire, you can use the stripper's 12-gauge groove and cinch down tightly on the wire without digging into it. You can then pull the insulation off very easily because the stripper will cut all the way through the insulation without binding into the copper. This is the tool you need to prepare the ends of wires for electrical connections.

Lineman's Pliers

• While t-strippers have plier tips, they're small and not well-suited to exerting much pressure. If you want to grab two or three or more wires copper wires and twist them into one, you want a lineman's pliers. These pliers tend to have very precise bearing-joints making their action very smooth. This allows for more dexterous use of the pliers. Lineman's pliers have a built-in nipper or dikes to cut wiring. When you're making a lot of connections, you'll find yourself twisting, then trimming; twisting, trimming, on and on. This is the most efficient and effective tool for production twisting and trimming.

Insulated Screwdrivers

• Between the typical receptacles and typical switch plates -- or any other kind of electrical plate -- electrical work requires both standard and Phillips head screwdrivers. Standards are most often used to attach plates to receptacles and switches. Phillips heads are more often found in the actual electrical hardware located inside the electrical box. Many of the boxes themselves use Phillips heads too. When you're working with electricity, it's imperative you know what has live current and what doesn't. As thorough and aware as you may be, you should be prepared for the possibility you may get it wrong. If you do touch a live wire you want a tool with an insulated handle. It may save your life.

Electrical Testers

• There is a surprising variety of electrical testers. And they don't all test for the same things. The simplest testers just tell you if a wire is hot or not hot. Other testers, usually called multimeters, measure for live current, for resistance, for circuit failures and many other things. Multimeters may require some training to use properly. Other testers are a little simpler. A receptacle tester, for example, will tell you if a receptacle is wired correctly just by plugging the tester in like a plug.