Wiring And Electrical Tools For People With Weakened Hands?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

• Age and arthritis have taken their toll
• I am encountering more and more problems and painful experiences while working with even small wires
• I do have a compound-cutting pair of diagonal cutting pliers and I love them.
  
  
  
  
  
  • For tiny cutting dykes that work without squeezing too hard I am looking at Knipex and other German made flush cutters
  • Any personal recommendations?
  • Using standard crimper/cutter pliers to strip 18 gauge and smaller wires is difficult for me. It's not the cut, it's the pulling off of the insulation
  • I need a pair of truly superior automatic strippers. Way less hand pressure needed to strip wires
  • I have a drawer full of <$15.00 automatic strippers and AFAIK they are near worthless junk. I do have a heavy pair of squeeze strippers 20-10 gauge that are easy(ER) to use than the auto strip pliers but they need lots of wire length to work. I like the nose action of the auto strippers but need half or less the hand pressure to strip 16-26 gauge wire
  • How weak are my hands? I need a screwdriver assist to open a pop top can. I cannot open a new jar without a tool, and it looks like I am forced to purchase an electric can opener.
    
    I damned sure am not going to give up on the only hobby I enjoy because of weak painful hands. I even composed letters and sent them to WiHa begging them to manufacture a compound action stripper-crimper plier.
    
    I am weary of spending precious Social Security income only to find a wire stripper is no better than any other. The latest ten dollar nose action squeeze stripper worked OK for about a month. Then the blades must have become dull. I am not mis using these tools.
    
    Suggestions made by people who have worked with these tools and have found a clear winner would be appreciated. Knipex and WiHa are expensive w-a-y expensive but there are no alternatives. HAKKO snips are worthless. And the WiHa off-brand flush cutters actually bent their nose cutting 18-30 gauge soft copper.
    
    THANK YOU!

[TakingThe5th]

Generally speaking I have learned and rely more on the art of sharpening my tools. I am discovering that many of the older tools, aside from being dull, might actually be of better quality. Not always successful, but the results are often gratifying.

[Planning]

How about this:




https://www.amazon.com/PATCO-Thermal-Wire-Stripper-PTS-10/dp/B00R3R86JU

[Naio]

I don't know if this is too low-tech, but I find using a knife to strip is much easier on my hands.

Sometimes I cut around the circumference of the wire and then pull the end off with pliers. Other times I sort of shave it off like sharpening a pencil with a knife.

For crimping small connectors, I set the crimping pliers down on a hard surface, like concrete, and hit the handle with a hammer. Squeezing is out of the question for me.

I agree that a helper is the best solution! But not always easy to find.

[delwhjr]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:

• Age and arthritis have taken their toll
• I am encountering more and more problems and painful experiences while working with even small wires
• I do have a compound-cutting pair of diagonal cutting pliers and I love them.
  
  
  
  
  
  • For tiny cutting dykes that work without squeezing too hard I am looking at Knipex and other German made flush cutters
  • Any personal recommendations?
  • Using standard crimper/cutter pliers to strip 18 gauge and smaller wires is difficult for me. It's not the cut, it's the pulling off of the insulation
  • I need a pair of truly superior automatic strippers. Way less hand pressure needed to strip wires
  • I have a drawer full of <$15.00 automatic strippers and AFAIK they are near worthless junk. I do have a heavy pair of squeeze strippers 20-10 gauge that are easy(ER) to use than the auto strip pliers but they need lots of wire length to work. I like the nose action of the auto strippers but need half or less the hand pressure to strip 16-26 gauge wire
  • How weak are my hands? I need a screwdriver assist to open a pop top can. I cannot open a new jar without a tool, and it looks like I am forced to purchase an electric can opener.
    
    I damned sure am not going to give up on the only hobby I enjoy because of weak painful hands. I even composed letters and sent them to WiHa begging them to manufacture a compound action stripper-crimper plier.
    
    I am weary of spending precious Social Security income only to find a wire stripper is no better than any other. The latest ten dollar nose action squeeze stripper worked OK for about a month. Then the blades must have become dull. I am not mis using these tools.
    
    Suggestions made by people who have worked with these tools and have found a clear winner would be appreciated. Knipex and WiHa are expensive w-a-y expensive but there are no alternatives. HAKKO snips are worthless. And the WiHa off-brand flush cutters actually bent their nose cutting 18-30 gauge soft copper.
    
    THANK YOU!
    
    I have used this one and its predecessor with great success. I know what you mean about not doing what you used to could.
    
    Auto stripping pliers

[MDKMDK]

Wouldn't have to be family, necessarily.
Hasn't someone nearer to you ever expressed an interest in your hobby, or simply what you're building or tinkering with?
Anyway, good luck with finding a resolution that works for you.:C

[ScottG]

My bigger problem is just seeing that smaller stuff.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My son in law is 1,500 miles from here. I tried and I tried. Aptitude and attitude are severe barriers. But thanks for the suggestion.

[MDKMDK]

Get an apprentice. Or a protege. Call him/her whatever you like.
Someone to do the grunt work for you, under supervised direction.
It would be a learning experience for all.
Just a thought.:)

[Ductape]

Is a thermal stripper an option?
Example