Klein Tools 11048 Dual-Wire Stripper/Cutter for Solid Wire

The Klein 11048 handles 10, 12 and 14 AWG solid wire. It has paired stripping holes for 14 and 12 AWG so you take the insulation off both conductors of a Romex run in one squeeze, plus a single hole for 10 AWG. That covers the standard residential and light commercial branch circuit range: 14 for 15 amp lighting, 12 for 20 amp receptacles, 10 for a dryer or water heater home run.

That is what the dual-hole layout is for. The paired 14 AWG holes take the black and white conductors side by side, so one squeeze and one pull strips both. Same for 12/2 on the paired 12 AWG holes. Ground wire gets stripped separately or not at all depending on how you are terminating it. On a device box full of splices this is where the tool earns back its cost.

It is not. The handles are plastic grips for comfort and grip only, not electrical protection, and Klein states plainly that plastic-dipped or slip-on handles are not intended for protection against shock. If you need to work energized, you need a tool tested and marked to the 1000V insulated standard, not this one. De-energize and verify dead before using the 11048. Eye protection is called for as well, since cutting solid copper throws the offcut.

It cuts. Shear-type blades give a square, clean end on solid copper in the 10 to 14 AWG range, which matters when you are landing a conductor under a screw terminal or pushing into a back-wire hole and a mashed end will not seat. There are also looping and bending holes for forming the hook on a screw terminal. So for a device box you are carrying one tool instead of three.

Klein Tools 11048 is the manufacturer part number, sold as a single tool. If you are spec'ing one stripper per electrician for residential and light commercial work, the 11048 covers 10, 12 and 14 AWG solid, which is the bulk of branch circuit wiring. Crews doing conduit and stranded THHN will need the stranded equivalent alongside it, since the 11048's holes are sized to solid only.

Overall length is 6.25 inches and it weighs 4.3 oz (122 g), so it drops into a standard tool pouch loop or a shirt pocket without pulling. The nose is narrow, which is the point on a crowded 4-square box or an old work box where you cannot get a full-size stripper past the existing splices.

No, and that is deliberate. The wire gauge markings are stamped on both sides, so you can strip left-handed or right-handed, or come at the wire from either direction in a box, without flipping the tool to find the right hole. The action is spring loaded and self-opening, so it resets between conductors one-handed while your other hand is holding the cable.

The tool carries a black-oxide finish that resists corrosion, which is the practical concern for anything living in a van through a winter or going into crawlspaces and mechanical rooms. Handles are textured rather than smooth, so the grip holds with damp or gloved hands. Made in the USA.