Just doing a bump for 2022. I need to buy a new wire stripper. What's your favorite or recommend Wire Stripper in 2022? ...for smaller gauge stranded wire (i.e. 22awg to 30awg).
I purchased the WEICON Wire Stripper No. 5, as a test, since it was so cheap ($24). But, not sure if the $100+ Knipex MultiStrip 10, Weidmüller STRIPAX, are worth the coin.
All these answers so far, yet nobody stopped to ask you what your requirements are!
For the wire range you gave, the best full-automatic stripper I’ve used is the Knipex
12 52 195 Edit: actually it’s the 12 42 195. (It’s like a Stripax, just a bit more optimized for smaller wires.) I have one of these at work and plan on getting one for at home.
But it really depends on your needs. In particular, the strip length and cleanness of the insulation incision vary a lot. In particular, if you need to crimp to small contacts like JST XH or smaller, you need a precision stripper if you want uniform wire lengths. Small contacts like that can have a strip range of, for example, 1.7-2.3mm. The minimum strip length of 5mm ±1mm or so of fully automatic strippers like Stripax simply isn’t useful for those contacts. (Additionally, fully automatic strippers don’t generally cut super cleanly. Totally fine for most things, but not for really small contacts.)
The kind I have been using for short, precise stripping lengths are the CK precision ones like the one in the attached photo. They come both in a few ranges of adjustable (with the 330013 covering exactly the range you want) or single fixed wire gauges. (Note that the mm sizes on those are diameter, not cross sectional area, and that the AWG numbers are for solid wire. Stranded wire is 2 gauges larger in terms of stripping size, e.g. a 22AWG stranded wire is the same diameter as 20AWG solid, so use a 20AWG stripper.) What I love about these is that the strip depth stop can be set extremely small, and without fixed steps (like Stripax and co, which are in 1mm steps). The downside is that it’s not automatic, and that they’re in extremely short supply right now. I ordered one in November and it finally came in April. They are sold under many other brand names, some with better availability, but at higher prices.
Thermal is super gentle on the conductors, but can leave slight bulges on the end of the wire which may not work with some crimp contacts.
As for the manual pliers-style strippers, I highly recommend the Klein-Kurve series from Klein Tools. The 11057 (photo also attached) perfectly matches your range of wire sizes. They’re very well made, the blades are very precisely ground, and both laser-marked and stamped with both solid and stranded sizes. And they are comfy.
Another kind of automatic stripper is the military style ones like the Ideal Stripmaster. They use precision dies and cut very cleanly, but are very expensive, and only cover a few gauges per unit. Also, you can’t be sloppy when using them, in that you have to squeeze them all the way before releasing, otherwise the mechanism can’t properly release the wire before they close again, resulting in bent wire.