Anything better than wire nuts?

   / Anything better than wire nuts? #21  
Some of the pics BCP posted are what the hardware store had and the guy said they aren’t that great. I was joining solid wire, Romex, with stranded wire from the fixture.
That's what gives me trouble too, stranded fixture wire, probably 18ga. attaching to a 14/16ga single solid.
My (right or wrong) solution is stripping a much longer bit of the stranded wire and the right size wirenut.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts? #22  
Dunno whatizit a Wago, but winged wire nuts work wonderful.

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Sized right, right number of wires stripped right and they won't come off. Sometimes not even when you want them to.

Only trouble I've had is with green ones (winged or not) for ground wires. For some reason the plastic wants to crack. Never had that with orange, yellow or red.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts? #23  
Some wire nuts are just threaded plastic which I throw those in the trash. The wire spring ones work ok for me if sized to the wires. About 1/2" insulation stripped, wires twisted tight together with pliers before wire nut. When that's tight I wrap electrical tape around it.
I was told by an electrician NOT to twist the wires together before putting them in a wire nut. Something about not making/maintaining as good contact that way.
I've just used the ones Lowes/HD sell, never had a problem.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts? #24  
I've used these Ideal brand connectors in 2, 3 and 4 wire sizes for quite a while. They work for solid or stranded. Never had a problem.

Under $10 for 100 at Lowes.

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   / Anything better than wire nuts? #25  
'Anything better than wire nuts'..... certainly....

Whole cashews......... (y)
I am partial to the black wall nuts.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts? #26  
I use wire good nuts all the time. It may take a little more time but I twist the ends together using two pliars then snip the ends off to the shortest wire. Then crank the wire nut on. Seems to work for me.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts?
  • Thread Starter
#27  
I watched a couple of videos on using wire nuts, I tried different sizes. It’s something I only do once a year or so. It’s like a lot of things, it seems so simple but it’s probably a learned skill.
 
   / Anything better than wire nuts? #29  
I watched a couple of videos on using wire nuts, I tried different sizes. It’s something I only do once a year or so. It’s like a lot of things, it seems so simple but it’s probably a learned skill.

It’s well worth a dollar or 2 per fixture to use wago’s at least to me. Trying to get 2 12 gauge solid wires and a tiny stranded wires together in a wire nut while on a ladder while holding a fixture is a real PITA.
 

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