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How to use an automatic wire stripper

Updated: October 2026

You already own a self-adjusting wire stripper, the cable in front of you should be dead, and the first squeeze can still nick the copper. An automatic jaw follows the outside of the insulation. It does not know the terminal you are about to use, and it does not forgive a blade set too deep. This page is how to use an automatic wire stripper on that proved-dead conductor: length stop first, pressure light, one full squeeze, then a look all round the copper. It is written against the pliers in the [automatic wire stripper comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/automatic-wire-stripper). A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase from the main table can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own a self-adjusting wire stripper, the cable in front of you should be dead, and the first squeeze can still nick the copper. An automatic jaw follows the outside of the insulation.

Our top picks

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FATMAX FMHT0-96230

Best overall

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FATMAX FMHT0-96230
8.7/10about £21.61
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VCELINK VCELINK GJ702

Best value

VCELINK VCELINK GJ702
8.6/10about £8.99
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DURATECH DURATECH DT211010A

Rank 3

DURATECH DURATECH DT211010A
6.9/10about £17.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Prove the cable is dead
  2. 2.Set the length stop
  3. 3.Set the pressure and strip once
  4. 4.Inspect and cut off a nick

Prove the cable is dead

Fixed wiring is not a scrap offcut on the bench. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 14, says you do not work on or near a live conductor where danger may arise unless it is unreasonable for it to be dead, reasonable to be live, and suitable precautions are in place. Isolate the circuit, lock it off if you can, and prove the conductor dead with a tester you trust before the stripper comes out of the pouch. If you cannot prove it dead, stop. None of the pliers in this comparison is described here as approved for live work.

Set the length stop

The bare length is set by the stop, not by squeezing harder. Slide or screw it until the copper matches the terminal or the moulded gauge on the accessory. BuildWiz suggests about 8–10 mm for many socket and switch terminals and tells you to use that gauge. Older DIY notes sometimes say about 12–15 mm. The gauge on the accessory wins. Bare copper outside the terminal is too long. Copper that misses the screw is too short. Push the conductor in straight until it touches the stop. A cable that enters at an angle is how side-entry jaws slip and snag. Pressure is how deep the blade goes, and self-adjusting does not mean no adjustment.
STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FATMAX FMHT0-96230

Testsieger

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FATMAX FMHT0-96230
8.7/10about £21.61
View offer

Set the pressure and strip once

If there is a named knob, move it a little, strip a scrap, and look. Only the DURATECH DT211010A listing in this set states a direction: anticlockwise decreases force and clockwise increases it. That is that model's instruction, not a rule for every knob. The Stanley has a fine adjustment screw. Make one full squeeze and release. Do not saw. A second violent squeeze on the same mark turns a nick into a cut strand.

Inspect and cut off a nick

Turn the end in the light and look all round, not only at the side that faced you. A scored ring, a flattened spot, or a shine where the blade kissed the metal is a nick. Missing strands on a flexible core are the same fault. That end does not go in a terminal. Cut it off and strip a fresh length. Leaving a nicked conductor under a screw is how a core breaks later, or heats, after the accessory is screwed back. If three fresh ends in a row are nicked, ease the pressure. If the jaw still will not mark the insulation without cutting copper, the cable is outside what this pliers can do. Do not chase the nick by slicing along the core with a knife. Sheath then cores on flat UK cable stays on automatic wire stripper for twin and earth.

Common questions

Do I turn a dial to the mm² size?
No. A self-adjusting jaw follows the outside of the cable. You do not select 1.5 or 2.5 on a wheel the way a gauged notch stripper matches a hole. You set the length stop, then the pressure, and you confirm both on a scrap of the same cable. If the listing's range does not include that cable, the jaw will not invent a correct blade depth.
What do I set first, the length stop or the pressure?
Set the length stop first, to the terminal or to the gauge on the accessory. Then set the pressure, starting light. The stop decides how much copper is bare. The pressure decides whether the blade stops at the copper. Doing it the other way round produces a neat nick at the wrong length.
Which way does the pressure knob go?
Only the DURATECH listing in this set states it: anticlockwise decreases force and clockwise increases it. Other pliers may use a screw or may not name a knob. Turn a little, strip a scrap, and look. Do not copy a direction from a different brand onto the tool in your hand.
How hard should I squeeze?
One full squeeze, enough for the mechanism to finish, then release. Harder is not the adjustment. If the insulation stays on, seat the cable against the stop and increase pressure one step. If the copper is marked, you already went too far, and that end is scrap.
What do I do if the insulation slips or the copper is nicked?
If it slips, the pressure is low or the cable entered at an angle. Reseat it straight and add a little pressure. If the copper is nicked or strands are missing, cut that end off and strip again. Do not terminate the damaged end, and do not keep squeezing the same groove.
Does the same squeeze strip a sheath and a single core?
Not as one finished job. The sheath and the core are different diameters, and twin and earth needs the jacket off before the brown and blue are stripped. Use the twin-and-earth page for that order. A single core, pushed to the stop, is the one-squeeze action this page describes.

Related pages

Automatic wire stripper buying guide

Best automatic wire stripper

Automatic wire stripper

Automatic wire stripper for twin and earth: the sheath

Automatic wire stripper vs stripping machine: scrap

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE HSR25, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 guidance (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Professional Electrician, insulated hand tools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Maun Industries, VDE and insulated tools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Clean Air Act 1993, section 33 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Environment Agency, illegally burning waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. IET Part P FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, when building regulations approval is not needed (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. H&S Metals, stripping copper wire for scrap (retrieved 19 October 2026)