There is a huge company around these parts that only uses Scotch Lock wire nuts. From what I heard, they are less expensive and they order them in bulk. I have never really cared that much for the soft Scotch Lock wire nuts because they seem to be only to be able to be used effectively once most of the time. I also have run across them sometimes not backing off a joint and got a 277 zap because of it one time when my kleins dug through one when I gave it a squeese which sometimes works when you can't back them off. Personally, I much prefer wing type wire nuts, but I was wondering if anyone out there had an opinion on this.

We use Ideal tan Twisters for most applications. They hold a wide range of sizes, they grip great, you don't have to pretwist, but we do for anything over 2 wires. I've never liked Scotch Lock nuts and will never buy them.

Can someone post a pic of the Scotch Lock connectors? I've use the red 'Scotch-Locks' for the low voltage wiring and they work great. I highly recommend them. For all the other applications, we use the Ideal 'Can-Twist', they are blue with wings and seem to be the same as the Tan ones described by EE. They are an all in one connector and hold a range of sizes that the 31-33-35 marrettes do and they work great for low voltage connections to boot.

Sandro.

[This message has been edited by Sandro (edited 10-21-2003).]

I prefer either the Bucannan B2 or the 3M red with the yellow skirt.

Jim,

I like the one with the yellow skirt too!
Couldn't find a picture of one when I looked.

Bill

Now that I see the picture. I hate those stupid scotch lock type.

You are right Gunther about how they never untwist off of the wire. You have to squeeze and turn them with your Linemans.

I like the Ideal's with the wing, Yellows and Reds.

Tev

From want I gather, the scotch loks were redesigned so you can take them back off again, without pliers, what a pain! I like the tan twisters too, but they need to be re-designed too. Anything more than 3 #12s they bulge out. I guess I am still old school and prefer #73,74,76 orange, yellow, red from Ideal.

Yal sound funny talking about yellow skirts and blue ones with wings...ha ha.

We use the red Buch's B2. Has anyone ever had their forearm muscle (what is that a tricep?) curl up and lock after twisting too many wire nuts? Say after tying in 100 cans? Ouch!

Happi_man..... YES! and, after a while the top skin layers of my thumb and finger start to peel from twisting too many wire connectors with bare hands.

I have noticed the Scotchlocks were originally used on aluminum wiring. I took the liberty of dissecting some and inside there's a live spring contained in a steel shell. The steel shell is what spins when they are tightened up and spins free when you try to remove them. B-Caps have a live spring too but no steel shell.
I am wondering if the Scotchlocks were at one time listed for AL?
Brian

Are these the connectors with the skirt:

I too hate scotch locks, the type "B"s I have not used the smaller sizes.

They must be the cheapest because if I do not specify another type that is what purchasing will get me, and they are not electricians they are bean counters.

For large wire nuts I use a blue Ideal with the wings.

Brian,

Scotchlocks were listed Al/Cu until UL raised the bar for the Al part of the listing back in '89.

I, too, like the active spring. I've moved from 3M to Buchannan B1 & B2. I like the free nut driver included in the large bags of nuts. The nut driver and an electric screwdriver go a long way to avoid repetitive stress concerns.

I have seen scotchloks survive where most others would not.

I work in a large facility that is directly connected to the atlantic ocean. Lots of salty air and rust potential.

We frequently dig scotchloks out of JB's and cans that have been damp and wet and covered in rust. I doubt a B2 could survive this type of abuse. The scotchloks always survive.

The new ones with the yellow skirt are interesting and deserve a look.

This reminds me...

I saw this weird type of wirenut at Lowe's last week.

The underside opening where the wires are inserted was covered by little plastic teeth "flaps". According to the package, the inside of the wirenut is packed with an anti-corrosion compound.

The package also states that you cannot reuse the wirenut (as if I were to do that anyway).

Don't remember the brand right now. Is anyone else familiar with what I'm talking about?

Sven,

If the wirenuts were Purple they are probably the ones approved for Al to Cu connections.

There is another type I've seen on the shelf that may be approved for Damp and or Wet locations I haven't looked at the specs on them yet.

Bill

TG,

Yes, those are the ones with the skirts I was referring to. The flexible skirt helps sometimes when splicing wires with thick insulation and it's shorter effective length probably means it's easier to bend to get splices back into tight boxes.

Bill

The ones with the skirt are packed with silicone. Once you twist it on the wires, the silicone cures and that's why you can only use it once.

I like the tan Ideals for most work, but the red wire nuts take over if I need something bigger. I wish there was a red wire nut shaped like the tan one. Haven't seen any yet, maybe they're out there.

Those Scotchloks make people want a Scotch on the Rocks, because they are the most annoying wire nut I've ever seen. Not only can you not get them off, way too often you can't be sure if they're even ON! They act like they're stripped. Time consuming to use because you have to mess with each wire nut much longer than normal; aggravating because you get arm weary twisting and twisting to get it on or off, never sure if it's on and unable to get it off; and dangerous because while you're removing one, twisting and tugging, the wire nut can violently rip off the wires and then the wire ends can arc on the box or fixture, or the lineman's can go through the insulation, or the wire can short out where it enters the box or fixture.

Come on, Scotchlok - come up with a good design and bury that one! Better yet, send those wire nuts to the middle east, etc. and pawn them off to an already feuding group of societies. Those wire nuts will push them into a frenzy of violence that will solve all the middle eastern problems once and for all!

There's a new wire nut I tried, it's the Cadillac of wire nuts, red and tan colored, I can't remember the brand. Really nice. Can anybody tell me what brand and model that is?

[This message has been edited by Spark Master Flash (edited 10-23-2003).]

Sparkmaster,

I believe that the red and tan are also from 3M.

King makes several wire connectors for damp locations that are silicone filled. They also make one for direct burial, I think for LV cables.

Here is a link for the new Ideal Twister Pro. Free sample packs are available to try. http://www.idealindustries.com./Innovations/wire_connectors.htm#twisterpro

Has anyone tried the Scru-it brand yet? These have a phillips recess at the top of the cap to be driven on with a power screwdriver.

Jim, this is the first I've heard of these Seems like a great idea to save the fingers.
http://www.scru-it.com/index.html

Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 10-23-2003).]

You wouldn't think there would be so much info on a product type thats basically taken for granted.

On my last job site we were using T&B Marrettes (red & yellow). Original appeal was the knurled nut driver included with each 1000 count bag so they could be installed by cordless drill.

About halfway through this job a bag of Ideal's tan Twisters showed up - no turning back. They fit in a 5/16" (?) nut driver, so they're both hand and power-tool friendly. They fit a broader range or wires that the T&B product, and the wings are easy on the hands for manual twisting.

On this jobsite were using push-ins exclusively. No more sore fingers, less shoddy splices, and the splicing speed is up I can't think of the brand right now, but they look similar to these:
http://www.idealindustries.com/wt/IdcPushin.nsf

Everyone should have one of these strapped to your side
http://www.idealindustries.com/wt/ApplicationSystems.nsf

I noticed on the Scru-it ad that on the joint they were demostrating the wires were twisted together way beyond the wire nut. The first journeyman I worked for didn't twist wires, but when he saw that I had started doing it he made it clear that the correct way to twist wires was not to allow the twisting to go beyond the joint itself. I have opened j boxes that had the wires all twisted up under a joint and beyond, taking all of the conductor up. The only problem I had with it was untwisting a wire that I was removing from the joint. Do you have an opinion on twisting the wires together beyond the joint? Any reasoning why you shouldn't? Perhaps it creates magnetism thru a being a coil or something?

I did my apprenticeship in St Paul Minnesota back in the late 70s. Naturally there was a big trade-wide push there to use scotch-locs. From the voice of scotch-loc experience, you do get use to them LOL.

From the site Roger linked to:


How does it do that? Does it add more hours to the day?

Once upon a time when there were no wirenuts the electrician used solder, rubber, and friction tape.

You may have seen them in old work where building were wired early in the 1930's?




[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 10-28-2003).]

There are some foolish people that still use the method Joe cited.

I was once replacing a faulty dimmer in the bedroom in my old flat (with a filtered one that wouldn't wreak havoc with my AM radio reception) .

Whoever had installed the old dimmer didn't bother using the Marrettes that are INCLUDED in the package. They twisted the conductors together and taped up the splices with silver DUCT TAPE!!!

My house had this kind of splices throughout (built in '51). It was also done entirely with BX cable

[This message has been edited by u2slow (edited 10-30-2003).]

I had an outside pole light that quit working. It tested 120V at the socket but would not light up any bulb I put in there. I opened up the switch inside and found that the previous owner had just twisted the wires together and taped them. They were making just enough contact to give me a reading but not enough to light the bulb. He was an engineer and had several cobbled up electrical projects around the house.