ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area new universal wago connectors

Reminds me of them twist on wire "nuts" I think they called 'em. Another passing fad. Now excuse me while I heat my soldering iron....

I like 'em!
I just can't get over the fact that they rely on a similar technology to backstabbed receptacles. These with the little levers are better though.


I happen to like the metric system. From a logical standpoint it makes a h*ll of alot more sense than ours!
A mile = 5280', Who's bright ides was that??

I brought up a related question like this on another board. The Wago allows wires to be spliced with out twisting. #14-#12- and #10 ga. (I think) OK. Yet the NEC removed the ability to use the pin back on receptacles for # 12 ga wire. Why? The code found that pin back alone didn't work, but the wire connector is OK? What gives?

well, i work with wagos as din rail terminals in industrial use from AWG 20 to AWG 2 or so daily, and i've never seen a faulty one of these getting hot or equal problems.

the cage clamp system clamps the wire at a pre-defined strenght that is not lost by the time, and it makes a perfect contact by distributing the strands evenly in the clamping zone.

this one is rated 32 Amperes by the VDE, so it should work perfect for 16A building installations.

saying wirenuts would be better/safer is just wrong IMHO. I dont trust Wirenuts at all, especially for stranded wires.

[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 12-06-2003).]

well :andy: ,
i see a spring with a single point contact there, and can imagine a 'row' of noodles , this vs. what would be a more integral twisted pair within a wirenut is a no-brainer to me...

I wouldn't call it a single point contact. Sure, there is a thin pressure contact underneath the wire but the majority of the surface area of contact is on top - with the same contact pressure. As long as the contact area is greater than the wire's cross-sectional area. I would be interested to see an infra-red image of this clamp with 32A flowing and compare it to a wirenut.

well, in comparison to the wirenut: If a wirenut is properly installed, all strands are of equal lenght and so on, there is nothing to say against. but there are some specialists just twisting the strands together in any way and turning the nut on them. you dont know how each wire gies inside and where they make contact. if the wire is properly inserted in the wago, you can be sure its making enough contact it needs. And: this one won't get loose by time, vibration etc.

Regarding the temperature: I've seen a testing diagram of a Clamp designed for 16A tested at 20A with after a while reached temperature of about 115°F.

Andy, What is the tension on the spring; how hard does it clamp the wire?

If my choice was these or solder I would solder.

posted by Harold Endean

Well said Harold, I would like to know the answer to that too.

I like something more than spring pressure to hold the wire tight.

Will they come out with one for 250s.



[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 12-06-2003).]

i think if you would have held some wagos in your hands, you would use them too. once you've seen how they clamp and felt the strenght of the spring, its ok.

a screw always can go open. this one can't. and you have to step on a wago rail terminal and pull a #12 out with two hands to get it out. they hold very tight, but dont cut the strands.