Saw these in the Ideal products catalog a few years ago. Now I'm seeing them at the Big Orange Box, and in distributor catalogs like Sunstar. Haven't gone out and bought any yet, just played with the package while waiting for some wire to be cut.

Is anybody using these on a regular basis? How are they for space and speed v. regular wirenuts?
How are they if you need to add/remove conductors? Do they have a release point like backwire receptacles?

We're still pretty much regular Buchanan / Ideal wirenut users at our shop - these look faster for initial installs, but if you can't easily modify (remove) them, then...

http://www.idealindustries.com/wt/IdcPushin.nsf

Thanks - happy New Year, BTW!

Doug;

I sell the WAGO push-in with release brand at our supply house. Electricians who install a lot of recessed lighting love them. They buy them by the bag full. Cheaper than wirenutts in certain application.

A couple years ago I used tons of them for changing out ballasts at a huge office building. We used the orange #85's. They were very quick and appeared to make a strong connection, better than a lot of quick connectors like you often see with ballasts or exit signs. I don't remember being able to remove the wire from them after installation, I believe you have to cut it off. It was great for ballast changes, but I wouldn't use them for regular splices where you intend to change or add wiring in the near future.

This has been a point of disagreement around the Forum for a while.
Use the "search" feature (at the top of this page), and you'll find plenty of opinions.
This one will most likely never reach a consensus status. Some love 'em, some hate 'em....S

you can actually get a solid wire out of a push-in wago by pulling and turning the wire or wago left and right.

a while ago i posted this one https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/003602.html

new wagos that have an easier release mechanism.


ps. i love 'em

someone should open a poll, wagos - curse or blessing



[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 01-09-2004).]

We could start a pole but I think that would be the same as asking which is a better color, Red or Green.

In other words it is just personal choice.

ps. I hate 'em

I too like that style connector, but just for Ballast changes. We had used the ones made by 3M. Put the wires in and then you use the Lineman pliers to close them. They were great if you had a lot of Ballasts to do. AT first, I was skeptical too. We had a whole building to do. They wanted to change from the Old heavy Ballasts to the non PCB electronic(much lighter).

Count me in as hating them ...S

ah I love electrican debate
Up VS Down
Pretwist VS no pretwist
Wago VS NO Wago
where does it end?
JK have a nice day

On my current jobsite (36 story residential high-rise) we are using Wagos exclusively. Splicing speed is up. They are excellent for changing splices (pull & turn works) - especially when they need to be done live. Works well for us as we pre-rough-in common areas and stairwells for egress lighting which isn't feasible to shutdown.

Also find the conductors are easier to fold into the box when they aren't twisted together.

I see lots of sloppy work with wirenuts. Usually from those who use a battery drill - they get carried away twisting to the point where one of the wires in the splice breaks or slips out.

one on my side

Good post, :andy: ( https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/003602.html )

Might talk to my foreman to see what he thinks. Maybe I'll throw a bag or two in the box for future try out.

Thanks to everyone for the input!

“…those who use a battery drill - they get carried away twisting…” said U2*.

{Oy vey. I must live under a rock.}

@ DougW

if you want to use only solid wires on them, you can use the "standard" wagos. i estimate them to be way cheaper than the ones with the release mechanism. if you want to use stranded, i would recommend these.

the only thing you have to watch when you make changes on the standard push-ins, is not to losen the other wires when turning. i always push the others back in to assure no one came out.

[This message has been edited by :andy: (edited 01-10-2004).]

For Bjarney:
I too lived under a rock, until I saw the results of a "hot shot" with a battery drill.




This guy was also supposed to use Scotchcote, not tape, and a #10 ground to the GFI recp, but was too much of a speed demon to get it out of the job box.
He's gone, now...S

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 01-11-2004).]

Just to add fuel to the fire... I started using wagos about three years ago for certain applications. I use them exclusively for lay in fixtures (along with Arlinington snap in MC connectors). It really speeds the up the process when your installing several hundred lights. My cost is about the same for a red wire nut but time is the big factor....(more fuel) since we are pretwist company.

The have come in handy to when doing device change outs and the previous electrician has left too little conductor in the box to work with and there's no way to repull.

Now dont get me wrong, I still prefer the wire nut. BUT i do feel these connectors have a spot in our world.

I tried sending a pic, but it never came through.

Guess this topic is approaching a moot point, unless I want to take the time to remove the ones that come pre-installed...

At least, that's what I found when I picked up 2 HALO cans... little orange 3-conductor push-connectors, pre-installed.

Less of a hassle than I'd anticipated - both for install, and for removal.

Oh well... evolve or die!

Doug,

Sorry about that. After reading this I went looking and found your 'Picture Share' Email. I'm not used to getting Pictures by Phone and can easily miss them because they don't show up as attachments.

Anyway, here's the picture:

I really have not seen those on the self in canada yet.judging from the replies here it looks like for certain applications they would be okay.Sort of reminds me of my old radio hobby days when we used these wire clips. http://home.earthlink.net/~wb5rex/xtalman/kits.html

[This message has been edited by dougwells (edited 03-09-2004).]

Just a question regarding your vernacular here, gentlemen,....what in tarnations is a "WAGO",and what does it stand for...is it an acronym...or..???
As a rule,anything that you "push-in" to make a connection in my book is LOUSY,(ie; back-stabbing receptacles)..especially if there is a substantial load factor associated with it..Fluor.ballasts are another issue,tho',because the loads on these conductors are in the miliamps, so I do use the Ideal "suitcase" style push-in connectors for ballast replacements ONLY....
AR



[This message has been edited by Attic Rat (edited 03-10-2004).]

This is a link to an Adobe Reader file (.pdf) describing the Wago Wall-Nuts™

The Wago Innovative Connections homepage is: www.wago.com

Al

This is a Wago . . .



Sorry Al, didn't see ya in there.

[This message has been edited by Mean Gene (edited 03-10-2004).]