Inside a SpliceLine push in cable connector

A look at an alternative to the classic Wago style push-in wire connectors.
The design is reassuringly simple, with what appears to be a copper contact plate with springy steel tangs that grip the wire and hold it firmly onto the copper.
The way the spring metal is attached to the copper is fairly complex, with a set of tiny rivets that appear to be formed from the copper plate itself.

These came from Screwfix in the UK, but are probably available from many other distributors around the world.
They seem to do a very similar looking range to the classic Wago terminals too.

This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.

#ElectronicsCreators

[BeamBuiltSr]

I was expecting to see Clive push 32A through the wires & connector (under a resistive load, space heater etc.) and use a thermal camera to see how well it works. Good follow up video idea?

[whitcwa]

Ideal is a big 100 year old electrical tool and hardware manufacturer. They make Anderson power-pole connectors.

[neon-john]

Ideal is a very old and very high quality connector manufacturer in the US. They make precision crimp ring connectors that are certified for use in nuclear plant Class 1A (critical safety) wiring. Millions of precision crimp loop connectors were used during the nuclear plant building boom of the 70s and early 80s.

They make a wire lubricant for pulling wires in conduit called Yellow 77. That stuff is so ubiquitous that the trademark "Yellow 77" has almost been genericized like Kleenex.

[hobbified]

Yeah, Ideal is an American company that does mostly electrical supplies and electricians' tools — they're probably the most common supplier of wire nuts over here. I also have a stripping tool from them and one of those tone probe / tracer thingies.

Side note, Wago also recently came out with an inline / "through" connector, the "2401" type. Unlike these, and like your ordinary Wago, it's lever-lock rather than push-in, so it doesn't rely so much on the stiffness of the wire.

[philippmunch]

Wago actually makes such a connector since a couple of months.
The 2773-2401 for solid wires up to 4mm2 and the 221-2411 for any type of wire

[ralphshoop]

Ideal recently came out with a copycat Wago connector, and get this, Home Depot in the US was charging more for them than actual Wago. Surprisingly, they were on clearance the last time I was in the store (even clearance they were more than Wago).

[j]

I love how you print out webpages. Way better viewable for us, yet almost nobody else thought of it. Then you just do it cause printing images is just part of your normal work flow.
Always great videos👍🏼

[troubleshooter]

Two potential issues with reusing one of these:
If you take one off and throw it in your toolbox, is if the next time you use it you put it on a smaller wire.
It could flex the spring farther than it would have (without prior larger wire insertion), and not have as much tension as a new connector would have.
For the same reason, carefully removing it with a pointed tool, no matter how careful, would inevitably flex it farther open than when it was gripping.
Even if it physically was not changed, the spring tension might not be as tight as a 'virgin' connector.
[It is likely the spring will spread as much as needed, depending on the conductor size, but then only be able to spring back a portion of that travel, along with the associate gripping tension].
Another words, if reused on a smaller wire, even if it does grip it securely, it won't be gripping it as TIGHTLY as an 'unspring' new connector would...
[same issue with inserting stranded wire after using it on solid wire of the same gauge].


Conductivity, and resistance is not just dependent on the contact area, but also the pressure between the wire and the contact surface...

[_triff]

You’re an inspiration Clive, as of yesterday I’m the proud owner of my very own MDF board! I can’t wait to scar it with minor explosions and other mishaps 😊

[marcseen]

When I was a kid, Big Clive, I used to join cables together with Sellotape! ... Oh yes, many's the time our house was plunged into ⚡💥 😲 darkness, while the Wylex consumer unit fuse was rewired! ... Happy days! ... Although thinking about it, it's a miracle I've made it to 61? ... Nothing like a short sharp shock to inject a bit of excitement into life? 🤣

Back in the days when appliances came with bare wires, did you ever stick bare wires into a 13 amp outlet, and jammed a plug in to hold them in place? ... That was a great way to blow a fuse too!

[phatcowboy]

Ideal is an American Company that has been making wire nuts, connectors, terminals, electrical tools, and many other electrical industrial parts for decades. I used their wire nuts on a US ballistic missile submarine in the late 80's. Been around forever.

[solarbirdyz]

Oh that's brilliant for where somebody left you not enough wire, which is also what finally got me trying hot-air solder sleeve connectors as well. Thanks for the analysis!

[intoeverything]

Ideal is a pretty large supplier of electrical connectors and tools here in the USA. Hard to go to a supply house, or " big box store " without running into something from their product line. Thanks for your content!

[phonotical]

Being unable to do the calculation to show surface area coverage, it would be interesting to see the joint thermal temperature under high current test

[stephanmantler]

Reminds me of the Gripple quick connect tensioners we use for agricultural fencing.

[ianithompson]

Bought some of these about 18 months ago, my brother in law was using something like them 5 to 7 years ago to extend lighting cables on a job in Belgium, 1st time I had seen them.

[iamdarkyoshi]

Very sensible design. Neat to see companies like Ideal offering things like this in the states, they're an extremely common manufacturer found in hardware stores for electrical items here.

[wxfield]

Hi. Former U.S. Electrician here. Ideal makes a lot of the connectors and "wire nuts" we typically use here in the 'States. I've seen those connectors you have in this video in Home Depot hardware stores but not in the commercial electrical supply shops. Electricians have used wire nuts for as long as I can remember here.

[AlecKristi]

This is my favorite connector, I always have a bunch in my tool box. I use it mostly to safe-off live wires when troubleshooting, since they're so easy to twist off, and don't tend to fall off like wirenuts when used on a single wire

[TechGorilla]

After reading through the comments, I have a Grand Funk Railroad song running through my head.

"We're an American brand.
We're an American brand.
We're coming to your town
We'll make your fasteners sound
We're and American brand."