What Wire Connector is the Best? Wire Nut VS Wago TESTED

Are Wagos Safe? I OVERLOADED them, cooked them & pulled them out. Did they survive? Are Wire Nuts better? See the results & how I tested them to address all the debates & myths about them.

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[davenag]

I've been an electrician for almost 4 decades. Industrial, commercial & residential. I'm just an old guy with an opinion, but I've seen a lot. I've opened many j boxes, troubleshot tons of circuit failures, and have seen hundreds of wire nut failures. Here's my opinion, do what you want with it. Due to the thermal expansion and contraction cycles present in electrical systems, over time wire nuts work their way loose and even fall off. I used to blame the previous electrician for not tightening the nuts, but eventually realized it's the wire nut at fault. A twisted splice inside a box is so rigid that it puts more strain on the connection, prohibiting this natural movement. The connection is the weak link, hence the failure point. I use the push in versions exclusively as I believe that the levers could be accidentally popped open when packing the j box. These spring loaded connectors don't loosen up, allow the conductors to swivel and flex easily within the box, eliminating the tension on the wires. You can feel the difference when packing the box too, so much easier, no stress on the conductors. These are not the same as the push in connections on cheap 50 cent receptacles, those are junk and should never be used under any circumstances! I have used WAGO products in the worst industrial chemical processing environments, along with residential applications, since 1994. They hold up better than anything else. I was extremely reluctant and skeptical early on as to their durability, as wire nuts were the gold standard in a trade with rigid beliefs of what works and what doesn't. Now I use them in every application that I can, with no hesitation whatsoever. I keep in touch with my customers, no callbacks ever. I am not an electrical engineer, I just play one in real life!

[electricalron]

Licensed electrician here (31 years of experience), and I love the Wagos! They’re a little expensive compared to wire nuts but certainly have their place in my tool pouch.

[bjoernphotography]

Wirenuts... that’s really nuts... Thankfully not allowed in Germany... Wago is really good stuff!

[whiterooksme]

If you want to do more. It would be interesting to see how the Amazon/Ebay knockoffs fair against the Wagos.

[raymurphy]

UK spark here, terminal block connector used to be the standard here but wagos have pretty much made the terminal block connectors obsolete

[whitieinvermont]

You have every tester known to man. I have tester envy.

[williamrucki]

Been using Wago connectors for years in industrial environments and they are flawless. One great advantage is to successfully join wires of drastically different gauges. Some sensors and actuators have pigtails not terminal blocks. If the wiring standard from the control panel is #14 AWG and the sensor has a #20 AWG pigtail, twisting together is difficult but using a Wago makes life simple.

[divechart]

As an electrician of forty years I'm impressed with the Wagos after seeing this test. I would like to see the same test on non-Wago brand type connectors, such as the type that come with recessed light fixtures. They are stab-ins with no levers.

[HoboAltros]

I just started using the Wagos. I attribute the resistance to people resisting change. Some people that have been around usually resist new technology and just bash it instead of giving it a chance. I work in the Technology field and see it everyday.

[threenailshandyman]

Been using the Wagos for a few years now. Absolutely love them. They're great when connecting wires above your head. Just easier for me to group the wires together. Also very convenient when the person before you cuts the wire in the junction box too short and it's difficult to access the wire

[Avaddon]

Nothing beats the wago when you've got to join stranded wire with solid. I'd say that's the main advantage over a wire nut. Also much easier when you need to test. When adding a branch to an existing circuit you don't have to struggle with twisted up wire or cut and re strip. Not to mention all the hand twisting and tightening you won't have to do.

[MrNeutross]

3:10 You're using uninsulated wire. When the're twisted like that and contacting so far down (wich wouldn't even be possible with insulated wires) a lot of currennt can flow through the contact point in the twist, completly circumventing the nut.

[BLKSG]

at 3:00 wouldn’t a lot of current be passing through without ever reaching the wire nut, since the unsheathed wires start connecting below it? Why go so easy on the wire nut, I wanted to see it fry. :)

[Jobobaboss]

Because of the Wago 221 connectors, it makes electrician work just a little bit more fun and easier. I truly love those connectors. I wouldn’t go for anything else because of their ease of use.

Whenever I buy electrician stuff, if they have the 221’s, I always prefer those. And the 222 by the way is also a very good one, but they’re a little bit bulkier, So I prefer the 221’s always!

[oliverer]

I have a sneaking suspicion that most if not all people with complaints only have experience with knock-offs.

[hertz]

I gladly realized that Americans start using WAGOs instead of those horrible wire nuts. Appreciate it!

Greetings from Germany!

[smallengine]

This is reminding me of Project Farm, great video!!

[andyburns]

I've spoken to people who *thought* the wago could come undone too easily, it turned out they were not opening the lever fully to insert the wire, they thought it only opened to about 45 degrees ...

[No-vmgo]

I recently purchased some of these WAGOs ( before I saw this video) and they’re great. I can’t see ever going back to wire nuts again. BTW, mine are being used on a 30 amp circuit for a 5Kw unit/garage heater.

[dubs]

I’ve switched to these and have used them for several projects in my home. They are easy to use and give me a higher sense of security over wire nuts, as I too, have had issues with wires in wire nuts not getting properly twisted. Thanks for the video!