Why your toolkit needs a handful of these easy-to-use lever nut connectors
Why your toolkit needs a handful of these easy-to-use lever nut connectors
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Why your toolkit needs a handful of these easy-to-use lever nut connectors
A 2-pole Wago 221 lever nut
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Along with tools and a few consumables like tape and glue, I usually have a smattering of other things in my toolbag that I take along for repairs and that just make life easier.
Those things include Wago 221 lever nut connectors.
ZDNET RECOMMENDS
Wago 221 lever nut assortment (36 pieces)
A quick and easy way to securely joining wires without soldering or twisting.
The Wago connector is a type of electrical connector developed by WAGO GmbH, a German company that specializes in electrical supplies. These connectors are designed to create secure, reliable, and easy-to-use connections between electrical wires.
Also: How to fix broken wires the easy way – with heat-shrink butt connectors
Wago lever nuts use a spring-loaded clamping mechanism that enables a strong and secure connection without the need for screws, nuts, soldering, butt connectors, or other traditional fastening methods. This makes them particularly popular for electrical installations, as they save a considerable amount of time and effort during installation and maintenance.
Wago lever nuts consist of a transparent plastic housing that contains a metal clamp system and a lever for each wire connection. They are rated for 450V/32A; bear in mind, however, that if used for high-voltage applications, they need to be housed in an enclosure to prevent people who don’t know what they are from messing with them.
Also: This $60 tool essentially gives you another pair of hands
Wago lever nuts come in various sizes to accommodate different wire gauges and are available in 2-, 3-, and 5-pole (wire) configurations, allowing multiple wires to be connected in a single connector.
A 2-pole and 5-pole Wago 221 lever nut connector
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
I recommend getting a pack that has a selection of each type.
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Need a few reasons to keep some Wago lever nuts in your toolbag? Wago lever nuts are super easy to use, create strong, reliable connections, can be installed without tools (apart from stripping the wires), are compact so you can use them in confined spaces, and are reusable.
How to use a Wago lever nut
1. Prepare the wires
Strip the ends of the wires that you want to connect according to the recommended strip length specified by Wago (typically, this is between 9 to 11 mm/0.35 to 0.45-inch).
2. Open the Wago lever nut
Open the lever on the connector by lifting it up to 90 degrees. (Don’t go further as you might break the connector.)
3. Insert the wire
Insert the stripped wire into the connector’s opening, ensuring it is fully seated.
4. Flip the lever closed
Close the lever to lock the wire in place, pressing down firmly to create a secure and reliable connection.
5. Repeat
Repeat for the other wires you want to connect.
6. Tug test
Finally, a gentle tug on the connector will make sure it’s properly connected.
Also: You’ll never guess how many tech repair tools this little bag can fit
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