Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message ...
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

I'd never use those in my own home but they do have a place for those tight-ass penny-pinching customers that always want to save a
buck.

Come to think of it, they are the perfect match for those cheap plastic space heaters at China Mart. Heh heh heh!

On Apr 12, 2:22*pm, Joe wrote:
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

They have those push connectors in the HALO hi-hats. Really nice when
feeding through to other lights.

On 4/12/2011 2:22 PM, Joe wrote:
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.

On 4/13/2011 7:14 AM, George wrote:
On 4/12/2011 2:22 PM, Joe wrote:
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.
I recall when I looked in a box to see if there was room for
another wire in it. When I poked it the wire nut on the untwisted
wires shot off. The proper procedure is to strip the wires, twist
them together tight, trim off the tip, and then twist on a wirenut.

Bill

On 4/13/2011 8:02 AM, Bill Gill wrote:
....

another wire in it. When I poked it the wire nut on the untwisted
wires shot off. The proper procedure is to strip the wires, twist
them together tight, trim off the tip, and then twist on a wirenut.
....

I don't think any manufacturer's instruction sheet requires that the
wires be pre-twisted...

Here's 3M Scotchlok datasheet which says "Wires may be twisted or
untwisted."

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=66666UuZjcFSLXTtMxMaOxz6EVuQE cuZgVs6EVs6E666666--&fn=78812111272_A.pdf

Here's Ideal Wire-Nut(tm) that says "No pre-twisting required"

http://www.idealindustries.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=wire-nut&div=0&l1=twist-on&l2=wire-nut

Doesn't say "can't"; just that to be NEC-compliant is to follow
manufacturers' instructions which don't say must pre-twist.

--

In article ,
wrote:

Any backstab type **** is just that..... ****, and
**** that can burn your house down and kill people.

If you can find ONE, that's O-N-E, *one* credible reference about a back
stab outlet killing someone or starting a fire, I'd love to see it.
Backstabs occasionally go open. That's about one light year away from
killing people and burning down houses.

On Apr 13, 7:14*am, George wrote:

snip

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.

The problem is not a simple 2 wire connection, it is the hassle of
pigtailing ( which is 3 wires) as I pointed out. Better pigtails use
stranded, and the push connectors do that nicely.
If you have actually done this with #12 and wire nuts and then tested
your connections, you will recall there are occasional pull outs and
do overs.
Or maybe you're perfect...

Joe

On 4/13/2011 9:02 AM, Bill Gill wrote:
On 4/13/2011 7:14 AM, George wrote:
On 4/12/2011 2:22 PM, Joe wrote:
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.
I recall when I looked in a box to see if there was room for
another wire in it. When I poked it the wire nut on the untwisted
wires shot off. The proper procedure is to strip the wires, twist
them together tight, trim off the tip, and then twist on a wirenut.

Bill

I don't think I have ever seen manufacturers directions that describe
twisting the wires. The main thing that will produce a good job is the
use of a quality wirenut.

On 4/13/2011 3:00 PM, Joe wrote:
On Apr 13, 7:14 am, wrote:

snip

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.

The problem is not a simple 2 wire connection, it is the hassle of
pigtailing ( which is 3 wires) as I pointed out. Better pigtails use
stranded, and the push connectors do that nicely.
If you have actually done this with #12 and wire nuts and then tested
your connections, you will recall there are occasional pull outs and
do overs.
Or maybe you're perfect...

Joe

No, but the wirenuts I buy are. It is well worth spending a little more
for quality wirenuts.

On 4/13/2011 8:06 PM, George wrote:
On 4/13/2011 9:02 AM, Bill Gill wrote:
On 4/13/2011 7:14 AM, George wrote:
On 4/12/2011 2:22 PM, Joe wrote:
Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with
my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand,
possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation
using wire nuts on 12 gauge.
The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are
competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and
report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.

Joe

What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold
wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.
I recall when I looked in a box to see if there was room for
another wire in it. When I poked it the wire nut on the untwisted
wires shot off. The proper procedure is to strip the wires, twist
them together tight, trim off the tip, and then twist on a wirenut.

Bill

I don't think I have ever seen manufacturers directions that describe
twisting the wires. The main thing that will produce a good job is the
use of a quality wirenut.

So I'm not the only one that has seen wirenuts take flight when startled....

I'm no electrician, so when I wire, I go slow, and do at least a
one-grunt pull test on every wirenut before I stuff it back in the box.
If I was doing it for pay, the boss would switch me to piecework. But
the connections stay connected, and the lights don't flicker.

--
aem sends...