Wonderful wago lever action electrical connecters

[Edwin Dirnbeck]

This has been an excellent discussion. It seems that many are learning about wagos for the first time.Even if you dont like the idea of useing them for house wiring, They are worth keeping around when you do 12 volt dc stuf on your car or motor scooter of tractor. Edwin Dirnbeck

[Tom S]

I think it's a good idea, but perhaps the execution could have been a bit better. It's got 2 weak points in my opinion - the strength of the spring action and the support of the wire.

Looking at the diagram and the cut connector there will be a difference in spring deflection based on the gauge of the wire. I could imagine that with a larger gauge like 12 or 14 the spring would have a lot more holding power than with a small gauge like 24. That could be a good thing it if prevents the small gauge wires from being damaged, but it also means there is a lot less force holding that wire against the contact pad and it could result in small, flexible wire loosing contact - like I make chips experienced.

The other issue is the support of the wire. There is a bit of a tunnel for the wire to sit in before entering the contact area. I would imagine that this could be used to provide some support to the wire and minimize movement at the contact. However, expecting that same size tunnel to provide the same support to a 12 gauge wire as to a 24 gauge wire is unrealistic. I be the 12 gauge is snug and the 24 is like a hot dog in a hallway. That's going to allow a lot more movement and a lot more potential issues. On top of that the 24 gauge is going to be much more flexible and prone to bending than the 12 gauge, yet it is much less supported.

I think it would be a better product if it was more tailored to a few wire sizes rather than a one-size fits all approach. Same way marrettes and crimp connectors are.

[A.K. Boomer]

I think it would be a better product if it was more tailored to a few wire sizes rather than a one-size fits all approach. Same way marrettes and crimp connectors are.

oh boy I thought they already were --- that speaks volumes in itself - like a one wire nut fits all mentality,

if I was in a hurry i still might use them to repair a german car but Never something Japanese like a Toyota or Honda --- no way lol

[macona]

Wago gage clamp connectors are used inside motor junction boxes and depending on model they are also approved for marine(DNV, Loyd) &railroad use so maybe the worries about wiggling and vibration are bit of armchair engineering type.

I read a post on another site from a guy who works on cruise ships. Wire nuts are banned on those ships because they dont hold up with vibration. But the wagos are approved for use.

[A.K. Boomer]

I read a post on another site from a guy who works on cruise ships. Wire nuts are banned on those ships because they dont hold up with vibration. But the wagos are approved for use.

Cruise ships are built like cheap trailers anymore, so putting them together fast is key hence the Wago's - and the Wago's get a free pass cuz in case of a fire the ships surrounded by water anyways so it don't matter...

[wmgeorge]

We were taught to use either terminals with nuts and bolts (and tape) for motor connections that could vibrate or wire nuts taped as to not loosen. Fire on a cruise ship is a serious matter, lots to burn. If lever Wago's were a problem they would not be used, the insurance companies would see to that and they are approved by every agency that matters. Approvals Certificates and Approvals | WAGO USA

Stolen from Mike Holts Forum We do lots of work installing lighting on cruise ships. The cruise lines will not accept wire nuts on anything. The Chief Electrician will not even let them on the ship in most cases. They've had a bad time in the past with vibration loosening them and causing failures: fire=bad onboard a ship. They will accept (and frankly love) the Wago Lever-Nuts. My techs like them too - much faster in the field, and great for troubleshooting.

They're also a fan of the spring cage clamp -style terminal blocks for control panel work. We use tons of PT -series terminal blocks from Phoenix Contact for that reason.

[A.K. Boomer]

Somebody has to make a wire nut with very mild and properly spaced one way recessed serrations on the inside part of the coils --- if they don't they should just for vibration applications... Did I just invent them??? cool - build them make millions and give me 5%, I do this kinda stuff all day long...


They would still "glide on" while tightening and have a self locking effect to the tune of having to chew copper chunks out when you go to remove them... again superior in every way over the "let go of my wago"...

[J Tiers]

The problem here is the usual one..... a group of folks that say "this is ABSOLUTELY no good in any use anywhere.... it is junk", vs a group of folks that say "it gets used for this really important use, so it is ABSOLUTELY good for any use anywhere you can".

Both groups are telling total LIES.

Each of them is leaving out the important parts, and both are totally telling a LIE when they say that this or that is "absolutely" (or totally, completely, etc, etc) good, bad, junk, etc, etc.

Wire nuts have some advantages. The WAGO have some advantages. Neither is "absolutely" good for every possible application.

So don't freaking USE them where they are/can be/have been shown to be a problem. And stop telling LIES.

Use either one where you know it will NOT be a problem.

And, by the way, each of them was tested in certain usages and certain conditions to receive UL. Use them there, and they will be as good as UL says (probably, I don't respect UL as much as I once did, and I have been TO UL and talked to their folks). Use the products in other situations, and neither you NOR UL know how good they will be.

[Dan Dubeau]

Neither is "absolutely" good for every possible application.

Bingo, but let's argue about it for 10 more pages .

[Mcgyver]

oh boy I thought they already were --- that speaks volumes in itself - like a one wire nut fits all mentality,
l

like most connectors, they come in different sizes covering a range of gauges

[wmgeorge]

Bingo, but let's argue about it for 10 more pages .

Lets hope it does not go on as long as that one about the new Ranger pickup!!

Frankly as a old highly skeptical electrician I am convinced enough I will start using lever Wagos, They take up a LOT less room in a box and this old house built in the early 60s has some small, cramped boxes.

[wmgeorge]

Somebody has to make a wire nut with very mild and properly spaced one way recessed serrations on the inside part of the coils --- if they don't they should just for vibration applications... Did I just invent them??? cool - build them make millions and give me 5%, I do this kinda stuff all day long...


They would still "glide on" while tightening and have a self locking effect to the tune of having to chew copper chunks out when you go to remove them... again superior in every way over the "let go of my wago"...

How about a tab you could bend over on the wire nut to lock it in place..... now I want 1/2 the patent.

[A.K. Boomer]

How about a tab you could bend over on the wire nut to lock it in place..... now I want 1/2 the patent.

that's an extra step not needed,

Your post 131 makes allot of sense George --- we've all been there, for a home owner making the call and using where they see fit who's to argue with that, one caution is that if the boxes are that tight there's going to be allot of tweaking around even with them and the more you manipulate the worse the connection will get...

I said it along time ago iv installed the "stab ins" that came with florescent lighting ---- that ran just the lighting and nothing else - no plugs on the fixtures and all metal containment fixtures --- is what it is...

[J Tiers]

...............................

Frankly as a old highly skeptical electrician I am convinced enough I will start using lever Wagos, They take up a LOT less room in a box and this old house built in the early 60s has some small, cramped boxes.

The box room seems beside the point in a way. Most of the old boxes are so far outside the cubic capacity limits that you already have a big problem.

And, you consider them so much smaller than a wire nut? They seem anywhere from "competitive" at 2 wires, to "bigger" with 3 or 4, with 4 being about all you ever want in a wire nut, regardless of what the table says.

Wire nuts seem smaller than the Wago thingies.

[wmgeorge]

Well I am all done with most all of my wiring in this old house. Did the kitchen a few years ago, and it was fun cramming those GFI outlets in those old boxes!! I put some new boxes in and went directly down to the panel with those.

Yes the lever type Wagos take up less room in the box and with my old hands a lot easier to work with. I will never use the stab in ones nor do I do the stab in outlets
.
Gee just got a welcome surprise in the mail, my Local Plumbers and Steamfitters pension fund, sent me a nice bonus check!!