# Wire Nuts, What are the best?



## advancedinc

Just trying to justify why I let my guys pick up Ideal at $70 a thousand


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## Speedy Petey

Tan Twisters. Any name brand.

I once bought 10,000 Ideal oranges (only they are tan instead) off Ebay. After shipping I think I paid $85.


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## chenley

That's all my supply house carries.


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## 480sparky

Gimme tan twisters all day long.


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## IceNine

There are 4 supply houses in my town and none of them will carry anything but the ideal wire nuts. 

The way they describe it (supply guys) there is a proprietary design in the way the nuts grab onto the wire. 

Apparently, all the other companies use a coil that is closer in design to a spring because it is much rounder than the way ideal's triangle coil.

I have a personal preference towards the red and tan ones, especially for ground connections simply because you can add to them later on.

but we use a great deal of the tan twisters as well.


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## Celtic

3M "Performance +" Wire Connectors


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## Idaho Abe

*Scotchlocks*

I remember when these first came out 3M was the first ones I every used.


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## gilbequick

Celtic said:


>


Ahhh I hate those things! I like the smaller orange ones because they seem to bite better, but the larger ones I prefer Ideal Wing Nuts. Those 3-M nuts don't fit into my wire nut tool , but beside that they just don't feel as quality as the wing nuts.

I used to use B-Caps, but the Wing-Nuts are much easier to grip and spin around.


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## faber307

For me it's red rangers only
3M


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## vdelung

Ideal are about the only ones I want to use. The best reason I can give is: It's expensive to have to go back and trouble shoot when a wire didn't get caught in the connection. We work a lot of prevailing wage jobs, and just an hour of trouble shooting would more than pay for a bag of Ideals....


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## LGLS

Put your nuts to the test - twist them on then remove a look at how each "grabs" on to the splice.


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## gatti

I use 3M Super Tan red miniskirt. Simply the best! IMHO :thumbup:


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## Speedy Petey

Wow! That is some image. 
If I were any more of a geek than I am already I'd make that my desktop.
Right now I have Chad Reed all covered in mud from the Daytona Supercross.


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## RUSSIAN

I prefer the red ideal's


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## scrooge

Yellow Scotchlocks.


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## Speedy Petey

Ahhhhhhh! Scotchlocks! Run away!!! :laughing:


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## 480sparky

Yes,

*Run, Forrest! Run!*


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## Mackie

Has anyone used one of these to good effect?


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## gilbequick

I use that one, except now the new version has changed. It's blue and has a metal shaft that fits a 1/4'' quick connect chuck. Ideal part number 30-902. I use it everyday and wouldn't give it up to save my life (or my hands).


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## scrooge

New and improved yellow Scotchlocks.


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## scrooge

Like throwing out a line and coming out with a bare hook.


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## seelite

I have always sworn *BY (not at) Ideal. *The* Tan *(having a broader range of conductor size they can accommodate) are my preference. When doing a switch to electronic ballasts in 6 Bowling Alleys and 1 Office bld'g I did utilize a bunch of the* Orange *ones. but only on the ballast to lamp leads. Power leads were replaced with* Tan, *(BTW, I had the crew replace ALL wire nuts with new to alleviate the chance of call backs as working over the lanes required care. One of my guys decided to re-use nuts (thinking to increase my bottom line). After a couple 1 a.m. call outs I found these re-used nuts rolling around inside the fixtures. Not a single nut fell off in the 2000+ fixtures where the guys used new. Needless to say, I sadly felt the need to let the re-use guy go. As an aside, until the electronic ballasts debut, I always had my people replace lamps in pairs (regardless if only one was dark). Sure the client ate a second (at the time $1.84) 4' lamp - BUT 1 new & 1 old T-12's stressed out the ballasts & caused premature ballast failure. 'tis a lot easier & less expensive to replace lamps than ballasts. Also, after one of my residential clients called (less than 24 hrs after a new 4 lamp fixture w/ 4 new lamps, all same brand) to complain of only 1 lit lamp and the arriving Journeyman found 4 lamps of 3 different brands, all with black ends, we all started marking the mo. & yr. installed - with magic marker - on every lamp we installed. Most of my folks added their initials to the date. Rembrant could not have been happier. p.s. the client was the wife of a eye surgeon & had they been that destitute I would have gifted them 4 extra lamps.


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## Black Dog

:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Black Dog

seelite said:


> I have always sworn *BY (not at) Ideal. *The* Tan *(having a broader range of conductor size they can accommodate) are my preference. When doing a switch to electronic ballasts in 6 Bowling Alleys and 1 Office bld'g I did utilize a bunch of the* Orange *ones. but only on the ballast to lamp leads. Power leads were replaced with* Tan, *(BTW, I had the crew replace ALL wire nuts with new to alleviate the chance of call backs as working over the lanes required care. One of my guys decided to re-use nuts (thinking to increase my bottom line). After a couple 1 a.m. call outs I found these re-used nuts rolling around inside the fixtures. Not a single nut fell off in the 2000+ fixtures where the guys used new. Needless to say, I sadly felt the need to let the re-use guy go. As an aside, until the electronic ballasts debut, I always had my people replace lamps in pairs (regardless if only one was dark). Sure the client ate a second (at the time $1.84) 4' lamp - BUT 1 new & 1 old T-12's stressed out the ballasts & caused premature ballast failure. 'tis a lot easier & less expensive to replace lamps than ballasts. Also, after one of my residential clients called (less than 24 hrs after a new 4 lamp fixture w/ 4 new lamps, all same brand) to complain of only 1 lit lamp and the arriving Journeyman found 4 lamps of 3 different brands, all with black ends, we all started marking the mo. & yr. installed - with magic marker - on every lamp we installed. Most of my folks added their initials to the date. Rembrant could not have been happier. p.s. the client was the wife of a eye surgeon & had they been that destitute I would have gifted them 4 extra lamps.


We are all going to need an eye surgeon reading your posts:jester:

Hit the return button to break it up a bit:thumbsup:


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## don_resqcapt19

I always used the red and yellow Ideal wing nuts, but then I tried the 3M R/Y and that became my favorite. My least favorite is the original 3M Scotchlocks.


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## Satch

We have a mix of Ideal and 3M products at my work. Honestly, I think the 3M hold better than the Ideal. This would be the red size. Typically we use these on multiple 12 gauge connections or mix of 10 and 12. We have used the tan twister but they seem much better suited for 14 gauge usage. One product I will wholeheartedly suggest is the 3M O/B model. Orange main body with a blue skirt. It replaces the little blue, orange, and at times, even the micro sized grey wire nuts. We used these constantly in lighting fixtures, motor control boxes, etc. They will hold a couple 18-20 gauge wires or one 12 and up to a couple of small fixture type wires without being to small for the 12 and requiring a forcible fit but also plenty tight enough for the smaller gauge. Good stuff. 

Here's a photo with the other 3M products for comparison. The red ones we use are not shown in this photo.


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## tjb

The 3M tan with red skirt will hold five #12s, while the similarly sized Ideal tan twisters will only hold four. So, the 3m are great for grounds. Next, the 3M Orange with blue skirt will hold three #12s, but are the same small size as Ideal's little orange guys that can't. So they save a lot of room in a busy box, plus they're perfect for those tons of outlets that just have a feed in and feed out.


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## MTW

Nothing but Ideal for me. I hate 3M wire nuts.


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## pjholguin

Satch said:


> We have a mix of Ideal and 3M products at my work. Honestly, I think the 3M hold better than the Ideal. This would be the red size. Typically we use these on multiple 12 gauge connections or mix of 10 and 12. We have used the tan twister but they seem much better suited for 14 gauge usage. One product I will wholeheartedly suggest is the 3M O/B model. Orange main body with a blue skirt. It replaces the little blue, orange, and at times, even the micro sized grey wire nuts. We used these constantly in lighting fixtures, motor control boxes, etc. They will hold a couple 18-20 gauge wires or one 12 and up to a couple of small fixture type wires without being to small for the 12 and requiring a forcible fit but also plenty tight enough for the smaller gauge. Good stuff.
> 
> Here's a photo with the other 3M products for comparison. The red ones we use are not shown in this photo.


We use these 3m products, it is our go to wire nut.


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## retiredsparktech

don_resqcapt19 said:


> I always used the red and yellow Ideal wing nuts, but then I tried the 3M R/Y and that became my favorite. My least favorite is the original 3M Scotchlocks.


The place, I first worked for, always bought those Scotchlocks. They always seemed to be hard to remove after they were installed. The inside coil slipped in the soft vinyl cap. 
I personally thought, they couldn't be used again.


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## just the cowboy

*Never Korean*

We got a machine in from Korea and it had a bag of blue garbage wirenuts in it. They were so thin and did not hold worth a darn. So if you ever see a bag written in Korean stay away.


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## WIsparky71

My boss will only buy 3m yellow 312s and red 512s. I actually think they hold pretty well. I think it takes more turns than Ideal, not sure what that means. Does a finer thread hold better? More surface area of wire nut touching wire?


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## Satch

512! Thanks. I couldn't think of that number. They hold 12 gauge really well. Ideals work good too but they always feel squishy to me as they tighten down. We use both and no one has any complaints.


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## btharmy

Ideal tan twisters and gray twisters.


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## telsa

WIsparky71 said:


> My boss will only buy 3m yellow 312s and red 512s. I actually think they hold pretty well. I think it takes more turns than Ideal, not sure what that means. Does a finer thread hold better? More surface area of wire nut touching wire?


Out my way such a purchase by the office triggered an insurrection.

Those puppies had to be returned for credit -- and Ideal Reds, Yellows and Tans purchased.

I do love, for my use, the Orange-Blue wire nuts from 3M.

But 3M is not at all competitive on price with their deluxe stuff -- and their 512s are junk.

Out here, Ideal just 'owns' the market space. 

The 3M Scotchlock wire nuts are popular for site lighting make-up -- and are de facto considered one-time only wire nuts. They don't back off in a timely manner, Scotch*lock* -- no kidding. They are also most compatible with Scotchkote, which _really_ makes them a one-time proposition.

{ Even in our dry climate, it's simply amazing how quickly copper conductors corrode inside pole bases. } :blink:


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## Southeast Power

I gravitated towards the tan twisters.
They seem to have a very wide range.
I rarely use red ones anymore.

Btw, I don't pre-twist. I think it gives people a false sense of security that the splice is good. I let the spring do its job.


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## Moonshot180

tan and those 3Ms pictured above..


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## retiredsparktech

just the cowboy said:


> We got a machine in from Korea and it had a bag of blue garbage wirenuts in it. They were so thin and did not hold worth a darn. So if you ever see a bag written in Korean stay away.


The wire nuts included with the import fixtures and ceiling fans are all orange, no matter what size they are. 
I was looking through my wire nut box and found some that didn't have a spring in them. Those are the ones that were included with fixtures years ago. Trash can material.


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## Rollie73

I buy these in 1000 pc jars at around 65 bucks a jar. They work awesome.


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## Southeast Power

retiredsparktech said:


> The wire nuts included with the import fixtures and ceiling fans are all orange, no matter what size they are.
> I was looking through my wire nut box and found some that didn't have a spring in them. Those are the ones that were included with fixtures years ago. Trash can material.


I trash all of that stuff.
I used to keep those little bags of crap and it took my truck over like ketchup, Arby's sauce, Taco Bell sauce, Chinese takeout and mustard packets in a kitchen drawer.


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## Bad Electrician

the best wire nut is the one you like, really a personal decission and hardly worth arguing about.

For me it is solder and friction tape


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## That_Dude

Deez nuts. :whistling2:


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## Going_Commando

3M tan/reds, orange/blues, and red/yellows for me. I for one bow down to my 3M overlords.


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## MTW

Going_Commando said:


> 3M tan/reds, orange/blues, and red/yellows for me. I for one bow down to my 3M overlords.




The 3M ones definitely bite down harder than an Ideal one, but I hate the long plastic skirt on them.


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## Moonshot180

jrannis said:


> I trash all of that stuff.
> I used to keep those little bags of crap and it took my truck over like ketchup, Arby's sauce, Taco Bell sauce, Chinese takeout and mustard packets in a kitchen drawer.


Oh lawd...I feel alot better now. I still save them little bags of crap..I need to purge my shop TODAY! Very well said sr :laughing:


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## Grogan14

I prefer the Ideal Twisters, but to be honest, I haven't tried anything since going over to them years back.


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