# Wire nut preferences



## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

3M T/R+ for everyday use

Have the plain jane oranges ones and blue ones for thermostats and other skinny wire.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I use regular Ideals the most, from small grey up to extra large grey. 

Hate cheapo brands like G-B.


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## ElectricMon (Jan 17, 2018)

matt1124 said:


> 3M T/R+ for everyday use
> 
> Have the plain jane oranges ones and blue ones for thermostats and other skinny wire.


do you use your linesmen to twist them when your hands get sore whenever i use them and try to do that they tend to slip alot compared to the ideal?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Buchanan B caps and Ideal Twisters.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Ideal twister and regular, and 3M performance plus.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

ElectricMon said:


> do you use your linesmen to twist them when your hands get sore whenever i use them and try to do that they tend to slip alot compared to the ideal?


I would pretwist, cut square & put the wingnut on. I only used sidecutters to tighten if I had 5 #12s in a red ideal wingnut if I had no grays or blues.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

Ideal Blue “Can-twist” of course :biggrin:

http://www.idealindustries.ca/products/prodSelect.php?prodId=CAN-TWIST&div=0&l1=twist-on_connectors&l2=can-twist


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

Ideal twisters


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The ones I hate the most... I forget what they're called. They're like a rubber bean. You try to unscrew them and they just "click". You need to pull hard while you're unscrewing them. Scotchlok, I think? Hate those bastards.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

MDShunk said:


> The ones I hate the most... I forget what they're called. They're like a rubber bean. You try to unscrew them and they just "click". You need to pull hard while you're unscrewing them. Scotchlok, I think? Hate those bastards.


Old style T&B IIRC. Thankfully, it appears they're no longer manufactured.

ETA... You were right.
Scotchlok Y, R, G and B Electrical Spring Connectors


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## sparky1950 (Dec 5, 2007)

We use Ideal red and yellow wingnuts. Have for years. I tried G-B (12,000) on a large medical facility 2 years ago and had nothing but problems with them. We had to go back and remove 100's of them. I hope the others are still holding.


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## Nutmegger777 (Mar 14, 2014)

Ideal all the way, right from Canada -- the mother country of wirenuts (Marrettes, if you will)  
Blue and orange ones to cap off unspliced conductors in the box, yellows for 2-3 #14s, tans for most of my splicing, and reds of course. 
I use 6" slip-joint Kleins in the wider jaw position to tighten them most of the time.


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## tjb (Feb 12, 2014)

Generally Ideal tan twisters. Greys or blue if more wires. 

Recently I found out that 3M’s two-color ones (with that rubbery skirt) are good too. Their tan/red will hold 5 #12, whereas a tan twister (same size) only holds four. 3M tan/yellow will hold three #12, perfect for most outlets (feed in, feed out, device pigtail), and they’re smaller than tan twisters. So my new preference is 3M tan/yellow for up to three wires, then whatever over that. Saves room in a box!


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> The ones I hate the most... I forget what they're called. They're like a rubber bean. You try to unscrew them and they just "click". You need to pull hard while you're unscrewing them. Scotchlok, I think? Hate those bastards.


You mean these friggin things?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Am I the only one that thinks twisters take up too much room in a SG box?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Am I the only one that thinks twisters take up too much room in a SG box?


Yes. You're the only one.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Am I the only one that thinks twisters take up too much room in a SG box?


Well yeah, if you use shallow handy boxes. Even the receptacle takes up too much room!


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Bird dog said:


> Well yeah, if you use shallow handy boxes. Even the receptacle takes up too much room!


I'm old school, I often use metal OW boxes.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I don't care as long as it says "Ideal" on it. Tan twisters and the old fashioned yellow are my favorites, along with the red wing nut for larger splices. 

I never really liked 3M connectors. They are really bulky and not readily available around here, at least not anyplace I go. GB is pure garbage along with the generic Chinese ones on the market these days sold under various brands like NSI, etc.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> You mean these friggin things?


Yes, those. Thankfully an entire generation has passed along with a complete tear out and re-do of almost all the electrical work originally done with those things, so we're now at the point where they have been almost completely expunged from the planet.


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## ptheriot72 (Apr 11, 2018)

If I had to guess 70% of all my wirenuts go through the washer and dryer at least once. Drives my wife crazy picking them up in the bottom of the washer and dryer. Sorry dear 


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

15 bucks a bag for 500 on eBay:thumbsup: Currently using GB wing guards. Have almost no preference. Just not those awful scotchlock ones referenced earlier or Ideal red 76b wirenuts or wago-like anything. 
If I am paying real money for them, Red and green B-caps and 72b & 74b orange and yellows.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

ptheriot72 said:


> If I had to guess 70% of all my wirenuts go through the washer and dryer at least once. Drives my wife crazy picking them up in the bottom of the washer and dryer. Sorry dear


LOL...that brings back memories!


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## ptheriot72 (Apr 11, 2018)

Worst wire nuts ever IMO









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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

ptheriot72 said:


> Worst wire nuts ever IMO
> View attachment 126002


Never used em!


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

sparky1950 said:


> We use Ideal red and yellow wingnuts. Have for years. I tried G-B (12,000) on a large medical facility 2 years ago and had nothing but problems with them. We had to go back and remove 100's of them. I hope the others are still holding.


when I started using tans, I found out I hate yellows

or do you mean the R/Y's that are both?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Never used em!


They were on clearance at HD a while back, I picked up a bunch for next to nothing. I tried a few out and they do suck pretty bad. I'll probably throw them out or donate them to Habitat.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

MTW said:


> They were on clearance at HD a while back, I picked up a bunch for next to nothing. I tried a few out and they do suck pretty bad. I'll probably throw them out or donate them to Habitat.


I got a box, I use em at home cause I'm often too lazy to go out to my truck. :vs_laugh:


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## Max C. (Sep 29, 2016)

Basically anything Ideal. Classic Wire-Nuts, Wing-Nuts and Buchanan B-caps, Twisters and Can-Twists are all decent in their own right. Wing-Twists and Wire-Twists noticeably cheaper, though still better than generic (at least they're made in Canada)! T&B's Marettes are alright too, however they aren't my first choice.


eddy current said:


> Ideal Blue “Can-twist” of course





eddy current said:


> :biggrin:
> 
> http://www.idealindustries.ca/produ...IST&div=0&l1=twist-on_connectors&l2=can-twist


Amen, brother! For most common work, these are pretty difficult to beat.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Ideal... I freaking hate 3M and those dumb Scotchlocks.....


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Switched said:


> Ideal... I freaking hate 3M and those dumb Scotchlocks.....


Ideal still makes those brass ferrules that you put the wires inside, tighten a set screw, then screw the phenolic cap over top. It looks like a black wire nut. I'm sure we've all run into them. They're still a catalog item. Model 22


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MTW said:


> They were on clearance at HD a while back, I picked up a bunch for next to nothing. I tried a few out and they do suck pretty bad. I'll probably throw them out or donate them to Habitat.


Donate is good....pass your luck onto someone else! :vs_laugh:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> Ideal still makes those brass ferrules that you put the wires inside, tighten a set screw, then screw the phenolic cap over top. It looks like a black wire nut. I'm sure we've all run into them. They're still a catalog item. Model 22


Those were a requirement in the spec of a few jobs that the machinery was subject to extreme vibration, I know the procurement people in our office had a hard time finding them for some odd reason or other. 

I still have a handful in one of my parts trays.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

The CanTwists look interesting. I wouldn't mind if they were available here too.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Speak of the devil. Just today I had to take down a recessed light and look what I see. This is one of those DIY recessed that has the j-box mounted directly to the can, and of course they left no slack. This was as far as it would go.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Those were a requirement in the spec of a few jobs that the machinery was subject to extreme vibration, I know the procurement people in our office had a hard time finding them for some odd reason or other.
> 
> I still have a handful in one of my parts trays.


The heat tolerant wire nuts are the same way.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## socket2ya (Oct 27, 2016)

ptheriot72 said:


> Worst wire nuts ever IMO
> View attachment 126002
> 
> 
> ...


I'm surprised that you guys are so down on these Gorilla Nuts. The soft grip minimizes those wirenut soars after twisting so many. They are hard to find though, had to order mine online


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

TGGT said:


> The heat tolerant wire nuts are the same way.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


I have a ton of porcelain wire nuts for working on commercial and industrial ovens.


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## WPNortheast (Jun 4, 2017)

3M 412 is top of the list for me, engineered so it tightens up nice with a 5/ 16 nut driver on the top of the nut. 22 to 10. Last week a 500 bag cost me 7 ish cents each. Bottom if the list is those buchannan ones that never feel tight.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

WPNortheast said:


> 3M 412 is top of the list for me, engineered so it tightens up nice with a 5/ 16 nut driver on the top of the nut. 22 to 10. Last week a 500 bag cost me 7 ish cents each. Bottom if the list is those buchannan ones that never feel tight.



You mean the fake Ideal twister? :vs_laugh:


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

MTW said:


> The CanTwists look interesting. I wouldn't mind if they were available here too.


They are the best. They work on small gauge and large gauge wires. All the ones that have been posted here I have tried and none compare to the CanTwists.


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## ppsh (Jan 2, 2014)

Stocked on the truck:
3m O/B+
3m Y/R+
3m U/R phone crimps
Ideal 72b Small Blues
Ideal 341 Tan Twisters
Ideal 454 Big Blues
Random assortment of lever nuts

Will use if provided
Basically any Ideal "Wing-nut" style wire nut.
3m B/G+, T/Y+, T/R+, 412, 512

Questionable
B-Caps

Wont touch with a 10ft pole
3m "Scotchlock" soft wire nuts
Ideal wing-twist
Ideal classics other than the small gray or tan.
Commercial Electric / contractor choice knockoff wire nuts
GB wire nuts
Gorilla Nuts
Plain yellow wire nuts
Plain orange wire nuts

I cant understand why somebody would bother stocking orange or yellow wire nuts. Sure, most yellows can take 3 #12s, but you have to fight them in.

An 3m O/B+ covers the entire range of the gray, blue, orange, and yellow wire nuts, and is 600v listed. It is also smaller than a orange or yellow wire nut.

The small blue and grey have their place, great for limited space applications for hvac controls and similar.

B-Caps are relatively compact, decent wire range, bite good. However they don't seem to stand up to heat well at all. It seems like whenever they are in service for 15+ years within a foot of a ballast, they just crumble into dust when you take them off.


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## QMED (Sep 14, 2016)

Not really a wire nut but we use the ideal crimp caps, they make a really strong connection.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

ppsh said:


> Wont touch with a 10ft pole
> 3m "Scotchlock" soft wire nuts
> Ideal wing-twist
> Ideal classics other than the small gray or tan.


The Ideal classic wire nuts are still very common here and a lot of contractors still use them, including the one I work for. I don't mind using them because I have been using them for so long now. That being said, the Twister has become very popular now.

One supply house near me sells the large bags of Wing Twists and I have no clue why because they are pure garbage. (Sorry Canadians!) Otherwise it's the usual Ideal and 3M stuff.


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## tceek (Apr 1, 2014)

Like the 3M wire nuts (T/R), but prefer the NSI wire nuts


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

MTW said:


> One supply house near me sells the large bags of Wing Twists and I have no clue why because they are pure garbage. (Sorry Canadians!) Otherwise it's the usual Ideal and 3M stuff.


Wing twists and Can-twists are not the same. Kinda like how your beer looks a lot like ours, but it’s not the same:wink:


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## Electrical_Service (May 3, 2018)

I know wagos will win for most applications but for true wire nuts.


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

ppsh said:


> Stocked on the truck:
> 3m O/B+
> 3m Y/R+
> 3m U/R phone crimps
> ...


What's your beef with the Ideal winged wire nuts?


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## Gnome (Dec 25, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Am I the only one that thinks twisters take up too much room in a SG box?


I pretty much use Can-Twists for general purpose usage but I still keep Marrette oranges, small and big blues around. The oranges and small blues for fitting in a crowded box (also the small blues for joining 2 #18s) and the big blues for large wires or more than 4 #12s. Especially when fitting something like a timer/GFCI/AFCI in a single gang metal box; the Twisters can make it hard to stuff the device in.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Gnome said:


> I pretty much use Can-Twists for general purpose usage but I still keep Marrette oranges, small and big blues around. The oranges and small blues for fitting in a crowded box (also the small blues for joining 2 #18s) and the big blues for large wires or more than 4 #12s. Especially when fitting something like a timer/GFCI/AFCI in a single gang metal box; the Twisters can make it hard to stuff the device in.


I agree!

I use metal boxes over plastic whenever possible.


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## Max C. (Sep 29, 2016)

MTW said:


> The Ideal classic wire nuts are still very common here and a lot of contractors still use them, including the one I work for.


That is quite the contrast from here. It wasn't since the early 2000s that classic Wire Nuts were common place. Yes, they are still sold in supply houses, its just that probably nine in ten contractors have either switched to something winged and/or Wago variants.


MTW said:


> One supply house near me sells the large bags of Wing Twists and I have no clue why because they are pure garbage.


I didn't think Wing Twists were that awful. They certainly seem better than generics...

_________________________________________________________

Does anybody here use these "Construction Marrettes" from T&B?










Also (speaking of Marettes), how many Americans have encountered T&B's XTP-series? They do have a UL-listing...


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## MCasey (Dec 7, 2016)

for the government contract work we do Ideal is normally in the specs so we just buy those for everything.


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## gonalln (9 mo ago)

Scotchlok Y, R, G and B Electrical Spring Connectors 

the best out there. There aren't anything to compare. One can do makeup all day and not have raw fingers from the hard plastic of the so called modern day **** out there.
And on top of that if you don't tighten the hard wing nuts (general term) and you try to pull out for service situations they backspin off and bite your ass.
I was on service call to and got hit 5 times because of poorly install splicing.

Just an OLD SCHOOL Electrician babbling on


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

gonalln said:


> Scotchlok Y, R, G and B Electrical Spring Connectors
> 
> the best out there. There aren't anything to compare. One can do makeup all day and not have raw fingers from the hard plastic of the so called modern day **** out there.
> And on top of that if you don't tighten the hard wing nuts (general term) and you try to pull out for service situations they backspin off and bite your ass.
> ...



i have been wondering who it was that i was muttering under my breath about
I HATE SCOTCHLOCKS
it takes kleins to get them off, and i throw them away just as soon as i get them off

however i do agree with you about the cheap hard plastic, i have seen them burn up from poor/loose connections more than once

these are what i use, they stay on, and are easy to remove when needed


https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/37674O/3m-r-y-wire-connector.pdf



this refers to the red and yellow, i also use orange and blue, and blue and grey
3 sizes of nuts, i dont need any others
the orange and blue will bite properly on 2 ballast wires or 3 - # 12
the blue and grey will handle 2 - #6


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

gonalln said:


> Scotchlok Y, R, G and B Electrical Spring Connectors
> 
> the best out there. There aren't anything to compare. One can do makeup all day and not have raw fingers from the hard plastic of the so called modern day **** out there.
> And on top of that if you don't tighten the hard wing nuts (general term) and you try to pull out for service situations they backspin off and bite your ass.
> ...


I have not used a yellow since 1st tried Tan twisters, in fact gave a few hundred away


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