Took me 4 years to realize I was stripping coax wrong

I've been installing cable for a living since 2020 and always used diagonal cutters to strip the outer jacket. It worked fine most of the time but I kept nicking the braid on tight bends. Last Tuesday I saw a new guy on my crew use a proper coax stripper tool. He finished the prep in half the time and had zero braid damage. I asked to borrow it and tried it on the next job. The difference was night and day. I ordered one that night and it showed up yesterday. Anyone else have a tool they resisted using for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron_craig9d ago

Man I feel this one deep in my soul. I spent like two years using a utility knife to strip coax and wondering why my fingers were always bleeding and the braid looked like a frayed mess. Then a buddy handed me one of those three-blade strippers and I felt like an idiot for not buying one sooner. Those things are basically cheating, they pay for themselves in saved time and frustration after like two jobs.

nathang679d ago

You just know someone out there still uses their teeth.