Wire strippers, cutters and crimpers: Gardner Bender combination crimper/stripper/cutters covering 10 to 24 AWG and a stripper with a lock, and a Klein Tools 18 gauge wire stripper and cutter. Match the gauge range to the wire you actually work with — a tool cut for 10 to 22 AWG will crush fine control and thermostat wire, and a fine-gauge tool will not open far enough for 10 gauge branch circuit conductors. Combination tools that crimp, cut and strip are the right call for a service truck; dedicated strippers give cleaner results on repetitive work. Solid and stranded of the same gauge sometimes sit on different notches, and stripping stranded on the solid notch is what nicks strands and creates a connection that heats up later.
