An important point is that Wago connectors are UL listed, most knock offs are not. I'm glad that you showed the spring design, I use Wago connectors for uneven wire sizes such as connecting a #12 wire with a light gauge wire from a celing fixture. The springs need to be independent.
@@Milanesa2010 knockoff #1 has a UL marking, but depending on the source, it may not be worth the ink used to put it there. There's lots of fraudulent items out there.
I use to think UL LISTED actuality meant something was good quality and safe to use. But then after having many different UL listed items actually get very hot and eventually did catch fire. I learned the hard way that UL listed doesn’t mean much at all for quality or your safety. Especially with items like portable heaters as well as some plug ins that have those little holes to quickly stick wires in to make connections that are really very dangerous since there’s very little contact on wires where it’s being connected and that causes even more heat and do eventually fall! I have had them burn out and fail leaving black marks inside the box where it was really border line of catching fire. If you ever been thru a house fire where you lost everything and it wasn’t your fault that caused the fire especially! The devastation and lost is horrible to have to live through. You don’t realize how the loss of some items that can never be replaced can hurt for many years and the only thing you’ll have is your memories of those items that will tend to haunt you that you don’t have them anymore!
I use the 222 model for electrical safety testing (think world leader in safety testing 😉). We reuse them hundreds of times and regularly put up to 40 amps through them. They are some of the most reliable connections that I have ever seen. They are completely safe for home use when installed properly.
Would be nice if the Connexbox Wagoboxes could get UL listing. They've passed such tough European testing they're approved for inaccessible installation such as inside a wall without and access cover. The trick is the special slots the WAGO connectors slide into to ensure the levers cannot come open. The boxes hold the 5 wire lever nuts or a 2 and a 3 can be put into a slot. But as a person at Connexbox told me, UL wants a telephone number size amount of money for testing.
Very interesting. I just used Wago connectors for the first time since I watched your first video on them. This video on the heat build up of the cheapest imposter is alarming. I wish this video would go viral. People need to understand what can happen to cause fires in their homes. Thank you.
I had never heard of wago connections until I hired on with a contractor thru my union hall. They were the only connection device approved for this project. After using wire nuts for so many years in my career, I was dubious about this new system. It took a while to become acclimated to them, but they are much easier to use. The twist bundle that wirenuts connect can have a pullout or missed connection. The wago holds each wire independently in each bay, making a very sound connection. We were mandated to wrap electrical tape around the wago after terminations were complete to prevent the levers from releasing upon installing into boxes or devices.
Interesting about the having to wrap the Wago to prevent release. I've been using them in my own home, rewiring where I need to temporarily hook up some circuits to keep things running (always fun to live in the project). I was a little concerned about that issue, especially when I first started working with them using 12awg solid and bending/packing, then unbending/reconfiguring and repacking. It takes quite a bit of pressure to release those, but if all the wires are close to parallel and there is not a tight bend - say a JBox where conductors enter/exit in different directions, this is a non-issue if carefully installed/de-installed/reinstalled. Then there are the 'next-guy' issue to consider. I'm interested in the heat dissipation when wrapped vs. not. I've got an IR camera and will test that before buttoning everything up. It's kinda like people using wire nuts and not pre-twisting the conductors and letting the wire nut do the twisting, which, unfortunately, I've run into often.
my dad told me this growing up and I live by it especially with tools, "always buy the best and your never be disappointed" and this has held true in "most" cases :)
My concern with the Wago clones of dubious origin is that even if one batch looks good, it's pretty much a crapshoot as to whether your next batch will be equally good. Or bad as the case may be. One thing you tend to get with a known, UL listed brand is that you can expect the quality to be pretty consistent.
Indeed. Quality control is a huge issue that is often overlooked/non-extant with cheap-o brand. To me, the whole thing is a non-issue as price is not an issue as I'm not using enough of them to make a difference in cost/profit.
Thanks so much for this video! I was hoping someone would do a comparison like this. I have a couple comments: 1) IDEAL brand "in-sure" seem to have some lever connectors now too, but I have only found them at Home Depot so far 2) Leviton "Edge" are decora outlets and switches with integrated levers (HD only right now) 3) I would like to see comparison testing on force required to yank out a wire, this has historically been the problem with "push in" connectors and "stab" type connectors on outlets/switches. Keep up the good work!
One strength of the Wago 221 compared to simpler push in variants is that you can mix solid and stranded wires, it would be interesting to see how the knockoffs perform in such a test scenario.
So many in-wall dimmers and smart-home switches have stranded wire. Being able to safely attach those to house wiring with 100% consistency is the single biggest advantage of the Wago 221 for me.
It looks Home Depot is selling Wago and Lowes is selling a knockoff made by Ideal. I have used the Ideal push connectors for low current LED lights only.
Name brand for me all the way. Why save a few bucks on lesser brand? Call backs or fires are not worth the savings and you include those costs in your bid. Great content Scott just like always. Thanks.
There are some actually great knock off brands out there though. We use the term knock off as a blanket way of saying less than or not as good as the original but for some brands this couldn't be farther from the truth. No different than having off brand medicine which are equally comparable to the main line brands that charge exorbitant prices that consumers can't afford. Sometimes, the only thing different between the quality of a knock off and a name brand is how much R&D was spent developing a product but once the blue print is out there it's easy to copy for knock offs at a lower cost making it more accessible for everyone.
@@itachii267True but I’ve seen some lever nuts that don’t hold up at all. They do go through lots of heat cycles being in a commercial reptile habitat with heat lamps though. The levers just snap right off. They’re not wago.
@@itachii267. Your comparison between medicines and connectors is wrong. Knock off medicines are exactly the same in ingredients and dosages as the originals. The connectors are, however,made differently and with different materials.
@@itachii267 What's a "knock off brand" though? I would say Ideal isn't. Gardner Bender is an interesting company. They seem to subcontract a lot of their manufacturing and possibly design, but otherwise have high enough standards for what they accept. I've found a lot of less expensive connectors from the Taiwanese company Heavy Power, and they even have UL listed lever connectors. Now I don't know if I would use them. Wire nuts - sure. But I wasn't terribly impressed with their push-in connectors.
I for one REALLY appreciate you putting this out there! Not to crush the competition, but to SHARE the proclamation of safety when it comes to knock off products - that can hurt or kill you. Yes, it's small and yes a CB can usually stop it from progressing but that's not the point. Is the PRODUCT safe and you clearly showed the negatives of their design and dis-function. Enough for me to ONLY consider WAGO at this point after viewing this. Thank you!
Cheaper is not always the way to go ... I've been using Wago's for 2-3 yrs with no worries or problems ...Thx for the demo ... I think Ideal would be ok as well ... Thx ✌
Thank you for performing this test, well done. I have watched another test where Wago, wire-nut, and outlets were tested to failure - it requires a significant overload current to get them to melt. IIRC something more than 2x - 3x what you were using here. But that test was conducted on a flat surface, in open air. For me the choice seems pretty clear. As a homeowner/DIYer I might use 10 of these in a year. The quality and history of success of Wago is worth the price. So is the peace of mind. If I were in the business and installing 10 of these before lunch, then I might consider the knock-off #1.
If I'm sure I won't need to change anything soon I usually put heat shrink or electrical tape over the Wago to make sure the lever won't get snag and open itself up but I can still cut it open and reuse the connector quite easily. The knock-off is quite useful for end-of-the-line connection to low-current stuff like LED light etc., other than that I definitely use the Wago.
@@soundspark The UL file number for Knockoff #1 is E497783, and you can double-check the listing in the UL "Product iQ" database. They're produced by Guangdong Ojun Technology Co but marketed under a variety of other brand names -- check the model numbers molded on the side opposite the wire entry holes to identify them. They're OJ-26x, where x is the number of connector positions.
just in time...i just ordered these style connectors on amazon because of the prime day prices. i ordered wagos, the green ones and the grey ones you didn't test. i will only use the wagos on on my 110 volt house wiring but i figure i would use the knock offs on garden light wiring and other low voltage applications, maybe even in the car. i like the grey in-line splice ones because you can hook them together (side by side) which i think might be good for garden light wires....thanks for doing the testing for all of us that don't have the time to do it ourselves
I used an IDEAL in-Sure x25 Push to connect connector on a junction box a couple years ago. Everyone told me its going to catch on fire, wiring will come lose, it will short out, etc... but none of that happened. Its working just fine. No issues whatsoever.
This proves that you get of what is your money worth. Great data and really is surprising that Amazon sell stuff that is not tested. Thank you for sharing
Would love for you to test the wattage reduction when doing these comparisons. The heat testing is a bit of a proxy for showing you that energy is being lost in the form of heat, but it does not tell us the specifics. Especially important to know if you are planning on wiring a series, like outlets, with them as the power loss could become meaningful by the end, especially for products like like knockoff #2.
I needed this video. I need an outlet up behind a tv wall mount. I'm following your previous vid of how to do that. I need these lever nuts to trust on my project.
I'm not surprised. This is also true with XT connectors, Anderson Powerpole connectors, SAE J1772, etc. The knockoffs are not rated to the same spec as the original manufacturer. Even NEMA 14-50R cheap knockoffs overheat and I've seen them and almost cause a fire. Not worth the risk if in your house unattended. Great video. I haven't seen these knock offs yet, but since I use Wago, I would have wondered.
Hi, Great video, I work in the industry, though Wago is one of the competition. From professional to consumer design in electronics connectors and switches seems to be last on peoples minds. Always the least budgeted item and believe that because its such a simple device/end result (ie joining connections together) they can skip on costs. Sadly most of the time the failures are on these connection points, its not on the silicons/passive components etc. Its really on connection, be it poor assembly or poor quality of manufacturing. Few additional points to note on off brands - the QC is most likely to be more relaxed, in both assembly of the part and the tolerance of the materials, moulding or forming of the metals. As a manufacture of consumer goods, typically yields of 90% is "acceptable". Can you imagine the destruction it can cause if 1/10 of your connectors fail? In reality the consumers acceptable range would be 1/10,000 to 1/100,000, which is getting closer to automotive level of manufacturing. Now realise you are paying $0.x for something nearly automotive grade product, that extra $0.0x difference is what you are paying for.
WAGO has been a staple for electrical installation in Germany sunce the 70s. When the US was using wire nuts, germany used a push in connector made by WAGO. In my electrical installation kit i have some WAGO push in connectors from the 80s. The lever nut is a new design but the concept if a easy to use connector is very old. It is amazing that it has taken so long for it to make it yo the US.
I wasn’t aware of Wago connectors before seeing your videos. I bought a nice assortment for a reasonable price and used a couple on a recent home project. They made the install incredibly fast, simple and secure, not to mention the space saving. Bye bye wire nuts. The cost vs. wire nuts is not an issue as I only work on my own home so don’t have a use for large quantities. However, even if I did, the time savings might be enough to offset the cost difference. Thanks for opening my eyes to this product.
Got the knock offs #2 used on a three-way and was having problems with lights working correctly, put the multi pack in a bucket with other items like screws. Wife cleaned up. Throwing them away, by accident. I ordered wagon 221 and went back to the three-way when they came i. I realized that the knock off #2 had been arching in the connector, changed out with wagon and everything worked as expected.
So wire nuts, most likely when installed absolutely correctly, run cooler than the WAGO lever nut, but, really, that's to be expected. There's more contact area when the bare wires are twisted correctly inside the wire nut, while a lever nut has much less contact area. I bought a WAGO kit from your link and am happy with that purchase. When I need more or for larger gauge wire, I'll get them there again. Thanks, Scott. What a revealing comparison. For the people who want or need to save money, it was very nice of you to link Knockoff 1 and 2 and let them know which one to avoid! Keep up the great work.
Yep. Love me some Wagos and I preach there use...but..... I'm not hooking up electric water heaters with Wagos. Definitely 3m Yellow/reds for that for me. But for lights or a 120 junction 🤷♂️ I'm cool with that. Works very well for me.
Truth be told, the amount of contact area with the bus bar and spring (which probably takes a little bit of the conductivity) is small compared to squishing wires together in a wire nut. But as you say "twisted correctly". I've had wire nuts where there was no practical means to pretwist given how little wire was left, and lining up three ends (including a pigtail) were difficult and one never made contact. At least with these it's very easy to visually see that it's fully inserted and clamped. However, testing labs have certified them for use with the typical 20A (or even more in Europe) that we use for mains power in the United States.
Great video! I'd like to see one of the torture tests on the knockoffs, see how much current they can handle and for how long before they fail, how the fail, and if they cause a fire and if so under what conditions. This would confirm (again) how good the Wagos are, how good knockoff 1 might be, and just how bad knockoff 2 really is. It would also be nice to include the new Ideal brand lever connectors and the new Leviton lever receptacles and switches just to be thorough.
Sadly Wago isn't part of Amazon's Prime Day sale. I really was hoping to pick some up during this sale. But keep up the great videos, as I've said in the past I'm pretty handy around the house but I've learned stuff from you. So thank you!
Thank you for doing this Scott. I hope that more people who are considering these sub-par non-Wago knockoffs (especially #2) see your video before pulling that trigger. The Amazon link for knockoff #2 alleges that they have the same 105C (221F) as the Wago; however I consider that the Wago has about 100 degree buffer before failure where the knockoff is getting much, much closer to failure (assuming that the company that makes #2 is telling the truth). Knockoff #2 is also not UL certified. I would much rather spend the $0.60 per Wago and get quality (and not have my house burn down) over cheaping out with the the $0.20 per knockoff connector and result in loss of life.
Being somewhat poor, I've purchased what you called knock-off #2 for my home use and can attest they are definitely not great. I still use them but have thrown several away because I felt the springs were too loose and didn't pass a pull test. I've since found the Ideal brand lever nuts from Home Depot and have been very happy with those. I think the levers on the Ideals have a tiny little bump on the sides to help lock it down in place, which helps immensely in preventing accidental lifting of the levers as one is maneuvering in tight electrical boxes and the positive locking also provides a little extra strength helping to prevent wire pull outs. Thanks for the info!
I had wires pop out of the #2 style I bought when I was pushing the wires back into the box. I sent them right back after attempting just one outlet. 😬
Hi Im a R&D engineer another thing to control your data is always take the ambiant and or testing room temperature at each interval. great video and good info i almost purchased knock off 1 for my lab to make easier quick connections.
As a homeowner with an electrical engineering degree, I will stick with wirenuts (after pre-twisting of course). I will use a WAGO in line if I need to join solid to stranded wires.
thermally scanning outlets every now and then with a load, seems like a great idea. I just got a flir, and i'll check out the outlets in my old house which has aluminum wiring.
The WAGO connectors are by far the best on the market. The quality is second to none. Ideal makes a connector where you push the wire into it. I prefer the locking lever.
You should do a test on the Wago after clamping like you normally do, and then repeat with a proper "tug" on the wires after clamping to seat them. The Wago bites in a bit as you check the connection by giving it a tug to make sure it has taken hold. It changes the resistance quite dramatically in my tests.
The first thing I thought about knock-off #1 was the direction you pressed to close the lever. It was in a direction that has you pushing in the direction that could result in having the wire slip out from the connection. I could see that really being a pain in the butt it tight areas. It’s electricity, just buy the best to remain safe.
That's the idea. Because we patent everything, knock-off lever nuts have resorted to a design that is different than WAGO's. Our 221 connector was carefully engineered for the best performance and cannot be effectively replicated.
Ironically, I actually like the reverse direction of Knockoff #1s levers, because it means that if anything pulls on the wires, it will pull the connector in a direction that _will not catch_ the levers and potentially cause them to reduce tension on the connection and let the wire slip out.
@@foogod4237I bought some IDEAL lever Connectors just to see how the preformed. They are easier to use because the levers are reverse of WAGO. The reverse levels may be helpful with some access problems. But..... I like and have used WAGO lever nuts for years. The high relative cost is easily offset by the advantages. My favorites are that lever nuts do not twist up the wires and makes a sure multiple wires are connected. In my collection of old technology are porcelain wire nuts made by IDEAL and extracted from a 1929 house.
@@foogod4237 I came to post exactly this. Plus, the direction of pull will impose an additional closing force vector on the lever (inside the connector), whereas the opposite is actually the case for even the true Wagos
Agreed, these are available at my local Lowe's and I've already picked up a few packs for a low-voltage application. Wonder if I'd be willing to use the rest on my next outlet project.
Ideal is not a Lowe's brand. I've seen their push-in connectors, wire nuts, and other items at Home Depot. Ideal is a very big company and bought a jar of 500 of their lever connectors from Amazon. I believe Lowe's big house brand for electrical stuff is Utilitech.
Thanks for this. People must become more aware that there is no regulation of these knockoff imported items. If they bur your house down there is no one to blame, or sue. The companies come and go like the clouds in the sky.
I have some of knockoff #2 (bought by mistake) and they are fussy to how well you strip the wire. If you don't strip the insulation enough, it is hard to insert the wire fully into the connector. With wire stripping length correct, they insert correctly and hold well. But I would never use them for any serious work. I use them in testing wiring for home built battery boxes, or other prototyping. For household wiring, use WAGO brand period.
Nice job on this. I did order a box of cheap-o quick connectors just to check them out. They are not Wago knock-offs, but rather connectors with the same concept. Grey plastic with blue levers. One cannot see inside as with Wago. I'll use them for low voltage and/or ? I'll stick with Wago for important stuff as saving a few bucks on the connectors is not worth it considering the cost of wire, emt (incl. metal boxes, and fittings) I'm in Chicago so no romex or plastic boxes. I prefer EMT anyway. Early in my career as a EE turned firmware/software engineer, I worked on controls for plastic injection molding machines, and can look at a part and tell whether or not it's well designed and produced. These knock-offs would be a non-started for me just by looking at them. The spring mechanism is really strong. One can test this by getting the tip on a finger pinched between the lever and the housing :)
Great video. I had been using knock offs and just recently bought a bunch of genuine Wago. I was confused when I took apart my knockoffs which are the same as your no2 because the spring seems to be the same as in your no1. The spring is joined on the bottom fixed side but the working sides are split. I looked more closely and yours are the same, you were just showing the non working side. We don't seem to have the reversed knockoff no1 here in Australia. People should also beware that colour is not a reliable indicator of what type these connectors are. The very cheap clone no2 is available in lots of different colours, not just the orange but alos blue, red, green, white, pink and probably others. Clone no1 can be found as Ojun OJ-26 connectors and they have inline models as OJ-28. They are pretty expensive though and in some cases Wago are cheaper.
I bought Wagos online. Went into Amazon first to look and it was crazy. All the knock offs mixed in with the actual brand. It could be confusing if you arent 100% certain what youre looking at. I went to Platt in the end and ordered through them.
Great PSA. That cheap knock-off stuff isn't just crap; it's *dangerous* crap. It's like that for fuses, tools, wire connectors, pharmaceuticals, climbing gear, towing equipment... EVERYTHING.
Great illustration of the difference, that heat cam makes it all very real. The resistance between the connector and spring and busbar translates to heat. The exact material of the busbar/spring can make a big difference. Obviously WAGO uses spec materials, where your chinese knockoffs may use whatever is available, which may not be the best conductor ie. heat up more. This could even be batch dependent as someone pointed out. And not only are you creating heat, you are losing power. It would be interesting to see resistance / powerloss over each connector, you know, for science, and because the loss percentage translates directly to your power bill.
WAGO uses stainless steel springs and tinned copper bus bars. So does Ideal for their version of a lever connector. I believe the resistance isn't from the conductive materials used, but rather the contact area. I've taken apart one of these (from Ideal) and the contact area with a solid wire was really just the spring, a narrow point where the spring pressed against a tinned copper bus bar ridge, and the tip of the wire against the bus bar. I think there might have been better contact with a stranded wire, if inserted without twisting would have splayed flatter against the spring and bus bar. That being said, I'm using them and am confident that they're safe to use. The spring maintains a very consistent contact point. I've heard of criticisms that the wire can wiggle around or even slide against the bus bar, but that shouldn't matter as long as the spring maintains constant pressure against the bus bar. Power loss due to resistance is going to be dependent on the load. A good length of house wiring is going to be higher resistance than the connector. However, it's possible that a line is chained through several connectors. I've got a living room where it's chained to five additional receptacles using wire nuts, so each one adds up.
One thing that might happen with the ones with the shared springs when the connection ages and oxidizes is more current might begin flowing through the spring and thus it might get hot enough to loose tension sooner than the Wago will. Obviously this is a non issue with actual wire nuts as the conductors are tightly clamped to each other, vs comparatively loosely against a flat bus bar.
Great comparison! Despite how popular WAGO's are, I just can't convince myself to get on that bandwagon. Prefer a little less resistance / heat, so sticking with my inexpensive and existing supply of wire nuts.
Wire nuts are fine for new work but when you're remodeling a property that has poor access, not enough slack on the wire, nobody to help you hold that lamp or ceiling fan and you're 20' up on a ladder with only 1 point of contact, lever nuts are worth every penny. Especially if stranded conductors are involved.
I'm happy with wirenuts for joining two wires, but less so with three, and not at all for four or more. There are just too many variables that I don't feel like I have control over, especially when fitting those connectors back into the box.
@@fxm5715do a firm pull test on each wire after using a wire nut. 3+ wires can be a bit tricky and sometimes will take more than one attempt to get right, but there's no reason a wire nut won't do a good job. If you're really struggling, strip them long, pre-twist with pliers, then cut them all back together before adding the wire nut. I've got nothing against Wago (other than I'm cheap 😂) but wire nuts work just fine too.
@@timplett1 I'm honestly being more critical of my own skills than of the wirenuts. I'm sure it can be done well, I'm just not sure I will reliably do it well. :)
Where i'm from we do have connectors that look very similar to the knockoff number 2's, the difference being that the levers are a light blue color and they have all the UL and other safety listings on them.
When dealing where safety is a primary concern then do yourself a favour and only go to a legitimate product, knockoffs quality can run the gambit from excellent to poor and even from a single manufacturer the quality differential can be great from one batch to the next batch. The WAGO 221 is a solid product that retains all governmental standards, has a proven track record, high reliability and service histories and that gives everyone peace of mind knowing that over time this will meet or exceed expectations.I still only use for lower load locations such as LED lighting, i use wire nuts for higher load locations such as receptacles. Cheers.
The problem with the knockoff connectors is a lack of confidence in consistency. I feel very confident that when I clamp a wago terminal onto a wire that it is going to do what it's supposed to do. I have no idea what percentage of those generic terminals aren't going to do what most of them do. Other than in low voltage low current non-critical applications it's a no-go for me
Great information, this is an awesome video format. Would be nice to see the zero point on the chart, since they all should have started approx the same initial value. Suggest a further test could be pull-out resistance force. Thanks!
Well, I'd like to see it for knockoff #1. Knockoff #2 can just go in the trash, no point testing anything else since the recommendation is already "never use them"
As usual, great videos Scott. On the heat/temp measurements, heat is generated from the resistance at the junctions of the wires. Where there is higher resistance, there will be higher heat. SO, if you use a hi quality ohm-meter, you will get immediate effeciency results without the need for the heat measurements... just saying. Keep up the great videos!
You’re absolutely correct, but for the average home do it yourselfer, ohms probably means very little but heat buildup just about everyone understands. It would be a good teaching technique to show both tests to get the point across.
Actually, I bought some of the knock-off inline splices about two years ago or sometime before Wago made their own inline splice. I use them for low voltage applications. They are not the transparent Wago copy, they were knocking off the older gray bodied Wago's. I got them from Amazon.
Thanks for the info I was considering buying the knock off connectors because they look ok on Amazon im glad you did this video you saved me a lot of headaches. Happy Newe Year and be safe out there.
How well would a Genuine Wago 221-612 (Rated for Solid 10 Gauge Wire) hold up LONG TERM against a Similar rated grey Wire Nut (the wires will be PRE TWISTED before the nut goes on) (rated for Solid 10 Gauge Wire) when used to wire a 240v 30a electric hot water heater?
Thanks for your test and your info on this video. I had purchased some wago style connectors from Home Depot some time last year, but have never used them. I will need to check what brand I purchased, and just may have to take them back.
I have my solar PV panels connected through Wago 221-613 which has two numbers printed on it. 30A / 41A. There is about 3,6kW flowing at noun which is about 15A. The connector doesn’t even get warm to the touch. Connected cables are 4mm-sq.. this connector can take up to 6mm-sq. which is 10AWG.
Wire nuts are cheaper and 10 degrees cooler than Wago's. That's significant. Save the Wago for some task, like maybe wiring up a ceiling fan mixing 14 gauge solid with 18 gauge stranded wire.
I'm sure my list isn't exhaustive, but the only lever connectors I heard of that are really UL and/or ENEC certified through a legitimate testing lab are from WAGO, Ideal, Gardner Bender, and Heavy Power. Heavy Power is from Taiwan, and they sell a lot of different connectors including wire nuts and push-in connectors. Saw the Heavy Power logo on the wires nuts sold in packaging from Harbor Freight and Home Depot, although I also ended up with several included with direct wire LED tubes.
Thanks ! Your evaluations are much appreciated . . . I haven't searched your channel; have you tested the " Ideal " brand of wire connectors ? Thanks, Bob
I've used the Wago's for a while. Very good for tight areas. Make a video on the use of the "new to me" ferrule crimp connectors. Can they be used in outlets and routine electrical work? I use stranded copper wire in almost everything. Thanks.
Very informative video, I actually have knock off #2 BUT! since I was suspicious about them I use them with low voltage projects of mine (5v). Those knockoff #1 I may grab some. I have wago 221, I plan to buy more, and use them in my more serious projects.
The bigger thing to also understand with the temperatures... What temperature window is safe for the plastics. Just be because a plastic isn't melting doesn't mean it is rated to keep it's shape and rigidity at those temperatures. Some plastics also have highly increased degradation rates at higher temperatures.
I've been using lever nuts since I first saw you use them on this channel. But I gotta say, I've always used knock offs. Still haven't had any issues but also haven't put them through a major stress test. I still love them though
It's kinda interesting about testing things like the 221 - basically all the world is on ~220V, so they're more designed towards those markets so half the current for equivalent loads, that will have a huge impact on things like temperatures at operating currents. Wire nuts nobody else really in the whole world uses (I know there are exceptions, don't @ me), so are more designed towards the NA 110V market and are likely overbuilt conductors as a result. Which isn't to say that 221's are dangerous in the NA market, but the difference is fairly obvious - I could make a strong argument for using the higher rated ones only in the 110V market (the 20-10 AWG rather than the 24-12 AWG ones shown here which have almost 150% the load rating); it might be entirely unnecessary, but I could make the argument.
When wiring our whole newly built house, I spent less then US$200 for Wagos. This is a small amount compared to the overall cost of materials. Such installations are expected to last 40+ years. Wagos of various kinds have been used for more than four decades in Germany and this is the only brand I would currently trust to last more than 20 years. There is no way to test knockoffs, even from reputable brands, in a way that could assure me of their long term reliability.
I have some knock-off inline ones, I used them to extend some speaker wires and would use as a temp connector or low amp stuff. If I decided on something more permanent I'd swap with Wago.
As an electronic technician I prefer the pointy tip probes, not the little bulb tip you have. Both types are easily available. I always get the straight pointy ones.
It would have been nice if you showed Celsius too. I would have been easy to do in the Excel sheet ... It is the same for those blade fuses. They use one fuse for them all (6A to 30A) and change the label and the color only ... So I'm not surprised at all. You get what you pay for!
I have to have switched over to Wago,s. I have been using them for a while now. Are any of the knock offs UL listed? I know Wago,s are a little bit more expensive, but that expenses peace of mind, knowing that they’re not gonna fail
If you want to save money buy some of Wago’s connectors that are permanent, not lever lock. You have to plan ahead and be willing to throw some away if you don’t. It’s also a way to get 4, 6, or 8 wire connectors. Not available for 10 ga wire.
Hello Scott, great video. I see lots of RV mfg now using those connectors and I wonder how they hold up to a moving earthquake? Maybe you can add a vibration test to your routine.
Great, I bought knockoff#2 on Amazon in May 2019. Same exact thing, but mine had the name "BUYGOO". Same too small test ports, my standard probes would not go in. I paid $15.19 vs. today's price $15.59.
Obviously the wire-nut is best...wires twisted together makes physical connection, more contact, less heat. When I install them I wrap them with electricians tape connecting them to the wires just to be sure nothing can contact the wire from below the nut and to be sure they can't work loose from heavy loads expanding and shrinking the wires. I don't understand why people think they're bad.
What are the brands of #1 and #2? Also, how about testing Ideal brand? I like these better because they are not subject to having the levers snagged/opened.
The worry for me would be for long term use. The spring tension and oxidation seem like they could be a problem as the junction heats and cools thousands of times. I think we should not be lazy and use the screws on outlets and good wire nuts with a good twist on the conductions. I have seen too many backwire outlets and switches fail. I admit I have never done any testing of these new terminations.
I agree about the backstab outlets, which I've seen too many failures with in my rentals (usually improperly used with 12 AWG wire instead of 14 AWG). But, I prefer WAGO lever nuts to wire nuts because they're more idiot-proof than wire nuts, not to mention easier to rework when you need to replace a light fixture or outlet.
7:30 Connecting the springs makes sense as it provides another current carrying path which theoretically would reduce resistance and heating. I like that design better.
@@stevebabiak6997 Both knockoff #1 and #2 had the springs connected. The only conclusion you can draw from his experiment is that the two knockoffs got hotter, but there could be numerous reasons why they got hotter. You can't isolate one cause based on his experiment.
![⭐️( ลอยกระทง 2024 ) Ver. แดนซ์ Remix BY [ ดีเจกิต รีมิกซ์ ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rMWOLhgXUHc/mqdefault.jpg)
An important point is that Wago connectors are UL listed, most knock offs are not. I'm glad that you showed the spring design, I use Wago connectors for uneven wire sizes such as connecting a #12 wire with a light gauge wire from a celing fixture. The springs need to be independent.
Knock off 1 is UL listed
@@Milanesa2010 knockoff #1 has a UL marking, but depending on the source, it may not be worth the ink used to put it there. There's lots of fraudulent items out there.
I'm sure Wago also stands by their products.
how do solid vs stranded wire work? any pull tests on conductors?
I use to think UL LISTED actuality meant something was good quality and safe to use. But then after having many different UL listed items actually get very hot and eventually did catch fire. I learned the hard way that UL listed doesn’t mean much at all for quality or your safety. Especially with items like portable heaters as well as some plug ins that have those little holes to quickly stick wires in to make connections that are really very dangerous since there’s very little contact on wires where it’s being connected and that causes even more heat and do eventually fall!
I have had them burn out and fail leaving black marks inside the box where it was really border line of catching fire.
If you ever been thru a house fire where you lost everything and it wasn’t your fault that caused the fire especially! The devastation and lost is horrible to have to live through. You don’t realize how the loss of some items that can never be replaced can hurt for many years and the only thing you’ll have is your memories of those items that will tend to haunt you that you don’t have them anymore!
I just used Wago's for the first time. I am sold! These connectors are amazing.
I use the 222 model for electrical safety testing (think world leader in safety testing 😉). We reuse them hundreds of times and regularly put up to 40 amps through them. They are some of the most reliable connections that I have ever seen. They are completely safe for home use when installed properly.
Would be nice if the Connexbox Wagoboxes could get UL listing. They've passed such tough European testing they're approved for inaccessible installation such as inside a wall without and access cover. The trick is the special slots the WAGO connectors slide into to ensure the levers cannot come open. The boxes hold the 5 wire lever nuts or a 2 and a 3 can be put into a slot. But as a person at Connexbox told me, UL wants a telephone number size amount of money for testing.
@@greggv8it's up to the mfr to get the cert, not the cert org.
Very interesting. I just used Wago connectors for the first time since I watched your first video on them. This video on the heat build up of the cheapest imposter is alarming. I wish this video would go viral. People need to understand what can happen to cause fires in their homes. Thank you.
Truely alarming. For homeowners who hire the cheapest contractor to do a job may/will end up with these in their homes.
I had never heard of wago connections until I hired on with a contractor thru my union hall. They were the only connection device approved for this project. After using wire nuts for so many years in my career, I was dubious about this new system. It took a while to become acclimated to them, but they are much easier to use. The twist bundle that wirenuts connect can have a pullout or missed connection. The wago holds each wire independently in each bay, making a very sound connection. We were mandated to wrap electrical tape around the wago after terminations were complete to prevent the levers from releasing upon installing into boxes or devices.
Interesting about the having to wrap the Wago to prevent release. I've been using them in my own home, rewiring where I need to temporarily hook up some circuits to keep things running (always fun to live in the project). I was a little concerned about that issue, especially when I first started working with them using 12awg solid and bending/packing, then unbending/reconfiguring and repacking. It takes quite a bit of pressure to release those, but if all the wires are close to parallel and there is not a tight bend - say a JBox where conductors enter/exit in different directions, this is a non-issue if carefully installed/de-installed/reinstalled. Then there are the 'next-guy' issue to consider. I'm interested in the heat dissipation when wrapped vs. not. I've got an IR camera and will test that before buttoning everything up. It's kinda like people using wire nuts and not pre-twisting the conductors and letting the wire nut do the twisting, which, unfortunately, I've run into often.
my dad told me this growing up and I live by it especially with tools, "always buy the best and your never be disappointed" and this has held true in "most" cases :)
I wanna hear one where it didn't!
@@paulbrogger655 sorry don't have one
My concern with the Wago clones of dubious origin is that even if one batch looks good, it's pretty much a crapshoot as to whether your next batch will be equally good. Or bad as the case may be. One thing you tend to get with a known, UL listed brand is that you can expect the quality to be pretty consistent.
Indeed. Quality control is a huge issue that is often overlooked/non-extant with cheap-o brand.
To me, the whole thing is a non-issue as price is not an issue as I'm not using enough of them to make a difference in cost/profit.
Great job and thank you. Electrician over 30 years, now Retired by still love the trade.
Thanks so much for this video! I was hoping someone would do a comparison like this. I have a couple comments: 1) IDEAL brand "in-sure" seem to have some lever connectors now too, but I have only found them at Home Depot so far 2) Leviton "Edge" are decora outlets and switches with integrated levers (HD only right now) 3) I would like to see comparison testing on force required to yank out a wire, this has historically been the problem with "push in" connectors and "stab" type connectors on outlets/switches. Keep up the good work!
Started using the Wago's last year. Love them. Between them and Sharkbite plumbing connectors, my life as a handiman has gotten much easier.
One strength of the Wago 221 compared to simpler push in variants is that you can mix solid and stranded wires, it would be interesting to see how the knockoffs perform in such a test scenario.
Yeah, mixing solid and stranded is a massive advantage of them!
So many in-wall dimmers and smart-home switches have stranded wire. Being able to safely attach those to house wiring with 100% consistency is the single biggest advantage of the Wago 221 for me.
you can mix both in the simple push variand by adding a sleeve on the stranded wires 👍 Quite handy for compact setups...
It looks Home Depot is selling Wago and Lowes is selling a knockoff made by Ideal. I have used the Ideal push connectors for low current LED lights only.
Menards sells both WAGO and knock offs too.
@@picklerix6162
Name brand for me all the way. Why save a few bucks on lesser brand? Call backs or fires are not worth the savings and you include those costs in your bid. Great content Scott just like always. Thanks.
Thanks Roger, I appreciate the support 👍
There are some actually great knock off brands out there though. We use the term knock off as a blanket way of saying less than or not as good as the original but for some brands this couldn't be farther from the truth.
No different than having off brand medicine which are equally comparable to the main line brands that charge exorbitant prices that consumers can't afford. Sometimes, the only thing different between the quality of a knock off and a name brand is how much R&D was spent developing a product but once the blue print is out there it's easy to copy for knock offs at a lower cost making it more accessible for everyone.
@@itachii267True but I’ve seen some lever nuts that don’t hold up at all. They do go through lots of heat cycles being in a commercial reptile habitat with heat lamps though. The levers just snap right off. They’re not wago.
@@itachii267. Your comparison between medicines and connectors is wrong. Knock off medicines are exactly the same in ingredients and dosages as the originals. The connectors are, however,made differently and with different materials.
@@itachii267
What's a "knock off brand" though? I would say Ideal isn't. Gardner Bender is an interesting company. They seem to subcontract a lot of their manufacturing and possibly design, but otherwise have high enough standards for what they accept. I've found a lot of less expensive connectors from the Taiwanese company Heavy Power, and they even have UL listed lever connectors. Now I don't know if I would use them. Wire nuts - sure. But I wasn't terribly impressed with their push-in connectors.
I for one REALLY appreciate you putting this out there! Not to crush the competition, but to SHARE the proclamation of safety when it comes to knock off products - that can hurt or kill you. Yes, it's small and yes a CB can usually stop it from progressing but that's not the point. Is the PRODUCT safe and you clearly showed the negatives of their design and dis-function. Enough for me to ONLY consider WAGO at this point after viewing this. Thank you!
Extremely informative. If I hated my house, then I'd definitely use knock off #2!
Thank you for testing that, Scott. It's disheartening and scary to see the lack of quality controlled products that we have unobstructed access to.
Cheaper is not always the way to go ... I've been using Wago's for 2-3 yrs with no worries or problems ...Thx for the demo ... I think Ideal would be ok as well ... Thx ✌
Thank you for performing this test, well done. I have watched another test where Wago, wire-nut, and outlets were tested to failure - it requires a significant overload current to get them to melt. IIRC something more than 2x - 3x what you were using here. But that test was conducted on a flat surface, in open air.
For me the choice seems pretty clear. As a homeowner/DIYer I might use 10 of these in a year. The quality and history of success of Wago is worth the price. So is the peace of mind. If I were in the business and installing 10 of these before lunch, then I might consider the knock-off #1.
If I'm sure I won't need to change anything soon I usually put heat shrink or electrical tape over the Wago to make sure the lever won't get snag and open itself up but I can still cut it open and reuse the connector quite easily.
The knock-off is quite useful for end-of-the-line connection to low-current stuff like LED light etc., other than that I definitely use the Wago.
I have used both original Wagos and Knockoff #1. Both are UL listed, well constructed, and have good pullout resistance.
Have you verified the UL listing of Knockoff #1 and that it is not a counterfeit mark?
@@soundspark The UL file number for Knockoff #1 is E497783, and you can double-check the listing in the UL "Product iQ" database. They're produced by Guangdong Ojun Technology Co but marketed under a variety of other brand names -- check the model numbers molded on the side opposite the wire entry holes to identify them. They're OJ-26x, where x is the number of connector positions.
just in time...i just ordered these style connectors on amazon because of the prime day prices. i ordered wagos, the green ones and the grey ones you didn't test. i will only use the wagos on on my 110 volt house wiring but i figure i would use the knock offs on garden light wiring and other low voltage applications, maybe even in the car. i like the grey in-line splice ones because you can hook them together (side by side) which i think might be good for garden light wires....thanks for doing the testing for all of us that don't have the time to do it ourselves
I was looking for this sort of review a while ago and couldn't find anything. Thank you very much for making this!
I used an IDEAL in-Sure x25 Push to connect connector on a junction box a couple years ago. Everyone told me its going to catch on fire, wiring will come lose, it will short out, etc... but none of that happened. Its working just fine. No issues whatsoever.
I *love* your empirical testing and taking them apart. Really add to your videos.
This proves that you get of what is your money worth. Great data and really is surprising that Amazon sell stuff that is not tested. Thank you for sharing
If you ignore the best results being from the wire nut (cheapest). 😂
Would love for you to test the wattage reduction when doing these comparisons. The heat testing is a bit of a proxy for showing you that energy is being lost in the form of heat, but it does not tell us the specifics. Especially important to know if you are planning on wiring a series, like outlets, with them as the power loss could become meaningful by the end, especially for products like like knockoff #2.
I needed this video. I need an outlet up behind a tv wall mount. I'm following your previous vid of how to do that. I need these lever nuts to trust on my project.
Best of luck on the project 👍
I'm not surprised. This is also true with XT connectors, Anderson Powerpole connectors, SAE J1772, etc. The knockoffs are not rated to the same spec as the original manufacturer. Even NEMA 14-50R cheap knockoffs overheat and I've seen them and almost cause a fire. Not worth the risk if in your house unattended. Great video. I haven't seen these knock offs yet, but since I use Wago, I would have wondered.
Hi,
Great video, I work in the industry, though Wago is one of the competition. From professional to consumer design in electronics connectors and switches seems to be last on peoples minds.
Always the least budgeted item and believe that because its such a simple device/end result (ie joining connections together) they can skip on costs.
Sadly most of the time the failures are on these connection points, its not on the silicons/passive components etc. Its really on connection, be it poor assembly or poor quality of manufacturing.
Few additional points to note on off brands - the QC is most likely to be more relaxed, in both assembly of the part and the tolerance of the materials, moulding or forming of the metals. As a manufacture of consumer goods, typically yields of 90% is "acceptable". Can you imagine the destruction it can cause if 1/10 of your connectors fail? In reality the consumers acceptable range would be 1/10,000 to 1/100,000, which is getting closer to automotive level of manufacturing.
Now realise you are paying $0.x for something nearly automotive grade product, that extra $0.0x difference is what you are paying for.
WAGO has been a staple for electrical installation in Germany sunce the 70s. When the US was using wire nuts, germany used a push in connector made by WAGO. In my electrical installation kit i have some WAGO push in connectors from the 80s.
The lever nut is a new design but the concept if a easy to use connector is very old. It is amazing that it has taken so long for it to make it yo the US.
Man! I was just talking with a coworker today about Wagos and making sure he buys the real ones. Great video!
Thanks!
I wasn’t aware of Wago connectors before seeing your videos. I bought a nice assortment for a reasonable price and used a couple on a recent home project. They made the install incredibly fast, simple and secure, not to mention the space saving. Bye bye wire nuts. The cost vs. wire nuts is not an issue as I only work on my own home so don’t have a use for large quantities. However, even if I did, the time savings might be enough to offset the cost difference. Thanks for opening my eyes to this product.
Got the knock offs #2 used on a three-way and was having problems with lights working correctly, put the multi pack in a bucket with other items like screws. Wife cleaned up. Throwing them away, by accident. I ordered wagon 221 and went back to the three-way when they came i. I realized that the knock off #2 had been arching in the connector, changed out with wagon and everything worked as expected.
So wire nuts, most likely when installed absolutely correctly, run cooler than the WAGO lever nut, but, really, that's to be expected. There's more contact area when the bare wires are twisted correctly inside the wire nut, while a lever nut has much less contact area. I bought a WAGO kit from your link and am happy with that purchase. When I need more or for larger gauge wire, I'll get them there again. Thanks, Scott. What a revealing comparison. For the people who want or need to save money, it was very nice of you to link Knockoff 1 and 2 and let them know which one to avoid! Keep up the great work.
Yep. Love me some Wagos and I preach there use...but..... I'm not hooking up electric water heaters with Wagos. Definitely 3m Yellow/reds for that for me. But for lights or a 120 junction 🤷♂️ I'm cool with that. Works very well for me.
Truth be told, the amount of contact area with the bus bar and spring (which probably takes a little bit of the conductivity) is small compared to squishing wires together in a wire nut. But as you say "twisted correctly". I've had wire nuts where there was no practical means to pretwist given how little wire was left, and lining up three ends (including a pigtail) were difficult and one never made contact. At least with these it's very easy to visually see that it's fully inserted and clamped.
However, testing labs have certified them for use with the typical 20A (or even more in Europe) that we use for mains power in the United States.
Ive used them with car audio and found how easy it is swap components without dealing with crimping tools or soldering
Those temperature differences made the decision much easier
Great video! I'd like to see one of the torture tests on the knockoffs, see how much current they can handle and for how long before they fail, how the fail, and if they cause a fire and if so under what conditions. This would confirm (again) how good the Wagos are, how good knockoff 1 might be, and just how bad knockoff 2 really is.
It would also be nice to include the new Ideal brand lever connectors and the new Leviton lever receptacles and switches just to be thorough.
Sadly Wago isn't part of Amazon's Prime Day sale. I really was hoping to pick some up during this sale. But keep up the great videos, as I've said in the past I'm pretty handy around the house but I've learned stuff from you. So thank you!
Is Prime Day promoting the knockoffs?
I wouldn’t trust anything on Amazon claiming to sell wago unless it’s directly from wago
When you do the Ideal video please include a pull /tug test. sometimes floodlights gotta hang when you dont have a "S" hanger 🤣
Thank you for sharing. I did buy some Ideal connectors at Lowes to try since they are available locally while the Wago are not.
Thank you for doing this Scott. I hope that more people who are considering these sub-par non-Wago knockoffs (especially #2) see your video before pulling that trigger. The Amazon link for knockoff #2 alleges that they have the same 105C (221F) as the Wago; however I consider that the Wago has about 100 degree buffer before failure where the knockoff is getting much, much closer to failure (assuming that the company that makes #2 is telling the truth). Knockoff #2 is also not UL certified. I would much rather spend the $0.60 per Wago and get quality (and not have my house burn down) over cheaping out with the the $0.20 per knockoff connector and result in loss of life.
Being somewhat poor, I've purchased what you called knock-off #2 for my home use and can attest they are definitely not great. I still use them but have thrown several away because I felt the springs were too loose and didn't pass a pull test. I've since found the Ideal brand lever nuts from Home Depot and have been very happy with those. I think the levers on the Ideals have a tiny little bump on the sides to help lock it down in place, which helps immensely in preventing accidental lifting of the levers as one is maneuvering in tight electrical boxes and the positive locking also provides a little extra strength helping to prevent wire pull outs.
Thanks for the info!
I had wires pop out of the #2 style I bought when I was pushing the wires back into the box. I sent them right back after attempting just one outlet. 😬
@@szlash280z I had the same thing happen with the brand Lowes carries!
@@petrushka1611 was that the push in type or the newer ideal lever nuts?
Hi Im a R&D engineer another thing to control your data is always take the ambiant and or testing room temperature at each interval. great video and good info i almost purchased knock off 1 for my lab to make easier quick connections.
As a homeowner with an electrical engineering degree, I will stick with wirenuts (after pre-twisting of course). I will use a WAGO in line if I need to join solid to stranded wires.
thermally scanning outlets every now and then with a load, seems like a great idea. I just got a flir, and i'll check out the outlets in my old house which has aluminum wiring.
The WAGO connectors are by far the best on the market. The quality is second to none.
Ideal makes a connector where you push the wire into it. I prefer the locking lever.
One of the best uses for any of these knock offs is small electronics projects like wiring an Arduino or robotics.
Man I just discovered (or rediscovered) Wago and I love them. There are the best.....
You should do a test on the Wago after clamping like you normally do, and then repeat with a proper "tug" on the wires after clamping to seat them.
The Wago bites in a bit as you check the connection by giving it a tug to make sure it has taken hold. It changes the resistance quite dramatically in my tests.
The first thing I thought about knock-off #1 was the direction you pressed to close the lever. It was in a direction that has you pushing in the direction that could result in having the wire slip out from the connection. I could see that really being a pain in the butt it tight areas. It’s electricity, just buy the best to remain safe.
That's the idea. Because we patent everything, knock-off lever nuts have resorted to a design that is different than WAGO's. Our 221 connector was carefully engineered for the best performance and cannot be effectively replicated.
Ironically, I actually like the reverse direction of Knockoff #1s levers, because it means that if anything pulls on the wires, it will pull the connector in a direction that _will not catch_ the levers and potentially cause them to reduce tension on the connection and let the wire slip out.
@@foogod4237I bought some IDEAL lever Connectors just to see how the preformed. They are easier to use because the levers are reverse of WAGO. The reverse levels may be helpful with some access problems. But..... I like and have used WAGO lever nuts for years. The high relative cost is easily offset by the advantages. My favorites are that lever nuts do not twist up the wires and makes a sure multiple wires are connected. In my collection of old technology are porcelain wire nuts made by IDEAL and extracted from a 1929 house.
@@foogod4237 I came to post exactly this. Plus, the direction of pull will impose an additional closing force vector on the lever (inside the connector), whereas the opposite is actually the case for even the true Wagos
Interesting video. How about pull tests? Right now, I'll stick with Wago and wire nuts.
I appreciate this! I'd love to see the IDEAL (Lowe's) brand lever nuts compared.
I know, I can’t believe I haven’t done that video yet. Should have the video out in the next month or so 👍
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Should've/Could've/Would've been in this comparison!
@@EverydayHomeRepairs I work at a lighting fixture manufacturer and we use ideal push nuts, and Wago lever nuts. So there ya go!
Agreed, these are available at my local Lowe's and I've already picked up a few packs for a low-voltage application. Wonder if I'd be willing to use the rest on my next outlet project.
Ideal is not a Lowe's brand. I've seen their push-in connectors, wire nuts, and other items at Home Depot. Ideal is a very big company and bought a jar of 500 of their lever connectors from Amazon. I believe Lowe's big house brand for electrical stuff is Utilitech.
Thanks for this. People must become more aware that there is no regulation of these knockoff imported items. If they bur your house down there is no one to blame, or sue. The companies come and go like the clouds in the sky.
I have some of knockoff #2 (bought by mistake) and they are fussy to how well you strip the wire. If you don't strip the insulation enough, it is hard to insert the wire fully into the connector. With wire stripping length correct, they insert correctly and hold well. But I would never use them for any serious work. I use them in testing wiring for home built battery boxes, or other prototyping. For household wiring, use WAGO brand period.
Should I use dielectric grease to keep humidity and moisture away from connection
Nice job on this. I did order a box of cheap-o quick connectors just to check them out. They are not Wago knock-offs, but rather connectors with the same concept. Grey plastic with blue levers. One cannot see inside as with Wago. I'll use them for low voltage and/or ?
I'll stick with Wago for important stuff as saving a few bucks on the connectors is not worth it considering the cost of wire, emt (incl. metal boxes, and fittings) I'm in Chicago so no romex or plastic boxes. I prefer EMT anyway.
Early in my career as a EE turned firmware/software engineer, I worked on controls for plastic injection molding machines, and can look at a part and tell whether or not it's well designed and produced.
These knock-offs would be a non-started for me just by looking at them.
The spring mechanism is really strong. One can test this by getting the tip on a finger pinched between the lever and the housing :)
Great video. I had been using knock offs and just recently bought a bunch of genuine Wago. I was confused when I took apart my knockoffs which are the same as your no2 because the spring seems to be the same as in your no1. The spring is joined on the bottom fixed side but the working sides are split. I looked more closely and yours are the same, you were just showing the non working side. We don't seem to have the reversed knockoff no1 here in Australia.
People should also beware that colour is not a reliable indicator of what type these connectors are. The very cheap clone no2 is available in lots of different colours, not just the orange but alos blue, red, green, white, pink and probably others. Clone no1 can be found as Ojun OJ-26 connectors and they have inline models as OJ-28. They are pretty expensive though and in some cases Wago are cheaper.
I bought Wagos online. Went into Amazon first to look and it was crazy. All the knock offs mixed in with the actual brand. It could be confusing if you arent 100% certain what youre looking at. I went to Platt in the end and ordered through them.
Great PSA. That cheap knock-off stuff isn't just crap; it's *dangerous* crap. It's like that for fuses, tools, wire connectors, pharmaceuticals, climbing gear, towing equipment... EVERYTHING.
Love your videos... especially as a WAGO Engineer! 🙂
Thanks just ordered the Wago 221.
Great illustration of the difference, that heat cam makes it all very real.
The resistance between the connector and spring and busbar translates to heat. The exact material of the busbar/spring can make a big difference. Obviously WAGO uses spec materials, where your chinese knockoffs may use whatever is available, which may not be the best conductor ie. heat up more. This could even be batch dependent as someone pointed out.
And not only are you creating heat, you are losing power. It would be interesting to see resistance / powerloss over each connector, you know, for science, and because the loss percentage translates directly to your power bill.
WAGO uses stainless steel springs and tinned copper bus bars. So does Ideal for their version of a lever connector. I believe the resistance isn't from the conductive materials used, but rather the contact area. I've taken apart one of these (from Ideal) and the contact area with a solid wire was really just the spring, a narrow point where the spring pressed against a tinned copper bus bar ridge, and the tip of the wire against the bus bar. I think there might have been better contact with a stranded wire, if inserted without twisting would have splayed flatter against the spring and bus bar. That being said, I'm using them and am confident that they're safe to use. The spring maintains a very consistent contact point. I've heard of criticisms that the wire can wiggle around or even slide against the bus bar, but that shouldn't matter as long as the spring maintains constant pressure against the bus bar.
Power loss due to resistance is going to be dependent on the load. A good length of house wiring is going to be higher resistance than the connector. However, it's possible that a line is chained through several connectors. I've got a living room where it's chained to five additional receptacles using wire nuts, so each one adds up.
One thing that might happen with the ones with the shared springs when the connection ages and oxidizes is more current might begin flowing through the spring and thus it might get hot enough to loose tension sooner than the Wago will. Obviously this is a non issue with actual wire nuts as the conductors are tightly clamped to each other, vs comparatively loosely against a flat bus bar.
Great comparison! Despite how popular WAGO's are, I just can't convince myself to get on that bandwagon. Prefer a little less resistance / heat, so sticking with my inexpensive and existing supply of wire nuts.
Wire nuts are fine for new work but when you're remodeling a property that has poor access, not enough slack on the wire, nobody to help you hold that lamp or ceiling fan and you're 20' up on a ladder with only 1 point of contact, lever nuts are worth every penny. Especially if stranded conductors are involved.
I'm happy with wirenuts for joining two wires, but less so with three, and not at all for four or more. There are just too many variables that I don't feel like I have control over, especially when fitting those connectors back into the box.
Guess you should go with screw buss terminals instead of wire nuts. In the end you have to decide what is real and what is perceived.
@@fxm5715do a firm pull test on each wire after using a wire nut. 3+ wires can be a bit tricky and sometimes will take more than one attempt to get right, but there's no reason a wire nut won't do a good job. If you're really struggling, strip them long, pre-twist with pliers, then cut them all back together before adding the wire nut.
I've got nothing against Wago (other than I'm cheap 😂) but wire nuts work just fine too.
@@timplett1 I'm honestly being more critical of my own skills than of the wirenuts. I'm sure it can be done well, I'm just not sure I will reliably do it well. :)
Where i'm from we do have connectors that look very similar to the knockoff number 2's, the difference being that the levers are a light blue color and they have all the UL and other safety listings on them.
Awesome video... Im always interested in the less expensive alternatives.... Not a fan of paying for a name over function...
Me too. But i’m also not a fan of my wires heating up more than they have too.
When dealing where safety is a primary concern then do yourself a favour and only go to a legitimate product, knockoffs quality can run the gambit from excellent to poor and even from a single manufacturer the quality differential can be great from one batch to the next batch. The WAGO 221 is a solid product that retains all governmental standards, has a proven track record, high reliability and service histories and that gives everyone peace of mind knowing that over time this will meet or exceed expectations.I still only use for lower load locations such as LED lighting, i use wire nuts for higher load locations such as receptacles. Cheers.
I LOVE Wago connectors for DIY’s
I’ve been using the knockoff 2 for about 2 months. I didn’t realize they were knock offs. I’m going to rip them all out next week
The problem with the knockoff connectors is a lack of confidence in consistency. I feel very confident that when I clamp a wago terminal onto a wire that it is going to do what it's supposed to do. I have no idea what percentage of those generic terminals aren't going to do what most of them do. Other than in low voltage low current non-critical applications it's a no-go for me
Great information, this is an awesome video format. Would be nice to see the zero point on the chart, since they all should have started approx the same initial value. Suggest a further test could be pull-out resistance force. Thanks!
Would have liked to see you test the force required to pull the wires out for all 3 too.
Well, I'd like to see it for knockoff #1. Knockoff #2 can just go in the trash, no point testing anything else since the recommendation is already "never use them"
As usual, great videos Scott. On the heat/temp measurements, heat is generated from the resistance at the junctions of the wires. Where there is higher resistance, there will be higher heat. SO, if you use a hi quality ohm-meter, you will get immediate effeciency results without the need for the heat measurements... just saying. Keep up the great videos!
You’re absolutely correct, but for the average home do it yourselfer, ohms probably means very little but heat buildup just about everyone understands.
It would be a good teaching technique to show both tests to get the point across.
Actually, I bought some of the knock-off inline splices about two years ago or sometime before Wago made their own inline splice. I use them for low voltage applications. They are not the transparent Wago copy, they were knocking off the older gray bodied Wago's. I got them from Amazon.
Thanks for the info I was considering buying the knock off connectors because they look ok on Amazon im glad you did this video you saved me a lot of headaches. Happy Newe Year and be safe out there.
How well would a Genuine Wago 221-612 (Rated for Solid 10 Gauge Wire) hold up LONG TERM against a Similar rated grey Wire Nut (the wires will be PRE TWISTED before the nut goes on) (rated for Solid 10 Gauge Wire) when used to wire a 240v 30a electric hot water heater?
Thanks for your test and your info on this video. I had purchased some wago style connectors from Home Depot some time last year, but have never used them. I will need to check what brand I purchased, and just may have to take them back.
If they are Ideal brand they are fine. I like Wagos, but they'll work fine.
@@mattfleming86 Thanks Matt for the info
I just watched April Wilkerson's newest video and she used Ideal. You need to test those.
Agreed, they will be coming up in the next month and I will test them on the same setup so I can overlay the results
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Great, thanks!
I have my solar PV panels connected through Wago 221-613 which has two numbers printed on it. 30A / 41A. There is about 3,6kW flowing at noun which is about 15A. The connector doesn’t even get warm to the touch. Connected cables are 4mm-sq.. this connector can take up to 6mm-sq. which is 10AWG.
Wire nuts are cheaper and 10 degrees cooler than Wago's. That's significant. Save the Wago for some task, like maybe wiring up a ceiling fan mixing 14 gauge solid with 18 gauge stranded wire.
I'm sure my list isn't exhaustive, but the only lever connectors I heard of that are really UL and/or ENEC certified through a legitimate testing lab are from WAGO, Ideal, Gardner Bender, and Heavy Power. Heavy Power is from Taiwan, and they sell a lot of different connectors including wire nuts and push-in connectors. Saw the Heavy Power logo on the wires nuts sold in packaging from Harbor Freight and Home Depot, although I also ended up with several included with direct wire LED tubes.
Thanks ! Your evaluations are much appreciated . . . I haven't searched your channel; have you tested the " Ideal " brand of wire connectors ? Thanks, Bob
I've used the Wago's for a while. Very good for tight areas. Make a video on the use of the "new to me" ferrule crimp connectors. Can they be used in outlets and routine electrical work? I use stranded copper wire in almost everything. Thanks.
Very informative video, I actually have knock off #2 BUT! since I was suspicious about them I use them with low voltage projects of mine (5v). Those knockoff #1 I may grab some. I have wago 221, I plan to buy more, and use them in my more serious projects.
The bigger thing to also understand with the temperatures... What temperature window is safe for the plastics. Just be because a plastic isn't melting doesn't mean it is rated to keep it's shape and rigidity at those temperatures. Some plastics also have highly increased degradation rates at higher temperatures.
I've been using lever nuts since I first saw you use them on this channel. But I gotta say, I've always used knock offs. Still haven't had any issues but also haven't put them through a major stress test. I still love them though
It's kinda interesting about testing things like the 221 - basically all the world is on ~220V, so they're more designed towards those markets so half the current for equivalent loads, that will have a huge impact on things like temperatures at operating currents. Wire nuts nobody else really in the whole world uses (I know there are exceptions, don't @ me), so are more designed towards the NA 110V market and are likely overbuilt conductors as a result. Which isn't to say that 221's are dangerous in the NA market, but the difference is fairly obvious - I could make a strong argument for using the higher rated ones only in the 110V market (the 20-10 AWG rather than the 24-12 AWG ones shown here which have almost 150% the load rating); it might be entirely unnecessary, but I could make the argument.
When wiring our whole newly built house, I spent less then US$200 for Wagos. This is a small amount compared to the overall cost of materials. Such installations are expected to last 40+ years. Wagos of various kinds have been used for more than four decades in Germany and this is the only brand I would currently trust to last more than 20 years. There is no way to test knockoffs, even from reputable brands, in a way that could assure me of their long term reliability.
If u have not already, I would like to see a comparison using an Ideal level connection
I have some knock-off inline ones, I used them to extend some speaker wires and would use as a temp connector or low amp stuff. If I decided on something more permanent I'd swap with Wago.
As an electronic technician I prefer the pointy tip probes, not the little bulb tip you have. Both types are easily available. I always get the straight pointy ones.
It would have been nice if you showed Celsius too. I would have been easy to do in the Excel sheet ...
It is the same for those blade fuses. They use one fuse for them all (6A to 30A) and change the label and the color only ... So I'm not surprised at all. You get what you pay for!
I have to have switched over to Wago,s. I have been using them for a while now. Are any of the knock offs UL listed? I know Wago,s are a little bit more expensive, but that expenses peace of mind, knowing that they’re not gonna fail
If you want to save money buy some of Wago’s connectors that are permanent, not lever lock. You have to plan ahead and be willing to throw some away if you don’t.
It’s also a way to get 4, 6, or 8 wire connectors. Not available for 10 ga wire.
Hello Scott, great video. I see lots of RV mfg now using those connectors and I wonder how they hold up to a moving earthquake? Maybe you can add a vibration test to your routine.
Great, I bought knockoff#2 on Amazon in May 2019. Same exact thing, but mine had the name "BUYGOO". Same too small test ports, my standard probes would not go in. I paid $15.19 vs. today's price $15.59.
Obviously the wire-nut is best...wires twisted together makes physical connection, more contact, less heat. When I install them I wrap them with electricians tape connecting them to the wires just to be sure nothing can contact the wire from below the nut and to be sure they can't work loose from heavy loads expanding and shrinking the wires. I don't understand why people think they're bad.
What are the brands of #1 and #2? Also, how about testing Ideal brand? I like these better because they are not subject to having the levers snagged/opened.
The worry for me would be for long term use. The spring tension and oxidation seem like they could be a problem as the junction heats and cools thousands of times. I think we should not be lazy and use the screws on outlets and good wire nuts with a good twist on the conductions. I have seen too many backwire outlets and switches fail. I admit I have never done any testing of these new terminations.
Agree 100%. Screw terminals and wire nuts for longevity.
I agree about the backstab outlets, which I've seen too many failures with in my rentals (usually improperly used with 12 AWG wire instead of 14 AWG). But, I prefer WAGO lever nuts to wire nuts because they're more idiot-proof than wire nuts, not to mention easier to rework when you need to replace a light fixture or outlet.
7:30 Connecting the springs makes sense as it provides another current carrying path which theoretically would reduce resistance and heating. I like that design better.
But the temperature testing data seems to indicate otherwise - that was knockoff #2.
@@stevebabiak6997 Both knockoff #1 and #2 had the springs connected. The only conclusion you can draw from his experiment is that the two knockoffs got hotter, but there could be numerous reasons why they got hotter. You can't isolate one cause based on his experiment.
Hey I got a video suggestion. You should do a video on hyper tough receptacles and light switches and test to see if they’re any good