When we reviewed the original Milwaukee 6 in 1 Combination Pliers and the Milwaukee 6 in 1 Long Nose Pliers several years ago, we felt they were adept tools. They offered a lot of features that most electricians would find extremely useful. Our own Ben Parker, who does this kind of work for a living, agreed wholeheartedly once we put them into his hands. Now, the revamped Milwaukee Gen II combination wire pliers offer even more capabilities and ease of use.
While the new Milwaukee Gen II combination wire pliers are technically a complete redesign, users of the existing pliers won’t be dealing with something completely unfamiliar. Instead, Milwaukee tweaked enough features (likely based on feedback from Pros). It gives this tool a better edge and makes it more flexible and usable for electricians in the field.
If the original 6-in-1 was a compelling hand tool for electricians, the new combination wire pliers are even more so. It reflects the maturity of the hand tool that we can really appreciate. Plus, at just around $20, it’s an easy call to simply grab one at your local dealer. Stick it in your electrician’s bag or tool kit.
Milwaukee 48-22-3079 Features and Enhancements
The new Milwaukee 6-in-1 wire strippers have a wider opening than the first-generation product — by a full 1/8-inch. On top of that, this wider opening is possible with the same handle opening width. Milwaukee pulled this off by adjusting the way the handle angles out from the central pivot point.
The handle spring has also been decreased in size. It closes more easily (with less hand fatigue). Also, the locking mechanism is much more robust, using a one-handed metal latch instead of the two-handed plastic slide clip. Previously, you had to grasp the tool in one hand and use your other to raise or lower the locking slide. I love the ease of use with this new system.
The jaws of the new Milwaukee Gen II 6-in-1 wire strippers maintain their width now—all the way down to the tip. There’s also a larger, less aggressive reaming angle for the ridges on the sides of the cutters.
The wire strippers now handle down to 8-gauge solid and 10-gauge stranded wire. The cutters are arced—more like tri-cable cutters. This gives you a lot more cutting capability, and cables are cut with much less force required. The shape also holds cables in place so they don’t ride up the blade as you cut.
Lastly, the new Milwaukee Gen II combination wire pliers and strippers have holes in the base of the handles, so they’re ready for tethering—important if you’re working up in the air and need to secure your tools from falling to the ground when dropped.
Milwaukee Gen II Combination Wire Pliers Details
- Reaming head (from 1/2″ to 1″)
- #6 and #8 bolt cutter
- Wire stripper (8-18 AWG solid; 10-20 AWG stranded)
- Locking
- Curved cutting blade
- Forged alloy steel
- Tether-ready handle loops
- Dimensions: 7.75 x 0.67 x 2.03 in.
- Weight:Â 0.64 lbs
Using the Milwaukee Gen II Combination Wire Pliers
This week one of the projects we had on our plate was to wire up a 30A 220V circuit for a washer and dryer. That involves cutting and stripping back 10-gauge wire for both the washer and dryer end as well as the 30A breaker in the electrical panel. As I expected, the Milwaukee Gen II combination wire pliers cut our wires cleanly and easily. The gauges for cutting solid wire are quite accurate, and there were no nicks or scratches to the copper when we were finished.
For some other applications, we grabbed the Milwaukee 48-22-3079 cutting pliers and did some manual inside pipe reaming for 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch EMT conduit by inserting them within the pipe. For the outside, we just used the ample opening space between the jaws and twisted them around the outside edge.
Conclusion
There are enough upgrades on these cutting pliers to make them a worthy addition or upgrade to your kit. Obviously, first-time buyers will be advantaged as it may be hard to justify an upgrade at around $20, but for those looking for a great multi-use tool, the price is just about perfect.
