In this product review, Reece Hardy gets his hands on IDEAL’s Twin & Earth kit for flat cable.
This 32 A wire connector kit from IDEAL consists of a number of useful tools and accessories including 1 x cable stripper for flat cable, 1 x Data T-Cutter, 20 x SpliceLine Wire Connectors, plus a combination of 2 and 3 port Push In Wire Connectors and Gen II Lever Wire Connectors.
Housed in one handy, sectioned box, which makes for easy organisation, each of the components comes with the IDEAL hallmarks of quality and ease of application/use, providing the user with everything they require.
The cable stripper strips flat cable between 0.75 and 2.5 mm2 and up to 12 mm wide. Stripping twin and earth cable is easy due to the self-adjusting stripping blades that automatically select the proper position and its open throat construction for unlimited strip lengths.
For the user, it’s simply a case of feeding enough required length through the stripper and squeezing, before pulling off the cut sheath. Carry on with the live and neutral to the required length (measured on the groove of the block) and that’s it.
The Data T-Cutter tool is a well-made product, which is small and compact, so fits nicely into the set. The hand actuated cable cutter features dual curved blades and a shearing cutting action – recommended methods for cutting coax and other copper based low voltage cables. It has performed exactly as required on every occasion I’ve had to use it.
Another feature of the tool is that the curved blades minimise cable deformation, which helps keep the cable impedance consistent during connector to cable termination, and allows cable stripping tools to work more efficiently and accurately.
The connector blocks come in three types: lever style, splice and butted. All in the kit were rated at 32 A with 2 and 3 ways supplied and have performed as expected in a number of scenarios. An additional benefit is that many other screwless connectors can be ordered from IDEAL.
This is a really neat kit, which will fit nicely into your van or on-site toolbox and will soon become a very useful part of your arsenal.
Visit the product page for the IDEAL Electrical Twin & Earth Kit for flat cable online here
