By request - a look inside a Wago inline connector 

I never listen to anyone who says actual Wago-made Wago connectors are unsafe. Anyone that says Wago connectors are unsafe doesn't know what they're talking about. These are solid, good, reliable connectors.

One feature of this type of connector that doesn't seem to be mentioned much is that wires are easily removed and re-inserted without damaging the wire. No problem to change out a light fixture or other device; no need to cut off twisted wires or struggle to remove one wire from a group.

It's worth noting that on the side of them is printed the insulation stripping distance and the max voltage and current that they're tested to which ive always thought is a sign of quality. I love them!

I happened to know a designer from WAGO. He didn't design this one, but the push in type without the leavers. I asked him if you should twist the wires and he said that it really doesn't matter :D

When I was at apprentice school (nearly 50 years ago) we were taught to twist multi-strand wires *even if applying a ferrule afterwards* as a stray strand can (in rare instances) be fatal. These Wago terminals are a brilliant invention. I have spent a large part of my career designing, programming and trouble-shooting control systems on custom-built industrial equipment. When screw terminals were common, something like 75% of first-year failures were down to loose terminals. Many control panel electricians would build sections with terminals "nipped up" until complete. When they forgot to tighten everything (end of shift, tea break and many other reasons) you had a failure waiting to happen. With the Wagos, if the lever is closed then the wire is tight. The other feature of the Wago connectors is resistance to vibration. We once sold a spin riveting machine with the control panel mounted on the frame. Had to fit rubber mounts to stop the screw terminals winding undone.

The Wago design is so much better than the Chinese clones, even if all the plastic breaks apart the wires are still held securely in place.

I always twist stranded wire. Helps keep the careless whiskers at bay. I went from standard wire nuts to these Wago LeverNuts as soon as I discovered them because I no longer had to twist wires to keep them properly connected. I had an electrical fault where the neutral had backed out of a wire nut. No faults with these Wago connectors because they keep things gripped. They take less space in the junction box, too! Excellent product.

I love Wago connectors. Going back to twist-on wire nuts feels so primitive now.

Wago are a solid product. I’d not really heard of them until electricians started raving about them a few years ago. Their PCB mounted solutions are rock solid. I recently took apart a solar inverter and the mains connection was as tough as nails - super hard to get out until I worked out the release mechanism 👍

Another cool thing about these particular connectors is that, in between the two levers, there's a window opening that gives you direct access to the copper bus bar inside. This is an excellent place to probe the connection with a multimeter!

Gentle twist to reduce "whiskery bits". If you don't really twist hard, the strands will easily deform to provide a very decent connection surface area.

"With great force comes great connection." ~Wago

Watching your breakdown reminded me of the Fahnestock clip that was very common the electronic kits of the 50's and even the 60's. Nice job.

Took them so long to come out with the inline version, yet they still didn't include a detail to allow them to be clipped together. Spoke to someone at Ideal at Elex this week, who mentioned there may be a patent issue preventing this.

I like wagos cause it's not a blade cutting into the wire. It's an actual clamp. I've lifted a lot of weight before they fail. And they're pretty easy to install.

I used to work with Wago and it is pronounced "Vargo" or "Vaago" depending on accent. The screwless connectors are really good and the QA is excellent. I personally would not use cheap Chinese rip-offs. I've had enough troubles with poor quality table ties let alone taking risks connectors. They rely on specific types of metals to give a consistent and long-term reliable connection. Wago also suggest NOT using ferrules.

I love those. Working in R&D we have so many people fumbling around in wiring and loving their open twisted wires not keeping contact or making funny sparks. Also prevents people overtightening screws and breaking wires. Great addition for the WAGOs are their holders for installation in cabinets, because they also have holes to be mounted/screwed on surfaces if you dont have rails eg in boxes. Only downside i found was the tab plastic gets brittle with some solvents. Even the price is ok-ish if you buy the 50+ package sizes. And there are eco-recycle green ones now, if it matters for your used numbers per year.

I worked for a company that designed and build some of the largest cranes in the world. Wagos were the only acceptable wire nut because of the spring contact which worked far better under vibration. These replaced a strange wirenut I hadnt seen before that had the addition to a screw that would tighten against the wires from, the side after the standard wirenut twist on action was done.

Wago is fantastic. I’ve worked with their DIN rail mounted terminal blocks and they’re the easiest and best ever. I may be biased because I nearly took a job there, but I really love what they do and wouldn’t expect anything but the way from them

Wago and Solder Seal connectors are some of the best "new age" connectors ive come across working on RVs for a living. use them every day, and i swear by them.

I first came across Wagos working in the film industry (SFX) years ago. They were amazing & I couldn't understand why the 'real world' hadn't found them too. These days, being able to buy them from any electrical factor is great! They are a truly amazing connector!

Wago's have been a game changer in the last few years ..I've never seen one fail ..yet...I've seen electrical cabinets burn out and the wagos clips still have hold of the bare wires ..I use lots of these to replace the inevitable loose Wire nuts on machinery that has been shipped from the 'states' , Some new machinery from the USA is now comming with Wago's so the message is getting through....Wago also make a very good range of Din rail industrial connectors and accessories ..Good job mr clive you just reminded me to order a couple more 60 packs of these , I've nearly run out....sounds like an advert eh .. but as an old industrial sparkie these have saved me so much time and have thankfully displaced 'chockolate blocks and wire nuts'

Exceptional product. Little bit expensive, but high quality. They last forever

I give my wires just a light twist, only. The biggest benefit of WAGO compared to CE ("chinese export") beside the secure connection is the fact, it does not matter too much if you twist or not, if you connect single strand wires with multi strand wires, and so on. And yes, do not solder ...

Thanks Clive, I appreciate you showing what's inside the original.

"Vagohhh" - Grande Clive 2024

I have always hated the crimp style butt connectors...like my whole life....very glad that these new ones are so readily available now :)

WAGOs are my favorite connectors. They really work wonderfully for all types of wire. I use/reuse them, with various gauges of wires, all the time, while working on projects. In particular, for stranded wire, I started using ferrules in combination with the WAGOs about a year ago. The ferrule's plastic guard perfectly fits into the WAGO and the rectangular nature of the ferrule crimp is the perfect length and also prevents the wire from twisting while in the WAGO. I did some major testing at high amperages to make sure the connection was solid, and it was. The WAGO didn't even get warm. And the compression ensures that it stays that way. For solid wire connections, in-wall, or in-fixtures, I also usually put a few wraps of electrical tape to prevent accidental lifting of the tabs and also to prevent the wire from being able to twist inside the WAGO. (Ferrules obviously can't be used with solid wire). The only way to pull a wire out of a wago without using the lever is to rotate it while pulling. Takes quite a bit of rotation to work it out but still, good to make sure the wires can't do that and in cramped spaces you don't want anything levering-up the release either. In anycase, I live by these things. They can take a lot of abuse, too. -Matt

Your photography is awesome, the transparent pieces looked great in particular! 👍🏻

Twisting: Lightly turning it back and forth to catch loose strands can be okay, but frequently you're better off clipping the wire and getting a fresh end. You also risk contaminating the wires with corrosive skin oils or mechanically damaging them with pliers. So: a very light finger twist if there are loose strands, being careful to touch the copper as little as possible. Depending on the situation, using a file might also be in order. Dunno how Wagos and feels get along. The last big writing project i did with stranded used the stacking DIN rail contact blocks, and all the wires going into those got ferrules. The other end of the wire typically has a ring lug or quick disconnect crimped on.

4:20 - Part of the reason why soldered wires pop out easily is the same concept I mentioned in my comment on the last video; solder creep. See; the 3D printing fires of circa 2019-2020. This is a reminder not to tin wires that are going to be crimped or clamped. Thanks for taking these apart. Very cool look inside these.

Wagos is one of those things that I wish I knew about sooner. The same goes for tools like Knipex. Some tools just make life easier.

One day I'll treat myself to a hundred of these! I do love the 3x red yellow blue clone ones and the +- to two +- ones though. Super useful for small 12v stuff.

They simply changed my life! Since I was recently introduced to them at my local TLC elecrical stockist, I've never gone back to that "old, miserable life" of trying to do up/chew up choc block terminals. I've even used them in place of terminal blocks in electronics projects, particularly the one-sided common bus 3 and 5-way Wagos.

Wago seems to be the standard for electricians now. I’d question someone who wasn’t using Wagos.

"Pacman V-Notch"... Always interesting to learn new technical terms from professionals ^_^

Twist was what I was taught. It doesn't have to be tightly twisted, but it is mainly to avoid stray strands that might cause problems later.

I love these connectors! What i think i like most about them is their simplicity and ease of use, its realky difficult to get it wrong(although im sure some will manage), but in general, are quite fool proof which in a world where people are cash strapped and more likely to attempt diy home jobs, these will make that part of the job(arguably the most important part)that bit safer.

Great to see a teardown! This will be a popular video

We LOVE Wago Lever Nut products in my lab - you can keep reusing the wires after you take them out, which is great when you are connecting solid wire to stranded wire.

Just checked PES material composition on WiKi and from this I conclude that Chineseium 'Wago's' are probably made of a Polycarbonate which melts at lower temperature. Not twisting the wires allows them to flatten across the spring contact. Polysulfones are a family of high performance thermoplastics. These polymers are known for their toughness and stability at high temperatures. Technically used polysulfones contain an aryl-SO2-aryl subunit. Due to the high cost of raw materials and processing, polysulfones are used in specialty applications and often are a superior replacement for polycarbonates.

Excellent vid Clive. Love your detailed reverse engineering of even the simplest things. I’m sold on Wago now.

i love wago! they are just so handy. i also twist the wires.. if you dont the wires poke everywhere unless you insert the cable with like laser precision.

Finally found the real ones, and will never go back to the other stuff. They really are worth the price

I twist. Love those connectors too, they come in very handy.

Super cool video. I was just going to do the same thing. Tear one apart to see how it works. I just started using them at work and they're fabulous! Thank you so much for doing this video!

I've been using wago for a long time, standard connector for me, the name-brand equivalents are also good, I believe companies like wurth and TE connectivity make some For the twisting, I twist them lightly so the strands are kept together while inserting, I like using wire strippers that don't pull the insulation off completly, so I can grab it by the loose insulation, twist and pull it off, without touching the copper

BigClive just keeps 'em coming and coming. He's unstoppable!

Twisting since I can think! And I love the Wago connectors. So easy and efficient to use.

Thanks for this BigC - I really like these connectors, I appreciate the “on the inside” explanation. 💪

I have been using WAGO's for a life-time already, they never ever failed on me. I do twist my stranded wires but that's just to make sure I get all the strands in as I usually use wire-gauges to the spec'd WAGO's. (read: not too big but definitely not too small, of course) I do try not to use soldered wires as solder does not really like mechanical pressures, such wires do deform over time and potentially could get (too) loose. As for WAGO's I would say: often imitated never surpassed!

I thought those were hexbugs in the thumbnail and got really excited for a second

Thank you so much for the quick review!

I twist the stranded wires with Wagos, but I tend not to for crimping connectors.

Meanwhile in the USA , "nah I'm good with wire nuts thanks" crazy. But then that's a country where if you accidentally pull a live socket from the wall your fingers will be wrapped around exposed live and neutral contacts.........

When I remember right (I was told this), about 25-30 years ago these were still illigal to install here in the Netherlands. Even though they were already used in other countries (but less common). In the house I lived in, they were therefore replaced by an installation-company (not installed by me). Same actually on some places in my current house, also original Wago's were replaced with the twist-systems, I think around 20 years ago.

You are absolutely right about Chinese clones of the type you showed. Purchased on several occasions from different suppliers: so far I have found two types by dismantling them. One is completely equivalent to a WAGO: the conductive part of the clip is copper and the spring is steel, separate and with the exact same shape and thickness. The other, identical at first sight, has the entire clip made of one piece THIN steel and does not have the curvature of the spring, just an acute fold. I wouldn't bet on the plastic used in either model, even though the ones with the better clip look more "chunky".

Nice. It is surprising that it took this long for them to be popular.

GreatScott! was the first person I heard mention these shortly before my contractor friend used them for something he helped me with. Such a handy thing

As an apprentice I was told off for twisting wires, the reason was always given as changing the cross sectional area and altering the resistance. Now I twist them together as Im not that fussed about precision resistance in my own things. interesting to see inside 2x 👍

Probably the best to use instead of the cheap ones, thanks Clive 😊

I like putting resistors between them to power LED bulbs. One day i hope to see a wago computer, just a huge wire harness that computes.

I keep a good amount of them on standby and every time I encounter any type of fastener I replace them with WAGO, no matter the application. It is just so much easier and safer.

I was told never to tin wire that was to be used in a screw terminal as the solder deforms under pressure with time and the connection loosens. I guess it's not an issue with these as the spring maintains the pressure.

I usually crimp an appropriately sized ferrule on to the wire to stop any strands from going where I don't want to. Plus it gives the Wago something a bit bigger to bite onto. I have had stranfs break off inside the Wago when not using a ferrule.

Whenever I use flex with wagos, I always use bootlaces. It's a bit overkill but the connection is usually way stronger. I use little bits of bootlaced wires and wagos to hold things up in my workshop now lol

I love Wago! Thanks for this examination!

Gentle twist to stop loose strands snagging

Great macro photography. It goes without saying that the connectors are good 😂

Got to love WAGO. All their kit is superb.

Good to see a Wago taken apart. Initially I was not interested in them. At this point now I do like them, but I only use the authentic Wago’s for some jobs.

Remember when wagos first started to appeared in the uk and most sparks,,me included, were wary ,preferring our old tried and trusted terminal blocks ,through crimps and landmine junction boxes .First time i used em in anger and i was convinced,cant remember last time i used a round JB . As for twisting conductors,only on flex, dont bother on the 7 strand "conduit" wire .

Clive, you can push solid conductors, (as used in US residential Construcion), into the lever style WAGOs. And to determine whether to use similar non WAGO connectors, look for an imprint of an Independent Test lab. The WAGOs have all had a UL seal on them.

I wish they make a T version where you need to tap a cable that has no slack in it.

I believe the official pronunciation (used by the company in their promotion materials, etc) in English markets is "wah-go", so that's what I've trained myself to call them (but to be honest, I have the distinct feeling the company doesn't really care what you call them, as long as you keep buying them :) ). Regarding twisting vs not, as long as you get all the strands inside the connector, I don't think it really matters that much. I usually do a very slight twist just to make sure I don't catch a strand and get a stray whisker when putting them in, but I don't worry about actually twisting very tightly. One of the real benefits of this design is that it is self-tightening, so if the wire untwists inside the connector over time due to wiggling around, etc, it will just make for a tighter connection in the end (but even if it doesn't, I'm pretty confident it'll still make a plenty-good connection even with twisted wires, so either way is fine).

once again thanks for all you do.

I've used clones of these for car radio installs. Perfect for that kind of stuff.

Nicely designed and made product. The quality is definitely worth spending a few more pennies for in line voltage wiring. Thanks for the overview and details. Cheers!

Iw used these for 10 years and they have been used everywhere in my country for a long time, I dont think Iw ever heard anyone have a negative experience with them so they are good. Some of the older type vagos would have such a spring in them that the clip would often hurt your fingers closing but these never ones have that fixed too.

All the tests i've seen really show how great these connectors are. I will admit that twist caps make a better connection but only because its not the cap that is making the connection, its the wire twisted around the other wire for virtually no resistance load added. Vs a wago which runs a bus bar. But considering how well designed these are you are FAAAAR more likely to burn out a cheap outlet tab or destroy the tabs in a light before actually destroying one of these wagos. All the destructive tests I've seen were just end to end with a wago in between. Would love to see a test with source to output such as an outlet with a whole lot of load on it, and see which fails first. The wago connections within the branch circuit, or the sources that use the power themselves...

This has changed my mind. I have preferred the old-school connectors where I could trust my eyes and skill with a screwdriver to know the wire was firmly and electrically connected to another wire, short (no pun intended :-) of soldering and sleeving. I would now use these. I thought the USA used crazy stuff like wire nuts and lumped Wago in there. I find that here in NZ there are lots of sellers, and I will now look at getting some.

I could have done with these inline Wagos last week. Had to settle with crimping the connections.

I don't use a ton of those wago-style connectors, but when I do yse them I DO twist the ends of the wires.

You should always wiggle stranded wires in these and all connectors to ensure full contact is made, and will not be affected by vibration.

The connectors are designed to provide proper contact when solid wire is used. Twisting up stranded to work as solid will give a similar contact area compared with solid. I don't see a problem with the practice.

Thanks in part to my late grandfather, I have a supply of wire nuts that will probably last a lifetime. They haven't been a problem for us, but one does need to be careful how they're used.

I have made an extension box with strain relief for the 221 in-line connectors. Which is quite popular at MakerWorld model 200513

Twist if it's a clamped connection and leave straight if it's a crimped connection.

I like them, easy to make changes with due to reuseabilty.

They are my ‘goto’ connector if I need to make any joints within my ring main.❤️

Great advice and info, yet again from The Master Electrician.

In continental Europe carpenters, plumbers, joiners, tilers, painters, HVAC and other artisans never call electrician (probably to finish their work faster), so WAGO is developing DIY-friendly connectors.

I use sago connectors to wire exit signs and they are great

Always remember to strip wires at least 11mm like displayed on these connectors and fully insert the wire. If you do those two things, you'll be sure these result in a reliable connection. Just to be sure, gently pull the wire after connecting, just to make sure it's working as intended!

The one teensy weensy little downside I noticed with this type of Wago is that when you are working in a tight area you might inadvertently open one of the levers as you are digging around for other wires, because of the lever sticking out just enough to grab on to a glove or what ever.

GREAT review, thank you Clive! The brittleness of the plastic is probably due to it being a thermoset vice thermoplastic; thermosets withstand much higher temperatures before failure.

These look SO much better than wire nuts. I will keep them in mind for my next wiring project. I assume they make them for 12 AWG solid wire?

I no longer purchase or use wire nuts, for me it's now Wago all the way. Much more convenient, and they stand up to re-use quite well. I purchased some LED tube lights off Amazon (Barrina brand) and their pigtails are rather short. By the time you fish that pigtail through a proper gland and into a junction box, there's precious little wire left over; and certainly not enough slack to use wire nuts if I wanted to.

I think wagos are starting to catch on in the US. They tend to be in stock at the big home improvement stores. I like to use them. I am also reasonably certain they comply with the relevant US electrical codes, though admittedly I am not an electrician.

I use these on my custom moped eBike on the motor for a quick disconnect. They have been excellent even when exposed to the elements. Bought them at Home Depot to make sure I receive the authentic ones Edit: 10 piece count for $9.99 not bad