Klein Tools VDV226-110 Ratcheting Modular Data Cable Crimper / Wire Stripper / Wire Cutter for RJ11/RJ12 Standard, RJ45 Pass-Thru Connectors

The Klein Tools VDV226-110 Ratcheting Modular Data Cable Crimper / Wire Stripper / Cutter is a tool every tech professional needs. The ratcheting mechanism makes crimping effortless and precise, while the integrated wire stripper and cutter save time and reduce clutter in your toolkit. It feels solid and well-balanced, with clean, sharp cuts every time and no frustrating slips. Assembly and adjustments are intuitive, and it handles all standard modular data cables flawlessly. Durable, reliable, and thoughtfully engineered — exactly the kind of high-quality tool I love testing and recommending.

Worked flawlessly on the first try. I made two cat6 cables quickly without any mistakes. This review is 4.5 stars (or maybe between 4.5 and 5) but Amazon only allows whole-stars. I decided on 5 because 4 is too low. The tool feels sturdy and the mechanism is firm but not tight (perfect). This is the first time I've used a ratcheting crimper, and I'm a fan over non-ratcheting crimpers (though it's been decades since I last crimped any RJ45 connectors). The sheath-cutter works surprisingly well, though you should always inspect the individual wires to see if you have cut their sheaths as well. If you have large hands, this tool will feel small, but there is no issue using it. This tool seems like it would be equally easy to use for right-handers and left-handers, though each would likely choose a different grip (thumb near the fulcrum for left-handers, thumb near the end of the handle for right-handers). This tool really is great, I only have a few small issues. My only real complaint about this tool is that it can't be closed for storage. It's got a ratcheting handle so you can clamp-down on the connector during crimping, but then it always springs back to its fully-open position. Imagine having to store all your scissors in the "X position" (open) rather than the "Y position" (closed). I guess I'll just get some twine to hold it closed when it's in the drawer. There is a "safety override" knob on the handle. It's labelled "override" on the tool and the instruction card helpfully clarifies that as a "safety override", and it's used to allow you to release the ratchet before it's reached it's final position. I kinda feel like the solution to the "won't stay closed" problem could have been solved using this same knob, but rotated in the other direction, perhaps. When inserting the RJ46 connector into the tool for crimping, the connector does not lock like it would, say, in an actual Ethernet connection. This means that you have to ensure that you really, REALLY made sure to push the connector all the way in, and that it doesn't move at all as you perform the crimp. The crimping operation does not push the connector either way, so you SHOULD be okay, but you are on your own to ensure proper alignment. The "crimp nest" appears to be a separate die-cast component and could easily have been designed to have a clip to ensure proper and steady positioning. This crimper unfortunately comes with no connectors, and the bundle with connectors is an extra $15 for 50 connectors. I decided to buy much cheaper connectors and they worked perfectly fine. I kinds thing think this too should come with some really small number of connectors, like maybe 4. Otherwise you have to buy a lot of them if you only need a few. I suppose if you are buying a crimping tool, you are not interested in making just one or two cables, but at least it would let you get a sense of what quality connectors you would need to buy, or to compare to others you might find. The wiring diagrams directly on the tool are great, but they are stickers. I suspect they will wear-off over time. Anything that won't last the life of the tool isn't really worth much. Sure, you can find the wiring pattern on the internet, but having it on the tool is SUPER nice. The instructions tell you to strip between 1.5" - 2" of the sheathing which I found to be way more than necessary, but it depends upon the type of connector and a few other factors. In my case, I decided to start conservatively and cut a full 2" off the end, and ended up with 3/4" or more of discard wire pieces being sheared-off during the crimp (which is the point of the "pass-thru" design). That seemed to me like a lot of waste. In one instance, the outer wires weren't completely cut during the crimp/shear operation, but I could just twist them off the end of the connector after I removed it from the tool. I think the blade could afford to be 1/16" wider or so. The instructions don't make this suggestion, but after you have straightened each of the individual wires for insertion into the connector, I would recommend trimming them all flush to make the placement easier. The cutter doesn't look like it would work well for this, but it does: just put the wires across the oddly-angled center of the tool and close the jaws. It looks like there is plenty of space to lose stray cut-ends of wire into this tool. I've only had it for 24 hours so I haven't had much opportunity to fill it up with junk and have to clean it. There are 3 pins holding the two faces of the tool together, and each of the 3 has a retaining ring on it, so I'm optimistic about the serviceability of this tool. Had them been rivets or some other permanent fastener, I'd be less optimistic.

Super easy to use. The mapping diagram That's stickered on the crimper is super convenient. I really like the crimp and cut functionality it makes terminating cat6 so much easier and quicker. The stripper takes a little getting used to but works great.

Klein Tools are always solid, and the VDV226-110 is no exception. As an IT professional, these crimpers have been great. They make quick work of cables, and the results are consistent and clean. I highly recommend pairing them with the Klein Tools VDV110-261. Together, they streamline the process and save a lot of time when you are terminating multiple runs. They are easy to use, feel durable in the hand, and perform exactly as expected. Another dependable product from Klein.

This Klein crimper is a massive improvement over the cheap no-name ones I bought the first time. The ratcheting action is smooth, the leverage is great, and it makes clean, consistent crimps without having to crush the handles like a gorilla. It strips and cuts cleanly too, which is more than I can say for the budget tools. Everything locks in straight, the connectors seat perfectly, and the finished cables actually look professional instead of “well, hopefully this works.” After switching to this, I’m not wasting connectors anymore. If you want a tool that feels solid and works the way it should every single time, this is the one. Would absolutely buy again.

Klein makes great tools. This tool is specifically designed for crimping RJ45 (8-pin) and RJ11 (6-pin) pass-thru connectors. These are the newer connector types that allow the wires to be pushed completely through the connector so that they extend beyond the end of the plug. The user can then verify that the wires are in the proper positions before crimping them. When the crimper is closed, the wires are pressed into their respective insulation displacement pins and the excess wire is simultaneously trimmed off. I'm a big fan of the Pass-Thru system because it is so much easier to make up cable ends. This Klein crimper will not work with older, non-Pass-Thru connectors so users must change over to the newer Pass-Thru connectors. The one major issue I have with this Klein crimper is that the stripper feature is almost worthless. The stripper is to be used for trimming off the external sheath of the cable prior to inserting the individual wires into the connector. The user is instructed to insert 1.5 to 2 inches of the cable into the STRIP groove, close the crimper all the way, and then rotate the crimper 2 or 3 turns to cut the sheath. The first problem I noticed was that rotating the crimper was awkward because it is relatively heavy and difficult to hold closed while trying to rotate it around the cable. The bigger problem was that there was no way to adjust the height of the stripper blade. Cable diameters vary depending the type (Cat 5, Cat 6, shielded vs non-shielded, etc.) so the cutting depth must be adjustable. With Cat 5e, non-shielded cable, the stripper blade in this Klein crimper didn't even touch the sheath of the cable. I resorted to using my previously purchased MonoPrice cable stripper which is very easy to use and the blade height is adjustable. This tool is not a crimper but it is a great stripper. If you buy the Klein crimper, I strongly suggest that you get a separate, adjustable cable stripper to go with it.

Over the past couple of years I've been upgrading my home network. I have a patch panel that just had me punch the wires into the connector. It works wonderful, but the problem is if you need to change over to a different setup. That's where I stand. I had all these hard wired connections, but I needed to switch over to a different setup. That's where this crimper comes in. This crimper allows me to set up for future growth. Instead of having the cables run to the patch panel, I can pop on an rj-45 connector that allows me to run it directly to another system, or to the switch, or to a new patch panel, etc. Since it's a pass through crimper, it allows you to verify that the wires are run correctly into the connector. Everything is just so much easier with this crimper than what I had in the past. Do yourself a favor, just get the best.

Works right away, cuts all wires when crimping, and everything fits and comes together flush when crimping. My workplace had some other knockoff brands that would not cut all the wires are were not closing properly. If you're worried about the quality of your cables, this is the right one to use.