Old-school twist connectors vs. Wago style, who switched and when?

I learned on the job in 2005 and my journeyman would strip and twist everything, then tape it like it owed him money. Now I carry a pouch of lever nuts for everything from 12 gauge lights to 10 gauge cirtcuits. But I still see old timers on job sites here in Phoenix refusing to touch them, saying a twist is a real connection. I switched full time about 3 years ago after a service call showed a rat chewed through a taped joint, but a Wago held fine. What's your rule for when you break out the old twist style vs. the lever nuts, and has anyone actually had a lever nut fail on them in a panel or j-box?

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jennifersmith1mo ago

I read somewhere that Wagos are actually rated for more wire combinations than twist nuts ever were, at least according to the specs on the box. My rule is simple, anything that might get wet or shaken gets a lever nut, and only old work in tight boxes gets the twist and tape. I have not seen a lever nut fail yet, but I did hear about a guy who had a batch of knockoff ones melt, so buy the real brand.

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