Mine is very much like yours Dan. The design is pretty good but there is a learning curve.

1: Look at the second pic. Look at the height adjustment knob. Next ... look at the nut that is touching the blue part.

That nut is a locknut that prevents the height adjustment from changing. Tighten that up with a wrench.You don't need the c-clamp -or- to tighten up the allen head screw.

2: Look at the first & second pics at the adjustable plate for the different wire thicknesses. The very top of whatever hole you are using on the plate should be a little bit below V-groove on the wheel. You get better traction that way.

3: 12 gauge wire isn't all the same. The plastic insulation is thicker on some and thinner on other kinds. You have to adjust the wheel height to the kind you're stripping.

If the wire is squeezing off to one side or the other of the cutting head ... you've got the wheel adjusted down too far.

If the copper wire inside is being scored by the cutting wheel ... you've got the adjustment down too far.

If there are any kinks or bends in the wire you're stripping ... it won't feed through the machine right. The wire you're stripping has to be straight. ( Cut off the insulated kinky ends first and keep em' in a bucket. You can sell those ones as ICW.)

Overall ... it's a pretty nice machine but the Chinese don't tell you anything at all about how to use it in the owner's manual. You have to figure it out for yourself through trial & error.

Word to the wise. Always wear gloves when working with wire. The insulation has rat poison & PFAS in it. The PFAS issue probably won't come into the national spotlight for a few more years but lawsuits against the manufacturers who used it in their products are in the works. It's not as bad as asbestos but it's nothing you want to get in your system if you can help it.

Edited to add: It's a cheap machine but it's fine for occasional use. The only spare part you should need is a new cutting wheel every so often. If it needs more than that ... just scrap it out and get a new one. They pay for themselves in pretty short order.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website glove manufacturing machinery.