When wiring two or more recepticles (double pole) on the same
circuit is it better to cut the conductors off and attach them to
their respective terminals and continue the circuit by attaching
conductors feeding the second recepticle to the other terminal?

Or simply skin back the insulation and loop them over single
terminals on the recepticle?


Black to brass - White to silver - Bare to Ground

 

This is probably a religious question. I'll bet each approach has its advocates. Most people, however, would probably not use the looped wire.

You asked an either-or question, but there are quite a few people who would amswer, "neither". They would advocate connecting each device with pigtails.

 

I would cut the wire.
It is easier to skin the end then the middle of a wire.

 

Joed,
"It is easier to skin the end then the middle of a wire." Not much more so. I use my wire strippers [Ideal] and penetrate the insulation 1 1/2" apart. Then I skin that section off with my utility knife. If this is near the end of the wire - say six inches - I just clip the insulation once and slide the last 6" about 1 1/2". This I mainly use for ground wire since I can loop the exposed copper around the ground screw [in the metal box] and then I have one less wire to fiddle with in the wire nut.
As far as electrical conductivity is concerned, it is obvious that an unbroken wire is the best conductor. Connecting using the two screws on the receptacle means a series connection and all the downstream current would be flowing thru the innards of your receptacle. If you remove that receptacle for somereason, all the downstream receptacles would be without power. This is why pig-tailing is recommended. And also required by the code with neutrals in multi-wire circuits.
~Peter