Ben at some point we all need to terminate a hot wire. The insulator problems I am talking about happened at a wood corner post.

I don't know how you do it but I terminate a hot wire by using 12 gage through the insulator and around the post. And then the 14 ga hotwire through the other end of the insulator.  At some point there has to be an insulator to take the tension as far as I can see.

Here is a picture of the only end insulator I have not had a problem with .

Jim at Dawn