Recently picked up one of these. Great for field work or bench use, as a single frame + dies (at least 19, more if you can locate them) is less expensive than multiple professional controlled cycle crimpers. Pressmaster makes most of the OEM brands that you find offered by Thomas & Betts, Molex, 3M, Xcelite, ...
Pressmaster Mobile Crimp Tool + Dies (Wiha 43190)
- Thread starter nanofrog
- Start date
teletekman
Well-known member
How much do the dies run for that crimper? I use the Paladin 1300 series crimper and the dies can cost anywhere around $40 and up depending on the type.
Depending on where you locate them, some of the simpler ones are ~$30USD, and more complicated ones up to ~$200USD (Weatherpack from Amazon or Wihatools.com).
Waytekwire.com is the cheapest I've seen, and by quite a bit. So that's where I plan to get as many as I can (a couple will have to come from Europe, and are ~$80USD per as I've not found a US source, such as one for insulated Flag terminals).
Waytek uses their own P/N's (3 digit number that starts with a 5), so take a look here (there is a second page, which has the Weatherpack die at just under $82 vs. Amazon for $142.32).
Pics available online all show a COO, and it's usually Sweden for the dies. Unfortunately, if the die is unmarked, it's Taiwanese (had to get that out of Pressmaster). The rest will be Swedish from what I was told, as is the MCT frame.
I'm not entirely pleased with this fact about the dies, but Waytek's prices fit the COO IMHO, so I won't have a fit. At Amazon's or Wiha's pricing, I would.
Hope this helps.
aczr2k
Well-known member
I have the Waytek branded version of that, with the 2 insulated standard dies, 2 heat shrink dies and the weatherpack die. They do not offer a Deutsch die and according to Wiha they are not making one.
Moose-LandTran
Well-known member
How is your crimper holding up? Satisfied with it?
Reason I'm asking: I can pick up this kit, labeled as Gedore for €125.
Buy it immediately!
Hehe, I just needed that extra push Moose
I asked the seller for some extra closeup photos of the dies, and the red blue yellow (green?!?) dies are actually made for insulated heatshrink connectors, which is great.
Oddly enough, the set contains these three dies:
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die73
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die75
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die74
The first two obsolete the third one, don't they?
I asked the seller for some extra closeup photos of the dies, and the red blue yellow (green?!?) dies are actually made for insulated heatshrink connectors, which is great.
Oddly enough, the set contains these three dies:
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die73
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die75
http://www.pressmaster.se/en/product/mct_die74
The first two obsolete the third one, don't they?
Mine is still going strong.
And for that price, definitely jump on it before it goes away.
As per the dies, no, none of these make the other obsolete at all. If you note the terminal info on the dies, one is for 0.110" wide terminals, one for 0.187" wide terminals, and one for 0.250" wide terminals. The actual specs on each are different, even though they all fall into the same basic category; un-insulated, open barrel, and therefore have the same basic characteristics.
I completely forgot about the width of the connectors Thanks for pointing it out.
Naturally I bought the set. It's weird that waytekwire and wiha seem to list different dies that pressmaster doesn't (on their website); for instance weatherpack. Have they stopped making them or do they simply don't sell them under their own label?
Thanks for pointing it out.Naturally I bought the set. It's weird that waytekwire and wiha seem to list different dies that pressmaster doesn't (on their website); for instance weatherpack. Have they stopped making them or do they simply don't sell them under their own label?
They used to be listed on both Pressmaster's site and product leaflet, so I would assume they've been pruned from their product line.
At least this is how things have occurred before (i.e. how the Flag terminal die vanished).So I would suggest if you need a Metri-Pack and/or Weather-Pack die (or any of the dies made for solar connectors), get them before they're gone.
Of course, you could send them an email, and see what they say to be certain.
aczr2k
Well-known member
I think the reason is waytek sells the dies pertaining to their product line. As with any of the weatherpack/Metripack it comes down to licensing?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Waytek specializes in vehicle wiring harness supplies, so they would be interested in Weatherpack and Metripack dies if available from the tool manufacturer; in this case, Pressmaster.
Wihatools.com has also cut the Metripack, Weatherpack, and solar dies from their website as well (haven't checked their international site).
I'd guess that Pressmaster has cut those particular dies due to insufficient sales rather than licensing fees, as they've produced those particular dies for a few years at least.
Actually, now long have Metripack and Weatherpack been available?
(Wondering if IP on the terminals themselves has expired, and just the Trademarked names remain)...
So I contacted Pressmaster, they responded quickly, but didn't really answer my question if they were still manufacturing those particular dies. She sent me a PDF with all the different ones though and said they were available from different distributors in the Netherlands and Germany.
The document seems to be created in 2008 though, so it's possible they have stopped producing these, but that stock is still available.
Die sets for the MCT tool frame:
https://mega.nz/#!NEhEQIBY!4uRxwnpxcXfQ0pwT6hAPjlaXea4LAN5jK2-3bqcYCz0
The document seems to be created in 2008 though, so it's possible they have stopped producing these, but that stock is still available.
Die sets for the MCT tool frame:
https://mega.nz/#!NEhEQIBY!4uRxwnpxcXfQ0pwT6hAPjlaXea4LAN5jK2-3bqcYCz0
I suspect so.
FWIW, if they weren't so expensive, I'd go ahead and get the Weatherpack and Metripack dies (don't currently have a need, but I do see the connectors often enough due to DIY auto wiring work). Guess I'll have to keep using ready-made connectors and tying them in with **** splices & adhesive lined heat shrink (or opt for a crimper that does the wire & insulation crimps separately).
And I'm still hunting for the flag terminal die.
okidave
Member
Just ordered the MCT with the 4300-3146 die and one other die ($180 delivered including Customs/duties). According to the https://www.wirecare.com/product.asp?pn=WC609661 website it will crimp the thick (0.8-1.0mm) open barrel terminals. The only other option I had was to order a HERO BL-255 from Japan ($200+ customs/duties, about$300), I live in the Philippines. Has anyone used the Pressmaster MCT for these type of terminals?
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I suspect you'll be rather satisfied with it's performance (I use 12 - 10AWG in mine all the time).
The only issue I've had has been with the red insulated terminal profiles' inspection marks not imprinting or fully imprinting (outermost location); they did pass pull tests, but technically were fails due to the improper inspection marks. Unfortunately, this wasn't a fluke, as this was the case with multiple replacement dies.
The inside die location is where the profiles for larger wire gauges are placed, which I've never had an issue with on any die thus far, including blue & yellow insulated terminals (never tried the green). Nor have I had issues with any of the non-insulated profiles, regardless of where the profile is placed in the die.
Hope this helps.
I bought that exact press to do a whole wiring harness for a 65 chevy truck. The entire harness used those connectors and the press worked amazing. You will be pleased.
okidave
Member
Thanks for all the replies. Will post pics when I receive the crimper and test it out.
okidave
Member
Did not turn out well with the thick terminals and 10awg GXL wire. The red wire is a 14-12awg 0.8mm terminal on a 10awg wire-not too bad. The black wires are a 10-8awg 1.0mm terminal on 10awg GXL wire-badly deformed crimp. The uncrimped terminal is the 10-8awg 1.0mm thick. Maybe better off using pliers to crush and then solder rather than $300 for a one-off project.
Like the crimper will definitely keep it works well with the thinner Faston terminals.
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Sorry they didn't turn out well.
Do you have the specs of those terminals (i.e. material the terminal is made of, thickness of the material, and dimensional specs)?
I ask, as I'm wondering if they're cheap Chinese terminals (made of steel?), or are meant to be crimped with a different die spec.
FWIW, I've run into this before with terminals that came in a battery terminal kit I picked up at NAPA (2 - 4AWG open barrel ring terminals). Turned out they were made of steel and I got crappy results with the crimpers I was using. No specs on the cheap terminals, so all I could do was buy better quality terminals I knew would crimp properly (switched to Panduit P2-14R-X, which worked like a charm).
okidave
Member
The terminals are brass made in Japan, specs attached. I think the die is too narrow for them.Sorry they didn't turn out well.
Do you have the specs of those terminals (i.e. material the terminal is made of, thickness of the material, and dimensional specs)?
I ask, as I'm wondering if they're cheap Chinese terminals (made of steel?), or are meant to be crimped with a different die spec.
FWIW, I've run into this before with terminals that came in a battery terminal kit I picked up at NAPA (2 - 4AWG open barrel ring terminals). Turned out they were made of steel and I got crappy results with the crimpers I was using. No specs on the cheap terminals, so all I could do was buy better quality terminals I knew would crimp properly (switched to Panduit P2-14R-X, which worked like a charm).
Decided to go with closed barrel ring terminals specs attached, and the attached die. I am 99% certain they will work with no problems. Along with adhesive lined shrink tubing for wire strain relief.
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With the widest part @ 8.5mm, absolutely (max on the die you used is 6.3mm/.250").
They'll work.
FWIW, the double indent is usually meant for solid wire, while the single indent is meant for stranded.
Hey, I didn't know that, good info, although crimping stranded wire with the double dimple seems to work ok!
okidave
Member
With the widest part @ 8.5mm, absolutely (max on the die you used is 6.3mm/.250").
They'll work.
FWIW, the double indent is usually meant for solid wire, while the single indent is meant for stranded.
Luckily the ring terminals I ordered are AMP STRATO-THERM, the double/W-crimp is the required crimp for these. See attachment.
Here they seem to have reasonable prices on dies. http://www.mytoolstore.de/search.ph...insatz&x=0&y=0&sid=mkv0cvcsm2dcdt3f0704tulve4
I've seen the weatherpack dies go up to €200. €55 here:
http://www.mytoolstore.de/gedore-modul-einsatz-fuer-lamellenkontakt-8140-20-p-129848.html
I've seen the weatherpack dies go up to €200. €55 here:
http://www.mytoolstore.de/gedore-modul-einsatz-fuer-lamellenkontakt-8140-20-p-129848.html
Bit of a thread resurrection, but I stumbled upon this discussion while compiling a list of all the different dies that are available for this amazing tool, and figured you might be interested in the result:
I count 46 dies in total; a staggering number, though there does seem to be some overlap. I have 11 dies myself and am always on the look-out for more!
Code:
Modular
======================================================================================================
4300-3144 RJ45 connectors 8/8, 8/6, 8/4
4300-3132 RJ11 connectors 6/6, 6/4, 6/2
Turned Pin
======================================================================================================
4300-3147 Turned pin connectors 0.14-4mm²
4300-3148 Turned pin connectors 6-10 mm²
Endsleeves
======================================================================================================
4300-3127 Endsleeves connectors 0.25-10mm²
4300-3153 Endsleeves connectors 16-25 mm²
4300-3154 Endsleeves connectors 35-50 mm²
Insulated Terminals
======================================================================================================
4300-3129 Red/blue insulated connectors, 0.5-2.5 mm²
4300-3128 Green/yellow insulated connectors 0.1-6mm²
4300-3258 Red/blue heat shrink connectors
4300-3262 Green/yellow heat shrink connectors
Open Barrel
======================================================================================================
4300-3150 Open barrel connectors, 0.1-0.25/0.25-0.5/0.5-1.0 mm²
4300-3151 Open barrel connectors, 0.5-1.5/1.5-2.5 mm²
4300-3146 Open barrel connectors, 0.5-1.5/1.5-2.5/4-6 mm²
4300-3202 Like 4300-3146, but crimps are lower and wider
4300-3709 6.3 mm Flag Terminals 0.75-2.5 mm²
4300-3427 6.3 mm Flag Terminals 1.0-2.5 mm²
4300-3348 8mm Flag Terminals 1.0-2.5 mm²
Closed Barrel
======================================================================================================
4300-3241 Non-insulated connectors 4-6/10 mm²
4300-3142 Non Insulated connectors 0.5-6 mm²
4300-3137 Non-Insulated connectors 0.75-2.5mm²
4300-3139 Non-Insulated connectors 4-10 mm²
Coaxial
======================================================================================================
4300-3136 RG58, RG59, RG62AU, BNC/TNC Coax connectors
4300-3141 SMA, SMB, SFR, ST, SC Fiber Optic connectors
4300-3140 RG174, RG179, BNC/TNC Coax connectors
4300-3138 RG6, Belden 1694A, Twinax BNC, CATV F type connectors
4300-3386 CATV connectors RG6, 59 Sqr 1.72/Hex 8.23 mm
4300-3181 BNC, TNC connectors RG6, Belden 8281, 1694A Hex 1.73/8.23/6.48 mm
4300-3247 BNC, TNC connectors Sqr 0.7 Hex 3.85/3.25 mm
4300-3182 BNC, TNC connectors Sqr 1.07 Hex 8.23/6.48 mm
4300-3249 BNC, TNC connectors Sqr 1.72 Hex 5.41 mm
4300-3459 BNC, TNC connectors Sqr 0.73/1.72 Hex 3.25/4.30/5.41 mm
4300-3460 BNC, TNC connectors Sqr 1.20 Hex 3.25/4.52/5.41 mm
4300-3404 BNC, TNC connectors Hex 1.73/2.03/2.54/10.90 mm
4300-3403 BNC connectors on BT 2002, 2003 cable Hex 1.46/5.18/6.81 mm
Proprietary
======================================================================================================
4300-3727 Metri-Pack 150 & 280 type connectors 0.75-1.5/2.5-4.0/4.0-6.0 mm²
4300-3242 Weather Pack type connectors 0.5-0.8/1.0-2.0/3 mm²
4300-3706 Automotive type connectors with Wire Seal 0.5-1.5/1.5-2.5/4.0-6.0 mm²
4300-3707 Automotive type connectors wrap-around crimp 0.5-1.5/1.5-2.5/4.0-6.0 mm²
4300-3708 Automotive type connectors over-lap crimp 0.5-1.5/1.5-2.5/4.0-6.0 mm²
4300-3541 Solarlok, turned pin type, 2.5-4.0/6.0 mm²
4300-3540 MC3 Ø3mm, turned pin type, 2.5-4.0/6.0 mm²
4300-3539 MC4 Ø4mm, open barrel type, 2.5/4.0/6.0 mm²
4300-3426 TE/AMP Timer type connectors without Wire Seal 0.5-1.0/1.0-2.5/2.5-4.0 mm²
4300-3425 TE/AMP Timer type connectors with Wire Seal 0.5-1.0/1.0-2.5/2.5-4.0 mm²
4300-3428 TE/AMP SuperSeal 1.5 System type connectors with Wire Seal 0.75-1.25/1.5 mm²
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Coolerman
Well-known member
www.waytekwire.com carries a few of these dies for under $50.00. They do carry the 4300-3146. Their part # 567
I actually BROKE a 4300-3146 die last month! I do side work building wiring harnesses for old Toyota FJ40/45 Land Cruisers and I guess just used the 22-16ga section of the die too much. Went to make a crimp and felt it give. The crimp came out horrible. I first though it was a deformed terminal but after investigation, found the cracked die.
That die has probably made 5000 plus crimps on the 22-16ga section, and 10,000 plus on the 16-14ga section. You can see the crack in the die in the pic below.
I actually BROKE a 4300-3146 die last month! I do side work building wiring harnesses for old Toyota FJ40/45 Land Cruisers and I guess just used the 22-16ga section of the die too much. Went to make a crimp and felt it give. The crimp came out horrible. I first though it was a deformed terminal but after investigation, found the cracked die.
That die has probably made 5000 plus crimps on the 22-16ga section, and 10,000 plus on the 16-14ga section. You can see the crack in the die in the pic below.
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Shredwagon
Active member
Can anyone tell me if one can use the 4300-3242 Weather Pack die for Deutsch open barrel terminals? Or is there another die for the Pressmaster frame that would work better?
Also see a separate die set listed above for Metri Pack, but assumed the Weather Pack die could also be used for these? Or is this bad practice?
@coolerman?
Also see a separate die set listed above for Metri Pack, but assumed the Weather Pack die could also be used for these? Or is this bad practice?
@coolerman?
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I suspect so.
And I'm still hunting for the flag terminal die.
Hi All,
My first post here. I found the site when searching for info on crimpers after a couple of disappointing purchases. After weighing up the options I eventually got the Pressmaster MCT and am very happy with them thus far.
One of my requirements was for flag terminals, which I do a few of. Given they seem to be hard to get elsewhere I thought I would mention that I received my MCT flag terminal dies today.
They are Pressmaster branded and say Made in Sweden on the packaging (but not on the dies).I got them from RS Australia, part number 683-1658 (Pressmaster #4300-3709/AAB), I had to back order them and they took about 4 weeks. Not cheap at $163.58AUD but I can find no other alternative good quality flag crimpers at less than $600 for specific pliers by JST.
I'll report back on how they crimp.
Cheers
Steve
Hi GJ,
The flag crimp dies:
Packaging says Made in Sweden but I suspect these are Taiwanese. The large part number is the RS number, so the packaging is presumably done for/by them.
The dies are not quite as nicely finished as the ones which say 'Made in Sweden' on the actual dies. But they are well finished none the less, and the all important forming dies look quite nicely done with a clear centre ridge.
How the terminal sits in the lower die. These are JST terminals.
Flag terminal loaded.
Here are some results. The yellow wire is under 1mm2 so too small for the dies/terminals, but none the less it worked out ok. The red wire is 2mm2 thin wall automotive wire, the blue is 1mm2 thinwall automotive, the orange is unknown but probably about 0.75mm2 standard wall.
The blue one is damaged due to me being clumsy, I'm left handed and still getting used to the different way in which you hold the MCT compared to conventional crimpers.
In all cases the crimp on the conductor looks good and there is no deformation of the terminal at all (when not mis-crimped).
The insulation crimp is not perfect however, in all cases there is a 'curling back' of the crimp, sometimes better sometimes worse. Some practice/technique may help here? Or maybe it's my particular terminals (JST, made in Japan). In all cases I clamped the terminal in a vice and pulled on the wire with pliers and they were solid, no movement. But you can see the insulation crimp is not quite right.
In the lower most crimp (orange wire) I pre-crimped the insulation in my trusty old set of OLD GC Waldom crimps (the new ones are junk) then crimped again in the pressmaster to do the conductor. That resulted in what I would call a pretty much perfectly formed crimp (but I'm not an expert).
Cheers
Steve
The flag crimp dies:
Packaging says Made in Sweden but I suspect these are Taiwanese. The large part number is the RS number, so the packaging is presumably done for/by them.
The dies are not quite as nicely finished as the ones which say 'Made in Sweden' on the actual dies. But they are well finished none the less, and the all important forming dies look quite nicely done with a clear centre ridge.
How the terminal sits in the lower die. These are JST terminals.
Flag terminal loaded.
Here are some results. The yellow wire is under 1mm2 so too small for the dies/terminals, but none the less it worked out ok. The red wire is 2mm2 thin wall automotive wire, the blue is 1mm2 thinwall automotive, the orange is unknown but probably about 0.75mm2 standard wall.
The blue one is damaged due to me being clumsy, I'm left handed and still getting used to the different way in which you hold the MCT compared to conventional crimpers.
In all cases the crimp on the conductor looks good and there is no deformation of the terminal at all (when not mis-crimped).
The insulation crimp is not perfect however, in all cases there is a 'curling back' of the crimp, sometimes better sometimes worse. Some practice/technique may help here? Or maybe it's my particular terminals (JST, made in Japan). In all cases I clamped the terminal in a vice and pulled on the wire with pliers and they were solid, no movement. But you can see the insulation crimp is not quite right.
In the lower most crimp (orange wire) I pre-crimped the insulation in my trusty old set of OLD GC Waldom crimps (the new ones are junk) then crimped again in the pressmaster to do the conductor. That resulted in what I would call a pretty much perfectly formed crimp (but I'm not an expert).
Cheers
Steve
I bought the 'Automotive Kit' with 6.3/0.25" open barrel dies, closed barrel, **** splice and blue/red insulated dies. The flag dies came later, and today I also received the first of the other available dies - 2.8/0.110" open barrel, and bootlace ferrule.
I have a requirement for a couple of types of small open barrel, so I thought these might be just the ticket. Not really, as it turned out.
Here are the dies. Note the 'Made in Sweden' marking and obviously better quality of finish compared with the flag dies.
Here are some results on 0.094" molex terminals on 1mm2 thinwall wire. On the presently available terminals (top/left 3) they were a total failure, the insulation crimp is all wrong and the tabs do not bend, rather they collapse and break off. In fairness, I have had trouble with these later type of terminal in various earlier crimpers, but not to this degree. that's the trouble with ratchet crimpers, they're either right or they're not. If you have the right combination of dies/setting/terminals/wire size then results will be reliably great, if anything is not right it will be reliably bad. With a plier crimper you have some latitude on how far you crimp, and often many slightly different die sizes (such as Hozan P707).
On the upside the conductor crimp is lovely, with what I understand to be the perfectly flared entry which reduces fatigue failures.
The crimp at the bottom/right is a different type of the same terminal, some leftovers from an earlier purchase, you can see the insulation crimp worked properly on that one...
Here you can see the two different types of terminal and the different results. The flat sided insulation tabs with the bend at the end curled around properly and crimped well, but these were a few leftovers from a purchase many years ago - Aussie supplier Utilux if I recall. All the ones I can find these days have the splayed style like the failed molex ones.
So not a good result on these terminals, not blaming the tool, just that they are not the right dies for this type of connector.
I have a requirement for a couple of types of small open barrel, so I thought these might be just the ticket. Not really, as it turned out.
Here are the dies. Note the 'Made in Sweden' marking and obviously better quality of finish compared with the flag dies.
Here are some results on 0.094" molex terminals on 1mm2 thinwall wire. On the presently available terminals (top/left 3) they were a total failure, the insulation crimp is all wrong and the tabs do not bend, rather they collapse and break off. In fairness, I have had trouble with these later type of terminal in various earlier crimpers, but not to this degree. that's the trouble with ratchet crimpers, they're either right or they're not. If you have the right combination of dies/setting/terminals/wire size then results will be reliably great, if anything is not right it will be reliably bad. With a plier crimper you have some latitude on how far you crimp, and often many slightly different die sizes (such as Hozan P707).
On the upside the conductor crimp is lovely, with what I understand to be the perfectly flared entry which reduces fatigue failures.
The crimp at the bottom/right is a different type of the same terminal, some leftovers from an earlier purchase, you can see the insulation crimp worked properly on that one...
Here you can see the two different types of terminal and the different results. The flat sided insulation tabs with the bend at the end curled around properly and crimped well, but these were a few leftovers from a purchase many years ago - Aussie supplier Utilux if I recall. All the ones I can find these days have the splayed style like the failed molex ones.
So not a good result on these terminals, not blaming the tool, just that they are not the right dies for this type of connector.
Next one was the small square terminals I need to do on a multipin connector I occasionally use - I don't recall the name of them. These are tricky as they require a very narrow/tall crimp profile in order to fit nicely into the plug. I thought the 0.110 dies would be nice and small/narrow...
Here's a crimp, once again on 1mm2 thinwall wire. From this angle it doesn't look too bad...
But here you see the deformation it causes to the terminal, not good.
Here it is going into the plug, you can see the insulation crimp is too wide. Yes I realise it's upside down in this shot...
These Molex pliers produce just the right narrow/tall crimp required to fit the plug, and I will continue to use them for these terminals.
So all in all, not a great purchase. Nothing wrong with them at a guess, just they do not really work on the terminals I wanted to use them on. Still, might work well on something else in the future...
Amusingly, I bought the bootlace ferrule dies and I don't own any bootlace ferrules...
Here's a crimp, once again on 1mm2 thinwall wire. From this angle it doesn't look too bad...
But here you see the deformation it causes to the terminal, not good.
Here it is going into the plug, you can see the insulation crimp is too wide. Yes I realise it's upside down in this shot...
These Molex pliers produce just the right narrow/tall crimp required to fit the plug, and I will continue to use them for these terminals.
So all in all, not a great purchase. Nothing wrong with them at a guess, just they do not really work on the terminals I wanted to use them on. Still, might work well on something else in the future...
Amusingly, I bought the bootlace ferrule dies and I don't own any bootlace ferrules...
In regard to the Flag die being Swedish, it's not. The castings are all from Taiwan and perhaps finished in Sweden, which is why the die itself doesn't say Sweden on it anywhere (COO of Sweden = die is marked with Sweden on it). Pressmaster got in trouble over this (misrepresentation of COO), and I'm betting the die you purchased sat on the shelf for years (seems to be out of production for some time).
Hopefully all that's needed is some practice and perhaps a different brand of terminal (IIRC, JST terminal specs are slightly different than the US/EU made versions).
Generally speaking, I've found that good quality ratcheting crimpers are very picky in regard to terminals.
And FWIW, I have a manual non-ratcheting type from Engineer for situations the ratcheting dies aren't playing well with open barrel terminals, including my pair from Daniels Mfg. Co. for this size (PA-09).
Hopefully all that's needed is some practice and perhaps a different brand of terminal (IIRC, JST terminal specs are slightly different than the US/EU made versions).
Generally speaking, I've found that good quality ratcheting crimpers are very picky in regard to terminals.
And FWIW, I have a manual non-ratcheting type from Engineer for situations the ratcheting dies aren't playing well with open barrel terminals, including my pair from Daniels Mfg. Co. for this size (PA-09).
Thanks, good info.
I was looking at those Engineer pliers, as well as other options from both Engineer and Hozan. I was of course hoping that the MCT would do everything I needed but it's never that simple. A couple of types of good manual crimpers do still seem to be required for those less than ideal situations.
I was looking at those Engineer pliers, as well as other options from both Engineer and Hozan. I was of course hoping that the MCT would do everything I needed but it's never that simple. A couple of types of good manual crimpers do still seem to be required for those less than ideal situations.
Unfortunately, there is no single solution when it comes to crimpers IME. Just too many variations in terminal types and specifications.
As per plier type crimp tools, I'm not fond of them as a general rule since there's too much potential of a bad crimp (i.e. insufficient force to generate a cold weld or over-crimping). But I find the micro sized JST terminals are easy enough to deform correctly using the PA-09 without over-crimping.
The PA-09 isn't perfect, but will do well enough when my die specs don't match the terminal, namely the insulation section. I wish they made a ratcheting type that had nests in this fashion as they'd be more flexible in regard to terminals for field repair/prototyping usage.
I got the 4.8mm dies today, which I think completes my set for the moment.
Regarding the issues with the insulation crimp on the 0.094" molex connectors, I fiddled around a bit more and found that if I put a slight kink at the top of the insulation tab ends (mimicking the higher quality earlier terminals I had) then the crimp works well.
Regarding the issues with the insulation crimp on the 0.094" molex connectors, I fiddled around a bit more and found that if I put a slight kink at the top of the insulation tab ends (mimicking the higher quality earlier terminals I had) then the crimp works well.
One of the reasons I got the 2.8mm / 0.110" open barrel dies was for a type of Hitachi connector I use on 1970's motorcycles. I tried them out on my 2.8mm dies and found the terminal was way too big to fit in the die. Looking at the terminal, although it is indeed a 2.8mm wide male spade, the thickness of the material is 0.5mm which is very heavy for such a small terminal. My other terminals of that sort of size are 0.25mm thick.
But I tried them out on the 4.8mm spade dies and they crimped nicely in those. The insulation crimp is perhaps a bit loose, but it fits into the connector block ok and I could not pull the wire from the terminal even with a vice and pliers. So I think the crimp is good.
None the less I also have a couple of pairs of Engineer pliers on the way for any remedial tightening up or for other applications where the MCT is not quite suitable.
But overall I'm happy with the MCT's. The whole thing with 8 sets of dies ended up a bit pricey of course but hopefully I'll get a good few decades of good electrical connections out of them and by then the price becomes somewhat irrelevant.
But I tried them out on the 4.8mm spade dies and they crimped nicely in those. The insulation crimp is perhaps a bit loose, but it fits into the connector block ok and I could not pull the wire from the terminal even with a vice and pliers. So I think the crimp is good.
None the less I also have a couple of pairs of Engineer pliers on the way for any remedial tightening up or for other applications where the MCT is not quite suitable.
But overall I'm happy with the MCT's. The whole thing with 8 sets of dies ended up a bit pricey of course but hopefully I'll get a good few decades of good electrical connections out of them and by then the price becomes somewhat irrelevant.