Crimpers

[housey]

Does anyone have any sites, brands or products of crimpers they can recommend? Someone decided that they needed my crimpers more than I did so I am now looking for another set.

My last set, and the only crimpers I could find locally were $70-80 each, I need one for bootlace pins, one for insulated lugs and one for non-insulated lugs so for 3 of them it cost me $240. The quality is alright but they were only made in Taiwan and I feel like I am getting ripped off if I buy them again.

I don't mind spending a comparable or even a larger amount to re buy these crimpers, but I want something that is top quality and manufactured in Germany/usa

 

[usdemt]

I have a lot of different crimpers but for the price the blue point set is does awesome. I have also ordered an extra crimping pliers so that I dont have to change the jaws on my most used dies (insulated and non insulated)

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=all&SUB_Cat_ID=120382&SUB_Cat_NAME=Wire+Tools&Cat_ID=119868&Cat_NAME=Pliers&group_id=34549&group_name=Ratcheting+Crimpers&store=snapon-store

Edit didnt see the COO comment. These are all Taiwan but still very good quality. If you want the best I would look at Knipex. German made, top of the line quality but they will cost you considerably more.

 

[Krokodil]

Thomas & Betts are awesome!

 

[rodm1]

Thomas & Betts are awesome!

Thomas & Betts WT111M are the best they are for none insulated terminals but work good on insulated ones to. They do crack the insulated part some times. I will never buy anything else.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

Mine is Snap-on brand though. (maybe not can't remember)

 

[daveblank]

Thomas & Betts are awesome!

Agreed

Thomas & Betts WT111M are the best they are for none insulated terminals but work good on insulated ones to. They do crack the insulated part some times. I will never buy anything else.

WT112M work on insulated & non-insulated terminals.

 

[A_Pmech]

Sta-Kon ERG series.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/648417/sta-kon_erg4001_ergonomic_crimping_tool

 

[vssjim]

Thomas and Betts, Channelock and those taiwan blue point ones are the same tons of places carry for less cost same exact piece

 

[jeffmoss26]

Klein has some nice ones too. I'm guilty of owning a pair each of Klein, Channellock, and T&B!

 

[rkevins]

At work we use greenlee and klein check out msc industrial supply

 

[astrodoggie3000]

If you pay 300+ dollars for a small terminal ratchet crimper... you are insane! A 15 dollar pair of plain jane crimping pliers will do the same thing.

 

[skruft]

I don't think I have ever bought new crimpers, as there are so many at garage sales and flea markets. I do favor the ratcheting ones that will crimp both a terminal and the insulation when using the insulated terminals.

 

[t100]

if you want make "good" crimps, get the ratchet crimpers. such as: AMP (now Tyco), Burndy, T&B.

 

[caseyjw]

All of the good crimpers, with the exception of a few (knipex, molex from Germany) are made by Pressmaster in Sweden. T&B, Phoenix Contact, others that rebrand, are all made by Pressmaster.

And they make the best ratcheting crimpers

Don't listen to anyone about cheaping out on crimpers, if you are like me and crimp and build electrical assemblies all day long, you only have one set of hands. Buy the good crimpers.

http://www.pressmaster.com/sok_produkt.asp

PS: Can you guess which ones are the most expensive?

 

[bradleykd]

I use kleins for basic terminations, but for ferrels or bootlace style i use weidmullers... they're pretty pricey, but they are sooooo nice.

http://catalog.weidmueller.com/catalog/Start.do?localeId=en&ObjectID=9028740000

 

[housey]

All of the good crimpers, with the exception of a few (knipex, molex from Germany) are made by Pressmaster in Sweden. T&B, Phoenix Contact, others that rebrand, are all made by Pressmaster.

And they make the best ratcheting crimpers

Don't listen to anyone about cheaping out on crimpers, if you are like me and crimp and build electrical assemblies all day long, you only have one set of hands. Buy the good crimpers.

http://www.pressmaster.com/sok_produkt.asp

PS: Can you guess which ones are the most expensive?

Yeah I do a fair bit of work building electrical panels, not all day every day but a good 30-40% of my work is spent building panels. For some reason I didn't even think of checking if Pheonix contact sell crimpers. All our bootlace pins, insulated lugs, din rail terminals etc come from them so I will get a price on monday (public holiday tomorrow over here).

What kind of price would you pay, or expect to pay for a set of crimpers for insulated lugs, one for bootlace pins from 1mm2-4mm2, and crimpers for uninsulated lugs from 2.5mm2-10mm2?

oh and I don't even want to know how much your most expensive crimpers cost im only on an apprentice wage. It looks like you easily have a few thousand dollars of crimpers alone, did you have to buy all them or did you get them supplied to you?

 

[diesel research]

When it comes to BASIC wire splicing (not harness building or pin replacement) what features and qualities make a "good" or "better" crimper?

I have been using a basic channellock crimper for my non-insulated splicing needs and things seem to be working well. What do the better crimpers offer in this area?

 

[jeffmoss26]

Well if you're doing a lot of volume, then ratcheting is the way to go. You can get a large assortment of dies all for the same handle which is nice.

 

[diesel research]

Do they make one that will crimp both sides of a **** splice at the same time?

 

[jeffmoss26]

Not that I have seen...but someone may know.

 

[bart1]

I use the Channellocks when I need to crimp, if possible.

 

[Trey T]

I received a HF 9-1/2" hand crimper from a friend in 2002 and it's a great tool. very smooth and durable.

Highly recommend it. It goes on sale some time for like 5 bucks or under.

 

[caseyjw]

Phoenix Contact is overpriced, the most expensive ones in there are for turned contacts @ somewhere north of 800 with the locator. You can buy the same set from Knipex for less.

Seriously what I would do, learn the shape and look of the frames that are made by pressmaster. They are all different colors with different brand names (because pressmaster doesn't sell under their own name.)

Insulated contacts: get the Ergs from T&B, they are the best... then buy another Die for the uninsulated terminals.

Sta-Kon's

Ferrule crimpers, go with the Knipex... I like the four mandrel but some prefer the 6.. the four seems to fit into some of the terminal blocks better due to shape conformance...

For what it's worth, some of my crimpers I bought and some I was supplied.... And if you do a lot of crimping, try to limit your Die to Frame ratio, will save you time.

Regards
Casey

 

[jeffmoss26]

I was at a show yesterday where Phoenix Contact had all their tools. The screwdrivers look like rebranded/different color Wera.

 

[moboman]

if you want make "good" crimps, get the ratchet crimpers. such as: AMP (now Tyco), Burndy, T&B.

As far as I know, AMP has always been the best. Just be prepared for the price.

The only problem I've seen with the amp crimpers is that they dont always work with the cheap crimps.

 

[wornoutoldman]

The last word in OEM (automotive style) crimpers. Great price too!

http://www.delcity.net/store/OEM-Ratchet-Crimping-Tool/p_714008.a_1

 

[Da Bull]

Here's mine. Made in the USA to boot!!

P.S. That's a 1000 foot box of RG6 cable, that fell off the cable guy's truck. I got it for $40.00

 

[Lawson4450]

The last word in OEM (automotive style) crimpers. Great price too!

http://www.delcity.net/store/OEM-Ratchet-Crimping-Tool/p_714008.a_1

Is this the kind you need to do the pins in wiring harness and such? I sometimes have to do pins for installing strobes in cars but I would like to find the proper crimper for the pins not the fold over thing I usually do.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I hate those crimpers/coax fittings! Compression fittings all the way

 

[caseyjw]

Is this the kind you need to do the pins in wiring harness and such? I sometimes have to do pins for installing strobes in cars but I would like to find the proper crimper for the pins not the fold over thing I usually do.

Those look like a Pressmaster frame. They are for Open barrel contacts, sometimes called Molex Pins.... the kind that have two sets of flaps, one for gripping the insulation (strain relief) and one for gripping the conductors.

Casey

 

[wornoutoldman]

Is this the kind you need to do the pins in wiring harness and such? I sometimes have to do pins for installing strobes in cars but I would like to find the proper crimper for the pins not the fold over thing I usually do.

Yes it is. The crimps are factory perfect and solderless. You will never used any other style once you've tried these. You can also get insulated terminal crimpers in this same locking style from them. I had a pair of BMW factory crimpers (over $400 bucks twenty years ago) that grew legs. These took their place and I've recommended them ever since.

 

[housey]

Phoenix Contact is overpriced, the most expensive ones in there are for turned contacts @ somewhere north of 800 with the locator. You can buy the same set from Knipex for less.

Seriously what I would do, learn the shape and look of the frames that are made by pressmaster. They are all different colors with different brand names (because pressmaster doesn't sell under their own name.)

Insulated contacts: get the Ergs from T&B, they are the best... then buy another Die for the uninsulated terminals.

Sta-Kon's

Ferrule crimpers, go with the Knipex... I like the four mandrel but some prefer the 6.. the four seems to fit into some of the terminal blocks better due to shape conformance...

For what it's worth, some of my crimpers I bought and some I was supplied.... And if you do a lot of crimping, try to limit your Die to Frame ratio, will save you time.

Regards
Casey

Thanks for the advice. I took the plunge last night and ordered a set of those Knipex bootlace pin crimpers.

Probably 80% of my crimps are bootlace pins so thats the most important set of crimpers I needed. I'm still tossing up whether I should commit and drop a week of my apprentice wages on the other crimpers or should rebuy mediocre Taiwanese ones at less than half the price. I'll probably keep looking and see what the best price I can find is before I make my final decision