Boyd
Well-known member
What works best? I can't seem to get it right with my needle nose method. The results are very inconsistent. Soldering is not an option.
Crimping uninsulated flag terminals...
- Thread starter Boyd
- Start date
rockwithjason
Well-known member
i use a klien hand crimper. love it
Chilliwack Murray
Well-known member
I'm assuming you mean connectors for somewhere from 10 - 28 AWG wire... Get a good quality SINGLE PURPOSE crimper from Klein or Channel Lock if you want to do it right. Anything else is pretty unreliable. I use these connectors by the hundred in my job. The Kleins seem to take a little less effort but not an issue for a few crimps.
Multipurpose ones are not much good and don't deliver the force necessary for a good connection.
[IMG="https://www.channellock.com/data/default/images/catalog/original/909_500x500-425.png"]https://www.channellock.com/data/default/images/catalog/original/909_500x500-425.png[/IMG]
Multipurpose ones are not much good and don't deliver the force necessary for a good connection.
[IMG="https://www.channellock.com/data/default/images/catalog/original/909_500x500-425.png"]https://www.channellock.com/data/default/images/catalog/original/909_500x500-425.png[/IMG]
A terminal crimper maybe?
The Horrible Freight hydraulic one is actually very good, just pay no attention to the wire size on the dies. They are way off.
I use vice grips on mine. I go through a couple of hundred crimps a month doing stereos and electrical work on the various offroad vehicles I maintain. My preferred method is to crimp half, squeeze it together so the little prongs overlap, and squeeze it together. For highly important crimps or high current I will either do final crimp in the vice or I have a little anvil made for crimping and you smash them with a big hammer. I've never actually had one fail.
I am a fan of a dab of solder on the terminal after crimping, but if you don't know what you are doing you will do more harm then good.
The Horrible Freight hydraulic one is actually very good, just pay no attention to the wire size on the dies. They are way off.
I use vice grips on mine. I go through a couple of hundred crimps a month doing stereos and electrical work on the various offroad vehicles I maintain. My preferred method is to crimp half, squeeze it together so the little prongs overlap, and squeeze it together. For highly important crimps or high current I will either do final crimp in the vice or I have a little anvil made for crimping and you smash them with a big hammer. I've never actually had one fail.
I am a fan of a dab of solder on the terminal after crimping, but if you don't know what you are doing you will do more harm then good.
Chilliwack Murray
Well-known member
I'm assuming you mean connectors for somewhere from 10 - 28 AWG wire... Get a good quality SINGLE PURPOSE crimper from Klein or Channel Lock if you want to do it right. Anything else is pretty unreliable. I use these connectors by the hundred in my job. The Kleins seem to take a little less effort but not an issue for a few crimps.
Multipurpose ones are not much good and don't deliver the force necessary for a good connection.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
ChilliWack - I have that exact pair of crimpers from Channellock. They work great on regular spade/ring terminals, but can't be used on flag terminals.
I have never heard those called "flag" terminals, but they do show up that way on Google. I always called the "90° Faston".
Google also says the exact correct crimper/dies are hard to find.
JDon99
Well-known member
And here I was wondering what a flag terminal was, now I know! Do they make a crimper specifically for that style?
bronc3buster842001
Well-known member
Nice a member that is local... Im about 30 mins south of ya in the Park hills area
MFolks
Well-known member
Knipex Ratcheting Crimpers
Available at www.waytekwire.com
# 97 52 33 for Bare Terminals
# 97 52 36 for Vinyl Plastic Terminals
# 97 52 37 for Heatshrink Terminals
http://www.pbase.com/image/93309736 (The Good, Bad & Ugly of Crimpers)
Available at www.waytekwire.com
# 97 52 33 for Bare Terminals
# 97 52 36 for Vinyl Plastic Terminals
# 97 52 37 for Heatshrink Terminals
http://www.pbase.com/image/93309736 (The Good, Bad & Ugly of Crimpers)
Yes, and the different types are die specific, so they sell both dedicated crimp tools, and on occasion, can find the correct die to fit your crimp frames.
Hard to find though, as not everyone makes/offers them.
Uninsulated example.
Insulated example.
racingtadpole
Well-known member
The reason you are having difficulty locating a crimp tool is because those spade connectors were designed to be soldered on. The crimp ones have a set of fold over tabs that fold like ordinary uninsulated lugs.
racingtadpole
Well-known member
Do you by chance wear a blue and white apron whilst you do this?
n8n
Well-known member
I still don't see how those Knipex crimpers would work on what I think the OP is asking about
these might however
http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/...__Spade__Flag_Terminal_Crimping_Tools_44.html
these might however
http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/...__Spade__Flag_Terminal_Crimping_Tools_44.html
No idea what that means.
Those are crimp terminals. They actually make horrible solder connections.
n8n
Well-known member
I've been searching relentlessly because this topic is pertinent to my interests...
appears that the Eclipse crimper I posted has a lot of interchangeable dies available.
Is that actually a good crimper however?
Am thinking I ought to pick up a real crimper at some point. I have an old T&B uninsulated terminal deal, and a really crappy weatherpack crimp tool. Nothing good for insulated terminals.
appears that the Eclipse crimper I posted has a lot of interchangeable dies available.
Is that actually a good crimper however?
Am thinking I ought to pick up a real crimper at some point. I have an old T&B uninsulated terminal deal, and a really crappy weatherpack crimp tool. Nothing good for insulated terminals.
ishiboo
Well-known member
The Channellock 909s posted are FANTASTIC, I use them for all my terminals EXCEPT the flags of course. For those, I just use a pair of linesmen pliers. I haven't found a better option and I rarely do them.
torqueman2002
Well-known member
I have been using these, with good results.
3M Crimper - TH-450
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Crimper-TH-450-PRICE-CASE/dp/B0081JR33Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397703383&sr=8-1&keywords=3M+Crimper+-+TH-450
3M Crimper - TH-450
http://www.amazon.com/3M-Crimper-TH-450-PRICE-CASE/dp/B0081JR33Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397703383&sr=8-1&keywords=3M+Crimper+-+TH-450
Dustball
Well-known member
Just about anything will work, including the suggestions to just smash it with something. The main thing is that the lug be the right size for the wire. If it isn't you'll have difficulty. I had a crimper that was like linesman pliers with a crimper instead of jaws which I used to hook up VFDs. I bought it at a gas station. My more experienced co-worker would just smash the lugs in regular pliers. Currently I use a Vaco crimper.
However this tool will NOT work, and is the most common thing sold as a "crimper".
http://junkyardtools.com/catalog/images/wire_crimper_stripper-01.jpg
However this tool will NOT work, and is the most common thing sold as a "crimper".
http://junkyardtools.com/catalog/images/wire_crimper_stripper-01.jpg
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aaronrkelly
Well-known member
....something I didnt even know I needed......on my list now. Ive been suffering with the cheap multi-use ones.
n8n
Well-known member
Well, the ability to have the ability to crimp yet another type of wire/cable with an additional set of dies rather than having to buy a whole new tool is rather appealing...
It appears that Paladin and Ideal also make very similar tools that use the same dies. Are either of those any good?
This is just a little outside my sphere of influence; most of what I know about wiring etc. I've figured out on my own by doing, and crimp tools is one place where I'm far from an expert.
Of course, and they're generally known as interchangeable die type models. Much more cost effective for field repair.
Personally, I own a Pressmaster MCT (take a look here to see all of the others they offer). Cheapest source for an MCT (and the dies the seller offers) in the US would be Waytek (their own label on it).
FWIW, Pressmaster primarily ODM's crimpers and wire strippers for other companies from terminal manufacturers to others that are usually wire harness/electrical/electronic centric. Companies such as Thomas&Betts, 3M, Emerson, Xcelite, and Wiha to name a few. Tools are made in Sweden, dies are cast in Taiwan and finished in Sweden (final machining/grinding). And you'll see rebranded versions with price tags ~ $400 a piece.
Unfortunately, in the case of flag terminal dies, they're not all that common compared to others such as the red/blue/yellow insulated terminals for example. Pressmaster used to manufacture dies for flag terminals, but don't any longer. Used or NOS would be the only way to get them for the MCT for example (they were offered for this frame at one time), and likely from a European source.
Both are Asian imports, so they're at the same level as say Pro's Kit or others you may have seen sold (Amazon, eBay, ...).
And the Asian models tend to be copies of either Sargent or Pressmaster models (Sargent's dies are rectangular w/ rounded corners, Pressmaster's more hexagonally shaped). Just with variable QC. So you can get one that works properly, but it may take a return or two before you do.
IIRC, Sargent invented the first ratcheting crimp tool. Daniels Manufacturing is another US company. German companies would include Wezag (i.e. rebranded as Panduit) and Rennsteig (all of these being actual manufacturers, as they're rebranded and sold by others).
Basically, if you want cheap, go Asian. If you want decent (not absolutely top shelf, but pretty close <takes a bit more skill due to the lack of locators>), go with the Pressmaster MCT (can get proper crimps without spending a fortune). If you want the absolute best, go with one of the others, say a K series, from Pressmaster, or one of the other US or German brands listed (these are not cheap, but they won't let you down either).