Good crimp terminals

[mjac]

You’re probably best off making your own assortments. Find someone who has what you want at good prices and fill some compartment boxes. Mouser or many smaller resellers carry wide ranges.

For insulated choose nylon over vinyl and double-crimp over single. For uninsulated, look for brazed seams.

For North American/AWG wire terminals of this sort:

The best:
TE, but you’ll pay for it. PIDG, Solistrand, FASTON lines specifically. Also surplus often available on eBay.

US OEMs with excellent quality (maybe 95-99% of above?) and good price:
Molex. (They do have an assortment of uninsulated rings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HPYNMXP/?tag=atomicindus08-20 alas the nylon insulated analog appears sold out currently.)
FTZ
NSPA
Also perhaps Hilldale but no firsthand experience.

US high cost/name recognition brands, with prices similar to TE, but for these sorts of terminals for non-production applications I don’t think they are worth the price. Unclear to me which of these make vs outsource their terminal production, they don’t have as complete lineups in many categories, and kinda seem like these product lines are a legacy/afterthought/range-filler for them:
T&B
Panduit
3M

Companies who private label from the above, mostly FTZ and NSPA, generally at a markup:
Ancor
Pacer
Lawson
Quick Cable
Mueller
Del City

Do you know of a good brand of wire lugs that are solid and well made? Also, should you get plain copper or tin clad copper?

Thanks
mjac

 

[Wamsutta]

What quality is it that makes them garbage? Conductivity? Appearance?

If they don't have a seam down the middle, I don't buy them.

 

[AdAstra]

Do you know of a good brand of wire lugs that are solid and well made? Also, should you get plain copper or tin clad copper?

Thanks
mjac

Copying a previous post of mine:

These big cable lugs are probably the most important, since they are more likely to start fires if they fail.

For the US: Pick a good UL listed lug that you can get easily and at a fair price, and then get the official crimp tool so that you have a rigorously tested pairing. Who knows what lugs generic tools are designed for, most of the cheaper ones on the market are designed for metric lugs on metric wire.

Unlike the other big guys, FTZ makes top tier lugs and also sells an official tool for ~$130, if that’s in budget.

Can also look for used tools… there are a lot of T&B TBM series crimpers available surplus, their tools and lugs are also relabeled by Lawson. But the individual lug prices can be quite high, especially T&B. Depends on how many lugs you plan to use.

(Greenlee might be only exception to my "manufacturer’s tool only" rec, because Greenlee does the legwork to be UL Classified with almost all the major quality lug makers.)

Tin clad would be the standard for anything requiring environmental resistance.

 

[richfinn]

I want some decent crimp terminals for general use. Rings, spades, quick-disconnect, splices, that sort of stuff, not connector pins. 10 awg would be the biggest use, 18 or 20 the low end. Basically, the red, blue, and yellow kits found in autoparts stores would cover my needs, except those are garbage. I don't use them very often, but when I do, I need them now, and it gets something done today, instead of, well, sometime later. Insulated preferred, but not a deal breaker if I have to shrink tube them. Probably should get a decent crimper to go with it, so recommendations for that accepted, as well. Use is mostly "random stuff", not automotive. (my last remembered uses were fixing an AC wiring harness, and replacing the cord in a power tool, which is pretty typical.)

I think your looking for TE Connectivity PIDG if you're not concerned about waterproof connections (I don't use these for automotive), If your looking for a crimp tool TE make a great modular ratchet crimper, but the dies are ludicrously expensive new (try eBay)

I've had really good luck with Wirefy (available on Amazon) if you just want a solid budget version of adhesive lined heatshrink crimp terminals (they work great with the Krimpa-seal TR45 tool which is really good and covers four sizes).

If you want a really good Automotive splice BMW sell the best inline uninsulated splice I've found (very compact and unintrusive with adhesive heat shrink) available in various sizes.

 

[mjac]

Copying a previous post of mine:

These big cable lugs are probably the most important, since they are more likely to start fires if they fail.

For the US: Pick a good UL listed lug that you can get easily and at a fair price, and then get the official crimp tool so that you have a rigorously tested pairing. Who knows what lugs generic tools are designed for, most of the cheaper ones on the market are designed for metric lugs on metric wire.

Unlike the other big guys, FTZ makes top tier lugs and also sells an official tool for ~$130, if that’s in budget.

Can also look for used tools… there are a lot of T&B TBM series crimpers available surplus, their tools and lugs are also relabeled by Lawson. But the individual lug prices can be quite high, especially T&B. Depends on how many lugs you plan to use.

(Greenlee might be only exception to my "manufacturer’s tool only" rec, because Greenlee does the legwork to be UL Classified with almost all the major quality lug makers.)

Tin clad would be the standard for anything requiring environmental resistance.

To the point as usual. I had everything the opposite, I thought lugs were not that critical because you are smashing them and was using plain copper lugs. I have only been using them occasionally for automotive to make up battery cables and jump cables and have some plain copper lugs off of Amazon that I have been smashing in a vise. But I want to combine a bunch of 12 awg wires into a single lug and other applications so I wanted to know how to do it right. I am not even looking at TB, that is ridiculous. If you are just doing an occasional lug but want it done right, which way to go, Greenlee? Is Wirefly descent for lugs and Crimper, they seem reasonable, or does Molex make a copper lug assortment, I couldn’t find one, and a crimper?

Thanks
mjac

 

[mjac]

I think your looking for TE Connectivity PIDG if you're not concerned about waterproof connections (I don't use these for automotive), If your looking for a crimp tool TE make a great modular ratchet crimper, but the dies are ludicrously expensive new (try eBay)

I've had really good luck with Wirefy (available on Amazon) if you just want a solid budget version of adhesive lined heatshrink crimp terminals (they work great with the Krimpa-seal TR45 tool which is really good and covers four sizes).

If you want a really good Automotive splice BMW sell the best inline uninsulated splice I've found (very compact and unintrusive with adhesive heat shrink) available in various sizes.

How is Wirefy‘s Tinned Copper Lugs and lug crimping tool? I have a Wirefy terminal crimper, it seems pretty descent for the money. I am just using it occasionally, not every day.

Thanks
mjac

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

I like using deutschconnects when possible but my quick and easy method for getting good quality traditional style crimps is just buying the ones with integrated heat shrink tubing in bulk from a marine supply hardware store.

 

[richfinn]

How is Wirefy‘s Tinned Copper Lugs and lug crimping tool? I have a Wirefy terminal crimper, it seems pretty descent for the money. I am just using it occasionally, not every day.

Thanks
mjac

Only really tried heat shrink products from Wirefy, so far so good

 

[mjac]

Only really tried heat shrink products from Wirefy, so far so good

At least that is one product they have that performs fairly well, I think my terminal crimp too is descent for the money, so maybe it Carrie’s over to their other products. I was hoping you had tried some of their other products.

Thanks
mjac

 

[dcg9381]

My go-to for connectors when I'm doing wiring harnesses is GM Weatherpack.
Connectors are only as good as your crimper. And honestly for things I know I have to get right, I crimp them AND solder them.

 

[mjac]

Copying a previous post of mine:

These big cable lugs are probably the most important, since they are more likely to start fires if they fail.

For the US: Pick a good UL listed lug that you can get easily and at a fair price, and then get the official crimp tool so that you have a rigorously tested pairing. Who knows what lugs generic tools are designed for, most of the cheaper ones on the market are designed for metric lugs on metric wire.

Unlike the other big guys, FTZ makes top tier lugs and also sells an official tool for ~$130, if that’s in budget.

Can also look for used tools… there are a lot of T&B TBM series crimpers available surplus, their tools and lugs are also relabeled by Lawson. But the individual lug prices can be quite high, especially T&B. Depends on how many lugs you plan to use.

(Greenlee might be only exception to my "manufacturer’s tool only" rec, because Greenlee does the legwork to be UL Classified with almost all the major quality lug makers.)

Tin clad would be the standard for anything requiring environmental resistance.

You might not approve, but for occasional use and being economical without going T&B, I am going to try and go with 9” Wirefy Ratchet Crimper with Quick Change Crimper Dies and buy the 8-20 awg uninsulated terminal die and the 4-6 awg uninsulated lug die and use it on the Molex Terminals and Wirefy Tinned Copper Lugs. It is the same brand as the lugs like you said, so it might work half way descent on the lugs and I can get everything for around $70. I already have a fixed die Wirefy Crimper, that I will send back, that is a pretty descent tool, especially for the money.

Thanks
mjac

 

[mslim]

Most of my work is vintage motorcycle and automotive. My only concession to modernity is the use of Deutsch DTM for multiple conductor connections and the occasional Molex to match an existing item.

I must give a caveat that I am OCD about wiring and I absolutely do not use insulated crimp connectors except in a roadside emergency. I'm not dissing, it's just the a preference of mine. I use a double crimp and heat shrink.

I primarily use Faston/TE or whatever they call them now. Sourced primarily from Newark but Mouser or Digi-Key probably stock them as well. I use inexpensive Plano Pro-Latch boxes to store and access them. I have a Hozan P707 crimper and a stand Chinese Dorman ratchet with the interchangeable jaws. Ideally I'd like to get a Pressmaster.

Here's some of my set-up.

 

[mjac]

Only really tried heat shrink products from Wirefy, so far so good

If you are really on a budget and want to buy just one tool, I just got Wirefy’s 9” Quick Die Disconnect Crimper Tool that you can buy dies for for $17.99. One die does 4 different gauge terminals and another die does their 6 and 8 lugs. I bought the Wirefy Lugs because I figured the tool would work best on their own lugs. May not be the best but that is pretty versatile.