Is this tap in device any good?

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Found this on Del City this morning.

https://www.delcity.net/store/Tap!In-Connectors/p_9112.h_153728

Anyone have experience with this? Any good? Is there a better solution?

 

[Brian_WK]

No experience with that one directly but my thoughts on any vampire clips are not good. I'm guessing this is low voltage application as I don't think they are allowed on 120V etc.

Brian

 

[American Locomotive]

Vampire taps are pretty much awful in any application.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Correct on the low voltage ... 12 and 24 volts.

 

[joe_padavano]

No experience with that particular style, but it can't be worse than the blue Scotchloc taps. Those things should be outlawed.

 

[Fixin'Stuff]

One of the worst inventions ever.

 

[disston]

Low voltage only and not good in any situations where vibration will loosen the wires which is anywhere you find low voltage. Geee.

 

[Warrenator]

Good for troubleshooting though, just look at a wiring job (usually trailer lights) with these on it and boom, there's your problem!

 

[APEowner]

I don't like insulation displacing connectors on any mobile application or anything else that sees vibrations. The same sharp edges that cut the insulation will eventually work their way through the conductors. Every standards organization that deals with vehicles (SAE, FAA, ABYC...) specifies properly crimped connectors for wire termination in almost all instances.

Having said (or typed) all of that those look like really nice IDCs and I'd be curious to see how they hold up. I wouldn't use them in anything mission critical however.

 

[APEowner]

Low voltage only and not good in any situations where vibration will loosen the wires which is anywhere you find low voltage. Geee.

Actually, low voltage is found in millions of industrial applications where there isn't any vibration. I still don't like IDCs though.

 

[Tim65GT]

I don't like them either, and it's hard to believe they are approved for use in RVs. I found three of them that are used to transition from the 14 ga SO type cable to NMC behind the slide trim behind the theater seating.

 

[ard]

Good for troubleshooting though, just look at a wiring job (usually trailer lights) with these on it and boom, there's your problem!

Bingo.

 

[disston]

Actually, low voltage is found in millions of industrial applications where there isn't any vibration. I still don't like IDCs though.

Good point. I'll update my opinion.

 

[prostreetamx]

Model railroad guys use these a lot for tapping a larger gauge buss wire for smaller wire to solder to the track. I also do not like them and will not use them for any application. They are also called suitcase connectors and anything that cuts the main wire is not good in my book.

 

[matt_i]

What I usually do is cut the main wire, use a panduit heat-shrink **** splice, and simply twist the two conductors together on one side before crimping it and then shrinking it. The splice has a weather-resisting adhesive that flows when the temp is right, which nicely fills the voids and also provides some strain-relief. Sometimes the splice has to be up-sized in diameter to accomodate the two conductors. I stock these sizes in my shop, a large number of them are in service on my trucks and trailer and I am happy with the performance without ever having an issue.

http://www.panduit.com/en/product/BSH18-Q

http://www.panduit.com/en/product/BSH14-Q

http://www.panduit.com/en/product/BSH10-E