Which crimping tool for compression lug?

[shoeless]

Hi all,


Want to crimp this lug onto uninsulated solid copper wire.
https://www.mcmaster.com/6926K36/

Would one of the hammer type crimpers work, or is there something better?
Trying not to break the budget with this, so no $300 tools.

What about this? https://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Terminal-Crimping-6-50mm%C2%B2-Electrician/dp/B017S9EINA

or this? https://www.amazon.com/Titan-11980-Hydraulic-Cable-Crimper/dp/B07NPJ6KM1/ref=sr_1_56?crid=P5ZY6O8TVC5F&dchild=1&keywords=hydraulic+crimping+tool&qid=1612990394&sprefix=hydraul+crimping+tool%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-56

Thanks (Sorry for the large images)

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

With that mechanical Crimper you show, my mind is blown, that for $24 you can have that at your door,.. the other one, seems to be sold in as many " names " as one can count. Take a look on ebay, it used to be a race to the bottom on price of that tool, IIRC.

Ive got a 36" pair of USA made "AMP"s, from the early 1990s I likely paid 300-$400 for... but I really dont remember. I was making truck cables at the time..

I dont know which way Id go, assuming the seals will take a dump on the one, and I would question the quality of the other.. but not sure you can loose with either..

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe those lugs are designed for stranded wire, not solid.

 

[shoeless]

Thanks guys.

Busted, yeah I was surpised at how cheap those are too, they also seem to be rebranded just like the hydraulic crimper. Whichever tool I get may just be temporary, I just need something to get started and don't have much budget right now. So it will be used until it breaks, becomes too much of a pain to use, or no longer have a need.

Tyrant, good catch. Guess I will have to use stranded instead.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

These work great and are cheap... https://www.mcmaster.com/cable-crimpers/battery-terminal-hammer-on-crimpers/

I've used these in the past along with soldering them for good measure.

 

[texasprd]

I've used this for making my own battery cables - it's worked well: https://www.amazon.com/FTZ-Correct-Crimp-Heavy-Duty/dp/B01CRZ465K

An interesting how-to that mentions the above...

 

[Gentleman Adventurer]

I've used this for making my own battery cables - it's worked well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CRZ465K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

An interesting how-to that mentions the above...

I second the above. I used it for my RV battery system. Works nice, consistent crimps. Use stranded wire if it's in any type of area prone to vibration. the article referenced above is top notch.

 

[rider]

This crimper is surprisingly robust:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJYVFSG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Alpine4x4]

I recently grabbed this one from HF to do some 6ga wiring. Pretty sure its the exact same as the Titan one you linked above

https://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html

 

[theoldwizard1]

Want to crimp this lug onto uninsulated solid copper wire.
https://www.mcmaster.com/6926K36/

Would one of the hammer type crimpers work, ...

Hammer crimpers work surprisingly well once you get down to about #6.

All crimp terminals are design for STRANDED wire, so I don't know how well any of them would work.

 

[dutchgray]

I think I would just solder the lug on if using solid wire, since there should be no vibration concerns if you are using solid wire.

I have one of those cheap Chinese hydraulic crimpers, it works fine but the die fit is quite loose, for the few crimps I do its all you need.

 

[Flared Base]

There seems to be a general consensus that crimping onto stranded wire, you want to compress the wire so that the gaps between the strands are closed, but not to over crimp such that the cross sectional area of the metal wire is reduced, and lastly you don't want your terminal to form wings where the crimper's dies meet. It seems like it is a bit of trial and error depending on what wire, terminals, and your crimpers dies to meet the above criteria, even when all components are purportedly a standard AWG or metric size.

A lot of the objectives of crimping onto stranded wire kind of go out the window when you switch to solid core wire. My first guess like others have stated is to go the solder route. However, my solid core wire experience is limited to household work and using wire nuts to make connections.

What application is this being used for? Do you have pictures of something you are trying to emulate?

 

[unslow1]

There is a Youtube channel that compared several types then cut them open to see how good the connection was. I think it was a Jeep fabrication channel that did recently.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

There is a Youtube channel that compared several types then cut them open to see how good the connection was. I think it was a Jeep fabrication channel that did recently.

Matt covers the above mentioned by the OP, plus the mechanical compression/hammer unit ( forget the name ) Then he runs them through a band saw,...

Bleepin Jeep ?

How To Make Your Own Battery Terminals - The Ultimate Guide

Going by the visual compression/melding of the copper, solder/crimp looked the best ( no surprise for me there ). I like to solder cables myself... I like to solder everything !

Throwing this out there, if you play with cables, and you want the best product, best connection, dont overlook " Quick Cable " products, Ive been using them for 3 decades, that I can remember. If you get into their higher end stuff, they sell Cast Copper Alloy battery terminals and lugs, that are tinned, likely my favorite product of their's. The Chynese like to re-pop their stuff, for literal pennies on the dollar, I see on other forums where guys like to buy their military battery cable connector, and they split and fall off on the first use.. the Chyna knock offs. The fakes are like $5 on Amazon, the real deal is closer to $30.

They have mechanical crimp, threaded compression, and solder terminals for battery cables,... really nice stuff, and expect to pay for it as well, Del City retails for them, but Im sure there are countless other retailers. Ive tried buying bulk direct from them several times and keep getting " no " as an answer. In my generator business I make some cables,... I never buy them.

If you buy from Del City, you know your getting the real deal and not the counterfeits.

https://www.delcity.net/store/Battery-Terminals/p_103

 

[Firebrick43]

The chicken farmer crimpers off ebay garbage. The jaws don't line up and they make inconsistent crimps. They tried them at work, no where near the quality of amps, and I am unwilling to risk my life, someone elses, or equipment to them.

I will second the quickcable connectors, absoulutely top notch. where i used to work they were having issues with cables on taylor dunn carts and fork lift battery cables. Convinced them to switch to quickcable connectors and welding cable wire and all the issues disappeared. They destroyed several batteries and one fire due to cheap connectors and wire before hand.

Chicken farm tools, they are "CHEEP CHEEP"

 

[csp]

There is a Youtube channel that compared several types then cut them open to see how good the connection was. I think it was a Jeep fabrication channel that did recently.

Yes, but his tests did have some crimps that weren't correct. They held up fine to his pulling tests, but his crimper formed wings during the crimp and you do not want to do that as it changes the conductivity of the wire.