Wire Crimping set

[kartracer55]

Wierd. I was going to ask about Channellock crimpers. Anybody use them? I really like other channel lock products and I think they would make a nice addition to my set of pliers.

 

[rhandwor]

http://www.tooltopia.com/ Search CHA909 Channel lock crimpers

 

[caper]

I have both the channelock and the snap on version shown at the beginning of the thread and hands down I prefer the channelock.The snappy's have a tendancy to damage the insulation on heat shrink terminals while the channelock is more forgiving.

 

[sharkytm]

many of the big headache intermittent failures i've had to dg in the past have been due to good and bad solder joints failing. GOOD AND bad ones. the problem isn't the solder, it's the wire. most everything important on a car was designed to survive 100kmi. nothing wire-wire on a car comes from the factory soldered because the joint won't handle the environment.
they all fail. the only thing solder is really good at is pipe and PCB- ideally niether are allowed to flex at all

i've never used it because i do cars not airplanes.
i get crimps bulk from TRC12volt.com and waytekwire.com.

Waytek is one of my suppliers. I'll have to check out TRC12volt. Thanks
As for the solder vs. crimps, I have to disagree. A solder joint with just regular old heatshrink, or :cringe: electrical tape on it will fail from vibration. No doubt. A solder joint with 2 layers of adhesive lined heatshrink and some sort of securing device (wire tie, or a cable clamp) will fail at the same time as a crimp. Sure, if it isn't done correctly, or not secured, it'll fail, but the same can be said about a crimp thats not done correctly, or uses a crappy aluminum crimp sleeve.

The main reason that crimps are used in automotive and pretty much all non-pcb assemblies is because of the ease of tooling. A pneumatic crimper with the correct weatherpak die can be stuck in an assembly line with NO, expendables other than compressed air. No spools of solder, no flux, no worries about cleaning iron tips or burning them out. Crimps are faster and more repeatable in an assembly line. In the hands of workers, a ratcheting (and more and more a self-adjusting/torquing) crimper can be placed in the hands of ANY worker and it'll work fine so long as they get the placement correct on the terminal/wire/crimp. Its easier and faster, plus the workforce doesn't have to be trained to do anything other than stick the crimp into the tool, and hit a button. Its a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless.

Wow! When I asked about crimping technique some months ago, some asked if I was stupid, and implied that crimping was easier than ***.....just do it. Yet I knew that the marine, aviation, and others took this procedure VERY serious.
This thread has not helped the OP much, since it has varied from recommendations of Harbor Freight tools to VERY expensive industrial tools.
What are good crimpers to consider?
Ratchet type: Solid vs. multiple jaws????
Connectors: How about ones that are available over the counter or locally.

Connectors....will these pliar types, and especially the different ratchet types, work with all brands of connectors??? Or, should I use Thomas and Betts connectors with T and B crimpers???? Are crimpers/connectors standardized among brands?

Insulated vs. plain connectors?

Again, is it possible to develop some cook book recommendations here for a handful of affordable brands and basic workable techniques?

Here's my two Lincoln's worth of advice.
Brand doesn't really matter unless you are doing mission/life critical work, in which case you probably have been told what brand you are allowed to use, and its likely that the tools and materials have been provided to you. You've probably gotten specialized training in how to use them. 'Nuf said.

Everyone else, working on your car or boat or whatever: Buy a ratcheting crimper with interchangeable jaws and a pair of plier-style crimpers (like those Kleins I linked to, I've used dozens of them with no problem for the past 5+ years). Buy your crimps from a good electrical supply store. We buy from Waytek Wire, DigiKey, Mouser, and others. Don't buy from: The local autoparts store, HF (with one exception), RadioShack, or WalMart, OK? Whatever you buy will be aluminum or untinned copper with solid PVC insulation, and will corrode, the insulation will crack when you crimp it. Amazingly, HF actually sells a pack of self-adhesive **** crimps that are quality products.
HF Item #:95177
I've found these to be nearly identical to the Anchor brand ones. Of course, they aren't cheap, and I always cover them in another layer of glue-lined heatshrink.

When I have to do something quickly, I'll go for a crimp. If I have time, I'll take the time to do it with solder, multiple layers of heatshrink, and often flexible urethane poured into a sleeve made out of heatshrink. I'll repeat this again: Properly done, both solder and crimps work perfectly.

Basically, stick to a quality product and a good tool, and you'll be fine. I am an oceanographer, often working on equipment worth a lot, but I still keep a pair of Klein's in my electrical bag.

To answer your questions directly:
Are crimpers/connectors standardized among brands?For the most part. The stuff you can usually see and use on cars, boats, and whatnot is either insulated or uninsulated, and color coded to the AWG wire its meant to be used on. Use the correct tool, no matter the brand of tool or crimp, and it'll work fine.
Insulated vs. plain connectors?
Up to you. I usually use insulated connectors, but only ones with the adhesive-lined heatshrink insulation. If one is not available, I use an uninsulated and heatshrink it myself. I also coat a lot of connectors with DC4 (Dow Corning #4) dielectric grease, to stop corrosion on the surface, and splash-resist it.
Again, is it possible to develop some cook book recommendations here for a handful of affordable brands and basic workable techniques?
I've tried, I hope you find it satisfactory.

Hot spit, DMC makes some nice crimpers.

There's no universal answer, but here's my input. A well-soldered connection is an excellent electrical conductor. Really really good. 'Well-soldered', however, means that you have shiny copper, good solder, flux, a clean iron tip, and enough hand-steadiness (or a clamp or something) to not make a cold solder joint (this is what happens when you jiggle or move the connection while it is still semi-liquid). This is not always easy to do, say, under a dashboard. A soldered connector also needs to be properly strain-relieved. When you solder multi-core wire (throw away the solid-core if the thing you are wiring moves or vibrates even a little, it will fatigue on you very quickly) the solder wicks into the strands and stiffens them into a virtual solid core. Where the solder ends, the wire quickly goes from stiff to flexible. This is where any stress on the wire will concentrate, and cause it to fatigue. If you can support the wire past this point (say, with well-fitting cable clamp) you can reduce the vibration and fatigue.
(As an aside, NASA uses a lot of crimped connections on flying equipment for this reason).
I will spend $50 for a ratcheting crimper for the common barrel/spade/etc type connectors. It means that I don't have to worry about the integrity of my connections. Every one is the same as the other, and a manufacturer has figured out how much pressure is required to properly crimp a given size.

I agree with everything you say, but I'd just like to say that, again, NASA uses crimps because of their ease of use in automation, lack of training, and ease of inspection.
There are definitely places to use crimped connections, thats for sure. I'd love to say that I soldered the connections to our bilge pumps. Sorry, I didn't. I was hanging with my torso on deck, my head resting on the hot turbocharger on our old Volvo Penta TAMB41-B diesel, trying to not burn myself on the block as I swapped out a crapped-out pump. I used a crimped connection with the built-in adhesive insulation. I added another (4") piece of heatshrink, and got it all melted with a lighter. All this in 20*F, 6' seas, and seawater washing up my pants from the deck and running down my chest. It was either that or hope the one aft pump would keep up with the water pouring in a smashed through-hull fitting.

Sharky- I'd be interested in more details of the tools and tech you use. Which crimps do you like? Which soldering iron and solder meets your specs?

Amazingly, I've found that in recent years, less expensive imported irons have come a long way. I used to be a Hakko guy, but no longer. My primary iron for shop use (and ship-board use for delicate work) is an XYTronics 136ESD. http://www.web-tronics.com/esdeltecosos.html
Cheap, tons of different tips, very reliable, and just as good as a Hakko 936. If you need digital, XYTronics makes one thats very good. I just don't need the added cost and fragility. NOTE: I do NO SMD (surface mount device) work. Maybe someone else does.

As for solder, 63/37 Sn/Pb is what I usually use. Brand? Circuit Specialists solder has worked awesome for me, but its only available in a few sizes. If I need a specific size or silver or lead-free solder, I order it from a supplier. I don't like using anything other than good old leaded solder. It flows well, doesn't need insane temperatures or special handling precautions.

The key to soldering well is practice practice practice. Practice desoldering IC chips and resoldering them a few times without messing up the board or frying the IC. Practice heat control and working under pressure. A good set of "helping hands" actually is pretty useful. Baring that, I use a piece of threaded steel pipe as a stand, and just hold the iron in my teeth.

Of course, I come at this from two distinct viewpoints.
My profession has taught me how to do things a certain way, but I'm a garage junkie, and work on cars. Electrical work is shared, but my techniques differ greatly depending on the situation.

 

[Treeman]

Awesome,

Thanks sharkytm. Even though you seem to have the training and know how to do "NASA" level crimps, you also seem to have a common sense perspective for the rest of us.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[RickP330]

Wow,
Thanks for the info guys. Looks like those ratcheting crimps with replaceable dies is around 120 bucks. I'll have to shop around a bit and see if I can find a sale. Looks like a good pliers is in order too.
Rick

 

[george4]

sharkytm - Excellent.

 

[sharkytm]

Wow,
Thanks for the info guys. Looks like those ratcheting crimps with replaceable dies is around 120 bucks. I'll have to shop around a bit and see if I can find a sale. Looks like a good pliers is in order too.
Rick

All, Thanks for listening. Its an ongoing debate, so if anyone else wants to chime in, feel free.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002STTTI/?tag=atomicindus08-20
$76

The 18920 or if you can find it, the 18960.
http://www.toolaid.com/products.htm
That one has more dies, including one that looks like its for spark plug wires and terminals.

 

[george4]

All, Thanks for listening. Its an ongoing debate, so if anyone else wants to chime in, feel free.

Well, since you asked.
If you could speak to what to look for in terminals for general use i.e. homeowner/auto repair and adhesive lined heat shrink (never heard of that) that would be helpful. I take it that aluminum or untinned copper with solid PVC insulation should be avoided. Are you aware of prepackaged general purpose kits of quality terminals? I have seen the 1000 piece kits for $25.00 but assume quality is an issue.
Thanks

 

[kartracer55]

I find this debate interesting, Honestly, I've never once had a problem with a crimped connection I have done "old school" style with pliers. Done hundreds of them and I haven't been around all too long.

As for the shrink wrapped ones, I find that pretty cool, Im going to look into those. Normally if I have to make a connection under a car or under the hood, I crimp as normal, then on each side of the crimp, tightly wrap a band of electrical tape to about the size of the crimp. Once its all even, I wrap over it or use shrink wrap. never had a problem with it.

The worst are Freakin T-taps. THose things ****.

 

[Treeman]

Sharktm

would you consider these connectors from a reputable company to be inferior:


http://www.idealindustries.com/products/wire_termination/terminals_crimps/



I have to imagine electricians use these all the time in buildings, etc..

 

[sharkytm]

Well, since you asked.
If you could speak to what to look for in terminals for general use i.e. homeowner/auto repair and adhesive lined heat shrink (never heard of that) that would be helpful. I take it that aluminum or untinned copper with solid PVC insulation should be avoided. Are you aware of prepackaged general purpose kits of quality terminals? I have seen the 1000 piece kits for $25.00 but assume quality is an issue.
Thanks

For terminals, check Waytek Wire's catalog, pages 23-25. They have good quality terminals, all available with built-in adhesive shrink insulation.
http://store.nutsandbolts.com/heat-shrink-electrical-assortment-48.html
If you need an assortment, I found that one just by searching "heat shrink terminal assortment". No idea if the company is good, but the selection looks nice. Plus, it comes in a STEEL storage box, not plastic. Freakin everything is plastic now, and lemme tell you, when you drop a plastic box on a steel deck, the next 10 minutes is spent alternately cursing the maker and picking up the pieces.
http://www.autobarn.net/xxxw-mst10600.html Here's one in plastic, for substantially less. I hate AutoBarn, as they just resell and markup. With some internet detective work, you could find the original selle,r and buy it for even less.
As for adhesive lined heatshrink, lots of places sell it. I'm pretty sure I've seen it at Home Depot and Lowes. The nicest thing is that the glue-lined stuff has a 3:1 shrink ratio, opposed to 2:1 for regulay polyolefin heatshrink.

Gardner Bender sells it, and they supply HD, iirc.

A lot of places call it "Dual Wall heat shrink tubing" One wall is adhesive and one is polyolefin. Waytek Wire sells it: http://order.waytekwire.com/scategory2/M37/180/300/POLYOLEFIN DUAL WALL/HEAT SHRINK/

Other places sell it too. I buy it locally near Boston at You-Do-It Electronics in Needham, MA. I buy bags of it in 6" lengths, and cut it to fit my needs. Its cheaper to buy a roll, but I like having precut pieces handy.

I find this debate interesting, Honestly, I've never once had a problem with a crimped connection I have done "old school" style with pliers. Done hundreds of them and I haven't been around all too long.

As for the shrink wrapped ones, I find that pretty cool, Im going to look into those. Normally if I have to make a connection under a car or under the hood, I crimp as normal, then on each side of the crimp, tightly wrap a band of electrical tape to about the size of the crimp. Once its all even, I wrap over it or use shrink wrap. never had a problem with it.

The worst are Freakin T-taps. THose things ****.

T-Taps have their uses, but nothing permanent.
Avoid electrical tape as a heatshrink stand-in. Sure its easy, but the adhesives break down, and it can't really handle vibration or grease/water/gas/oil well. Plenty of people use it, and don't have problems with it. I have had problems with tape in the past, so I don't use it. We almost lost a boat that had an electrical-tape-reinforced splice in the 110VAC system. The tape got soaked in hydraulic fluid from a seeping pipe, and unwound. The hot hit the hydraulic line, and luckily tripped the breaker. The wire was burned back almost to the generating panel. I had to strip it all out and re-wire. Its all crimped with 3 layers of heatshrink, and a bunch of screw-in cable clamps now.

Sharkytm
would you consider these connectors from a reputable company to be inferior:
http://www.idealindustries.com/products/wire_termination/terminals_crimps/
I have to imagine electricians use these all the time in buildings, etc..

For use in a house, they'll be fine. No water, no salt, no oil, no vibration. They also use solid wire in houses, which I'd never use in a car for any reason.
I use the crimp sleeves to attach grounds in my electrical system for the house. I just make sure to use a good crimper when I do.

The Nylon fully-insulated terminals are better, and the insulation is less prone to cracking. Those are my choice for lots of stuff, including the WBO2 in my car.

 

[caper]

As for the shrink wrapped ones, I find that pretty cool, Im going to look into those. Normally if I have to make a connection under a car or under the hood, I crimp as normal, then on each side of the crimp, tightly wrap a band of electrical tape to about the size of the crimp. Once its all even, I wrap over it or use shrink wrap. never had a problem with it.

Up here in the land of salt anything not covered in shrink tube has a life expectancy of about 6 mths.Black tape will not cut it here,hell a heatshrinkable **** connector only lasts about a year or so.My standard practice is a heatshrinkable **** connector covered with another layer of heat shrink tube.Water gets in the blacktape and cant get out,only place I use it is to keep split loom in place over a harness.

 

[joeswamp]

This is such a great thread, I never even realized you were supposed to use different shaped crimpers on insulated and non-insulated connectors! I'd always thought those insulated connectors were just impossible to crimp properly. Well no more, thanks to this thread I am reformed.

Couple questions though: What do you pros think of the Ancor double crimper sold at marine supply houses? There's a great thread here where this somwhat obsessive guy compares it to the Harbor Freight ripoff design, it's pretty funny. The Ancor model seems to be compatible mostly with the "double crimped" connectors made by Ancor though, do other companies make connectors that can "double crimp"? Also the Ancor model doesn't seem to have other crimp heads available to fit the frame.

My other question relates to the "Tool Aid" set referred to earlier in this thread. This thing is incredibly cheap compared to a name brand tool. The equivalent Knipex, for example, costs over $200 for just the ratchet frame and the common crimp heads are close to $100 each. I don't think I want to spend $400 to crimp common connectors but I'm just wondering why there's such a huge price difference.

 

[george4]

Sharkytm,
Helpful last post. I am putting together an order from Waytek for some terminals and dual wall as well as the Tool Aid 18920 from Amazon, but, one more question. What would you recommend for a basic heat source for the tubing?
Thanks again.

 

[FNFS2000]

Its like comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes. Knipex also has all the certifications that may be engineered spec on certain jobs.

 

[3 at 8]

This is a really good thread with lots of tech talk. I'll have to re-read a couple of times. I am expecting my first pair of ratcheting crimpers this month once the Toptul order comes in; if this post is still alive when I get them I will report back about them. Also, it seems I am the only one who has used liquid electrical tape to waterproof thier marine connections. That's usually not a good sign. Never used it before so I thought I would try it because the heat shrink **** connecters were ridiculously expensive. I replaced two bilge and two ariator pumps last spring. I'll check em this spring to see if their brittle or flaking after one year.

 

[RickP330]

Still have to do more research but I put these in my Amazon shopping cart:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A3RNIK5KD9N594&v=glance

Or is the Kline better?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

And this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

RickP

 

[sharkytm]

Up here in the land of salt anything not covered in shrink tube has a life expectancy of about 6 mths.Black tape will not cut it here,hell a heatshrinkable **** connector only lasts about a year or so.My standard practice is a heatshrinkable **** connector covered with another layer of heat shrink tube.Water gets in the blacktape and cant get out,only place I use it is to keep split loom in place over a harness.

Amen, brother. I use electrical tape to tape coils of cable, and to seal the plastic caps on sediment samples. Thats just about it.

This is such a great thread, I never even realized you were supposed to use different shaped crimpers on insulated and non-insulated connectors! I'd always thought those insulated connectors were just impossible to crimp properly. Well no more, thanks to this thread I am reformed.

Couple questions though: What do you pros think of the Ancor double crimper sold at marine supply houses? There's a great thread here where this somwhat obsessive guy compares it to the Harbor Freight ripoff design, it's pretty funny. The Ancor model seems to be compatible mostly with the "double crimped" connectors made by Ancor though, do other companies make connectors that can "double crimp"? Also the Ancor model doesn't seem to have other crimp heads available to fit the frame.

My other question relates to the "Tool Aid" set referred to earlier in this thread. This thing is incredibly cheap compared to a name brand tool. The equivalent Knipex, for example, costs over $200 for just the ratchet frame and the common crimp heads are close to $100 each. I don't think I want to spend $400 to crimp common connectors but I'm just wondering why there's such a huge price difference.

The Anchor one is for double-crimps, but it can be used on the single crimps. It'll just put a crimp on the insulation, which doesn't do any good unless there's a sleeve there. I'm pretty sure its the same as the HF one. Seriously. I had an Anchor one for a while, dropped it overboard, and bought the $15 HF one to replace it. Works fine for marine electronics work.

As for the price difference, see my reply farther down.

Sharkytm,
Helpful last post. I am putting together an order from Waytek for some terminals and dual wall as well as the Tool Aid 18920 from Amazon, but, one more question. What would you recommend for a basic heat source for the tubing?
Thanks again.

A small butane torch works great if you take your time and keep your distance. With the glue-lined stuff, you have to start in the middle, and work your way out. You also need to rotate the wire or the torch around the wire so the adhesive melts evenly and flows into every cavity. You'll know your doing it right because as you approach the ends of the tube with the torch, glue will ooze out. Thats a good thing!

Its like comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes. Knipex also has all the certifications that may be engineered spec on certain jobs.

Its like comparing a Jeep to a HMMV.
Both will get you where you need to go 99% of the time, but one is cheap and easy to find, the other is expensive, well-documented, and meets all sorts of Military/Industrial specifications. For what the average user of this board needs, a Jeep is just fine.

This is a really good thread with lots of tech talk. I'll have to re-read a couple of times. I am expecting my first pair of ratcheting crimpers this month once the Toptul order comes in; if this post is still alive when I get them I will report back about them. Also, it seems I am the only one who has used liquid electrical tape to waterproof thier marine connections. That's usually not a good sign. Never used it before so I thought I would try it because the heat shrink **** connecters were ridiculously expensive. I replaced two bilge and two ariator pumps last spring. I'll check em this spring to see if their brittle or flaking after one year.

Liquid electrical tape is OK, but its messy, stinks, and is flammable before its dry. I've use it before. It also peels off easily, which doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy about it.

Complete solution for many splice applications. I´ve bought this kit from Rennsteig at the AAPEX Show in Vegas.

What did that package run you? $500 or more I'm guessing. Thats a hell of a set, and I'd love to have one.

Still have to do more research but I put these in my Amazon shopping cart:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A3RNIK5KD9N594&v=glance
Or is the Kline better?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
And this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
RickP

I've had both Klein and ChannelLock crimpers. Both are good, and I'm not convinced that they aren't made in the same factory.

 

[fourfeathers]

Anybody used Hydralink connectors? They have some that are blue on one end, and red or yellow on the other to make it easy to use different size wires or multiples.

 

[RickP330]

What did that package run you? $500 or more I'm guessing.

I was just quoted $423.00 and $339.50 W/O the heat gun

RickP

 

[Treeman]

RickP330, buy that $423 set and tell us how it works.

Merkava critiqued the Ideal pliar type here and gave it rave reviews. The Kleins I saw at Lowes had poor workmanship...I saw two different machined profiles on the "male" dimple part of the crimp area.

Does anyone have an in depth review of the Tool Aid crimper and how well it crimps compared to the big boys?

I wonder if the Tool Aid is made by the same company as this Paladin. Notice the exact same handle shape.

http://www.paladin-tools.com/view_tool.php?id=405&parent_id=182

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0002STTTI/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi

 

[RickP330]

RickP330, buy that $423 set and tell us how it works.

Yeah, Okay I'm on it LOL.

I caught that about the Ideal breifly. I gotta go back and check that out.
RP

 

[NSXSOON]

Has anyone tried the Toptul kit http://www.toptul.com/ part # GAAI0605. I checked Mike's site and he has it listed for $88.55 less his GJ 20% discount would make it $70.84 plus a few bucks shipping. I was wondering how it stacks up to the Tool Aid kit that Amazon has for about the same price.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
They both look similar but not identical so one may be better built or designed than the other.

 

[sharkytm]

Anybody used Hydralink connectors? They have some that are blue on one end, and red or yellow on the other to make it easy to use different size wires or multiples.

Waytek sells upsizing crimps and other stuff like that.

Has anyone tried the Toptul kit http://www.toptul.com/ part # GAA10605. I checked Mike's site and he has it listed for $88.55 less his GJ 20% discount would make it $70.84 plus a few bucks shipping. I was wondering how it stacks up to the Tool Aid kit that Amazon has for about the same price.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
They both look similar but not identical so one may be better built or designed than the other.

They look similar, but the Paladin set doesn't have the other jaws.
That toptul looks nice, but reminds me of my HF crimper, even the E-clips on the pivot pins. The correct part number is GAAI0605 , its an "I" not a "1".

 

[NSXSOON]

Waytek sells upsizing crimps and other stuff like that.

They look similar, but the Paladin set doesn't have the other jaws.
That toptul looks nice, but reminds me of my HF crimper, even the E-clips on the pivot pins. The correct part number is GAAI0605 , its an "I" not a "1".

Thanks for the part number catch, I went back and fixed it so it's correct now.

Is your recommendation the Tool Aid 18960 with the extra jaws that was mentioned earlier?

 

[strizzy]

Wierd. I was going to ask about Channellock crimpers. Anybody use them? I really like other channel lock products and I think they would make a nice addition to my set of pliers.

For what its worth... I have mainly used the 959 model for quite some time now, love them. I too do "marine wiring," but it is nothing fancy like sonars, just harnesses and accessories. From the factory, 90% of the connections are not shrunk wrapped or protected at all. When I install anything it is either shrunk wrapped or a male/female connections with dialectic grease and some tape.

http://www.channellock.com/acb/stores/1/959_-_Wire_Stripper_Cutter_and_P64C17.cfm

Back to lurking...

 

[RickP330]

For what its worth... I have mainly used the 959 model for quite some time now...

You know, that brings up another point. I have one of these but use it purely for shearing machine screws to size. Is there a dedicated tool to do just this or do I have to keep the crappy crimper around?
RickP

 

[PSU Engineer]

While this thread is still relatively "active": I was wondering if anyone can identify who manufactures this ratcheting terminal crimper for MAC tools. My friend just bought it and has been raving about it. I didn't know that there was such a thing as a ratcheting crimper

TCT747

(I hope my hyperlink works for link mentioned above)

Does the MAC look like a quality tool? I was kinda sold on purchasing one until I saw the Tool Aid model that was posted by several members. The Tool Aid can be purchased for $25 cheaper than the MAC, and looks better made. I used the MAC once and while it seemed OK, it was nothing spectacular. The ergonomics of the tool were horrible though.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[mkdive]

sharkytm - Excellent.

Lots of good info!

 

[RickP330]

I was kinda sold on purchasing one until I saw the Tool Aid model that was posted by several members. The Tool Aid can be purchased for $25 cheaper than the MAC, and looks better made.

Does the mac have additional dies that come with it too?
RickP

 

[PSU Engineer]

Does the mac have additional dies that come with it too?
RickP

Yeah, he bought the "kit". I cannot remember what he paid for it, but I can ask. MAC website lists the tool kit at $93.99

TCT-747 kit

I am still hoping someone can point out the original maker of the tool though. It is a nice tool, and I wouldn't really mind getting something similar. I don't like the "snubby nose" of the MAC compared to the long slender nose of the ToolAid. I kinda think that the ToolAid would fit into places that the MAC can't. Especially for under-dash work installing stereos and such. The Paladin looks real trick, but probably comes with an enormous price tag.

Tony

 

[mkdive]

I have the tool aid crimper in my amazon shopping cart right now, I know it's not the best out there. But it seems like a good deal? I think I'll just bite the bullet and order it.

 

[george4]

I have the tool aid crimper in my amazon shopping cart right now, I know it's not the best out there. But it seems like a good deal? I think I'll just bite the bullet and order it.

Wait a week, I have one on the way and will let you know what I think when it arrives.

 

[sharkytm]

Give it a shot, I think you'll be pleased. Its very similar to the HF one, except the HF has no dies included. I'll bet that the dies will interchange.

That Mac looks like the same style as the ones sold by Rennsteig:
http://rennsteig.us/products-overview/crimping/83-service-crimping-tools-pew16.html
The Mac has the ratchet adjuster, which the Rennsteig doesn't see to have.
I've got no idea who makes it, I'm sure its a good product.

 

[mkdive]

Wait a week, I have one on the way and will let you know what I think when it arrives.

Roger that, I look forward to a review!

 

[timgr]

...but for most things, solder and 2 layers of glue-lined heatshrink is better than any crimp.

Adhesive heat shrink is the bomb.

 

[mkdive]

Adhesive heat shrink is the bomb.

I started using it a few years ago by suggestion from my father in law....it really is worth the little extra price. Works great!

 

[george4]

Roger that, I look forward to a review!

The Tool Aid ratcheting crimping kit came in today. Previously I had only used non-ratcheting crimpers for insulated and non-insulated terminals, sometimes maybe just a pair of dikes for the crimp. The results were sometimes uneven and not always secure.
The ratchet looks like a well-made item, fairly heavy-duty construction, it weights 1.25 lbs. I had a bunch of 12 – 18 gauge insulated terminals to use. Great crimps with the bare wire held securely by one crimp and a second crimp on the terminal insulation around the wire insulation, both crimps are done in one movement. I tried a few open barrel terminals, had to change the die but it did great crimps on those too. The first legs crimped tightly around the bare wire and the second set around the wire insulation. One movement does both sets of crimps and all the legs were symetrical. Terminals were virtually impossible to pull off the wire after a full crimp. The crimps were very uniform and did not damage the insulation or the terminal.
It takes some pressure on the plastic covered handles but the ratcheting mechanism forces you to a full crimp. A positive stop prevents over doing it. There are 5 dies that should cover most needs. Dies are easy to switch with 2 screws, pretty much idiot proof. Comes in a blow-molded case that takes up excess room but will keep me from loosing the extra dies.
I am sure some guys could do an equal job with the non-ratcheting type but for $81.42 delivered from Amazon, it works for me and seems a good value. No indication on the tool about where it was made.

 

[sharkytm]

The Tool Aid ratcheting crimping kit ...
... but for $81.42 delivered from Amazon, it works for me and seems a good value. No indication on the tool about where it was made.

I'd say so. I'm glad our recommendation worked out for you. I'm sure its Chinese-made, but the truth is, they've come a long way in the past few years.