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June 13, 2016 at 6:02 pm #4494
Can anyone recommend a reasonable wire crimping tool for heat shrink ring terminals?
I’m not a perfectionist, and I don’t plan on crimping thousands of terminals, but I don’t want to waste money on something that will break after making twenty really bad crimps either!!
June 13, 2016 at 6:25 pm #38204Years ago I got tired of iffy crimps with normal wire pliers, bought Blue Point PWC-29 pliers (made in USA) and have been happy with my crimps since.
June 13, 2016 at 6:33 pm #38205I have a pair of Southwire crimpers I bought at Lowes that work for most sizes of wire that I use. I like them a lot and I’ll never crimp enough terminals to wear them out. At $25 they are not from the bargain bin, but then I don’t get frustrated when the crimps don’t work right half the time either. I’m sure they are available from other place too but I have been happy with the Southwire products. http://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Crimper/50083082 Klein Tools seem to be pretty good too.
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June 13, 2016 at 6:57 pm #38206Just bought a new one at NAPA for $49 . I normally try to buy my electrical tools at an electric supply store,where eletrical contractors shop. Just don’t buy a cheap one.
"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie RobertsonJune 13, 2016 at 8:31 pm #38207Call me opinionated, but my opinion is the one that I bought 40 years ago is/was the best. And it wasn’t expensive either. What I do not like are the ones that merely smash the terminal socket. This one has a little projection that deforms the socket with an indent that makes it strong and doesn’t turn loose. I guess the maker said this is only for uninsulated terminals, but I’ve been using it on insulated ones for 40 years, and it works for me. Hint: The terminals’ socket has a split along one side. Apply the tool so the little projection pokes at the side opposite the seam for a secure crimp.
June 13, 2016 at 8:47 pm #38210The one from lowes looks just like the blue point pliers.
June 13, 2016 at 9:52 pm #38213X2 on Frank’s post. The projection side on the jaws goes opposite 180 degrees of the split in the connector for best results
"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie RobertsonJune 14, 2016 at 3:25 pm #38270- This reply was modified 5 years, 12 months ago by The Boat House.
- This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by The Boat House.
June 15, 2016 at 1:11 am #38297These cheapo blue wire strippers seem to work pretty good crimping heat shrinks with the ‘one size fits all’ slot while the older yellow ones will also do uninsulated terminals or small lug style terminals.
June 15, 2016 at 4:03 am #38307Here’s a tool, reccomended (and sold) by a purist/professional that owns many more expensive tools:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/purc … crimp_toolHere’s his essay on connectors/crimping:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/wire_terminationThis link:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/687571-post3.html
Has some picturs of heat-shrink terminals that were "dimpled" and then shrunk..
They reccomend a similar (identical) tool:
http://www.sailorssolutions.com/index.a … Item=WP042But it bugs me to drop $50 on a tool I’ll use once every few blue moons….
Here’s a promising one I found that has interchangeable dies, including ones that I might also use every few blue moons (coax and RJ connectors):
http://www.markertek.com/product/pal-13 … -terminalsBut I’m not 100% certain this die (or any of the ones they make) are the right ones for the FTZ or 3M heat shrink terminals….
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