Which crimp tool to buy?

[sean0118]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to invest in a general use semi-decent crimper.

At the moment I need to crimp some of these:


http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?x=0&y=0&lang=en&site=us&keywords=A27813-ND



I also need to crimp two (yes only two  ) of these butt crimps. What type of crimper is used for these? Maybe I need a second (and cheaper) crimper just for these?





Is something like this suitable for the quick connect crimps I posted?

Thanks 

[ivan747]

Are you sure you need a crimper for that?

[cs.dk]

I use a Knipex 97 52 36 for isolated cableshoes. It also fit for Duraseal shoes and butt crimps.
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=14&page=group_detail&parentID=1299&groupID=1305

[Falcon69]

I bought a pair of these like 20 years ago when I was installing car stereo and alarm systems.

I will never even thinking about buying another kind.  These things crimp those type of connectors so good!

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/crimpingcutting-tools/crimpingcutting-tool-non-insulated-terminals

Worth every penny i spent for them.

[nanofrog]

A ratcheting crimp tool with interchangeable dies might be of interest, particularly if you're doing small numbers of a lot of different terminal types (prototyping or repair for example). Personally I went with the Pressmaster MCT as I wanted something better than the inexpensive Asian products (inconsistent IME & no traceability, should you need that).

It's main benefit is it's a lot cheaper than buying dedicated crimpers.  The downside is you don't get any terminal locators that are usually present on the top quality dedicated models, so they do require a bit more skill.

The following might be of interest:

• NASA's workmanship standards on CRIMPED TERMINATIONS, GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• NASA Workmanship Standards: Pictorial Reference (this one covers a LOT of stuff)
• CRIMPING, INTERCONNECTING CABLES, HARNESSES, AND WIRING (NASA-STD 8739.4; .pdf)

[BradC]

I've always had good results with these :

http://www.altronics.com.au/p/t1552a-crimptool-ratchet-automotive/

Admittedly I've probably only done a couple of hundred crimps over quite a few years, so I'm not a high volume user but I've never had one come loose or require re-terminating and most of my stuff gets used in under-bonnet or marine environments.

For years I used to solder and heatshrink, however it turns out in high vibration environments (like say cars or boats) butt splices like you pictured above tend to be more reliable long term. All this said with the caveat you use *quality* connectors and not the cheap generic crap sold at Repco or Supercheap.

[ConKbot]

On that digikey page they link to the amphenol pro crimp crimper. I've used a different version of that for 20-10awg wire I believe ( your usual red blue yellow lugs). That with some pidg series terminals makes for the strongest hold I've ever seen on spade/ring terminals. If I put a spade terminal in a vice and yank on the wire, the wire breaks on small wires, and with 10 awg the spade gets ripped in two.

I've used some 3rd party crimpers "meant" for solderless terminals and have never had much luck getting something remotely as solid. Not saying $500 crimper are the best idea for a hobbyist, but in a professional situation, totally worth it being able to put terminals on and to be 100% sure it's going to stay put.

[sean0118]

Thanks for the replies everyone. 

Are you sure you need a crimper for that?

Your referring to the second red crimp right? I'm pretty sure you do, but I've never used one before, it came in a switch replacement kit for an old lamp I'm repairing. Instructions aren't clear how the connection is meant to be made.

I use a Knipex 97 52 36 for isolated cableshoes. It also fit for Duraseal shoes and butt crimps.

I think that's the one I linked to on Amazon at the bottom of my post? But good to know someone's had success using it. I'm pretty new to crimping, are the Duraseal butt crimps similar to the red one I posted? If Duraseal makes quality crimps I might get some to take it's place.

On that digikey page they link to the amphenol pro crimp crimper...

Ok cool, I never noticed the tooling section on Digikey before, good to know. Those crimpers sound great but they are too pricey for me to justify (for now  ).

For years I used to solder and heatshrink, however it turns out in high vibration environments (like say cars or boats) butt splices like you pictured above tend to be more reliable long term. All this said with the caveat you use *quality* connectors and not the cheap generic crap sold at Repco or Supercheap.

Yeah I solder and heatshrink my connections atm, but it's time I bite the bullet and invest in a crimper. I think I might order some better quality butt splices though, I have a feeling these ones are the cheap generic crap you mention...  it's to splice 240V so need to be a good connection.

[nanofrog]

Yeah I solder and heatshrink my connections atm, but it's time I bite the bullet and invest in a crimper. I think I might order some better quality butt splices though, I have a feeling these ones are the cheap generic crap you mention...  it's to splice 240V so need to be a good connection.

Stick to name brands for terminals, such as 3M, Molex, TE Connectivity (AMP/Tyco), Panduit, Thomas&Betts, and Amphenol. They'll happily sell you the tooling as well, but it's expensive (they apply a substantial markup).

Instead, get it from the source they use, such as Pressmaster, Wezag, or Daniels Manufacturing. Or from tooling companies such as Xcelite, Facom, or Wiha (should offer greater availability = cheaper).

Given it's lower total cost, you might want to concentrate on models with interchangeable dies (don't have to buy a frame every time).

[sleemanj]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to invest in a general use semi-decent crimper.

At the moment I need to crimp some of these:

For pre-insulated connectors, the usual red/blue/yellow sleeve ones, I use one of these

  http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Crimping-pliers-crimper-Cable-clamp-Can-be-pressed-terminal-diameter-0-25-2-5mm2/827362040.html

which works well.  Your spade connector looks a bit different than the usual ones, but probably would work too.

[cs.dk]

I think that's the one I linked to on Amazon at the bottom of my post? But good to know someone's had success using it. I'm pretty new to crimping, are the Duraseal butt crimps similar to the red one I posted? If Duraseal makes quality crimps I might get some to take it's place.

Yes, sorry missed the link in your post
Duraseal are schrinkable, which provides sealing and some strainrelief.

[nanofrog]

I think that's the one I linked to on Amazon at the bottom of my post? But good to know someone's had success using it. I'm pretty new to crimping, are the Duraseal butt crimps similar to the red one I posted? If Duraseal makes quality crimps I might get some to take it's place.

Yes, sorry missed the link in your post
Duraseal are schrinkable, which provides sealing and some strainrelief.

Or use a non-insulated terminal with adhesive lined heat shrink.  Easy enough to source the parts, and it's usually cheaper (labor costs aren't a deciding factor). 

[rolycat]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to invest in a general use semi-decent crimper.

At the moment I need to crimp some of these:

For pre-insulated connectors, the usual red/blue/yellow sleeve ones, I use one of these

  http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Crimping-pliers-crimper-Cable-clamp-Can-be-pressed-terminal-diameter-0-25-2-5mm2/827362040.html

which works well.  Your spade connector looks a bit different than the usual ones, but probably would work too.

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

[LukeW]

In terms of the generic cheap tools for doing those red/blue/yellow insulated generic connectors, be sure to get one with a ratchet mechanism. The very low-end non-ratchet ones are just rubbish.

[Monkeh]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

There is such a thing as a small yellow size. There's also, although I haven't seen one in years, green.

[rolycat]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

There is such a thing as a small yellow size. There's also, although I haven't seen one in years, green.

I can well believe it. Not much use to the average punter with a box of the standard type, though

[nanofrog]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

There is such a thing as a small yellow size. There's also, although I haven't seen one in years, green.

One of my insulated terminal dies is marked with a green dot. Wire size stamped in it is 26 - 22AWG/0.1 - 0.4mm^2.

When I look for terminals of that size, all the photos I'm seeing show yellow insulation, so perhaps they're used interchangeably for this size? 

[m100]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

There is such a thing as a small yellow size. There's also, although I haven't seen one in years, green.

Also bootlace ferrules, with at least two very different colour coding standards, French and German.

[Monkeh]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

There is such a thing as a small yellow size. There's also, although I haven't seen one in years, green.

Also bootlace ferrules, with at least two very different colour coding standards, French and German.

There's at least one more standard for those, where 6mm² is yellow.

[G7PSK]

The same crimp tool will do both, if you use what most electricians do. A pair of side cutters.

[sleemanj]

Those look a bit screwy in terms of the colour coding. The yellow crimp slot seems to be sized for 0.25mm² wires rather than the standard 4.0-6.0mm².

Hah, I never noticed that, looks like the one the vendor photographed was painted backwards.

Here's mine in the flesh (exact same product, DN-02C), it has red as smallest and yellow as largest, as is the more typical coding.

[tautech]

For the OP's requirements, probably the Narva 56504BL would do what he needs. 
Of all the cheap and nasty crimpers it's the best that I've come across.
At a glance we all know what we sould be using for the perfect job, but seeing he asked he doesn't.
Is he likely to use it more than a few times for the rest of his days?
I'll go months without using mine.

http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/tools

[sean0118]

Hey everyone,

I ended up getting the Knipex 97 52 36. It was only $110+gst from RS which was the cheapest price I could find in Australia. That's got to be the first time RS has been the cheapest for anything...

I've already used it a bunch and I expect to keep it for a long time, it's sturdy and crimps very well. Thanks again everyone.

 

http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp-tools/4920150/

[rvalente]

For industrial crimps, Weidmuller has the best tooling (IMHO)

http://www.weidmueller.com/110802/Products/Tools/Crimping/cw_index_v2.aspx

[Marc M.]

Short answer - These: http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-G-Tool-Aid-18980-Master-Ratcheting-Terminal-Crimper-Set-/191305543811?hash=item2c8ab2f083&item=191305543811&vxp=mtr

Long, drawn out, meandering answer:
Most of my 30+ years of working for the man have been spent in consumer electronics repair and industrial maintenance with a 3 year stint in electro-mechanical assembly building automated guided vehicles for GM, Chrysler, US Government (MX missile program), and many more.  I've used every type of crimper imaginable from the cheapest sub-dollar to top shelf (Molex, Amp, TE, etc.) and crimped tens of thousands of various styles of terminals.  Yes, the top shelf crimpers will make high quality consistent crimps for thousands of terminals without any issues provided the OEM terminals are used, the wire end is prepared properly, and the operator is qualified.  The down side is they are typically very expensive and are usually specific to a few sizes of 1 style of terminal.  Great for production, sucks for maintenance and casual uses like many here. For most of my life I used Thomas & Betts version of the Klein crimpers that Falcon69 pointed out.  That style worked great because the jaws are over 1/4" (8mm) thick so most or all of the connector barrel gets swaged.  They also have the 'tit' that sticks up in 1 jaw that really locked everything in place well making it difficult to mechanically pull the wire out without breaking. There is also a lot a variability in the size/thickness of both the barrel and the insulator between different brands of insulated terminals for the same color so a pair of crimpers that may do a decent job on A brand terminals may not do so well with B brand etc. so having the 'tit' helps assure a decent crimp on most brands.  The caveat is that the 'tit' will often puncture or break the insulating sleeve around the barrel which could pose a safety issue which is why at some point they stopped selling that design for insulated terminals, designating them for use with un-insulated terminals only. With that in mind, they were great for personal use but not acceptable in the industrial environment at work. 

So I started sniffing around the net for a proper set of ratcheting crimpers for use at work that not only crimped the barrel, but also the insulation where the wire enters the connector. It's important to crimp on the insulation to help spread any stress on the copper over a larger area. If this step is skipped then mechanical stresses tend to concentrate right at the point the copper enters the metal portion of the connector and can work harden and break under moderate vibration. I work with a lot of different types of terminals so I wanted something that used interchangeable dies as well.  I ended up purchasing this Tool Aid #18980 set off Fleabay for just under $100.00. It uses standard size dies and have a handy quick change die feature so you can swap out the dies in under 30 seconds  .  This set came with 9 sets of dies that covers a pretty wide range of connectors.  There are 3 different die sets that cover most red/blue/yellow insulated connectors, 1 die for uninsulated connectors (4 sizes), 2 sets of dies that cover Weatherpack terminals and it looks like they'll work for Mate-N-Locs, Molex, and other connectors with that style of terminals. There's a die to do red and blue flag terminals, a hex die for RG-6/58/59 etc. coax connectors, and finally a die for preparing 8mm spark plug terminals. I also purchased a die set for 15, 30, and 45 Anderson Power Pole connectors off fleabay for $15.00 shipped which was a very nice bonus.

Another tip for using insulated connectors in harsh environments (automotive, marine, industrial, etc.) is to pack silicone grease (I buy it local at the auto parts store) in both ends of the connector after it's crimped then slide heat shrink tubing over that and shrink it down. The silicone grease will prevent moisture from getting into the connection and the heat shrink not only protects the connection and keeps the grease in, it also acts as a strain relief reducing the chances of work hardening and breaking of the wire. It's also very inexpensive compared to buying them with the tubing and adhesive.

The same crimp tool will do both, if you use what most electricians do. A pair of side cutters.

Most of the electricians I've worked with are utter hacks so that doesn't surprise me.  The dollar store crimper jaws are probably 2mm thick and they don't properly swage the connector so let's use something that's sub-millimeter in width to make sure the connection is ever worse  .  That's OK, just wrap it with half a roll of electrical tape and she'll be right. Actually, the 2 'electricians' I work with would never use a crimp connector. They just use a wire nut and tape to spice in the replacement prox. switch 2" from the body so it's exposed to oil and slightly corrosive coolant which gets wicked up the cable into the body causing the switch to fail again. No offense intended to all the very sharp, qualified electricians that are out there as my sample size is very small at about 6 or 7. There's currently 2 in our department and that will likely drop to 1 at some point because it's a matter of time before the other one kills himself doing insanely stupid crap like hooking his handheld oscilloscope straight across 2 phases on a live 480vac 1000amp bus duct and then 'schooled' me regarding CAT ratings when I tried to explain to him how incredibly stupid and dangerous that was  .  When I asked him if the both channels on his scope were fully isolated from each other he retorted that I was just being an arrogant asshole because I was jealous of his scope .

Last week I found issues with 2 of the 3 power factor correction units in our plant. Neither of the 'electricians' had a clue what they did or how they worked.  To be fair the other 3 'non-electrician' technicians including the boss didn't have a clue either.  Then I did something really stupid - I tried to explain capacitive and inductive reactance, real power, apparent power, etc. to the group . For those wondering, I'm currently an industrial maintenance/CNC technician for a mid sized machine shop (about 100 machining centers).  And yes, I think what a bunch of pus**es when you guys freak out about any voltages over 30v