exmaggiedrum
Veteran Member
Pro tool
I was a pro and this is the crimper I used almost exclusively on smaller gauge wires (10-16ga). I started out trying to use ratcheting crimpers but found that they are almost impossible to use in tight spots. And it is also very easy to think you have a good crimp when you don't since you can't see where the jaws are or where the crimp is sometimes. You can have the crimp in the right spot but the wire is not in all the way. Or you can have the wire in but the jaws are over the end of the crimp and not where they should be.
The worst case is when you think you have a good crimp but it is only the insulation part of the crimp that is holding on to the wire and the wire is not inside the crimp all the way.
With the non-ratcheting crimper you have to have enough hand strength to do a good crimp but I have found that after doing a lot of crimps, the ratcheting crimpers gave me horrible hand cramps.
With the model shown here you have as much visibility as you can ever have to get the jaws on the right place and the wire all the way in. You have to make two crimps on each side (depending on the type of crimp). The one on the wire is the most critical one. The insulation grabbing crimp does not take as much pressure.
Which ever crimper you use - absolutely - give every crimp a good tug on the wire to make sure it is a strong crimp. It can look perfect and not be good at all.
Heat shrink terminals can resist corrosion longer but they do not make a better crimp connection wire to wire. If you use them, give the crimp a good tug before you shrink the tubing otherwise you may think you have a good crimp and don't.
If you want a no nonsense quality crimper that the pro’s use. Thomas & Betts
https://www.zoro.com/sta-kon-crimper-22-to-10-awg-9-58-l-wt111m/i/G2486626/
I was a pro and this is the crimper I used almost exclusively on smaller gauge wires (10-16ga). I started out trying to use ratcheting crimpers but found that they are almost impossible to use in tight spots. And it is also very easy to think you have a good crimp when you don't since you can't see where the jaws are or where the crimp is sometimes. You can have the crimp in the right spot but the wire is not in all the way. Or you can have the wire in but the jaws are over the end of the crimp and not where they should be.
The worst case is when you think you have a good crimp but it is only the insulation part of the crimp that is holding on to the wire and the wire is not inside the crimp all the way.
With the non-ratcheting crimper you have to have enough hand strength to do a good crimp but I have found that after doing a lot of crimps, the ratcheting crimpers gave me horrible hand cramps.
With the model shown here you have as much visibility as you can ever have to get the jaws on the right place and the wire all the way in. You have to make two crimps on each side (depending on the type of crimp). The one on the wire is the most critical one. The insulation grabbing crimp does not take as much pressure.
Which ever crimper you use - absolutely - give every crimp a good tug on the wire to make sure it is a strong crimp. It can look perfect and not be good at all.
Heat shrink terminals can resist corrosion longer but they do not make a better crimp connection wire to wire. If you use them, give the crimp a good tug before you shrink the tubing otherwise you may think you have a good crimp and don't.