Well not yet ! 🙂
Following some discussion on another thread I thought I would buy a crimping tool and some crimp connectors to put in my growing DIY Hi-Fi tool kit.
I thought it would be easy, I was wrong.
There seem to be loads of tools and loads of confusing codes for the tools and the connectors.
The name Paladin comes up a lot but there seem to be lots of others. Tha Paladin tools seem to have lots of options and some of the other do as well, but some of the tools have no options !
So a few questions :-
What are the options for Crimp tool types?
Can you recommend a good tool, not too expensive but not junk either?
Are the Crimp tool kits worth getting? (tool and connectors)
Do I need a tool that can take lots of different dies?
What sort of connectors should I buy to keep on hand for general HiFi DIY?
What is the significance of the red/yellow/blue codes I keep seeing with crimping?
Is there a different crimp language for the US and the rest of the world, does the US seems to use different sizes?
I am UK based so any specific UK recommendations for tools would be useful.
And then we get onto how to use the crimp tool. I have used one of those very very cheap things for car connectors and I managed to either crimp the cables so that they were still loose or crimp them so hard that the connector bent round itself or even broke, very rarely did I get a good connection
Any guidance on the best way to crimp would be much appreciated.
Following some discussion on another thread I thought I would buy a crimping tool and some crimp connectors to put in my growing DIY Hi-Fi tool kit.
I thought it would be easy, I was wrong.
There seem to be loads of tools and loads of confusing codes for the tools and the connectors.
The name Paladin comes up a lot but there seem to be lots of others. Tha Paladin tools seem to have lots of options and some of the other do as well, but some of the tools have no options !
So a few questions :-
What are the options for Crimp tool types?
Can you recommend a good tool, not too expensive but not junk either?
Are the Crimp tool kits worth getting? (tool and connectors)
Do I need a tool that can take lots of different dies?
What sort of connectors should I buy to keep on hand for general HiFi DIY?
What is the significance of the red/yellow/blue codes I keep seeing with crimping?
Is there a different crimp language for the US and the rest of the world, does the US seems to use different sizes?
I am UK based so any specific UK recommendations for tools would be useful.
And then we get onto how to use the crimp tool. I have used one of those very very cheap things for car connectors and I managed to either crimp the cables so that they were still loose or crimp them so hard that the connector bent round itself or even broke, very rarely did I get a good connection
Any guidance on the best way to crimp would be much appreciated.
The different colours are for different wire diameters, the colours have corresponding places on the crimp tool.
It is important to use the correct size terminal for the wire. I once used the wrong size because of stock shortage, and the wire burned at the crimp when passing 5A.
There are many different types of tool, the common one for car stuff is fairly cheap. Some industrial connectors have tools costing about £300.00. Look in RS catalogue.
I use pliers for Molex crimp terminals, then solder it. It works.
It is important to use the correct size terminal for the wire. I once used the wrong size because of stock shortage, and the wire burned at the crimp when passing 5A.
There are many different types of tool, the common one for car stuff is fairly cheap. Some industrial connectors have tools costing about £300.00. Look in RS catalogue.
I use pliers for Molex crimp terminals, then solder it. It works.
Always use the correct size crimp with the wire size you have:
Yellow = AWG 10-12 AWG=American Wire Gauge
Blue = AWG 14-16
Red = AWG 18-22
In the UK you will use millimeter wire sizes!
Beware the 'cheap' crimp tools formed from stamping steel. The jaws are so thin there is a posibility of cutting the crimp in half if all parts are not OK. These tools have extra featers such as screw cutters and wire strippers. Better than no tool, but not much.
I prefer something like the Ideal 30-429:
http://www.idealindustries.com/IDEAL-EZ/products.nsf/ItemMasterLookup/p30-429?OpenDocument
Yes, it costs $40.00 but is worth it. Note that some crimps are UN-insullated and require a different spot on the tool than Insullated crimps.
If you are doing Industrial/Professional work, get the $400.00 rachet crimps, they require you to complete the crimp before releasing - sometimes called Mill-Spec crimp tools. These tools have a different size "die" for each type of crimp, the dies are an additional $200.00 after the tool cost!
The Paladin Crimp tool kit (4305) will be fine for a starter set.
http://www.paladin-tools.com/tercrimkit.html
How to crimp will be part two.
Yellow = AWG 10-12 AWG=American Wire Gauge
Blue = AWG 14-16
Red = AWG 18-22
In the UK you will use millimeter wire sizes!
Beware the 'cheap' crimp tools formed from stamping steel. The jaws are so thin there is a posibility of cutting the crimp in half if all parts are not OK. These tools have extra featers such as screw cutters and wire strippers. Better than no tool, but not much.
I prefer something like the Ideal 30-429:
http://www.idealindustries.com/IDEAL-EZ/products.nsf/ItemMasterLookup/p30-429?OpenDocument
Yes, it costs $40.00 but is worth it. Note that some crimps are UN-insullated and require a different spot on the tool than Insullated crimps.
If you are doing Industrial/Professional work, get the $400.00 rachet crimps, they require you to complete the crimp before releasing - sometimes called Mill-Spec crimp tools. These tools have a different size "die" for each type of crimp, the dies are an additional $200.00 after the tool cost!
The Paladin Crimp tool kit (4305) will be fine for a starter set.
http://www.paladin-tools.com/tercrimkit.html
How to crimp will be part two.
Except for the Paladin tool in your link, which probably works well for "car type" or standard connectors, like spades, pins, circulars etc. etc. , Stay away from the 5£ stuff at the petrol stations. All the other tools you will find are for specialized connectors, and there is a true myriad of those! Molex can be quite handy, but then you need to more or less standardize on Molex connectors.
And they are not cheap! I work for a specialized company that has been in bussiness for over 40 years, and you better believe me,- we have over 30 different types! And we are still bying new ones, -- at 100-200£ each! The sure way to make our boss hit the ceiling:------ " Listen, - we need this new crimping tool for.."😀
And they are not cheap! I work for a specialized company that has been in bussiness for over 40 years, and you better believe me,- we have over 30 different types! And we are still bying new ones, -- at 100-200£ each! The sure way to make our boss hit the ceiling:------ " Listen, - we need this new crimping tool for.."😀
This is my crimping method:
1) Find out correct length to strip wire, then strip insulation off. The use of the correct size wire stripper is recomended.
2) Place crimp into tool and then insert wire end into barrel of crimp, make sure it is flush with or sticks out end of barrel aprox 1-2 mm.
3) Start to squeeze crimper tool handels - make sure that the wire does not slide out of crimp.
4) Now really get down on the tool and squeeze hard. A properly crimped terminal will take 80 lbs of force to pull out the wire. ( I use both hands to do this).
1) Find out correct length to strip wire, then strip insulation off. The use of the correct size wire stripper is recomended.
2) Place crimp into tool and then insert wire end into barrel of crimp, make sure it is flush with or sticks out end of barrel aprox 1-2 mm.
3) Start to squeeze crimper tool handels - make sure that the wire does not slide out of crimp.
4) Now really get down on the tool and squeeze hard. A properly crimped terminal will take 80 lbs of force to pull out the wire. ( I use both hands to do this).
Excellent information, thanks to all for posting. Please keep the recommendations and tips coming.
I found this on Ebay, does it looks worth buying? It seems a lot better than most of the chaep ones I have seen in DIY stores?
Ebay UK Crimp tool
I found this on Ebay, does it looks worth buying? It seems a lot better than most of the chaep ones I have seen in DIY stores?
Ebay UK Crimp tool
I use mostly Paladin tools for crimping at work, I am a broadcast engineer with Fox. It is very important to use the right die with the right connector or the crimp will not be stable. It is also very crucial to strip the exact right length of insulation off the wire and for that is use one of the 'spinner' type of cutter/strippers like the Paladin CST with the right blade cartridge for the job at hand. Good tools last forever and do it right the first time which is worth their weight in gold.
It pays to use proper crimping tools, especially in a hostile environment like a car.
Many professionals are not soldering the connections in cars, because the solder actually makes the connection more prone to failure. Just crimping will allow the wire to flex a little, reducing the metal fatigue at the joint. The rigid block of solder will create a stress point which will fail if the joint is subjected to vibration (as is likely in a car environment.) It is worth noting that the factory wiring harness in a car does not use solder for any of the computer/sensor wires, supposedly for this reason.
Personally, I've never had a crimped and soldered connection fail, but I tend to be careful to provide good strain relief in the form of heat shrink tubing. This makes the joints more expensive individually, which could also be the reason that car manufacturers don't do it.
A good crimping tool will have solid jaws, and good leverage on the crimping jaws. This will help ensure that the crimped connector can produce solid pressure on the wire, ensuring good electrical and mechanical contact. Since I'm not in the UK, it would be harder to provide a recommendation. 🙂
For the AWG translation:
10-12 AWG is 2.5-2.0mm
14-16 AWG is 2.0-1.5mm
18-22 AWG is 1.5-1.0mm
This is an approximate translation. AWG is measured as a fraction of an inch, so take 1" (25.4mm) and divide by the AWG number to get the diameter of the wire.
Many professionals are not soldering the connections in cars, because the solder actually makes the connection more prone to failure. Just crimping will allow the wire to flex a little, reducing the metal fatigue at the joint. The rigid block of solder will create a stress point which will fail if the joint is subjected to vibration (as is likely in a car environment.) It is worth noting that the factory wiring harness in a car does not use solder for any of the computer/sensor wires, supposedly for this reason.
Personally, I've never had a crimped and soldered connection fail, but I tend to be careful to provide good strain relief in the form of heat shrink tubing. This makes the joints more expensive individually, which could also be the reason that car manufacturers don't do it.
A good crimping tool will have solid jaws, and good leverage on the crimping jaws. This will help ensure that the crimped connector can produce solid pressure on the wire, ensuring good electrical and mechanical contact. Since I'm not in the UK, it would be harder to provide a recommendation. 🙂
For the AWG translation:
10-12 AWG is 2.5-2.0mm
14-16 AWG is 2.0-1.5mm
18-22 AWG is 1.5-1.0mm
This is an approximate translation. AWG is measured as a fraction of an inch, so take 1" (25.4mm) and divide by the AWG number to get the diameter of the wire.
That group does not include a least one automaker, BMW, famous (or for some owners, infamous) for the amount of electronics they stuff in their cars. While BMW crimps most connections – to untinned wires, no less 🙁 – they have been soldering ground lugs to improve reliability. Lifted grounds can be very hard to find and fix.
The BMW electrical technicians I know have had to replace their share of crimped connections. Given the choice, they would prefer to have everything soldered.
I would add "for the particular wire", as it is the combination of wire size, die profile, and contact that will make the crimp reliable or unreliable. Or rather the crimping. It is hard to really test crimps without ruining them so pretty much the only way to insure reliability is to make the crimping process as exact and consistent as possible. To echo markp, in that regard good tools are worth their weight in gold. Mil-spec tools, for example, leave nothing to chance and are regularly inspected and calibrated.markp said:
I am not sure you can spend too much for the correct die and good tools to be absolutely sure of the result, at least not without spending many hundreds of euros or dollars!
Well- even mil.spec tools requires accurate workmanship in order to be reliable.
I totally agree on the necessity of good quality tools, but even gold can be bought at an overprice. Giving out 100£ instead of 50 does not necesearly mean that your connection is twice as good!
30-50£ should be sufficient for a tool usable for the normal "car type" connectors I referred to., and is a very valuable tool for the " home handy man" as well as the pro.
My point was that beyond this type of connectors you get rather specialized, -each connector type or family will have its own set of tools, and this very quickly gets very expensive. But by all means... quite a number of people spend several thousands of £, $ or € on their hobby every year...........
If you enjoy building, making or fixing things in general ( or on a narrow subject) , good quality tools is part of the fun... at least to me.
I guess thats part of the reason why I became an engineer...........
I deeply and honestly HATE tools that give you more trouble than fun, both professionally and privately!
I totally agree on the necessity of good quality tools, but even gold can be bought at an overprice. Giving out 100£ instead of 50 does not necesearly mean that your connection is twice as good!
30-50£ should be sufficient for a tool usable for the normal "car type" connectors I referred to., and is a very valuable tool for the " home handy man" as well as the pro.
My point was that beyond this type of connectors you get rather specialized, -each connector type or family will have its own set of tools, and this very quickly gets very expensive. But by all means... quite a number of people spend several thousands of £, $ or € on their hobby every year...........
If you enjoy building, making or fixing things in general ( or on a narrow subject) , good quality tools is part of the fun... at least to me.
I guess thats part of the reason why I became an engineer...........
I deeply and honestly HATE tools that give you more trouble than fun, both professionally and privately!
car mechanic, or similarly named uk car maintenance magazine had a review of about 15 commonly sold crimping tools in the UK. they torque tested the crimps made by each model, IIRC one for about 7.5 UKP came out the overall winner in the test. they recomended non-insulated crimps over the pre-insulated ones and did advise soldering. I bought the mag the end of June, but have leant it to someone at the mo'. i could prob get it back in the next few weeks.
Yes, you are right. You probably don't need some of the more esoteric tools I was thinking of, but good grief, just get one and it will spoil you – and make you wonder how you tolerated what you used before. 🙂 Here is an example. 🙄AuroraB said:
Just sign me,
John, a budding tool addict, sorry, fanatic.
Hi Again, well despite all the excellent advice given above I am still uncertain which tool to buy. I have spent hours searching the web and the choice of tools is bewildering.
The web seems to be full of very cheap tools or the fully professional versions designed for almost contant use which are very expensive, but I cant find good quality general purpose tools for occasional use, which is what I think I need.
I am not in the market for a full blown precision crimp tool costing £$£$£$, much as I would like one.
I am prepared to pay upto about £40, which from advice above looks like the price I need to pay for a half decent tool.
But I am struggling to find tools in that price range, so any specific recommendations of decent general purpose crimp tools would be much appreciated, preferably tools available in the UK.
Advise on which ones not to by would be useful as well.
Thanks
The web seems to be full of very cheap tools or the fully professional versions designed for almost contant use which are very expensive, but I cant find good quality general purpose tools for occasional use, which is what I think I need.
I am not in the market for a full blown precision crimp tool costing £$£$£$, much as I would like one.
I am prepared to pay upto about £40, which from advice above looks like the price I need to pay for a half decent tool.
But I am struggling to find tools in that price range, so any specific recommendations of decent general purpose crimp tools would be much appreciated, preferably tools available in the UK.
Advise on which ones not to by would be useful as well.
Thanks
Can you tell us what kind of terminals or contacts you plan to crimp? That would help a lot in offering suggestions.
Certain kinds of contacts demand quite a good tool, for example the AMP Mod IV and Molex Minifit Jr. contacts I have been crimping a lot lately. For these, I have not yet spent too much money to insure reliability, as I remarked earlier. Other terminals and contacts are less demanding and likely can be crimped perfectly well with a more modest tool.
-John
Certain kinds of contacts demand quite a good tool, for example the AMP Mod IV and Molex Minifit Jr. contacts I have been crimping a lot lately. For these, I have not yet spent too much money to insure reliability, as I remarked earlier. Other terminals and contacts are less demanding and likely can be crimped perfectly well with a more modest tool.
-John
Johnf mainly the sort of lug connectors that fit onto power connectors on PCBs, I started looking at it following a query about the UCD180 Classd modules I purchased.
There is a picture of them here http://www.hypex.nl
Thanks
There is a picture of them here http://www.hypex.nl
Thanks
I got one from Maplin for about £30. It's ok really. Does insulated receptacles of the type you need for those connectors, the red, yellow & blue ones. It's a ratchet one, which I think is best, because the tool will not release until the crimp is done. It's a bit of a struggle sometimes, but at least you know the connection will be sound. If it's easy, you know the wire is too thin. Give it a tug to make sure., you shouldn't be able to pull it out.
You can probably get a tool similar to Maplin's for 23-26 euros from www.reichelt.de and www.conrad.de.
I have Reichelt's Crimpzange FSH which has worked fine on red and blue insulated terminals. (I haven't used it for yellow ones yet.)
I bet the guys in the U.S. can pick up the same ratcheted crimping tool for 20-26 dollars!
I have Reichelt's Crimpzange FSH which has worked fine on red and blue insulated terminals. (I haven't used it for yellow ones yet.)
I bet the guys in the U.S. can pick up the same ratcheted crimping tool for 20-26 dollars!
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