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Wire splice connectors and crimpers

9K views 49 replies 26 participants last post by  Kennyd 
#1 ·
I spent my entire life with a cheap wire crimp connector set along with the cheap stripper/crimper. After my project yesterday I have decided to get some decent tools.

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Firstly is a decent crimper. My hands don't work so well anymore and need something that helps make it easier. Also hate hate hate these cheap crimpers where you have to get the connecter into the handle end of the hinge to crimp.

In my search I found these ratcheting crimpers - the ratchetting part tweaks my interest to help with not having much power in my hands.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0069TRKJ0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Cutting tool Tool Wire stripper Yellow Knife


After reading a bunch of reviews a lot of people recommend these crimpers. Big plus is you use the end of the tool - but no ratcheting mechanism. But the 10" long handles would really help.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LOVEGS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=AL63YV6SZGM65&psc=1

Yellow


Then the next issue is stripping the wire. These look like the ticket for me also.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OQ21CA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Tool Wire stripper Pliers Bolt cutter Tongue-and-groove pliers


These tools represent a pretty good investment for me. They are not something I use every day but when I do need them I want to have something decent. That along with some decent butt connectors with heat shrink ends and I would be set for the rest of my life.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071L6VDLK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ADAUS9RB7NG5N&psc=1

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Opinions or thoughts?
 
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#2 ·
:good2: Made the investment long time ago. All I use is the heat shrink connectors, terminals, spades, eyes etc. I also bought a nice tool box with individual pull out trays and have all my connectors organized by size etc.. Keep small butane torch in it also to shrink connectors, shrink tubing along with dielectric grease, tape, testers etc.
 
#48 ·
who makes and sells heat shrink connectors with the liquid solder that flows in the middle and heat shrink on the exterior? i see them all over eBay but they are all Chinese it seems.
 
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#3 ·
I have both the Klien and Channellock versions of the crimpers you linked, and the very strippers you linked as well. I can recommend both. My experience with ratchet crimpers is dismal when used with a variety of connectors, they have to be perfectly spec'd for a proper crimp-I'd would avoid them.

Also, only get get connectors like the Thomas & Betts ones, stay far away form the elcheapo ones.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the help everyone - looks like the Irwin Vice-Grip crimpler is the way to go.

Amd thanks jdmitch - forgot to out one of those little butane torches in my cart.



I looked for those Thomas and Betts connectors - can you help me out with what I can get at Amazon that would be worth while. I only need butt connectors in red, blue, and yellow. And only need a handful of each. There is a Fastenall store in town - should I look there?

I remember going to the shop at our truck stop - constantly needed light wires fixed on our trailers. The one tood mechanic there taught me a little about the butt connectors he used. I think they had some solder in them plus had adhesive inside the shrink wrap ends. I guess that is what you guys are talking about. That’s what I want I guess but don’t need any large quantities or want to spend a fortune on this. I might do a couple splices a year at most.
 
#5 ·
I would agree wholeheartedly with Ken here. Do not get the ratchet style. They’re perfect when you have the right die and the correct crimp connectors. Other than that they will under/over crimp any other others leaving a much less desirable connection.

Heat shrink connectors are the only way to go. T&B are top of the line and worth the dollars. I refuse to use regular crimp connectors as they are always a compromise and add a layer of problems down the road when they corrode internally or let loose. Heat shrink style won’t do either.
 
#6 ·
I was in the same boat. I alos went with the vise grip crimpers and the same wire stripper. I also got the same heat shrink connectors and I bought rolls of shrink tubing. I use the heat shrink connectors the let it cool then put shrink tubing over the whole connector.
 
#7 ·
Soldering is always preferred for splices, especially with anything that can get wet. You can get flooded heat shrink which will render a splice waterproof after shrinking.

I don't find the ratcheting crimp tools that much of an advantage with putting spade connectors and the like on. I have one that is used for putting coax connectors on, but that's not tractor work! While they make a professional crimp, you may need a specific die set for each size connector/wire combination. Unless you're doing high volume professional work, I don't see how that is worth the expense.

The diagonal cutters with the crimp die (2nd photo) are designed for putting the green bonding sleeves on ground wires in electrical work. They will pierce the plastic sleeve on a crimp on connector.

Al
 
#8 ·
#9 ·
Ideal and Klein are about the best in the industry in my opinion. I have some of those automatic strippers, but never use them. The jaws/cutting blades seem to get out of alignment after being tossed around in the toolbox. For me it's quicker to use the regular wire strippers. I personally don't like the all-in-one tools if I'm doing a lot of terminations.
 
#10 ·
I use something like this for stripping.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GFXD22E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-JNRAbCX4VCDF

Nice and small and let me cut the insulation back the length I want. The auto kind are nice if you have room to work and are doing the same connector multiple times since you can dial in the cut length for consistency.


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#11 ·
#17 ·
+1 on those strippers. I have those now and do projects all the time involving wiring - have had a couple other types of strippers over the years and won't go back.

Where you are able solder and heat shrink is the best connection., but if you must use connectors then as the others said T&B is the way to go.

Keep the moisture out! Its never fun to go back and do it again because of a corroded connection....
and yes i have ignored my own advice sometimes and always end up having to revisit the repair.
Mostly with the trailer harness on my truck. :banghead: :lol:

Had to install a septic pump yesterday and you can be sure I went the extra TWO miles to waterproof and weatherproof those wire connections that live between the riser lid and the pump tank lid!! I don't want to revisit that job! :mocking:
 
#13 ·
After reading a bunch of reviews a lot of people recommend these crimpers. Big plus is you use the end of the tool - but no ratcheting mechanism. But the 10" long handles would really help.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LOVEGS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=AL63YV6SZGM65&psc=1

View attachment 572833
Stan, thanks for the post. This is something that I have had on my list to look into. Looking things up on Lowes.com, those are $14.52 there. If you are going to be in a Lowes any time, you can save $5.

(They were also $15.76 on Amazon as late as 2/25/18.)
 
#22 ·
Sorry to be a little late to the discussion -- just wanted to cast another positive vote for the ratcheting crimping tools and some additional observations. A good crimp is gas tight...meaning that the two metals involved are not exposed to air of any other oxidants that could reduce the connection integrity over time. Gas tight crimping requires that proper selection of crimp barrel and wire size, along with the crimp itself having adequate force and material displacement to do what is essentially a cold forging of the metal parts together. This is why ratching tools are the only tools allowed for critical field wiring like on aircraft, etc. because they both develop enough force due to the compound action and they also ensure a full closure of the dies by way of the ratchet mechanism -- you have to fully finish the crimp for the tool to release and get removed from the junction.

I don't solder around my engines as there are too many sources of combustion. I have had the pictured tool for some years now and another for bare contacts that get inserted into multi-wire housings. Some tools have interchangeable dies that allow one ratchet handle to do a range of contact types..

Wire stripper Cutting tool Yellow Tool Hand tool


Chuck
 
#25 ·
I'm late to this discussion too, but I'll take soldering over crimps too, especially the insulated crimps. I haven't tried the T&B crimps, or any of the so-called water proof crimps, my experience with crimps is over 25 years ago. Back then, I had to repair some cars and trailers that had "owner installed crimp wiring" and the major cause of failure was the crimp connectors. They always seemed to corrode and combined with vibration would just make them fail. But sometimes, you just have to use a crimp because soldering is not possible.

... I don't solder around my engines as there are too many sources of combustion ...
As for soldering around an engine, if I use an soldering iron, I never had much fear since most soldering is below 300F, which I "believe" would be safe with most oils. I wouldn't use a butane or other gas torch type/soldering iron though. Flames and oils don't mix.

One other thing is I really dislike are the new "lead-free" solders. For electric/electronics I'll always try to use rosin core 60/40 lead/tin solder. (Plumbing, especially potable water, is a different story, and lead-free is a must.) The lead free ones just don't seem to make "good" connections like the old lead solders do. AND when soldering electrical, always use a rosin based, non-active or non-acid flux. I wouldn't use plumbers flux, I believe it isn't intended for electrical work.

I do own a couple of ratcheting crimpers, one is a dedicated crimper for Anderson Sermos connectors I use in my R/C airplanes, the other is for un-insulated "open barrel" crimps that properly fold over the tabs on the sides. The Sermos crimper was designed and manufactured by Anderson specifically for their connectors, plus for my use, the connections are not exposed to weather/moisture. As for the open barrel crimper, I really haven't used that one much, I got that one free somewhere along the line. And I haven't seen a lot of availability of open barrel crimp terminals.

I think that there is a big difference between insulated and un-insulated crimps. Un-insulated crimp barrels seem to be more uniform in diameter and give a more uniform crimp with many ratcheting crimp tools. I have seen great differences between insulation thicknesses and crimp barrel thicknesses in the insulated crimps, so a "manual" crimper MAY be better, but be careful, squeezing too hard can be just as bad a not squeezing enough.

I will add that I had some experience with MIL spec crimps and crimping tools. Those crimp terminals are built to very tight specs, the crimp tools are ratcheting and need to be periodically checked and calibrated so under and over crimping does not occur. In addition, with my limited experience, I never did see insulated crimp terminations, they were all un-insulated and fit into special connector bodies. You wouldn't believe all the specifications that exist for MIL-spec connectors.

As for di-electric grease, Yes for crimp terminations, and between spade type connections, but I don't see the need in a good soldered splice, but it wouldn't hurt under the shrink tubing.

Just my long winded 2 cents.
 
#24 ·
Put some thought into this while I was out in the barn tinkering -

For as much as I do this stuff I think I may forgo the crimping and just solder what I can. The video jgayman posted did a lot for me and I know I can do it. Granted that I wouldn’t be able to solder in every application but would OK for most of what I do.

I already have a soldering iron, solder, flux, and shrink wrap. Would just need a little micro torch.

When I did the glow plug harness yesterday I wasn’t happy with using the crimp connectors. I think I am going to redo it with a solder joint now once I get a torch.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I already have a soldering iron, solder, flux, and shrink wrap. Would just need a little micro torch.
Keep in kind that when doing electrical wiring you should be using rosin-core solder so you won't need flux (i.e. never use acid core). You don't really need a torch for heat shrink tubing. If using a pencil-type iron I just put the shank of the iron (the part behind the tip) close-to or barely touching the tubing and it shrinks right up. Just one less tool needed.

I also have a butane micro torch soldering iron that I use a lot. It eliminates the need for electricity. I've had it for over 20 years and I think I'm still on my original can of butane. Anyway, it has an extra tip designed just for heat shrink tubing.

Mine is a Master brand Ultratorch and uses a peizo igniter. They have increased in price a bit compared to what I paid 20 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=zzLHIt9SKMk


Suspension part Tool Office supplies
 
#29 ·
For a wire splice, if you have the room, the western union solder splice is about the best, imho.

Try to not have the ends of the wire fold sticking up, this can penetrate the shrink tubing.
I usually use a pair of hemostats or fine needle nose to press them down before solder.

The gear I worked on had to take repeated exposure to 350*F and even 500*F for years and years of use.

If possible space wise, I always go with two layers of shrink tubing, do it once, do it right.
 

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#31 ·
#32 ·
I only use high quality heat shrink :lol: the price is just right free :hide: this has a silicone inside that melts around the wire to create a water proof seal and I use the crimp solder and shrink method
 

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#33 ·
I have always been a 12v wiring aficionado if you will.:mocking:
I worked for a few years out of a shop back in the 90’s that had an AMP salesman make frequent visits. They always were top notch electrical tool and connector manufacturers.
Amassed a nice array of connectors and tools over the years.

Metal Furniture Wood


Firearm Gun Metal
 
#34 ·
I know this is late but I like my ratchet crimpers. I have the type originally shown but those really require a specific type of fitting. I like mine shown below, color coded, could not be easier.

Wire stripper, usually the Klein. I have an auto stripper and it works also. I doubt the grip force is much different.

Butt splices - my use is on a salt water boat. I use only tinned wire and marine crimps, shrink wrap with adhesive. After a butt splice and adhesive, you can test the wire by pulling, the splice will not be the fail point.

I included a photo of a handy box for splices, I don't buy there much, too spendy. You can also buy all kind of reducers, 2 into 1, just all kinds of connectors with adhesive. If you have room, use a power block and ring terminals instead of spade fittings. Just more secure if vibration on a tractor is an issue.

Speaking to vibration and shock, make sure to secure your solder jobs so they do not break. Darn diesels shake everything.

Randy
Meanwhile Charters


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#35 ·
Stan, I think the consensus is, this type of stripper and crimper are probably your best choice.
 

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#36 · (Edited)
#38 ·
Since I have a boat , I mostly use marine grade heat shrink connectors. Not sure which brand is the best, but you tend to get what you pay for, so I try to avoid using the reall cheap ones from the box stores.
 
#40 ·
Me too. I usually get the marine connectors, and even marine wire. Marine wire is more expensive, but when I redo something I want to do it once. I have a set of the auto-stripping Irwin's and I love those for everything. I also have one of about every other type mentioned here from years of trying different tools. They are all in one dedicated stacked tool box for wiring, so I still use most of them here or there. The most used stuff floats to the top of the tools, but occasionally I'll find a crimp connector that doesn't feel right with the first tool so I'll dig a little deeper and get a different type. The Irwin strippers have crimpers built into the handle that aren't bad, a little narrow. They are great to use to hold connectors in place until I get a ratchet crimper.

This is my favorite solder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJOU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like this little torch for heat shrink: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007A9YSPW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
#41 ·
Well I learned a whole lot about wire splicing/crimping/soldering thanks to our wonderful smart group here. I am still digesting all the information.

As I went along I was putting items in my Amazon cart so I would find them again easily. I ended up with quite a list!

I think I am going to go with a light combination. The Irwin strippers and crimpers are a must. A pack a good heat shrink crimp splices also. But am going to try to solder where I can as a first option so will need a micro torch and some thin rosin core solder.

Thanks all - a great learning experience for me!
 
#44 ·
Yeah it’s a down right disgrace how cheap boat trailers come wired.
First and foremost they should have marine grade tinned copper wiring. Which they never have. Second, all the connections and splices should be heat shrink. They never are.
I’ve redone quite a few trailers for myself and friends over the years.

I also have a Steinel heat gun with this type of curved tip. It heats around a heat shrink connector or shrink tubing much more evenly so you don’t burn them.

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#43 ·
I worked in a wiring factory making automotive harnesses in high school, so I spent a lot of time measuring insulation and conductor crimps. In college I cooped at an electronics company for several years building breadboards, soldering under microscopes, wirewrap, crimping, etc. The good quality hand tools and terminals in the first post are good choices for most home users. I use Kleins, vice, etc. for striping, crimping, punch down tools, and ethernet crimpers.
 
#49 ·
This thread is 2 years old. A recent thread has some more current info -

 
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