[andyr354]

Was looling at my new waytek catalog and was thinking of putting a nice ratcheting crimper on the next order. Anybody got one? Impressions?

Are they really that great of a deal? Right now I have a Klein I got from sears that is just the normal tyle $8 i got on sale. Only thing is it alot of the times breaks the insulation on insulated terminals. I was also using some of those new but connectors with heatshrink already on them and it pierces the shrink...

 

[fj40guy]

Do the job right, get the correct tool.

I thought I was the only person on PBB with a rachet crimper and heat shrink gun. :flipoff2:

One thing I hate... seems like every custom connector needs its own crimper. I use the GM Weatherpak for all sorts of stuff, so I have a large selection of connectors & crimpers. But need to get a set of 150 series for some newer stuff... ah screw it, just use the vise grips. :laughing:

Tom :usa:

 

[Devil Dog]

i use them at work... and love them... not really sure why i dont have them at home... too lazy to get them i guess...

 

[wizard_Drd]

I love my ratchet crimper. Always hated using just the standard crimper, so ended up soldering and shrink tubing everything to be sure it didn't come loose. I trust the ratching crimper and its a hell of a lot faster.

Go for it.

 

[andyr354]

wow.. I wanted one until I saw the price. stock# 434 at waytek is $128 ouch.

Gonna have to price around some or try ebay.


EDIT:

what about this one?
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp?xi=xi&ItemId=1611687838&ccitem=

 

[bronco75]

I got one I use it on non insulated term but at work we have five different sets to cover all applications

 

[steveh]

I have several ratchet crimpers, but I hardly use them. I use a Panduit CT200 Plier type 95% of the time for Terminal connectors.

http://www.panduit.com/products/Products2.asp?partNum=CT-200&param=164

I also have a Radio Shack plier type that works good on the Molex-Weather pack style. If I am worried all I also solder as well as crimp.

 

[glfredrick]

I use the Snap On version of the Panduit crimper... most excellant results with hard stable crimps that are easy to make.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...1&group_ID=797&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[TBM Jeep]

Klein makes one that's damn near identical to the snap on one at about half the cost ($50 compared to $28 ish), and is also very similiar to the panduit one.

I'm an electician and the Klein crimpers are what a lot of the seasoned journeymen i work with suggested i get when it came time for me to buy a pair.

Tim

 

[SeaBass44]

I use these type. got them in a shed when grandpa died.
I use only the best terminals ( but not shrink type too much $ ) so they vinyl doesn't crack :flipoff2:
I used the ratchet type on RG6 coax when I installed satellite systems for 20 years, only used ratchet last 5 of those, very good product. I don't see a need for them on wire connectors.
If I was wiring motors for customers I would get the weather pac type stuff :smokin:
If you want pics of my connections, I can post or you can purchase a panel & see for yourself :flipoff2: :laughing:
a pic of style connectors, transparent vinyl, it smashs a nice retangle without cracking the vinyl :grinpimp:

 

[beater74]

I'm an electician and the Klein crimpers are what a lot of the seasoned journeymen

werd X2

i gave away all my other terminal crimpers after own a pair of these.

 

[xjmark]

I use the snap-on 29cp crimpers for non-insulated connectors. For the insulated ones, I use a ratcheting crimper I bought from my snap-on dealer about a year ago. It crimps perfectly everytime without cracking the insulation. I just checked them for a part #, and did a quick check in their online catalog but couldn't find one. I'm sure it's a bluepoint product, so there may be another source for them.

 

[glfredrick]

I'm not sure that SO carries the ratcheting type anymore. I don't have any on my truck and I've never seen any in the catalog lately. Might be discontinued.

 

[BumpyDodge]

I have the Greenlee Kwik-cycle ratcheting crimpers. To be honest, they can be a pain in the rear to use and aren't worth the $$. You have to be sure that you have them oriented correctly because one side of the jaw crimps differently than the other - one side crimps the metal tube inside the terminal and one side "forms" the end of the terminal around insulation of the wire. They are also very unforgiving unless they're perfectly aligned and don't like certain brands of connectors/terminals. The crimps will often fail unless you get them "perfect". Shrink-type connectors are a little too "slippery" to use with these pliers and they also tend to undercrimp even when you fully cycle them. I think they were around 35 bucks - I got them from Home Depot (they're in the electrical supplies section, not the tool section) on a sale day. If you don't believe me, go buy a pair & try 'em. They DO work well WITH the the coax jaws ON coaxial cable. If you're installing a VCR in your rig then go for it.

I also have an old pair of Thomas and Betts brand "non-insulated" style crimpers almost exactly like the Panduit ones that Steveh pictured in the other post except the grips are black/orange instead of black/blue. Both pairs are probably made by the same company. It's technically incorrect to use "non-insulated' crimpers on "insulated" terminals/connectors, but the "incorrect" crimpers actually tear-up the terminal insulation less in my experience and make a stronger crimp. You can smooth the edges on the crimper with a 3M ROLOC disc and they won't chew the insulation at all if you're a perfectionist-type person. They are a lot faster to use when you are working upside-down under a trailer and a customer is screaming they want their damn tailights fixed NOW! I always tug my connectors when I'm finished to make sure I got a good solid crimp, and I've only had one crimp fail this test after a year of daily use with these crimpers.

My "noob" advice is to save the $$ you would have spent on ratcheting crimpers and buy one of those little pushbutton ignition butane "crack torches" :smokin: they fit nicely into your road tool box and are much easier to use than a bic lighter for heat-shrink tubing & heat-shrink connectors (no more toasted fingertips :mad3: ). Every mechanic at the Freightliner dealership I worked at had one. Heat guns are nice, but usually not handy on the road/trail or out in the dealership parking lot.

 

[andyr354]

So you are saying the pliers like the panduits made for non-insulated work well on insulated terminals? Looks like it would poke a hole in the insulation.

I found a pair of these at work yesterday.
http://order.waytekwire.com/CGI-BIN/LANSAWEB?WEBEVENT+L0983100293400800F44D012+M37+ENG

They used to use them for terminating serial connections in the ol dumb terminal days.
Looks like they would work well for relay socket terminals and possibly weather packs. The weatherpack term are so inexpensive at waytek compared to the local sources I was using I am buying a selection of them to have around. I need several in the 4.3 swap anyway.

on the topic of getting good terminals do most like the nylon or vinyl insulation?

 

[steveh]

Andy, like BumpyDodge said, they work great on insulated connectors. That's what I mostly use myself.

I also got my Panduit crimpers given to me by an Electrician.

 

[BumpyDodge]

Shrinky dinks terminals and "OEM type F crimp" blah blah

The Klein/Panduit/Thomas&Betts crimpers (who makes them anyway?) come with "non-insulated" or "insulated" style jaws. Both work well. My pair is non-insulated style and I them on insulated AND non-insulated even though it's "wrong". I usually use the heat shrink sleeve terminals because most of what I do is underneath vehicles in a nasty environment and It's a pain in the ass to do it all over every few months from them getting corroded up. They do poke the insulation, but not all the way through and it "heals" up nicely after you heat them up. If I need a terminal that I can only find in the "crappy plastic" type sleeve, I usually twist the sleeve off, crimp as a non-insulated and slide a piece of good quality heat shrink tube over it. There isn't always a week to wait for the perfect terminal to arrive in the mail.The good heat shrink tube (not that chinese junk) has some kind of gluey stuff that will come out the ends when you shrink it all the way down. Seals good - lasts long time.

For weatherpak terminals my shop (I didn't have a pair) used the crimpers that had 5 slots in them - stamped A,B,C,D,E. To use them you crimped the tabs on the pins sequentially A through E with each slot. Made really neat, tight little crimps that are almost impossible to get with any other tool. for the crimp that holds the insulation of the wire you didn't have to crimp all the way to "E" if I remember correctly. You also need a pin tool (a flat eyeglass screwdriver will work in a pinch) if you want to ever pull the pins out in one piece. I put a splat of dielectric grease in the connectors for good measure.

http://www.americanautowire.com/products/Tools_of_the_trade.cfm

It looked like the 2nd crimper down (#500518) and I think they got it from the local Wurth dealer.

Can't get your link to Waytek to work, but if it's the T&B crimper (#456 or 457 can't tell from picture) That's the same pair I have. The "all in one" crimper they list is a P.O.S.

 

[andyr354]

OK, here at work we have a discount through grainger so I picked up the Klien version of the same tool. Will see how it works out.

BUMPYDODGE:
Found a pair of those ABC.. crimpers here at work yesterday, good to hear. Mine have the AMP brandname on them.
I am also ordering some of the adhesive/sealant lined shrink form waytek on the next order, only $5 for 12' of 1/4id.

 

[TheTonka]

I have used the non ratchet style(Klein, SnapOn, Matco, and several others) for most crimp connectors for over 15 years. The only problem I have is that afte so many years if I do a lot of crimping my wrist hurts like hell. If I were to be doing this a lot everyday I would look into something else.

As for the specialty connectors like molex, weatherpak, etc. I have a nice ratchet crimper that the Good Guys bought for me years ago and it still works great, I have not idea what brand it is.

BTW SeaBass some of those wires aren't straight. :flipoff2: