Great Lug Crimper... Surprising !

[Boatyarddog]

And conviently when that connection comes loose, your going home at the end of the day.
No so, on a boat.
No taxi.

[msponer]

Originally Posted by typhoon

Hi there,
I had good results with this crimper I got on ebay for 110$

Thank you for clueing me into this! Mine just arrived and works great, I can't believe I paid more for that awful Ancor hammer crimper thing...

[Boatyarddog]

Harbor freight tools, item # 66150
$52.00 USD

[URL="http://http://t.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html"]

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

The one I bought from Harbor Freight was 16 ton, has 10 dies, was $35.00, works like a dream.
You can over crimp though so watch that.
Also if you want a dimple to help with the physical bond, just tape a hardened screw to the die before crimping.

I have one and in my opinion, it's a piece of junk. Yes it will crimp but the dies don't match up with cable sizes so you have to guess. And if you guess wrong you have a mess.

[Blue Stocking]

I like my old bolt cutter type 30" crimper which give a triangular finish shape. Knurled center size adjustment 4g to 4/0 g. I have found that tinned marine lugs have a larger diameter than land-use un-tinned copper. This may affect your finished crimp appearance.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I have one and in my opinion, it's a piece of junk. Yes it will crimp but the dies don't match up with cable sizes so you have to guess. And if you guess wrong you have a mess.

I have found Harbor Freight may have a few good things but most is junk. If it doesn't have a product name, you know to be quality, don't buy it.

[hellosailor]

So you take the Horror Fright crimper dies and a bastard file. Or their $20 angle grinder. And size the dies the good old fashioned Yankee one, custom bespoke to AWG wire gauges.


Something for the deckhands to do, now that scrimshaw is a lost art.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

So you take the Horror Fright crimper dies and a bastard file. Or their $20 angle grinder. And size the dies the good old fashioned Yankee one, custom bespoke to AWG wire gauges.


Something for the deckhands to do, now that scrimshaw is a lost art.

Are you serious? Have you actually done this? Where would one find the pattern for the "real" die?

The best I've done is to guess, starting with a die that's probably too large and then re crimp with a smaller die if the first try doesn't look right. Not very precise.

If I were a pro, I would never consider using a tool like this, I would buy a name brand, made in the USA tool. Yes, it might cost $300 but when you are a pro, you are expected to do pro quality work. And avoiding the first call back would pay for the tool.

[hellosailor]

"Are you serious? Have you actually done this? "
Serious? Sure. Done it? No, that's what I have hired help aboard to do.(G)


I would expect the "pattern" to be relatively insignificant, remember there are hex crimpers and other similar shapes, and as in horseshoes "close enough" with the most important thing being the overall area of the finished crimp.


The fittings aren't all the same diameter, or the same thickness of metal, so even if the die is "right" the finished crimp may not be. But when the dies are mm2 in sizes that don't match up to the exact AWG sizes we need in the US, a little filing using the existing contours probably would solve that one problem (correct size) at least.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Are you serious? Have you actually done this? "
Serious? Sure. Done it? No, that's what I have hired help aboard to do.(G)


I would expect the "pattern" to be relatively insignificant, remember there are hex crimpers and other similar shapes, and as in horseshoes "close enough" with the most important thing being the overall area of the finished crimp.


The fittings aren't all the same diameter, or the same thickness of metal, so even if the die is "right" the finished crimp may not be. But when the dies are mm2 in sizes that don't match up to the exact AWG sizes we need in the US, a little filing using the existing contours probably would solve that one problem (correct size) at least.

I'd have to agree with rwidman. Your solution sounds like, the misnomer, "Close enough for government work.". No disrespect meant, just my observation.

[hellosailor]

No disrespect taken.


First time I took a car into a dealer's shop the mechanic (you could still talk to the actual mechanics back then) asked about the last tune-up, and I said I did it. He asked how I set the points, and I said I gapped them with a feeler gauge. He said no, you can't get them right that way, it ain't good enough. So he put the dwell tach on them and funny thing, he turns to look at me and says damn, you got it within a half degree.


The dies on the Chinese tools are for mm2 dimensions, and they're basically hexagonal dies. A LOT of cheap toolwork from China is simply made using the worn out dies and drill bits, etc. that other companies have junked. Sometimes, when a reputable company in China throws out worn out parts...someone in the plant gets them and they get put back to work.


But if a Chinese die is, let's say 50mm2 and the US AWG size requires 55mm2? Any old time mechanic, or machinist, would do the same thing. Take a bastard file, or your grinder of choice, and grind 'em back a tad until they are the right size.


Of course today you can just open the computer, plot anew die, and send it off through the web for real machining. Waterjet, whatever they'll use, it will still be the same process in the end: Cut new die to fit new spec.


I'd say that using the incorrectly sized original dies, without resizing them, is the kludge job. And apparently it is working for some folks, just as many kluge jobs work. I'd probably try the same thing, if the Chinese haven't mastered AWG die sizes by the time I need one again.

[canadian cat]

A use that came to mind for the ram is a rigging cutter. You could have some new pieces made to turn it into a wire cutter.

[Roy M]

This is the only one I have:

[Lake-Effect]

One other reason for not just soldering heavy power connections: if it heats up (eg the bolt holding the lug isn't tight), and the solder melts, you no longer have a mechanical joint, whereas with crimp (or crimp + solder, about the only soldered joint ABYC will accept), you're not dependent on the solder for mechanical strength.

[ColdEH]

Originally Posted by msponer

Thank you for clueing me into this! Mine just arrived and works great, I can't believe I paid more for that awful Ancor hammer crimper thing...

Yep thats the one .

Works just fine , going to be using it again this week end for half a dozen 2/0 Magna Lugs . All so doing a friends cables next week .

Regards