What crimper do you guys use for larger cables?

[Bleemus]

Mainesail only had 5 of the FTZ 94285 and he is sold out of those or I would have ordered it.

Amazon shows a vendor selling them for $199 though.

[steamgoat]

The FTZ shows settings for both battery terminal lugs and flared starter lugs. It was more tool than I needed,but,I was working on the ‘do it once,do it right’ principle.

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by steamgoat

The FTZ shows settings for both battery terminal lugs and flared starter lugs. It was more tool than I needed,but,I was working on the ‘do it once,do it right’ principle.

And for $200 you are the go to guy in the marina for crimping. The beer donations will quickly offset the cost. [emoji1]

[NahanniV]

Originally Posted by slowneasy

I use one of the hammer crimpers (Forney 57637 lug crimping tool) for a few connections and it did a great job. Its small and easy to use. Only issue is that you need to be able to get the lug in a place where you have some hammer room....

Someone recently mentioned a solution to this problem, so I'll pass it on:

If you can't (don't want to) hit that style of crimper with a hammer, use a clamp to squeeze it.
Haven't tried it yet, but can't see why it wouldn't work and it would be much less violent.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

Mainesail only had 5 of the FTZ 94285 and he is sold out of those or I would have ordered it.

Amazon shows a vendor selling them for $199 though.

Not sure if Mainesail had the 94285 since he does not recommend ratcheting for boat work...

I bought mine way back from KL Jack

ET50116 - Battery Cable Crimping Tool w/25 in. Handles (94284) - 1-866-417-3626 - Now Stocking DeWalt Power Tools!

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

And for $200 you are the go to guy in the marina for crimping. The beer donations will quickly offset the cost. [emoji1]

Good point! Maybe I ought to get a fancy one after all, before I build my next boat!

[Jerry Woodward]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

Mainesail only had 5 of the FTZ 94285 and he is sold out of those or I would have ordered it.

Amazon shows a vendor selling them for $199 though.

I see it on Amazon for $150.00, I think I'll order one.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CRZ465K...v_ov_lig_dp_it

[stnick]

I use a 3 pound sledge on concreat with the correct size cable end. I know its not hight tech or even correct. But one heavy blow not repeated strikes to flaten it ! , does work for me !
Logic would say get the proper tool for the job and you will not be sorry !

[exMaggieDrum]

I have a Greenlee professional crimper ($350-$400 retail) that I have used for 10 years. I was a boat electrician and do all my own work on my boats. It worked great for years but now the lugs I can get (easily) are too small for the dies on my crimper. It will put "ears" on either side of the crimps now. It turns out the the vendors around here have changed suppliers and they require different size dies. I looked in to it and there are many different tools/dies that fit certain lugs and not others. That means you might need different model crimpers. The lug manufacturs will give you the recommended (mandatory) tools for their lugs. I am not going to buy a new crimper so I do not get the nice looking and probably more secure crimps I used to be proud of. I do get a crimp that I think is strong and will last the life of the wire but some would not trust it, certainly in any business like aviation where certified tools are necessary. My crimps are certainly better than a rock or hammer made crimp which I would do in a true emergency but not otherwise. In general all crimpers work best for a given size/material/design lug and not for others regardless of the mechanism.

[john61ct]

Source the terminators that work best for your expensive crimper.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

I use solder and a gas torch. The recommendation against solder connections is because the copper can get brittle. You stop this by plunging the connection ito water while it is still hot which anneals the copper. I am sure it is not as strong as crimping but on heavy gauge wire that does not seam to be a problem. Never had a breakage but you do need enough heat to make sure you don't get a 'dry' joint.

Pictures: Flying Pig 2015-2018 Shake-and-Break-Down/New Alternator and Wiring/Dead Alternator and Bad Wiring

Pictures: Flying Pig 2015-2018 Shake-and-Break-Down/New Alternator and Wiring/Dead Alternator and Bad Wiring

I didn't originate this connection - it came with the boat.

Way oversized, and failed due to vibration, eventually, despite being a pristine installation.

My battery 2/0 crimps were made with a very much heavier, 3'-long-armed tool (and a major cable cutter), start here to see them: Pictures: Flying Pig 2015-2018 Shake-and-Break-Down/Electrical Upgrade/Batteries/Cabling/Cut - Crimp - Shrink , but for this alternator cable replacement, I used this:

Pictures: Flying Pig 2015-2018 Shake-and-Break-Down/New Alternator and Wiring/New

Start there and look at the next few pix. The hammer type is fine, IMHO, for stuff that size (#2) but larger and I'd want a tool like in the battery cable pic.

BTW the alternator cable hammer tool was used on the dock, not on the bench, over a joist, to minimize bounce from my 2# sledge (which I made sure to follow through with the stroke).

[ngmayo]

In a pinch, I've used bolt cutters. Simply squeeze down 1/3 of barrel on opposite sides of crimp connection leaving a small uncrimped small middle. looks surprisingly good and holds very well on 2/0. give a quick clean with non-metallic scrub pad and anti corrosive. Don't forget the heat shrink. Bolt cutters work great for cutting the cable too.

[Bleemus]

I just ordered the FTZ crimpers. The boat we made an offer on will need them. Survey next week.

[hellosailor]

Desperately chasing around to make up "one last cable", I was coming up on zilch when a fellow at a tool rental counter said "We don't got that but come around here with me, we've got a Jamaican cable crimper."

He put the terminal and cable in a bench vise, got out a six foot piece of pipe and threw it on the vise, and that terminal has never complained since.

It may not be "right", but I have to concede it worked.

[Mike Banks]

I simply use a slide-on ferrule and resin cored solder, after heating up the ferrule with a small gas blowtorch. I make up a few at a time and clamp the tangs in a vice To stop solder coming out of the bottom, i make up a plug of clay and use it to block the hole that sometimes exists in these terminals. When cooled, I bind them with red or blue PVC tape. I find there is less likelihood of corrosion with a soldered electrical termination.