Crimp Terminals (the good, the bad and the ugly)

Dougal

Dougal

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It seems there are many different grades of these little critters, but little to no info available on what you're getting PRIOR to receiving them. On the last two occasions I bought crimp connectors online, the quality was worse than useless. So much so, I actually binned the last lot!!! They weren't fit for the auto trade, let alone the tough marine environment.

Can anyone recommend a supplier of QUALITY items? Not really interested in special adhesive filled etc, just quality.
 
Any good electrical wholesalers should be able to supply you with quality crimps and more importantly a quality crimper. You need the ratchet type to do a proper job.
 
parsifal said:
I've never found anything wrong with what 12v Planet sells
http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/crimp-terminals-connectors.html
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I have. I love 12voltplanet -- great company. But their heat shrink terminals are carp. They are flimsy, and are not standard sized -- the red ones are not crimped by a standard tool.

Use better Molex Heatseal from Farnell. They are 10x more expensive and 50x better.

And use a good crimp tool. I use Pressmaster.
 
I wouldn't buy crimp terminals (or hose clamps) from anyone but an Australian supplier. (if I'm really stuck I'll buy from the UK)

I used a stack of crimp terminals when doing the lightning protection and bought a H/D crimper (2ft long?) for $50. But I could have bought a hydraulic crimper for about the same price which I think would have been superior.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12-Ton-8...540139?hash=item48835cc42b:g:nYcAAOSw8d9U1CTB
 
Buying in small DIY quantities will often be a barrier but If you can find them (Fernaux Riddall do a limited selection of both terminal & cover boots) Ripca open barrel tinned are excellent and what I use on a day to day basis, consistent quality and reliable results. I will sound like a broken record, but for reliable consistent results and a visual confirmation that a good crimp has been made then uninsulated open barrel with separate boots are the best choice.
 
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Do you need a special tool for the open type?
David2452 said:
Buying in small DIY quantities will often be a barrier but If you can find them (Fernaux Riddall do a limited selection of both terminal & cover boots) Ripca open barrel tinned are excellent and what I use on a day to day basis, consistent quality and reliable results. I will sound like a broken record, but for reliable consistent results and a visual confirmation that a good crimp has been made then uninsulated open barrel with separate boots are the best choice.
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David2452 said:
Buying in small DIY quantities will often be a barrier but If you can find them (Fernaux Riddall do a limited selection of both terminal & cover boots) Ripca open barrel tinned are excellent and what I use on a day to day basis, consistent quality and reliable results. I will sound like a broken record, but for reliable consistent results and a visual confirmation that a good crimp has been made then uninsulated open barrel with separate boots are the best choice.
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I agree that this is the gold standard as far as the crimp is concerned, especially as regards getting good results with cheap tools.

However, then, the insulating cover, added after crimping, will be much inferior, and the cover is extremely important.

if you use high quality heat seal terminals and a calibrated tool, you can have both an excellent crimp and also a really good, completely sealed, insulated cover.

The sealed insulated cover is absolutely key for marine use, because it prevents the sea air from penetrating the wire where the insulation was stripped, which will kill it in a few years.

The good terminals (which are very expensive) have not only heat shrink on the outside, but they have an adhesive which melts under the heat gun and really completely seals the wire as if it had never been stripped.

The really good ones are made by Molex, and are called "Perma Seal". You can buy them from Farnell and maybe from Mouser.

http://www.molex.com/molex/products...utm_source=ds&utm_medium=lit&utm_campaign=ipd

They are VERY expensive, and I recently tried to save money by buying some of 12voltplanet's house brand, which look similar in the catalogue.

Big mistake.

Good terminals and a good tool are expensive, but this is not the place to economise.

Another important point for marine use is to use proper tinned marine cabling. It's hard to find in the UK, but 12voltplanet now stock it. It is much more resistant to corrosion from salt air.
 
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Dockhead said:
Another important point for marine use is to use proper tinned marine cabling. It's hard to find in the UK, but 12voltplanet now stock it. It is much more resistant to corrosion from salt air.
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I really don't know where you get that idea from, it is easily and readily available in all CSAs one would ever need, in fact it's all I have in my stores, it is often not used by owners though and that's where heat shrink is so vital. With an open barrel terminal it is a simple matter to use likewise easily available adhesive lined heat shrink sleeving either alone or in conjunction with a separate boot, that is the route I take in exposed areas even when using tinned conductors, which I use as a matter of course on all cabling up.
 
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A question for the experts here who have raised the matter of "Corrosion" in their posts.

I have soldered all wire joins and then covered them in heat-shrink. But at the back of the instrument/circuit breaker/switch panel it is not really insulated. Should I get a can of Scotch Conformal Coating spray and go over all bus-bar junctions etc?
 
David2452 said:
I really don't know where you get that idea from, it is easily and readily available in all CSAs one would ever need, in fact it's all I have in my stores, it is often not used by owners though and that's where heat shrink is so vital. With an open barrel terminal it is a simple matter to use likewise easily available adhesive lined heat shrink sleeving either alone or in conjunction with a separate boot, that is the route I take in exposed areas even when using tinned conductors, which I use as a matter of course on all cabling up.
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I had a lot of trouble finding tinned cable on the spot, at least. The chandleries around here don't keep it, nor the electrical supply houses. But I've learned now to find it online. In the U.S., tinned cable is required by ABYC, but surprisingly it's not much used in new boat construction here. My Moody 54 wasn't built with any.

I've not seen any decent adhesive shrink tube sleeves, made to fit uninsulated terminals. Maybe a gap in my knowledge -- a link? I'm still skeptical that they could be as well fitting and truly watertight, as the Molex type, but I'll keep my mind open.
 
I should keep you mind open about a few things, Neither the US Coast Guard regulations, NMEA0400 or the ABYC standards require tinned conductors but do refer to marine grade, which is more about US certification of flex stress and insulator properties, that said some US builders do use tinned conductors.
 
Do they do any other shipping to UK than indicated on the site? their shipping prices seem to come out at around twice the cost of the cable which makes it very expensive indeed, even if you don't get hit with VAT & duty on entry to UK.
 
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