Boat wiring kit

[Fascadale]

I need to make some repairs and alterations to the wiring of my MAB

What should I use, crimp and shrink or some other system ?

Does the crimping tool for sale at the bottom of the page look like one of the "better" ones or is it a useless cheapy?

Thanks

 

[Boathook]

The tool looks ok and I use something similar though you only normally get what you pay for. I suspect that the crimps are ok as well though I have never bothered to shrink sleeving on to terminals - yet.

 

[macd]

What should I use, crimp and shrink or some other system ?

Does the crimping tool for sale at the bottom of the page look like one of the "better" ones or is it a useless cheapy?

Thanks

Crimping tool looks OK. As a general rule, if it costs £20 or so, it's probably fine; if less than £10, next-to-useless. A good crimp, even in AWG18 wire, will take your weight.

Heat shrink connectors look expensive. Cheaper to apply your own heat-shrink where necessary. Adhesive-lined heatshrink is best for any connections vulnerable to damp.

 

[nimbusgb]

same opinion as Macd. I did cariad with what looks like the same tool. over 250 crimps and the tool is as good ( tight, no play in jaws, good solid closure on connectors ) as it was on day 1.

Find a supplier who will provide a bigger batch of connectors. much cheaper that way. You'll be surprised how many you use

 

[ProDave]

That crimp tool looks good.

A general rule, you want one like that that's known as a ratched crimp. Once you start closing it, you can't open it until it's closed the full amount, then the mechanism releases, thus ensuring the crimp is cully compressed.

The ones to avoid are the cheapo ones that are just like a glorified pair of pliers with not much mechanical advantage to give enough pressure, and no mechanism to ensure the crimp is compressed fully.

 

[angelsson]

I use a similar tool rather than the very cheap ones available.
I have a clas ohlson shop not to far, they have the same one but less than £21 inc vat of the one you have shown, here is the link:

http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Siteseeker/Search_o.aspx?q=36-3696

Mike

 

[pvb]

I use a similar tool rather than the very cheap ones available.
I have a clas ohlson shop not to far, they have the same one but less than £21 inc vat of the one you have shown, here is the link:

http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Siteseeker/Search_o.aspx?q=36-3696

That tool looks identical to the Silverline PL55 ratchet crimper, which you can get for only £8 or so from various places.

 

[itspaul]

Try These people my son is an auto electrician and he uses them

http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/

 

[grumpygit]

I need to make some repairs and alterations to the wiring of my MAB

What should I use, crimp and shrink or some other system ?

Does the crimping tool for sale at the bottom of the page look like one of the "better" ones or is it a useless cheapy?

Thanks

The crimping looks fine, ratchet type crimps are the best type to use. Might I just add that the quality of terminals is of more importance, there is some rubbish out there ( Chinese more than likely) with inferior compounds and tinning. Ampliversal is one that is a market leaders that springs to mind.....


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[pentagram]

Solder joints instead, far better in a damp environment

 

[SHUG]

Solder joints instead, far better in a damp environment

Just as important is to have the correct tinned copper wire. It is equally good with crimp or solder wheras ordinary domestic wire tends to go black and 'orrible. Merlin used to offer a design service to help you to rewire your boat . You should try
http://www.merlinequipment.com/
and ask for expert assistance.

 

[VicMallows]

Ideal ...... but essential?

I agree will all comments that a ratchet crimper is preferable. I've used VERY fancy crimpers which make superb connections with specialised crimps professionally . But I happily use ordinary barrel crimps with a cheapo tool and have never experienced any problems.

Vic

 

[prv]

A general rule, you want one like that that's known as a ratched crimp. Once you start closing it, you can't open it until it's closed the full amount, then the mechanism releases, thus ensuring the crimp is cully compressed.

I have what seems be one of these - cost about £25, ratchets closed, the parts that squeeze the terminal are solid metal.

And yet it's rubbish at actually making good joints. I've not managed to make one yet that I couldn't pull out of the terminal with little effort. Obviously I didn't use any of those; my boat now has lots of solder-and-heatshrink joints instead. Where I did need a few spade terminals I used one of the cheapo flat tools, being all that was available.

What's going wrong?

Pete

 

[G12]

I have what seems be one of these - cost about £25, ratchets closed, the parts that squeeze the terminal are solid metal.

And yet it's rubbish at actually making good joints. I've not managed to make one yet that I couldn't pull out of the terminal with little effort. Obviously I didn't use any of those; my boat now has lots of solder-and-heatshrink joints instead. Where I did need a few spade terminals I used one of the cheapo flat tools, being all that was available.

What's going wrong?

Pete

Cheap and nasty terminals, wrong sized die, faulty tool....... all possibilities that will give the results you're experiencing.