Recommendations for a Crimping Tool

Ian_Edwards

Ian_Edwards

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Hi,

My old ratchet crimping tool has just given up the ghost after 10's of years of use, neglect and salt water.

I need to be able to crimp the standard red, blue and yellow insulated connectors.

I'm prepared to pay up to £50 'ish for a reasonably good ratchet crimping tool.

Any recommendations?

There are so many on the market I'm finding hard to choose.
 
I got one a couple of years ago from the tool seller that sometimes has a stand at the Gosport Saturday Market, usually near the top of the High Street. It 's Chinese of course and one of the colours is wrong, I think it's green where you would expect it to be blue, but it's given good service and was less than £12.
 
Having been a wireman for several years and crimped and soldered and terminated more cables than is sensible, I still find that the cheap, basic lap jointed crimps work realy well for red/yellow/blue connectors
 
If you want good crimps that last on a boat this is not a place to cheap out. Not sure if they sell these in the UK but the Ancor Marine (yes Ancor not Anchor) ratcheting crimper is the one used by the marine electrical pros. Online USD$60-$70 so £50 should do it if you don't have to ship from the colonies. Have used one for years and no comparison to the toys you get in the little kits at the discount store.
 
Thanks for the help, I've bought a Quick Anvil Interchangeable set from:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Anvil-Qui...ultDomain_3&var=&hash=item58b38f48c3#shpCntId

Just the hand tool and two dies, one for insulated terminal, one for small boot lace ferrules for £43.37 including delivery.

Both the Klauke k507 and the Ancor Double Crimp Ratchet were more than I wanted to pay, and I couldn't find a UK supplier of the Ancor, which meant all the hassle of an import from the USA.
 
nigelmercier said:
You are either a gorilla, or not fussy about the standard of your work.
Click to expand...

A little patronising Nigel. I have a Ripaults crimper over 40 years old plus a couple of cheapo ones.

All do a good job. The trick for non pro use is to use good terminals and connectors. Cheapo stuff can be iffy.

As an ex motor sport competitor I pride myself on my preparation. My bikes rarely broke down, and never with connector problems. Same with the boats.

Now we have shrinkwrap tubing and connectors waterproofing is much more reliable.

Wish I had had it years ago!
 
nigelmercier said:
My comment was bcause you suggested that a non-ratchet insulated crimper could do a good job. I strongly disagree, and I doubt you will find many on here that will agree with you.
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That was another poster Nigel-post No.8 was my first.

Lets get this into perspective. I have been a professional in the repair, service and restoration of vehicles for 50 years non stop.

I have never owned a ratchet crimper.

The quality of my connections made with common or garden pressure crimpers has always been accepted by my customers and has been reliable enough for me to be happy with the result, including pitting my self prepared race bikes against the toughest long distance motorbike circuits in the world. I dont recall an electrical failure caused by my poor crimper while racing.

I imagine a ratchet crimper has certain advantages over what I use-and have used-but they are not an essential tool. The job of fixing a connector or terminal can be done with simpler lower tech tools to the same end-a reliable connection that will not fall off or fail.

An electrician who does nothing but fix connectors and terminals may have a different view-but then he is doing a single job, not spreading his skills in many areas.

I also fail to see where being a Gorilla comes in-please explain.

If someone gave me a ratchet crimper, no doubt I would use it. But I dont NEED one-what I have works fine.
 
Dougal Tolan said:
Nonsnse. ratchet crimpers do not improve leverage, what they do is a: ensure you dont release before a proper crimp and b: give the operator a chance of a break part way through.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I dont remember any of my normal crimping tools requiring superstrength to operate.

As I stated in my first post on this subject, good quality connectors are the answer.I had some odd ones once that were tricky to close-they were too hard.

Got in touch with my supplier who sent another box straight away. They were fine.

I was caught out one day without my electrical tools. I took my roughest pair of pliers and filed the cutting blade flat and left a small gap when closed.

I picked up some connectors at an accessory shop and repaired a motorbike for my nephew that had had a dead short, melting several wires and connectors.

The pliers worked a treat-closed the tube of the connectors onto the wires a treat.

That is all a crimping tool does, after all.............................
 
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