Single crimp ratcheting tool for heat seal connectors

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Boo2

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Hi,

I bought a bunch of heat shrink connectors and terminals and also a double crimp ratcheting tool but it is completely useless in that being a double crimp tool it crushes the heat shrink insulation, and being sh*te it doesn't form crimps that hold.

So my question is : where in the UK can I get a single crimp ratcheting crimp tool suitable for use with these heat shrink style terminals ?

I don't have time to import one from the USA so I'd be grateful if people didn't post links to sites abroad. Also, I've searched the usual places so remarks like "try RS or CPC" are also in chocolate teapot territory.

Thanks,

Boo2
 
Surprised the tool doesn't crimp to a holding connection. I've got the same and it works very well (alas no heat shrink connectors used).
I may be an idea to first insert the wire, then apply heat to shrink the insulation and directly after (while cooling down) use the tool to crimp the metal.
 
It look like the sleeve of the crimp is longer than the non heat seal so you need to ensure that the part of the crimp tool that is designed to crimp the metal part of the crimp is directly over the metal part of the crimp inside the sleeve.

I hope I have made that clear. hard to describe
 
I haven't had any trouble either providing I make sure the narrower crimp is on the wire and the wider crimp is on the insulation.

Mine were about £18. I don't know if they are better quality than the OP's crimpers.

SWA_rpi.jpg
 
Boo2 said:
Hi,

I bought a bunch of heat shrink connectors and terminals and also a double crimp ratcheting tool but it is completely useless in that being a double crimp tool it crushes the heat shrink insulation, and being sh*te it doesn't form crimps that hold.
Click to expand...

I suggest you think more carefully about the problem and remind yourself of the old proverb about 'blaming your tool'. I have a crimping tool probably identical to the one in your picture and have had no problem making excellent terminations using heatshrink terminals. You need to make sure the terminal is in the correct part of the tool before applying pressure.
 
What you have looks like a good quality tool.
There are however inferior terms out there where the heatshrink is very "squidgy" This compresses and not the metal part of the term and it also tears. It tends to re amalgamate when heated. The only way I could get these terms to crimp was to do blue ones in the red section of the tool.
I threw them all away :mad:
Double crimp tools really are the best
 
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aluijten said:
Surprised the tool doesn't crimp to a holding connection. I've got the same and it works very well (alas no heat shrink connectors used).
Click to expand...
Well, the tool may be OK for the terminals it was designed for but I want to use heat shrink types because they are waterproof and good quality to boot.

aluijten said:
I may be an idea to first insert the wire, then apply heat to shrink the insulation and directly after (while cooling down) use the tool to crimp the metal.
Click to expand...

In case anyone reading is misled by this, it is a really bad idea to do anything which could disguise the fact that the connection is not good. Shrinking the insulation before making the crimp is on the face of it an excellent way to make intermittant connections.

Rogershaw said:
It look like the sleeve of the crimp is longer than the non heat seal so you need to ensure that the part of the crimp tool that is designed to crimp the metal part of the crimp is directly over the metal part of the crimp inside the sleeve.
Click to expand...
Sorry that I was not completely clear about the problem with the crimps and the tool in my original post : the problem is that the insulation on the hs crimps is not as thick as the insulation on the automotive crimps the tool was designed for. This means the crimp tool does not close enough to properly make the hs insulated crimps. The problem is the tool I have is wrong for the job, it is not that it is being used incorrectly (except that, obviously, using the wrong tool is incorrect in and of itself).

Dipper said:
I haven't had any trouble either providing I make sure the narrower crimp is on the wire and the wider crimp is on the insulation.
Click to expand...
You are using automotive crimps, no ? They are different from the ones I linked to...

Dipper said:
Mine were about £18. I don't know if they are better quality than the OP's crimpers.
Click to expand...
That's a different tool. I don't know whether it is better quality, but it is still not correct for heat shrink crimps.

KenMcCulloch said:
I suggest you think more carefully about the problem and remind yourself of the old proverb about 'blaming your tool'. I have a crimping tool probably identical to the one in your picture and have had no problem making excellent terminations using heatshrink terminals. You need to make sure the terminal is in the correct part of the tool before applying pressure.
Click to expand...

I spent the first 6 years of my working life as an apprentice trained electronics tech working on military equipment, and I am completely certain that the tool I have is nfg for this application. It does, as you suggest have 2 seperate blades and neither of them make a secure crimp. It is possible by common cormoranting about to fit butt splices into the twin blades but these also don't hold. It is not, as I said, possible to use them with spade terminals because the tool trashes the heat shrink insulation.

The reason for this is they are the wrong tool for the crimps I am using, pure and simple.

The engineer said:
What you have looks like a good quality tool.
There are however inferior terms out there where the heatshrink is very "squidgy" This compresses and not the metal part of the term and it also tears. It tends to re amalgamate when heated. The only way I could get these terms to crimp was to do blue ones in the red section of the tool.
I threw them all away :mad:
Double crimp tools really are the best
Click to expand...
No. Double crimp tools are only suitable for crimp terminals where the crimp is made twice, once on the wire and once on the insulation. They are not suitable for terminals where the crimp is only made on the wire and the insulation is heat shrunk after crimping. You sound like you have had the same problem as I have, but have misdiagnosed the issue as belonging to the terminals not the tool.



So, I want to restate my question as before :

Where in the UK can I get a single crimp ratcheting crimp tool suitable for use with these heat shrink style terminals ?

Many thanks,

Boo2
 
Tranona said:
Usual advice - why not ask the supplier of the terminals for a recommendation?
Click to expand...
I did do that and he recommended a tool which, on cross-examination, turned out to be the same as the one I was originally using.

There is reams of stuff on the web regarding tools for heat shrink butts and terminals and they all say the same thing about the double crimp tool being the wrong thing for the job. I could find one in the USA in 5 minutes but I need it delivered this week. All my UK searches for manufacturers part numbers readily available in the states turned up no results, hence the question.

Boo2
 
As had been said there is probably nothing wrong with your crimping tool.

At each crimping position on the tool the double crimp crimps to two different diameters at the same time. One for the wire and one for the insulation.

It is essential that the free end of the wire enters the tool from the correct direction.

In other words there two different directions that the terminal can be inserted into the crimp tool.

Either with the open end at the side shown in your photo displaying the crimp sizes/colours or from the other side.

If inserted the wrong way round there will be insufficient pressure on the wire crimp to achieve a good electrical connection and all that has been done is that the crimp to insulation is over compressed. That joint will just pull out.

It is possible to do all the crimps from both directions which will make sure that the crimp to wire joint is fine but the crimp to insulation joint is over-compressed. - you will still have a good electrical and mechanical connection.

I must say that I found this out the hard way.

Iain
 
Boo2 said:
Well, the tool may be OK for the terminals it was designed for but I want to use heat shrink types because they are waterproof and good quality to boot.
Boo2
Click to expand...

Please explain to me how these terminals can be waterproof?
I case you haven't noticed the other end of the terminal is completely open!

If you really want to go for proper spade terminals you should use uninsulated ones that are sleeved AFTER crimping.

See:
http://www.conrad.com/Fem.spade-con...nrad-int&pi=737241&ci=SHOP_AREA_17377_0225020

http://www.conrad.com/Insulating-sl...nrad-int&pi=735555&ci=SHOP_AREA_17377_0225230

And of course the correct crimping tool that goes with it.

http://www.conrad.com/Crimp.pliers-...nrad-int&pi=804070&ci=SHOP_AREA_17604_1517020

But being a an apprentice trained electronics tech working on military equipment you knew that already didn't you :)
 
aluijten said:
Please explain to me how these terminals can be waterproof?
I case you haven't noticed the other end of the terminal is completely open!
Click to expand...

Fair point, but the wire to terminal joint at least is waterproof and I also have butt splices in the same style which are completely waterproof.

aluijten said:
If you really want to go for proper spade terminals you should use uninsulated ones that are sleeved AFTER crimping.
Click to expand...
The ones you linked are in no respects suitable for marine applications as the wire to terminal joint is not waterproof. Also, if you recall my original post, I am looking for a source of crimp tools in the UK, not a source of crimps in Germany.

aluijten said:
But being a an apprentice trained electronics tech working on military equipment you knew that already didn't you :)
Click to expand...

Your post was entirely besides the point but thanks anyway.



Just to be clear :

I am looking for a UK source of single crimp tool suitable for use with the heat shrink terminals I already have, not sources of other types of connector nor any type of double crimp tool.

Thanks to all on this thread who've posted useful links and comments.

Boo2
 
colvic987 said:
This is where i go for my crimps and lugs, i have used the same crimping tool as you have for years, and find it gives a good crimp, here is the site for your perusal.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion but crimpterminals have just replied that they don't sell a suitable single crimp tool.

Boo2
 
Boo2

What you need is the tool shown below or one like it. The one pictured is by Ancor - there must be a similar product in the UK.

At best the double crimper you have will make a decent crimp while cutting the heatshrink part of the connector. I have used one for heatshrink connectors on a few occasions and got good crimps but the heatshrink does get damaged often.
 
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