# Harbor Freight Tools - Crimper Update



## Maine Sail

Hi All,

As promised I ordered the Harbor Freight Tools double ratcheting crimper and am in the process of comparing it's construction, specifically the crimp dies, which are the important part, to the Ancor Double Crimp Ratchet Crimper.

It was stated by some here that the HFT crimper was identical to the Ancor model. I'll let you decide..
*
Ancor and HFT Crimpers:* Note the non-removable dies on the HFT crimper. You'd literally have to pound out those drift pins to replace those dies.
All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.








*
Crimp Dies:* The Ancor crimper on the left has the proper spacing to execute a double crimp and nicely machined heads from a solid ingot. The HFT crimper has incorrect spacing to properly execute a double crimp and uses cheap plates of steel to make up the crimp dies.









*Crimp Jaw Surface:* Note the sharp edges and the improper spacing on the HFT crimper vs. the well machined and properly spaced jaws of the Ancor crimper.









*Ancor Crimp Head:* the fit and finish is very good and the crimp jaws are in the correct location top and bottom.









*HFT Crimp Head:* These dies do not even have the proper profile and are located incorrectly. The jaw on the bottom should be on the top!









*Proper Die/Jaw Orientation:* This is the proper jaw orientation for a double crimp ratchet tool. The spit in the barrel of the connector always faces the top. On the HFT tool your would need to crimp backwards!








*
Close Up Of Sloppy Machining:* This crimper JUST came out of the shipping envelope an hour ago and already it's showing signs of RUST!! Also look at the rough surface where the steel was cut. See picture number two for a side by side look at the sloppy machining.









I paid $14.99 plus 6.99 S&H (which took 20 DAYS!) for the HFT crimper and $55.00 for the Ancor crimpers. The Ancor crimpers came with detailed instructions and the HFT crimpers came with NOTHING. The crimp dies on the HFT tool makes and improperly spaced crimp and the heads are not easily replaceable...

I'll let you guys be the judge..


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## T34C

OK, but when you use each of the tools, what happens?


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## BlueWaterMD

I too would like to actually see the finished crimps. 

Recently on a major build my dad burnt out a power drill and saber saw (both major brand names). He replaced them with a harbor freight drill for $19 and saber saw for $29. Those tools are still going! I was however unimpressed with their power sanders. 

For some jobs, I think they are reasonable tools to have. Especially if they do a decent job, and it is a tool you don't need too often. I don't know if I would buy them online though. I luckly have a store near me so I can go examine the tools first hand.


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## TSOJOURNER

Very interesting. Will you be testing the HFT crimps?


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## sailingdog

Halekai-

I'd like to see actual crimps from the HFT crimper and like to see how they do in the weight test.


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## Stillraining

Definitely tell the differance...OK I will buy both and keep the cheap one on board for emergencies and the good one at home to bring back and forth for projects...as I bet it is still miles ahead of the 6.00 strip and crimp tool...Thanks


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## EO32

I buy some HF tools. I just picked up an 18v cordless drill for $16. Now it's not as nice as my $100 Dewalt 14.4v cordless drill, but I've been getting tired haulling it to and from the boat, so the HF Drill becomes to boat drill.

You do get what you pay for, but the quality is getting better.


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## Maine Sail

*Wow you guys are some serous doubters..!*

I think Stillraining has it! It's a back up emergency crimper to keep on board while you keep your good one at home!

Here are two identical crimps, same terminals, same wire just different crimpers.
*
Front Close Up:* HFT on left Ancor on Right
All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.









*Crimp Locations:* This is IMPORTANT a double crimper is supposed to crimp the strain relief. The HFT crimper (bottom crimp) crimps the slot between the strain relief barrel and the crimp barrel. Look closely through the nylon and you'll see that the crimp barrel was not even touched and it's still round! Look at the Ancor crimp (top) and you can see a very slight black line depicting the crimp jaw outline. Also notice the almost invisible crimp in the nylon. The proper spacing of the Ancor dies makes a properly spaced crimp and actually achieves the "double crimp"!









*Anatomy of a crimp connector:* I took apart an insulated terminal to show why the crimper is referred to as double crimper. The spade gets one crimp (left side of photo) and the strain relief barrel (middle of the photo) gets a second crimp where I have scuffed the metal. The "colored dot" side of the jaws, of the Ancor "double" crimper, are the appropriate size for crimping this strain relief barrel and the non dot side is sized for the crimp barrel. On the Ancor crimper these dies are sized for both the strain relief and the crimp barrel specifically and on the HFT crimper both sides of the jaw are identical as in there is no specific side for a strain relief crimp or a wire crimp! Truly a one size fits all approach! Using the appropriate crimper such as the Ancor will create both crimps in one single motion properly.

If I were to disassemble a heat shrink connector all you'd see is the heat shrink and the terminal. You'd only have two pieces, not three, hence the term "single crimp" as it only crimps the crimp barrel because there is no strain relief barrel on a heat shrink terminal. This photo shows the valley that the HFT tool crimped in the strain relief barrel!


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## Stillraining

Im personally with you on this one...

I have a Dewalt 12v that is a great drill but the Battery life is crap ( 4 so far ) and at 55 bucks each it has sat unused for 5 years and I have bought 4 drills since its retirement...One I purchase is HFT 20v 1/2 and its one battery has out lived thoes dewalts 4 to one @ 1/3 the cost...In other words Dewalts lasted 1 year each..Harbor Fright 4 years and still going..You could not give me a Dewalt...I have one to give you...

Another good reasonable drill is the Ryobi 1/2 18v sold by Home Depo...Again better and cheaper then Dewalts..

Just my opinion using them weekly..



EO32 said:


> I buy some HF tools. I just picked up an 18v cordless drill for $16. Now it's not as nice as my $100 Dewalt 14.4v cordless drill, but I've been getting tired haulling it to and from the boat, so the HF Drill becomes to boat drill.
> 
> You do get what you pay for, but the quality is getting better.


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## Gryzio

*Cool you share this*

I appreciate your evaluation. Like to buy from Harbor Freight when it a good deal! 

I use this for a cheap, they about $5.
http://www.grainger.com/images/products/4A857.JPG

I do have something I bought from "Snap-on" the 70's when I worked at a Boat Dealer, but, for the money the first work as well. (I can find a picture, maybe). 

Normally I like what I call, "Hard Wiring", maybe I wrong, really not care. But, I solder everything!!!!! It not hard to learn and more reliable than a Crimp, no matter how crimp it crimped. 

I slide a Shrink Tube over what I can, and cover with Silicon Rubber what I can not! 

Never a corrosion problem and never and loose connection. But, this my way and I respect the wants of others. I just not crimp what I can solder. 

I will admit, That one nice looking tool, but, when it come to a show down ...... I feel the women will like my tool better! It gets good and hot when it need to work!


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## GeorgeB

Mainsail, does Ancor sell dies for crimping un-insulated connectors? Or only for the insulated kind?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>


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## sailingdog

Halekai-

Did you make the crimp in the HFT crimper rightside up or upside down?? Just curious, since the dies in the HFT crimper are upside down.



halekai36 said:


> I think Stillraining has it! It's a back up emergency crimper to keep on board while you keep your good one at home!
> 
> Here are two identical crimps, same terminals, same wire just different crimpers.
> *
> Front Close Up:* HFT on left Ancor on Right
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Crimp Locations:* This is IMPORTANT a double crimper is supposed to crimp the strain relief. The HFT crimper (bottom crimp) crimps the slot between the strain relief barrel and the crimp barrel. Look closely through the nylon and you'll see that the crimp barrel was not even touched and it's still round! Look at the Ancor crimp (top) and you can see a very slight black line depicting the crimp jaw outline. Also notice the almost invisible crimp in the nylon. The proper spacing of the Ancor dies makes a properly spaced crimp and actually achieves the "double crimp"!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Anatomy of a crimp connector:* I took apart an insulated terminal to show why the crimper is referred to as double crimper. The spade gets one crimp (left side of photo) and the strain relief barrel (middle of the photo) gets a second crimp where I have scuffed the metal. The "colored dot" side of the jaws, of the Ancor "double" crimper, are the appropriate size for crimping this strain relief barrel and the non dot side is sized for the crimp barrel. On the Ancor crimper these dies are sized for both the strain relief and the crimp barrel specifically and on the HFT crimper both sides of the jaw are identical as in there is no specific side for a strain relief crimp or a wire crimp! Truly a one size fits all approach! Using the appropriate crimper such as the Ancor will create both crimps in one single motion properly.
> 
> If I were to disassemble a heat shrink connector all you'd see is the heat shrink and the terminal. You'd only have two pieces, not three, hence the term "single crimp" as it only crimps the crimp barrel because there is no strain relief barrel on a heat shrink terminal. This photo shows the valley that the HFT tool crimped in the strain relief barrel!


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## sailingdog

Gryzio-

You really should look at Halekai's other post on crimping... and shouldn't use that cheap POS on a boat.

You shouldn't solder the connections on a boat. Solder makes the wiring more susceptible to work hardening and fatiguing. It can also make the wiring more susceptible to corrosion.



Gryzio said:


> I appreciate your evaluation. Like to buy from Harbor Freight when it a good deal!
> 
> I use this for a cheap, they about $5.
> http://www.grainger.com/images/products/4A857.JPG
> 
> I do have something I bought from "Snap-on" the 70's when I worked at a Boat Dealer, but, for the money the first work as well. (I can find a picture, maybe).
> 
> Normally I like what I call, "Hard Wiring", maybe I wrong, really not care. But, I solder everything!!!!! It not hard to learn and more reliable than a Crimp, no matter how crimp it crimped.
> 
> I slide a Shrink Tube over what I can, and cover with Silicon Rubber what I can not!
> 
> Never a corrosion problem and never and loose connection. But, this my way and I respect the wants of others. I just not crimp what I can solder.
> 
> I will admit, That one nice looking tool, but, when it come to a show down ...... I feel the women will like my tool better! It gets good and hot when it need to work!


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## Maine Sail

Gryzio said:


> Normally I like what I call, "Hard Wiring", maybe I wrong, really not care. But, I solder everything!!!!! It not hard to learn and more reliable than a Crimp, no matter how crimp it crimped.


Unfortunately EVERY marine expert including the ABYC would disagree with you on this..

There is a reason the ABYC says solder shall not be the sole means of a connection on a boat...

Perhaps you missed this one from a few weeks ago. Yes thats a yellow butt splice holding all those anchors...

All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.

















BTW did you solder your standing rigging or is it swaged??


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## Maine Sail

sailingdog said:


> Halekai-
> 
> Did you make the crimp in the HFT crimper rightside up or upside down?? Just curious, since the dies in the HFT crimper are upside down.


I made the crimp upside down, so the jaws were oriented properly, and it's was a little awkward trying to see the split in the barrel and get it aligned..

I've made a few crimps with it now and can't for the life of me get it to crimp down uniformly and evenly as the Ancor does..

It's still better than any of the cheap dimple crimpers but a long ways away from the quality crimp you get from the Ancor..


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## sailingdog

Thanks for clarifying...


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## Stillraining

Now There's the best one yet... 
________________________________________________________
Quote: BTW did you solder your standing rigging or is it swaged??

-Maine Sail

Casco Bay, ME

___________________________________________

But if I had my choice My standing rigging would include nither....


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## Gryzio

*YESSSSS! I agree with SD and you on this!*



halekai36 said:


> Unfortunately EVERY marine expert including the ABYC would disagree with you on this..
> 
> There is a reason the ABYC says solder shall not be the sole means of a connection on a boat...
> 
> Perhaps you missed this one from a few weeks ago. Yes thats a yellow butt splice holding all those anchors...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BTW did you solder your standing rigging or is it swaged??


BUT!!!!! As I say! How I do this I have NEVER had a problem! But, this my opinion, just as it the opinion of the "ABYC" and I DO read their opinions.

I just offer my opinion as I thought I stated. Just an opinion. But, when the ABYC or anyones makes an opinion, I feel we use our best judgment for our situation. I doubt the ABYC will take responsibility for their mistakes in judgment just as I will not. 

I offer what work for myself. Never had a boat burn or sink or lose electrical! That even the GPS Electro stuff people enjoy. I hard wire those too. 

But, I respect your options and do listen, believe me; I listen to everything people say. I respect that. I just say what has worked for me and I will stick to it. I can not trust a Crimp Joint, just looking at some of the pictures here scare me. 

That picture halekai36 show a very good example. Dang, I think I could crimp better than both of those with my Ball-Peen Hammer. But, I bet money you cut down what I say, better than agree? Am I correct? But, yea, I agree with the ABYC, I just not bet my life or money on that opinion. Just my honest opinion.


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## Maine Sail

*Perhaps you need to see the difference...*

Perhaps you need to understand the difference between a proper crimp which works for many high tech organization like NASA, Boeing and others. There is a huge difference between a proper crimp and a bad crimp!

I cut the crimped terminals open with my Dremel tool and took a peak.

The crimp on the left was made with my Anchor Ratcheting crimper which is a very decent quality crimper and the crimp on the right was made with my Klein "dimple crimper", similar to the one in your link Gryz but a touch better in quality, this Klein is a very mediocre crimper but also the type most boat owners use to make crimped connections.

I now understand why many boaters think "air" can get into a crimp and corrode it. If you look at he crimp on the right, made with the "cheap" crimper, you can still see strands of copper wire. The crimp on the left is far superior and has in fact cold formed, similar to what happens when you swage standing rigging. I think the photo speaks for its self. A well built crimping too is well worth the money!

Cold forming a crimp with a good quality crimper is basically swaging!

I'm not trying to sway you, it's your boat and you must do what makes you feel cmfortable, but, when you say you've never had a problem I would have to add... YET..

Photo ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.


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## Stillraining

If I were only as good of a witness for Christ as you are for crimping Main...one at a time...one at a time...


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## Gryzio

*This is nice*



halekai36 said:


> Perhaps you need to understand the difference between a proper crimp which works for many high tech organization like NASA, Boeing and others. There is a huge difference between a proper crimp and a bad crimp!
> 
> OK I did one last experiment! I cut the crimped terminals open with my Dremel tool and took a peak.
> 
> The crimp on the left was made with my Anchor Ratcheting crimper which is a very decent quality crimper and the crimp on the right was made with my Klein "dimple crimper", similar to the one in your link Gryz but a touch better in quality, this Klein is a very mediocre crimper but also the type most boat owners use to make crimped connections.
> 
> I now understand why many boaters think "air" can get into a crimp and corrode it. If you look at he crimp on the right, made with the "cheap" crimper, you can still see strands of copper wire. The crimp on the left is far superior and has in fact cold formed, similar to what happens when you swage standing rigging. I think the photo speaks for its self. A well built crimping too is well worth the money!
> 
> Cold forming a crimp with a good quality crimper is basically swaging!
> 
> I'm not trying to sway you, it's your boat and you must do what makes you feel cmfortable, but, when you say you've never had a problem I would have to add... YET..


Great picture to back up your evaluation. 

As I mentioned in my first post; Harbor Freight has great deals. The Crimp looks high quality and that good for me. 

Figured it would be good, looking at how the tool was made. For the money it a good buy in my opinion. As I DID state this a good review. But, I not be buying one of these. It is nice though and Harbor Freight have the deals. 

Now, what I would like to see, is someone evaluate those Solar Panels Harbor Freight sell? I thinking $224.49????


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## sailaway21

Since the various crimping threads have started I've crimped and shrink tubed approximately 150 wires which are now residing at various depths below water ranging from 10 feet to 200 feet, all with a $15 pair of Klein pliers from Home Depot, and they're all holding fine and will be for the next thirty years, just like the ones were that I pulled up out of the well.

Stop the madness!


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## Valiente

Halekai's is like a one-man Practical Sailor: You may not agree or care, but seeing the methodology alone is worth the read!

Re: related discussion on cheap versus "name" power tools.

This is very difficult to figure out, because so much manufacturing of these items is done offshore, and the 'guts' can be identical between the "Chinese/discount" brand and the North American "name brand". I have generally had better luck with "name" gear, but I also have some lighter-duty power tools from Canadian Tire's "Mastercraft" line (similar, I guess, to Sears' "Craftsman" line) and there's nothing wrong with them, except they saved me 40% in price.

A second consideration is the old problem of salt air and the attraction of water to tools. On deck, I have pretty well a pouch belt of completely crappy hand tools that work "well enough", but that I won't miss if they went into the drink like, say, my 1/2" Husky rachet driver, one of the better tools I own and that has given years of worry- and rust-free service.

I have about four crappy dimple-crimpers, but I am seriously complicating and magnifying the wiring on my boat, to the point where I'm buy a few 100 foot reels of two-conductor DC wire and unknown amounts of AC. So maybe a $55 double crimper will be worth it. Compared to the cost of copper wire, it's a small part of the equation.


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## Maine Sail

Guys,

Don't get me wrong here I'm evaluating ONE pair of crimpers that claim to be a double crimper that's all. I'm not trashing all HFT tools!

I own and use MANY inexpensive, non-brand tools especially on the boat. Very rarely does my Fluke multi meter reside on the boat but my UEI knock off of it does.

Three years ago at x-mas I needed a new Drill after killing my second DeWalt and spending hundreds of dollars on batteries I purchased a Ryobi One+ MONSTER kit that had EVERYTHING. I can buy two Ryobi 18V One+ batteries for less than half of one DeWalt battery. I can also buy a replacement drill for the price of DeWalt battery.

For the price of one DeWalt 18V drill (which is made by Black & Decker) I got the following:

Drill
Right Angle Drill
5 1/2" Circular Saw
Electric Chain Saw
Reciprocating Saw
Jig Saw
Flashlight
Vacuum (dustbuster hand held type)
Sander
Impact Driver
Charger
Two Batteries
Laminate Trimmer

To say the least is was one hell of a sale price and a steal!

The long and short is I do lots of woodworking and have yet to kill any of my Ryobi ONE + stuff. I fully expected the drill to last me three months, my drills get lots of use, and it's been three years.... I now have 8 batteries and two chargers so I'm never without a charged battery and I added a second drill so I can have one with as a screw driver and one as a drill when I'm working on drill and screw projects.

At this point I don't even own a "high end" drill. That being said I killed a Black and Decker 1/2 inch drill in 30 minutes of use using a hole saw in fiberglass. I replaced it with a Porter Cable and it chews through the stuff without breaking a sweat..

Some cheap tools are a very, very good value others SUCK! Each tool must be evaluated individually.....



Valiente said:


> Compared to the cost of copper wire, it's a small part of the equation.


And getting smaller have you seen the price of copper lately???!!


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## jackytdunaway

I was hoping to see the cut through of the Anchor vs. HFT crimper that the thread was about. Why do you show the Klein crimp cut instead when the comparison for the thread was the HFT? Can you show us the HFT cut through?


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## Maine Sail

jackytdunaway said:


> I was hoping to see the cut through of the Anchor vs. HFT crimper that the thread was about. Why do you show the Klein crimp cut instead when the comparison for the thread was the HFT? Can you show us the HFT cut through?


Because this thread was about the construction quality of the tool and the crimp dies being of the wrong size shape and dimension.

The cut-a-way was in response to Gryz, when this topic got off subject, about good vs. bad crimps, which has been discussed here ad nausea um, and I already had that photo in my library. It was posted NOT in reference to the HFT crimper but to show a "cold formed" crimp vs. a "non-cold formed" crimp that's all..

I don't have the time to do another cut away, I have a real job, but can assure you that the HFT crimper is poorly executed in a number of ways already shown here. The saying "you get what you pay for" has been very well demonstrated with this particular tool..

#1 It has the incorrect width to execute a double crimp and crimps the connector in the WRONG spot!

#2 The dies are not the proper shape

#3 The dies are the same size for the strain relief and the wire crimp. Double crimper dies are asymmetrical not symmetrical as the HFT's are..

#4 It is very, difficult to make a uniform crimp that crimps down evenly as the Ancor does. The Ancor makes repeatable crimps very reliably. I crimped 7 connectors last night and only ONE came close to crimping down uniformly. Connectors are expensive!!

#5 The HFT dies do a very good job at deforming the nylon insulator and the Ancor crimpers leave an almost invisible crimp mark in the nylon..

My guess it that the HFT crimp, when cut-a-way, would look somewhat better than the Klein but not up to the Ancor seeing as I can't seem to make it crimp down evenly or uniformly..

Will it crimp YES! Is it better than a $6.00 hardware store "dimple crimper" YES (by a long shot). Would I spend the extra $30.00 for the Ancor? You bet your ass I would!! But that's me, not you, and you need to do what makes you and your wallet feel good..

A few more photos I took last night..

*Ancor Crimp Die Width:*









*HFT Crimp Die Width:*









*Ancor Die Spacing For Strain Relief & Wire Crimp:*









*HFT Die Spacing For Strain Relief & Wire Crimp:*









It's your boat, I've shown enough data for most folks to base a decision on, so do as you wish..


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## buckeyesailor

Finally, a thread I can speak with some knowledge on.......

I'm enlightened by some of the comments on Ryobi and other power tools. I'll give them a try next time......I use almost exclusively name brand now.

As far as HFT goes.....I have found them almost 100% cheap and not worth putting in my tool box. If the job is worth doing, IMHO, it's worth doing correctly the first time. A cheap crimper may do fine for a while but it only takes one bad crimp to ruin the day. 

just one carpenter/plumber/electrician/mechanics opinion.......


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## sailingdog

Isn't that the description of most small boat sailors... if you added sailor to the mix. 


> just one carpenter/plumber/electrician/mechanics opinion...


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## buckeyesailor

Good Point Sailingdog......except you may have to add:

Cook/Rigger/Painter/Maid/Bartender/Host and the all important Gofer......


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## NCountry

Wow, one of the more interesting threads of late! Since the crimping discussion began I've started spending more time crimping and less time soldering. I just finished installing a new DSC radio and have networked it with my GPS and autopilot. Crimping has been a great time saver at the very least and in some of the tight spaces I've had to work it was definately the way to go. (and saved many potential burns to my hands) 
As far as name brand vs cheap stuff goes...it brings to mind something I'm continually telling my crew/kids....you probably know the tune
"You can't always get what you want......"


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## EO32

*No longer soldering*

I used to solder everything and never believed in crimping. I'd even crimp then solder.

The reason not to solder is it creates a fatigue point where the solder stops. Crimping gives better strain relief in areas of vibration.


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## TSOJOURNER

As to soldering, read what Practical Sailor, Don Casey or a host of other "experts" have to say, DON'T DO IT!!!!!! The solder has a flux on or in it that is caustic and starts the corrosion process on contact. Also, heating the wire (especially marine quality wire) creates a "heat affected zone" just like welding metal, where the temper of the wire (metal) is altered and its strength and ability to resist corrosion is reduced. You in essence have aged the joint right out of the gate. This method should only be used to repair wiring of boats owned by people who really tick you off and deserved to be stranded in the mid Atlantic. Only solder your own wiring if your spouse is suing for the boat and will probably get it. Then be a sport and rewire it for them! Oh yea, don't forget the solder! ;- )

Bob C s/v Valkyrie, 1988 Irwin Citation 35.5


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## sailaway21

halekai36 said:


> Perhaps you need to understand the difference between a proper crimp which works for many high tech organization like NASA, Boeing and others. There is a huge difference between a proper crimp and a bad crimp!
> 
> I cut the crimped terminals open with my Dremel tool and took a peak.
> 
> The crimp on the left was made with my Anchor Ratcheting crimper which is a very decent quality crimper and the crimp on the right was made with my Klein "dimple crimper", similar to the one in your link Gryz but a touch better in quality, this Klein is a very mediocre crimper but also the type most boat owners use to make crimped connections.
> 
> I now understand why many boaters think "air" can get into a crimp and corrode it. If you look at he crimp on the right, made with the "cheap" crimper, you can still see strands of copper wire. The crimp on the left is far superior and has in fact cold formed, similar to what happens when you swage standing rigging. I think the photo speaks for its self. A well built crimping too is well worth the money!
> 
> Cold forming a crimp with a good quality crimper is basically swaging!
> 
> I'm not trying to sway you, it's your boat and you must do what makes you feel cmfortable, but, when you say you've never had a problem I would have to add... YET..
> 
> Photo ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.


This subject is long past it's cute stage and is now approaching the anal retentive in my opinion. There are, however, a couple of misconceptions extant.

The photo of the crimp made by the Ancor pliers is not a swage. A swaged fitting maintains its roundness and can be viewed on mooring wires as well as standing rigging.

The OP was on firm ground when he started by denoting the benefits of using purpose bulit crimping tools for the compression of sta-cons. That the crimp provided by the common wire stripper is inferior to one done with a dedicated crimping tool is indisputable. That the Ancor tool provides a better crimp than one done with a pair of Klein pliers remains open to debate as does the fact that the Ancor crimp strangely resembles the efforts that may be obtained by use of a vise.

For those who've perhaps been distracted from the original point, we're making an electrical connection here. That it may be possible to hang your anchor or two off of it is beyond the point to which the crimp is intended to be used. Adequate strength is required not ultimate strength. If you're evaluating your efficacy of wiring connections by their ability to support fifty pounds or more, something is awry. The fact that you're going to attach them to a light bulb at the end of the circuit might give a clue as to where the misconception in evaluation occured.

This is not a denigration of the Ancor tool. It is merely a calm assertion that probably equally effective results can be obtained with far less pricey tools, to wit-Klein pliers, that are available almost universally, and manage to avoid the poor splices offered by wire strippers.

I would finally offer that, while I much prefer crimping over soldering for all the reasons stated by others, it is not without some amusement that I note that virtually every device that those crimped splices feeds consists of a large mass of soldered joints. Just a thought. There's a place for everything and we're not talking about a NASA moon-shot here; it's a boat! If you want to wire your boat the way NASA wires a rocket that's fine by me, just do me the favor of not showing up in the various West Marine threads decrying the cost of things.

We've probably read enough about those abysmal splices found on the thirty year old boat as well. Has it occured to anyone that they lasted thrity years and that it's quite reasonable to expect that thirty years is not a bad useful economic lifespan for design purposes and that they did work for that amount of time? There are not too many things that last for thirty years that are not due for replacement in any event. Let's remember that certain things have certain places. Placing stone steps outside a courthouse can be readily justified for their longevity. Using the same material for your countertop can be justified for asesthetics but the idea that you are rationally installing it for it's longevity is foolishness as it will be torn out for remodeling long before it expires. Perspective is all I'm asking for here.


----------



## xtatico1404

halekai, like always, props for the research, top notch!

There are places in the tool box for cheaper tools, that is for sure. I have many cheap tools. But there are a couple of tools that I go for the better ones, and IMHO, this is one tool that I would go with the higher quality. 

I used to sell crimping tools to electric utility companies, manual, battery operated & big hydraulic units. Besides what's already being said, I would have to comment on the small steel plates that make up the die itself. Those plates actually slightly reduce the crimping area of the die. You can actually see on the pics that the HFT does two crimps very close together, rather than one bigger crimp by the Ancor. This reduces the compression area and when talking about compression, the larger the area, the better the crimp, the stronger it will be, the lower the resistance. 

Based on the larger crimp tools that I used to sell, one could argue that the tolorances on the dies are pretty sloppy. I do not know if that would be the case on these small dies, but I would have to guess that it has to be better, because of the small size connector you would want better tolerances during die making. But still, the larger the compression area, the better.

Other than that, I can't think of anything that has not already being said. Again, Halekai, great work.


----------



## Maine Sail

*A vise....*



sailaway21 said:


> That the Ancor tool provides a better crimp than one done with a pair of Klein pliers remains open to debate as does the fact that the Ancor crimp strangely resembles the efforts that may be obtained by use of a vise.


A vise now there's a novel concept. Of course, for those of you who are always looking to rub a tow Pennies together and get a Nickel out of it, I think it might actually work!

Here's one for even less than the HFT crimping tool:
Available at Home Depot for $21.99








Crimping wires will be a little tough though in those tight spaces but a pair of knock-off Vise grips should suffice..

Just for grins:
*Ready Set:*








*Squish:*








*All Done:*









Sway please try and control yourself from quoting me incorrectly. I know you get excited...

What I actually said:


halekai36 said:


> The crimp on the left is far superior and *has in fact cold formed*, *similar* to what happens when you swage standing rigging.


What you though I may have said:


sailaway21 said:


> The photo of the crimp made by the Ancor pliers is not a swage.


No really? As I said it's properly COLD FORMED. Cold forming is the same process that happens to a rigging wire that is stuck into a fitting being swaged in a swaging machine....The definitions are different but the ultimate outcome is cold forming in both a properly executed crimp and a machine / wire swage achieve the same outcome cold forming.

The term swaging, contrary to Sailnet beliefs, did not originate with the standing rigging of sail boats and it's origins far precede the concept of standing wire rigging.

The machine itself is a swaging machine or die and there are many different types for many different applications. Swaging by definition is to:

swage (swEj) n.
1. A tool used in bending or shaping cold metal.
2. A stamp or die for marking or shaping metal with a hammer.
3. A swage block.

-swage tr.v. swaged, swag ing, swag es.
To bend or shape by or as if by using a swage.

Rotary Swaging is a process for reducing the cross-sectional area, or, in other words, changing the shape of bars, tubes or wires by repeated radial blows with one or more pairs of opposed dies or by drawing a piece through opposing dies to reduce it's OD..

If you stick a wire in a fitting thats being swaged the process of the fitting shrinking and forming onto the wire and making a cold bond, without added heat, over the wire, as it is swaged, results in a cold formed bond between the wire and the fitting.

This is an example of a swage:








A die swage:








More Swage:








This is a swage too:









Most rigging shops use roll or rotary swaging machines as the hydro forming machines are BIG bucks!!

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go make some crimps in my vise...


----------



## Stillraining

I love this one...And How true...My dream wood shop? tools alone would be 100K my current one 10k....



NCountry said:


> As far as name brand vs cheap stuff goes...it brings to mind something I'm continually telling my crew/kids....you probably know the tune
> "You can't always get what you want......"


----------



## sailaway21

Thanks for making my point; all swages are not created equal. The lower most photo being a good example of the type that would prove to be insufficient on a mooring cable but perfectly adequate for it's intended purpose. In much the same way that an electrical connection using Klein pliers is satisfactory.


----------



## Maine Sail

sailaway21 said:


> Thanks for making my point; all swages are not created equal. The lower most photo being a good example of the type that would prove to be insufficient on a mooring cable but perfectly adequate for it's intended purpose. In much the same way that an electrical connection using Klein pliers is satisfactory.


Of course it would depend entirely which Klein tool. They actually make some very good and very pricey crimpers as well as some very low dollar stuff.

The Klein you use for the non insulated Sta-Cons is a good tool but the "stripper/crimpers Klein makes are not as good as the ones you own..


----------



## sailaway21

I certainly am, as long as the shrink-tubing is applied after the crimp is made. For fittings with the shrink-tube integral to the fitting itself the insulated jaw position of the plier should be used.

The crimp that you show from the Ancor pliers is oval in result. Had it been circular in result it would have been a better swage. But then I'm not stating that it is an inadequate swage. I'm only advancing the notion that it is a swage of marginal improvement, if any, over that produced by a set of inexpensive Klein pliers, _for it's intended use_.

You may have cause to remember that I do this type of crimping on a daily basis in my work and that I previously mentioned having pulled pumps ranging from 50-75lbs from depths of 150' on the electrical cables alone. Those cables being attached to the pump cables by sta-cons crimped with "only" Klein pliers in the uninsulated position mentioned producing the dimple you describe. That such a connection was sufficient to do so leads me to the belief that such a connection should be sufficient for use on board a boat where it will be relatively unstrained by comparison. BTW, we test them by giving them a decent yank before heat shrinking the tubing.

It's great that you can hang anchors on your Ancor crimped connections and I'd bet that you could hang close to as many on a Klein plier spliced connection if that's your want. But it's a bit of a stretch to say it has much significance in practise on board a boat where you likely rip the light, switch, or breaker out of it's housing long before either splice gave way. The original point was one of great validity; the inability of common wire-strippers to develop sufficient leverage to properly crimp a sta-con fitting. The current thread seems to have lost sight of the original goal of making a connection of adequate tensile strength while providing good electrical current flow.

Seemingly the only thing missing is the introduction of the stranded wire electrical splice via long-splicing of the individual wires. I'd guess that five tucks would be sufficient. (g)


----------



## Maine Sail

sailaway21 said:


> It's great that you can hang anchors on your Ancor crimped connections and I'd bet that you could hang close to as many on a Klein plier spliced connection if that's your want.


Please lets not forget WHY I hung those anchors...

I hung those anchors because a few individuals on this, and on the original thread from a month or two ago, stated that NO crimp was ever going to be as strong as a solder joint... Some even went so far as to say the heat shrink would suffice under ABYC as a "mechanical connection"... That is the only reason I hung those anchors..

I never hung those to show anything other than to prove that crimping is very strong and equally as strong as solder if done correctly..

Of course in that thread we also learned that boats don't suffer from vibration so solder joints are perfectly ok and work hardening is a myth..

*PEOPLE are the biggest problem of all! NOT usually the tools..*

This photo shows a failed bilge pump wire. Why did it fail?

1) Improperly melted heat shrink connections. Note the voids between the wire and the heat shrink especially on the red wire it is the whitish area or void. This is pure stupidity, laziness or both..

2) Wire chafe! Look at the red wire. Of course we all know, from numerous posts on here, that vibration does not exist on a boat. Zip ties? What are those??

3) Note the slice from a razor knife in the ground wire! This was most likely done when stripping the outer jacket from the bundled wires. Again laziness and stupidity not the tool. Also there is a bad gouge out of the brown wire..

This all happened in less than six inches of wire!!!! I really can't tell which of the three issues caused the failure but I do know the tools had NOTHING to do with it...


----------



## sailingdog

Of course, one major difference between a boat and a well is the boat is going places, and the well isn't moving. Sway's really good at comparing apples to oranges.


----------



## sailaway21

sailingdog said:


> Of course, one major difference between a boat and a well is the boat is going places, and the well isn't moving. Sway's really good at comparing apples to oranges.


Dog,
You might want to consult someone about those long term effects from thorazine. The electrical wiring on the boat isn't moving any more than the well is and the vibration from a submersible pump is about the same as the harmonic resonance between your ears; severe. The only thing related to apples and oranges here is another fruitless post on your behalf on a subject that you've a 25 watt knowledge of. But, I still like you. (g)


----------



## sailingdog

Sway—

Oh yeah, I forgot, you can't get your boat up past 5 knots.


----------



## mepsnbarry

OK, we mostly agree that HFT makes caveat-emptor crap. Ancor makes good stuff, but some of us find it expensive. Can you all stop the testosterone-charged ranting and raving now?

I am going to order a Molex 64016-0037 from Digikey. Molex makes good quality terminations and tools, and I don't have to pay a yachtie premium for them.

See for yourself: Digi-Key - WM9986-ND (Molex Connector Corporation - 64016-0037)

Meps


----------



## bobmcgov

mepsnbarry said:


> OK, we mostly agree that HFT makes caveat-emptor crap. Ancor makes good stuff, but some of us find it expensive. Can you all stop the testosterone-charged ranting and raving now?
> Meps


Since the original post is over a year old, Maine Sail has had time to chill out on the crimper thing. Yeah, he cares about this stuff. Glad somebody does! His product comparisons and repair tutorials are brilliant & invaluable assets to this forum.


----------



## Maine Sail

*Crimpers..*



mepsnbarry said:


> OK, we mostly agree that HFT makes caveat-emptor crap. Ancor makes good stuff, but some of us find it expensive. Can you all stop the testosterone-charged ranting and raving now?
> 
> I am going to order a Molex 64016-0037 from Digikey. Molex makes good quality terminations and tools, and I don't have to pay a yachtie premium for them.
> 
> See for yourself: Digi-Key - WM9986-ND (Molex Connector Corporation - 64016-0037)
> 
> Meps


Wow never thought I'd see this thread again..

You might want to consider a crimper specifically for heat shrink crimp connectors, as opposed to a double crimper. Heat shrink crimps are far superior at preventing moisture from getting to the tinned wire than standard insulated crimps.

Sailors Solutions sells a nearly identical single crimp ratchet tool that Ancor does only for much less than Ancor. They also sell the FTZ heat shrink crimp connectors for MUCH less than Ancor does. FTZ, IMHO are superior connectors to Ancor and also far more consistent. Seeing as FTZ makes their own stuff they are always the same quality and not sourced from the cheapest Chinese supplier of the week...

BTW Sailors Solutions are the same folks that designed and invented the Sensibulb..

*FTZ Single Crimp Ratchet Tool $39.95 (LINK)*

Actually about $4.46 less than the Molex unit..

*FTZ Heat Shrink Crimp Connectors (LINK)*

Image courtesey of Sailors Solutions:









P.S. The Ancor double crimp tool can be bought on ebay for $49.99 fairly regularly..

*Ancor Double Crimp Tool $49.99 (LINK)*


----------



## eherlihy

What do you use for crimping wires less than 10AWG?


----------



## sailingdog

CP stopped taking his meds again... 


cardiacpaul said:


> I have 3 indian virgins crimp all of my connections.
> 
> one holds the wire and connection in her teeth,
> the second one whacks her on the head with a rubber mallet.
> the third one screams.
> I'm not sure if it meets any standards but mine.


----------



## Maine Sail

eherlihy said:


> What do you use for crimping wires less than 10AWG?


You really want to know...??

The big red ones..


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Your HF double crimper is not the same as my HF*

When I first read this thread I was stunned. I have the HF double crimper but never it was all that bad, at least not to the degree being shown. So when I got home, I pulled out the tool and studied it. Turns out my HF double crimper is nothing like the one you have shown. I dug out my records and found that it was purchased on 10/29/2008 #97420-3BRA for $7.49. I just check and HF is still selling the same tool for ~$15.

my tool....
1) Does not have laminated steel plates for jaws. It has well machined jaws that are screw removable.
2) Looks a lot more like the Ancor double crimper than the HF version you have showed.
3) Seems to make better crimps than the ones you have shown.

I must say however HF does not have an Ancor clone of the single crimp for heat shrink connector. So I ordered the suggested one from Sailor's Solutions and find myself very disappointed. The unit came in a box with USA scratched out and the tool was stamped "made in china". The machining of the jaws is poor. I am thinking of ditching it altogether and paying extra $ for the Ancor version which is made in the USA.


----------



## GaryHLucas

The idea that a connector is 'swaged' through the plastic insulator is just ludicrous. That it makes an airtight connection is also ridiculous. I've done lots of wire crimping, all the way up to 500MCM cables, using our T&B 15 ton hydraulic crimping tool. Yes it DOES squeeze the spaces and air out from between the strands! 30,000 lbs of force against an surface area of about 1/2 square inch on copper or aluminum will do that. No hand powered crimper, even those big red handled ones can do that. I've cut the crimps apart myself to satisfy my curiosity. None the less, properly made crimps do work well.

I hate junk tools. My expensive Milwaukee pistol drill that is now 35 years old and has been used extensively for tapping still makes me smile when I use it.

Gary H. Lucas


----------



## pdqaltair

*Words like "ludicrous" are tricky...*



GaryHLucas said:


> The idea that a connector is 'swaged' through the plastic insulator is just ludicrous. That it makes an airtight connection is also ridiculous. I've done lots of wire crimping, all the way up to 500MCM cables, using our T&B 15 ton hydraulic crimping tool. Yes it DOES squeeze the spaces and air out from between the strands! 30,000 lbs of force against an surface area of about 1/2 square inch on copper or aluminum will do that. No hand powered crimper, even those big red handled ones can do that. I've cut the crimps apart myself to satisfy my curiosity. None the less, properly made crimps do work well.
> 
> I hate junk tools. My expensive Milwaukee pistol drill that is now 35 years old and has been used extensively for tapping still makes me smile when I use it.
> 
> Gary H. Lucas


If you look a the leverage ratio on the "red" crimpers (36:1), the force (40#), and the area (about 0.03sq " on 12ga) the local force is ~ 48,000 psi. Since the yield strength of copper is ~ 33,000 psi, it is going to flow. Less than the figure you quoted, but in the ballpark. The plastic is going to be a mess too, no question. I think that is obvious, since the compressive strength of HDPE is ~ 10x less.


----------



## Stillraining

Dang..Main can post a thread on a lousy tool and get 6000 plus hits..Jeeez...the guy is a magnet...to compete I have to add scantly clad girls risk moderation and I still fall short..

So I just thought Id spice his old musty therad up with a good Squeeze tool...hope this dosent crimp his style..


----------



## arf145

Suddenly and inexplicably I'm intrigued by this topic. Stillraining, your post has clarified the crimping issue like no other.


----------



## sailingharry

I know this thread is VERY old, although the last posts were just a month ago. Between this thread and his other on crimping, Maine Sail has done his usual over-the-top educational effort! I am getting ready to do a bunch of wiring changes on my 30 year old stock-with-"improvements" Sabre, and was trying to come up to speed on crimping. I now know 1000% more than I did. This thread all but convinced me that the HF unit was to be avoided, but since I was in there tonight on other missions, I took a look at it.

I want to second MeKNOTSail's assertion that the terrible HF unit in this photo-documentary is NOT the one that HF has on the shelf in Maryland today, 1/26/2010. The one that I picked up on sale today for $12.99 is very similar to the Anchor. The dies are readily removable with a single screw, and are cast. They vary in width depending on the connector size just like the Anchor, and since it is a casting instead of a pair of plates there are no "double-double crimps". The shapes are essentially identical to the Anchor. While the orientation is not identical to the Anchor (not entirely sure the difference, but every time I lined my tool up with the screen something was wrong), the interlacing, crimp shape, etc were the same.

I couldn't agree more with the effort and conclusions that Maine Sail provided -- for the HF tool he had in hand. If you can go to HF and actually see what you are buying, I think the price difference is much more worth it now.

Oh, one last thing -- these are for insulated terminals only. I'm still lost on what I'm going to do for heat-shrink terminals. Perhaps the Master Appliance 35804 for $21, looks identical to the higher priced units. Although then I'll be $35 into TWO tools, and maybe a single Anchor kit may be the answer....

Amazon.com: Master Appliance 35084 Ratcheting Wire Crimper Tool: Home Improvement

Harry


----------



## Maine Sail

*Sorry, thought I had updated this post..*

I posted this at SBO forums on 112/6/2009 and thought I had updated it here too..

Hi All,

Some of you may have read the ripping I gave the Harbor Freight Tools ratcheting crimper back in June of 2008 when I compared it to the Ancor ratcheting crimper. It deserved the ripping it got because it made very sub par crimps, which could potentially become a safety hazard.

That thread is: HERE (LINK)

Well, HFT has redeemed themselves and are currently selling a much improved version of the original ratcheting crimper I purchased.

In my opinion, after multiple crimps and pull tests, I can honestly say that it represents an excellent value.

While it is still not an Ancor it is a nice little crimper and at $15.00 it is sold at an very fair price. If you want a good ratcheting crimper I would not wait to buy one.

HFT changes vendors /suppliers and tool quality like you and I change socks so this particular crimper could be superseded by one that makes them .02 more profit next week.
*
L-R; The original crappy HFT crimper, the new model, and the Ancor: *









*Die measurements are close to the Ancor:*









These are the actual measurements at full crimp measuring the crimp jaw not the strain relief jaw.

*Ancor = Yellow 3.29mm, Blue 2.72mm, Red 2.19mm

HFT = Yellow 3.39mm, Blue 2.81mm, Red 2.30mm*

Despite the HFT being nearly .1 mm off across the board, the crimps were strong and resisted more pull out strength than is required to meet the ABYC requirement.

*
L-R; New HFT Crimper, old version of HFT crimper and the Ancor:*









*The model #:*









If you order a crimper from HFT and it has stamped steel jaw dies RETURN IT! The one with the stamped steel dies was the same model # as the "good one".

As many know HFT is hit or miss on quality so be careful. If you can get your hands on this Chinese made ratcheting crimper, with the machined dies, not stamped steel, it is not a bad unit, especially for the price.

Savor this one, as you probably won't find me complementing HFT all that often I do just call them as I see them and this one is just a good ole value priced tool that works fairly well....


----------



## Stillraining

Bought mine over 6 months ago..it does a good job.


----------



## Cruisingdad

Well, here comes the dissenting opinion.

I bought two of the ratcheting (not stamped). They did a piss poor crimp that can easily be tugged apart. I did better with my teeth and profanity. I would return it, but I think I will let it rest in a landfill instead.

I have not opened the second pair. I was going to give it to dad as a christmas present, now decided I do not want him making bad crimps either. I may try it just to see if I got a bad pair. 

I am sorry Main. I would not reccomed this product. I am afraid someone is going to buy this, not tug test, heat shrink, and have possible issues in the future. If others have had the exact opposite experience, please let me know.

Brian

PS This is for insulated, anchor terminals - not non-insulated.


----------



## Cruisingdad

I just double checked and I have the ones mentioned above. They are not the stamped steel. I can provide a picture if neccessary. I will try the second pair and see it if does the same crappy crimps. Possible I got a lemon. But I would reccomend anyone go Ancor. That is my next purchase, regardless.

Brian


----------



## eMKay

Simple fact with HFT is, YMMV. I buy stuff from them all the time, but not stuff I use every day. I buy stuff that I might use occasionally. I am an auto mechanic and I have a huge amount of money invested in quality tools (my toolbox alone cost about what my boat cost) , however I do not see the point of spending big dollars on stuff I don't use that often. 

Some tools at Harbor Freight are of equal quality, some are not. For example, often I have to pry plastic interior trim pieces off interiors without scratching and breaking them. years ago I bought a set of Matco plastic trim tools for $20, well after losing all of them over the course of a few years I bought the same exact tools from HFT for $6. The quality is the same. 

On the other end of the scale, I use impact drivers (picture a screwdriver that twists when you smack the end with a hammer) a lot (like daily) in an emergency I bought a bit at HFT, it broke the first time I used it, where a Snap On bit (at 10 times the cost) will last at least a year before breaking. So for critical high stress tools I buy the stuff off the Mac/Snap On/Matco trucks, because I only have to buy them once (unless I lose them, I lose far more tools than I break).


----------



## tommays

I have and use the good tool BUT get pretty much the same result using the Klein 










And while not "legal" marine these do a far better job on land when you spec out the correct ones


----------



## funjohnson

Has anyone used the Harbor Freight 10-1/0 AWG Terminal Crimper? I need to make some crimps for battery cable and this is cheaper than a hammer crimper (only $24.95) ITEM 66396-0VGA


----------



## Maine Sail

Cruisingdad said:


> I just double checked and I have the ones mentioned above. They are not the stamped steel. I can provide a picture if neccessary. I will try the second pair and see it if does the same crappy crimps. Possible I got a lemon. But I would reccomend anyone go Ancor. That is my next purchase, regardless.
> 
> Brian


Make sure you are using the correct side for the crimp band and not the strain relief side. The strain relief side will never make a proper crimp. These crimpers are NOT bi-directional and the connector must be inserted correctly..

It is entirely possible, especially with HFT, that they changed the tolerances, used another vendor or just have piss poor quality control. The ones I got work well, but remember the stamped jw ones used the SAME part #...


----------



## xort

funjohnson said:


> Has anyone used the Harbor Freight 10-1/0 AWG Terminal Crimper? I need to make some crimps for battery cable and this is cheaper than a hammer crimper (only $24.95) ITEM 66396-0VGA


Mine is in the mail as we post...I can report next week. I have a bunch of 8 ga to do plus lots of 1/0 also.


----------



## xort

Cruisingdad said:


> I am sorry Main. I would not reccomed this product. I am afraid someone is going to buy this, not tug test, heat shrink, and have possible issues in the future. If others have had the exact opposite experience, please let me know.
> 
> Brian
> 
> PS This is for insulated, anchor terminals - not non-insulated.


I have the cheap stamped type. Didn't realize it when I bought them a year ago.
My wrists have plenty of practice tugging (crimps) and I give my crimp a good tug every time. Haven't had one come out yet.

Could be operator error. You'd better stick to BBQing. Or you could solder instead. In fact, you could solder with the BBQ grill. Kill two birds with one stone.


----------



## xort

Maine Sail said:


> Make sure you are using the correct side for the crimp band and not the strain relief side..


My crimper isn't here so I can't look at it to understand but I don't recall there being a 'right' side. 
And being a leftie, I ALWAYS use the wrong side. I'm thinking of suing the world for discrimination. The ultimate class action suit.


----------



## Maine Sail

xort said:


> My crimper isn't here so I can't look at it to understand but I don't recall there being a 'right' side.
> And being a leftie, I ALWAYS use the wrong side. I'm thinking of suing the world for discrimination. The ultimate class action suit.


If you have the HFT with stamped steel dies there is no "right side" as it is symetrical thus giving the strain relief the same crimp as the crimp band.

The Ancor and HFT with machined dies has a jaw that is asymetrical. One side does the strain relief and one side does the crimp.

The side with the colored dots on the Ancor crimper and Chinese made HFT crimper, with machined dies, is the side the wire feeds in from. The opposite side of the colored dots is the crimp band side:

Strain relief side:









Crimp band side:


----------



## xort

So there are 2 crimp points, one tighter than the other?

I wonder if I could buy the dies for my stamped crimper?


----------



## funjohnson

xort said:


> Mine is in the mail as we post...I can report next week. I have a bunch of 8 ga to do plus lots of 1/0 also.


Please do! I work as a Sales Manager for a Toyota dealership... If you have read the news, it sounds like I need to be more careful with the money I have


----------



## Maine Sail

xort said:


> So there are 2 crimp points, one tighter than the other?
> 
> I wonder if I could buy the dies for my stamped crimper?


Different crimpers with different tolerances.. Dude, the new HFT with stamped dies is only $12.00 - $15.00, less than a 12 pack. At that price my time is worth more than trying to swap the dies...


----------



## hellosailor

"I have the cheap stamped type. Didn't realize it when I bought them a year ago."
Take 'em back, use the lifetime warranty and swap 'em at a HF store if there's one in your area.


----------



## VallelyJ

I bought one today. The little spring-loaded pawl between the handles that is supposed to release the ratchet at the end of its travel sticks. Then you have to stick a tool in to move the pawl to open the handles again. My guess would be that the far-too-expensive good ones don't do that.
Chinese is Chinese. No getting around it.
I may get it to work right and use it anyway, but I wanted people to know about this one potential problem with these things.
John V.


----------



## hellosailor

Pawl isn't adjustable? The usual ratcheting non-hydraulic ones are, might just need tweaking.


----------



## chrisj13

Harbor Freight is a GREAT source for specialized tools that you may only need once. However, I have found that tools that require exactness, and are tools that I will use many times, are best bought from a reputable retailer. I'd rather buy once right than many times wrong!


----------



## sailingdog

If you look at this photo of Maine Sail's, you can see the difference in the die's two sides... the side with the dot for the strain relief, closest to the camera has a slight hump to the top that is clearly not present on the other side.









xort said:


> So there are 2 crimp points, one tighter than the other?
> 
> I wonder if I could buy the dies for my stamped crimper?


----------



## papad

*Crimper*

Hey Maine sail, maybe you should take another look at that Harbor Freght crimper. I bought one today for $14.99 and it has solid dies. It also crimped my AMP terminals just file. Dick


----------



## sailingdog

papad said:


> Hey Maine sail, maybe you should take another look at that Harbor Freght crimper. I bought one today for $14.99 and it has solid dies. It also crimped my AMP terminals just file. Dick


They may have switched to a different manufacturer. Are the die jaws the same on both sides or does one have slightly more clearance for the strain relief crimp?


----------



## Maine Sail

papad said:


> Hey Maine sail, maybe you should take another look at that Harbor Freght crimper. I bought one today for $14.99 and it has solid dies.


Dick,

You apparently missed post #56 (link)


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## Krankshaft

Sorry to dredge up an old thread. But I had to share this.

First of all thank you Maine Sail for your very detailed and informative guides on crimping both small and large gauge wire.

I like many other people used to see crimped connectors as inferior to soldered ones due in part to being ignorant to the mechanics of crimping. Specifically the cold forming that occurs when a crimp is done right but your guides opened my eyes.

I recently purchased both the Ancor single crimp and double crimp crimpers for 93 bucks shipped and wanted to share the site. Since many people especially on the Harbor Freight debate have been complaining about the prices of these tools.

$38 for the Ancor Single Crimp Heatshrink crimper ANC-702010.

$39 for the Ancor Double Crimp Insulated Crimper ANC-701030.

I've already received them they're the real deal and are not made in China knockoffs.

I'm not affiliated with this site in any way but I am a happy customer.


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## funjohnson

I thought I would update with a crimper that I purchased from etooldirect.com for $99.99 shipped. It's the EZ B795 Heavy Duty Battery Crimping Tool -6Gage through 250 MCM. The tool itself is nice, but the cheap sticker was installed slightly sideways.

Here is a photo of the crimper, crimp head and first crimp.

Please ignore the fact that I took too much off the cover... also the few stray wires that I didn't get in the lug!


































It passed the pull test with no problem.


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## hellosailor

johnson, I can't be sure from the photos--but is that a crimper, or a staker?


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## sailingdog

It's a crimper, similar in function to the big ancor battery cable crimper, but using a triangular die effectively.


hellosailor said:


> johnson, I can't be sure from the photos--but is that a crimper, or a staker?


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## Krankshaft

Unfortunately though it doesn't do a full 360 degree crimp a double die crimper like the FTZ does. The crimp is only one sided with a flat area on the other side.

The top crimp does look really nicely done though just like my FTZ.


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## funjohnson

There was an indent on all three sides of the triangle. Is that what you were talking about? If so, I'll snap a photo of the underside tonight.


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## Shortman

One item that has worked well for me from HF is a heat gun. I am generally leery of their stuff unless the function is basic butt simple.


----------



## sailingdog

Caveman tech they can handle...anything much more precise or complex can be an issue.


Shortman said:


> One item that has worked well for me from HF is a heat gun. I am generally leery of their stuff unless the function is basic butt simple.


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## hellosailor

A heat gun. Electricity and heat, both in extreme amounts.

But of course, I'd trust that from the lowest bidder in China, too. <VBG>

Actually I saw a great coupon offer on that from them, just remember that even if it works right, it can set things on fire.<G>


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## xort

I agree, poor wiring inside the gun could create more heat than you are looking for


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## Krankshaft

I wouldn't trust HF on a heatgun either high temp heating elements without enough cooling can equal melting plastic and possibly a fire.

A heat gun may be simple but any device that can reach temperatures high enough to ignite things shouldn't be taken lightly or designed shoddily.

I got a Milwaukee heatgun remanufactured for 50 bucks shipped it's the 8975 dual temp model 500 or 1000 F. I use the lower 500 F temp for shrinking so I get a slow melt to evenly heat the tubing and get a good seal all around. I also bought the nozzle set which included a hook perfect for heat shrinking the set was 25 bucks.

It being Milwaukee I expected it to be made in the USA nope made in Czech Republic while the same model was also made in Romania . Still I'd trust them over China.

There were recalls on cheap Wagner guns years ago (the black Milwaukee's sold at Home Depot are made by Wagner) turned out the switches were faulty and were causing the heating elements to remain on with the fan off.

If there was anything wrong with the Hong Kong Flyapart Inc guns you'd probably hear nothing about it. Buyer beware as usual.


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## scottyt

heck the HF right angle grinders are great, i have 2 and have not been able to kill either one. some things at HF are just rebranded, they have a mini mill that is made by taig, and 200 bucks cheaper at HF


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## harbin2

I'm certainly no plugging HF tools. Some are pretty bad. If it's a tool you expect to use routinely for years, I get a quality brand. But HF does have a lot of what I consider "one time use" tools like plastic scrapers etc. that you can get your money's worth out of in just that single use. For example, I was helping my son install some shutters. We rented a hammer drill for $40 for 1/2 day. Next time I purchased a HF hammer drill. I used it for most of a day and it cost about $30. He still has it and it's like new. It worked just as well as the rental. I recently purchased a tap and die set that cost less than buying the single die I needed. The die I used worked fine to clean up the treads on my prop shaft.


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## hellosailor

Odd that you should mention drills. I needed to run wires through some concrete and wound up buying a DeWalt hammer-drill. Damn nice tool, much better even as a plain drill than the usual less expensive (even Craftsman) drills I've used before. And along the way I came on some numbers from a leading drill maker, one of the big brand names said a "consumer" market drill is actually used for LESS THAN EIGHT HOURS total use by the customer.

Go figure, no wonder they can get away with selling so much junk.

I confess, I will buy throw-away tools when they're the right tool for the job. But I'm much happier buying the kind that will outlive me, or at least, never fail while I'm using them. Altough there's still a long list, I guess I'll need to start a Madoff Scheme to finance the rest of them off.


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## Krankshaft

I guess that less than 8 hours of total use depends on how dull your bits are :laugher.

I have Black and Decker 1/2" drill I purchased in 06 along with their Rotozip (Dremel tool) both are solid performers that haven't let me down. Before that I was using my fathers B&D from the 70s only stopped using it because I wanted a variable speed trigger.

I've really abused the Rotozip and it's still chugging along.


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## hellosailor

I've gone through a number of B&D tools. I give them more credit than Ryobi, since B&D at least sometimes has repair parts available. And oddly enough, B&D owns DeWalt now. Huge difference in the two lines though, i.e. the cordless B&D drills might be 1/5th the price but their speed and torque ratings are pint-sized as well.

Horses for courses and all that good stuff.


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## Krankshaft

Oh I'm talking a corded B&D cordless stuff for me it's Makita, Milwaukee, or Dewalt.


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## OasisII

All of my Craftsman tools rusted so badly during one summer on the boat that they are unusable. 

We have a retail chain in Southern New England - Ocean State Job Lot. I purchased their $1.00 Chinese tools figuring that I would replace them every year. Three years later - No Rust!!!!!


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## MarkCK

I bought some Harbor Frieght drill bits that were supposed to be suitable for drilling metal. They were pretty much worthless. i will admit that the drill that I bought has served me well over the years. For that matter most of the tools that i have bought there have served me well, but I am selective on what i buy though. Another notable loser was my reciprocating saw.


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## Krankshaft

I don't bother with cheap bits anymore I have a Drill Doctor one of the few things off TV that actually works does bits up to 3/4".

I used to dread drilling metal knowing that I was just one step closer to dulling it right into the trash.


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## davidpm

Sorry to bring this thread up again but here goes. If one has a good double crimper ANC-701030 is there any need for a single?


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## Maine Sail

davidpm said:


> Sorry to bring this thread up again but here goes. If one has a good double crimper ANC-701030 is there any need for a single?


Not unless you are using adhesive lined heat shrink terminals. If you are using standard PIDG type insulated terminals then the double ratchet crimper is fine.


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## sailingdog

Yes, because the double crimper is for regular insulated crimp terminals that are not heat-shrink tubing covered. The single crimp tool is for heat-shrink terminals. IMHO, you'd be better off using the heat-shrink terminals for longevity's sake.



davidpm said:


> Sorry to bring this thread up again but here goes. If one has a good double crimper ANC-701030 is there any need for a single?


I see MS beat me to it..


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## davidpm

So let me get this right.
If I get this crimper ANC-702010 and use the heat shrink adhesive connectors I'll be using the right parts and tool to do a good job and have no need to own the other crimper?

Or are there jobs where the other style is preferred?
Or is it that the heat shrink adhesive type is 10 times the price so folks use the cheaper ones most of the time?


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## davidpm

I think I found my own answer:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/44247-electrical-crimp-tool.html


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## sailingdog

that's right... but some people like to go cheap and use the insulated terminals instead.

BTW, Sailorsolutions has a decent heat shrink crimper for a decent price.


davidpm said:


> So let me get this right.
> If I get this crimper ANC-702010 and use the heat shrink adhesive connectors I'll be using the right parts and tool to do a good job and have no need to own the other crimper?
> 
> Or are there jobs where the other style is preferred?
> Or is it that the heat shrink adhesive type is 10 times the price so folks use the cheaper ones most of the time?


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## cardiacpaul

Do you people not listen?
get yerself two underage mexican chicks

have one hold the terminal and wire in her teeth.

then have the other on slap her on her bare azz.

Perfect crimp, every time, no harbor freight, no NAPA, no glue, forget all that ****e. 

you'll need a good camera. 
NOTE: I've improved my methodology since page 5. It may not work any better, but one less body to baitch at me, so its all good.

look, unless you're doin' ****e for NASA or something in a very black corner of the universe, you're talkin' about wire connectors, you get that, right? 
11 frickin' pages on wire crimpers. And I'm thinkin' the cuban is obsessive. she's got nuttin' on y'all


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## eherlihy

Um, excuse me CP... Are you telling us that the Cuban has got nuttin' on?


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## cardiacpaul

I ain't sayin' nuttin' more.


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## sailingdog

Smart man... 



cardiacpaul said:


> I ain't sayin' nuttin' more.


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## absolute77

*The HFT crimper is for DIN terminals*

The HFT crimper is a crimper for DIN insulated terminals while the Anchor crimper is for regular terminals not in compliance with the DIN standards. Thats is why you get this result during crimping. The DIN terminals have different (smaller) dimensions in length. It is NOT that the tool does not crimp well. It is that you use it to crimp the wrong terminals!



Maine Sail said:


> Hi All,
> 
> As promised I ordered the Harbor Freight Tools double ratcheting crimper and am in the process of comparing it's construction, specifically the crimp dies, which are the important part, to the Ancor Double Crimp Ratchet Crimper.
> 
> It was stated by some here that the HFT crimper was identical to the Ancor model. I'll let you decide..
> *
> Ancor and HFT Crimpers:* Note the non-removable dies on the HFT crimper. You'd literally have to pound out those drift pins to replace those dies.
> All Photos ©1998-2008 Hale Kai Inc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> Crimp Dies:* The Ancor crimper on the left has the proper spacing to execute a double crimp and nicely machined heads from a solid ingot. The HFT crimper has incorrect spacing to properly execute a double crimp and uses cheap plates of steel to make up the crimp dies.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Crimp Jaw Surface:* Note the sharp edges and the improper spacing on the HFT crimper vs. the well machined and properly spaced jaws of the Ancor crimper.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Ancor Crimp Head:* the fit and finish is very good and the crimp jaws are in the correct location top and bottom.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *HFT Crimp Head:* These dies do not even have the proper profile and are located incorrectly. The jaw on the bottom should be on the top!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Proper Die/Jaw Orientation:* This is the proper jaw orientation for a double crimp ratchet tool. The spit in the barrel of the connector always faces the top. On the HFT tool your would need to crimp backwards!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *
> Close Up Of Sloppy Machining:* This crimper JUST came out of the shipping envelope an hour ago and already it's showing signs of RUST!! Also look at the rough surface where the steel was cut. See picture number two for a side by side look at the sloppy machining.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I paid $14.99 plus 6.99 S&H (which took 20 DAYS!) for the HFT crimper and $55.00 for the Ancor crimpers. The Ancor crimpers came with detailed instructions and the HFT crimpers came with NOTHING. The crimp dies on the HFT tool makes and improperly spaced crimp and the heads are not easily replaceable...
> 
> I'll let you guys be the judge..


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## Bene505

absolute77 said:


> The HFT crimper is a crimper for DIN insulated terminals while the Anchor crimper is for regular terminals not in compliance with the DIN standards. Thats is why you get this result during crimping. The DIN terminals have different (smaller) dimensions in length. It is NOT that the tool does not crimp well. It is that you use it to crimp the wrong terminals!


Absolute,

Welcome to sailnet.

Can you say more about yourself? I get suspicious when a first post is in support of one product or another. Especially when the country of manufacture has more English speakers than the U.S.

Regards,
Brad


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## Maine Sail

absolute77 said:


> The HFT crimper is a crimper for DIN insulated terminals while the Anchor crimper is for regular terminals not in compliance with the DIN standards. Thats is why you get this result during crimping. The DIN terminals have different (smaller) dimensions in length. It is NOT that the tool does not crimp well. It is that you use it to crimp the wrong terminals!


Really? Perhaps then you could REFERENCE which DIN standard that crimp tool is intended for because NONE of the packaging indicates anything other than "For Insulated & Bare Terminals" and HFT knows nothing and can't tell you anything about them.

Also HFT sells another tool with closer specs to the Ancor tool and it uses the SAME part number as the one with the steel plate jaws... SAME PART NUMBER!!! Is the one on the left picture below also for DIN? They share the same part number, but come out of different countries, and different factories..? Who knows and how the heck would a customer know? If HFT has NO CLUE and stamps two completely different crimp tools with the SAME part number it's all a crap shoot on which crimp standard they are aiming towards....

I called HFT a long whole ago about this and NO ONE there had any clue as to what standard those tool are built to. All they could say is they crimp red, blue & yellow insulated & uninsulated terminals and it does not do either of those very well.

The two orange handled tools are sold under the SAME part number.. Your guess is as good as mine....









P.S. You might want to read post #56 before assuming what the #97420 HFT crimper is or is not..


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## hellosailor

"it's all a crap shoot "
On behalf of sailors on all the seven seas, I must formally protest the implication that rolling the dice is no more reliable than gambling on the quality of HF tools.


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## eherlihy

I have the "good" HF Crimper (the one on the far left). I have yet to make a decent crimp with it.

I have since resorted back to using my old, trusty, Sta Kon crimping pliers for regular crimps. 








They work first time - every time.

IMHO, the HF Ratcheting crimping tool is worthless.

However, the crimping tool for adhesive lined crimps from SailorsSolutions ROCKS!


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## RobGallagher

Cheap tools never get dropped overboard. This is an irrefutable scientific fact.

Expensive tools and smart phones are attracted to salt water. They will defy all laws of physics as they migrate towards the brine. This is an irrefutable scientific fact.


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## Capt Len

Since my time is cheap and no nav lights in the traffic lane can be annoying I spend a little time soldering all wire ends to their crimpable ends. Heat shrinkable insulation over or self vulcanizing high voltage tape to finish the job.


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## absolute77

Its fair to ask so let me introduce me! I am a mechanical engineer now working for the automotive industry in UK. But many years ago i was working as a marine electrician on my own. I did this job for about 8 years. I used to love it. I have a classic A&R 1920's 12m yacht in Greece,Corfu where originally come from. I registered to the site to learn from others and share my experience if it will be of any use. Not to promote anything.
In my previous post i did not promote any product at all. I dont understand where you saw that. I just had exactly the same thing/problem happened to me when i was learning about tools and etc. The tool industry in this sector is very tricky and very confusing. Is very easy to make mistakes and buy or use the wrong tool. Thank you for welcoming me and as we say in Greece i wish everybody strong winds on their sails!



Bene505 said:


> Absolute,
> 
> Welcome to sailnet.
> 
> Can you say more about yourself? I get suspicious when a first post is in support of one product or another. Especially when the country of manufacture has more English speakers than the U.S.
> 
> Regards,
> Brad


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## absolute77

That's the DIN 46237. These terminals look the same as the regular ones but have different dimensions. They need a specific DIN tool which has identical die geometry with the ones of your HFT. For example, look at the Pressmaster website to see that they sell a specific tool for them that has exactly the same dies like the one you talk about.



Maine Sail said:


> Really? Perhaps then you could REFERENCE which DIN standard that crimp tool is intended for because NONE of the packaging indicates anything other than "For Insulated & Bare Terminals" and HFT knows nothing and can't tell you anything about them.
> 
> Also HFT sells another tool with closer specs to the Ancor tool and it uses the SAME part number as the one with the steel plate jaws... SAME PART NUMBER!!! Is the one on the left picture below also for DIN? They share the same part number, but come out of different countries, and different factories..? Who knows and how the heck would a customer know? If HFT has NO CLUE and stamps two completely different crimp tools with the SAME part number it's all a crap shoot on which crimp standard they are aiming towards....
> 
> I called HFT a long whole ago about this and NO ONE there had any clue as to what standard those tool are built to. All they could say is they crimp red, blue & yellow insulated & uninsulated terminals and it does not do either of those very well.
> 
> The two orange handled tools are sold under the SAME part number.. Your guess is as good as mine....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P.S. You might want to read post #56 before assuming what the #97420 HFT crimper is or is not..


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## Maine Sail

absolute77 said:


> That's the DIN 46237. These terminals look the same as the regular ones but have different dimensions. They need a specific DIN tool which has identical die geometry with the ones of your HFT. For example, look at the Pressmaster website to see that they sell a specific tool for them that has exactly the same dies like the one you talk about.


This goes right back to my main point.. Why is HFT selling a DIN crimper in the US where we do not use DIN terminals? I don't even know if you can buy DIN terminals here, I've never seen them or seen any reference to DIN with my US distributors (usually AMP, Molex, FTZ etc.).

Why do they have two crimpers sold under the same model number one for DIN and one not? How is a customer to know it's the wrong crimp tool for the terminals available in the US? They're not going to know when it is simply sold for red, blue, yellow.

I suspect my original point of buyer beware is still relevant.

The gold standard in the US are the AMP PIDG terminals. Most other terminals available here are built to a similar dimensional spec.


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## absolute77

I agree with you 100%. Many companies just copy tool designs without really knowing what they sell. That's why when you have cheap tools you have no tools in my book. Crimping a terminal is the best method, not questions here. But only when you crimping tool is professional quality and you know exactly what you are doing. I think that for the average DIY person that can not spend hundreds on a tool then soldering is a very good alternative. I never had problems with soldering a terminal if done carefully.
Moreover, i believe a better and cheaper alternative to heat shrink terminals are the open barrel (also called F, B) terminals when are insulated with quality adhesive shrink tubing. They provide much better electrical contact (proven on many technical papers/publications), the wire is much better secured on the terminal and are the industry standard, here in Europe at least, for automotive,marine and in general for all demanding applications. They just need super expensive crimping tools if you need the job done right. The DIY tools on the market for those terminals are just not up for doing a good job. Good professional tools for open barrels can be found through companies such as Thomas & Betts, Pressmaster and Phoenix Contact. However, you need to buy 2-3 of them if you need to cover the whole range of the terminals for all wire dimensions. 
That's why my opinion is always to leave the electrical , wiring, electronics of your boat to a professional certified by a marine authority that has already invested on the proper professional tools. 



Maine Sail said:


> This goes right back to my main point.. Why is HFT selling a DIN crimper in the US where we do not use DIN terminals? I don't even know if you can buy DIN terminals here, I've never seen them or seen any reference to DIN with my US distributors (usually AMP, Molex, FTZ etc.).
> 
> Why do they have two crimpers sold under the same model number one for DIN and one not? How is a customer to know it's the wrong crimp tool for the terminals available in the US? They're not going to know when it is simply sold for red, blue, yellow.
> 
> I suspect my original point of buyer beware is still relevant.
> 
> The gold standard in the US are the AMP PIDG terminals. Most other terminals available here are built to a similar dimensional spec.


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## twodotmike

I realize this is an older post, but I'd like to update some current (8/22/2012) info on the Ancor #701030 Double Crimp Tool. I received my new Ancor double crimp tool today (purchased from Amazon.com) and it turns out this tool is now made in Taiwan and the crimping dies are in the supposed "improper" position (die with colored dots and smaller saddle is on the fixed upper handle section and the larger saddle die is in the lower, moveable handle section). This crimp tool, as is, will most likely work fine, but, as with many hand tools, it appears this might not be quite the tool it once was. 

Mike


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## twodotmike

Maine Sail, I don't know whether or not you will see/read this reply, but here is an update on the Ancor double crimp tool. This new tool will probably crimp as well as your older crimp tool, however: the Ancor double crimp tool I purchased in 8/2012 was made in Taiwan and the crimp dies were installed "reversed" from your pair. The new Ancor tool crimp dies are in the same position as the dies on the HF crimp tool. The dies retain the Ancor shape. Hopefully, attached photo will be viewable.

twodotmike


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## freeskier44

Hello, I have been following your posts about different crimping tools and I am looking at purchasing one. I currently own a Quest double crimping tool. Very similar to the Ancor double crimper but I want a single one for heat shrink terminals.
I saw your posted one from Sailors solutions but I also found this one,

Seadog Heat Shrink Terminal Crimper Tool - Seadog Line 429920-1

and this one

ET94230 - FTZ 94230 Electrical Terminal Ratchet Crimp Tool (94230) - KL Jack Industrial Fasteners and Supplies

I was curious as to which one you would recommend. I'm looking for something under $80 and hadn't heard of the Sea dog one or the FTZ one since it hasn't been shown in any of your posts. The ancor single crimper doesn't seem to appear for sale anymore, unless you know of a place. Out of the 3, which one would you recommend the most?
Thank you for your time
Chris


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## mitiempo

I own and use one of the FTZ crimpers shown in your second link. It does a good job.

I wasn't aware that Seadog had one in their line. 

They all are copies of an Amp crimper as far as I know.


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## freeskier44

mitiempo said:


> I own and use one of the FTZ crimpers shown in your second link. It does a good job.
> 
> I wasn't aware that Seadog had one in their line.
> 
> They all are copies of an Amp crimper as far as I know.


Awesome! That is all I wanted to hear, I am set on the FTZ one since I can't find the Ancor, and the AMP is out of my price range. Sorry for bumping such an old topic. Couldn't PM Maine Sail and I have been browsing these forums about this topic for quite this time. Thank you!


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## Maine Sail

mitiempo said:


> They all are copies of an Amp crimper as far as I know.


Yes they are all copies of the AMP tool. They do a decent job but the FTZ is a slightly higher quality than the one made in Taiwan & sold by many.

I searched high and low for a better crimp tool for heat shrink and currently use a _slightly modified_ Anderson 1352G1 for yellow heat shrink and _slightly modified_ Hollingsworth H-7B tool for Blue & Red.

Both of these tools "contain" or swage the terminal like the AMP tools and don't just make it oval and allow it to "splooge out" (splooge really is a technical term).

The die tolerances are far better & crimp bands wider than most of the Chinese/Taiwan ratcheting tools. These tools were hand picked after lots of personal testing of "heat shrink specific" tools.

I was simply unhappy with the mediocre level of crimp tools avaible for heat shrink terminals so went and found some tools that work better and give more repeatable testing results..

Anderson = Yellow FTZ Heat Shrink









Hollingsworth = Blue & Red FTZ Heat Shrink









Still that FTZ, for 98% of people, will do just fine...


----------



## Bene505

I have the Harbor Freight crimper. Every time I crimp I have to add a little extra squeeze with a pair of vice grips. Getting pretty good at that 1-2 method.

regards,
Brad


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## hellosailor

Brad-
Do you mean the HF hydraulic one? It doesn't solidly compress the dies just under hand pressure?
But the one you got, they finally got the die sizes, uh, right if only misnumbered?


----------



## Bene505

hellosailor said:


> Brad-
> Do you mean the HF hydraulic one? It doesn't solidly compress the dies just under hand pressure?
> But the one you got, they finally got the die sizes, uh, right if only misnumbered?


I have the ratcheting manual ones. they are on the boat (and I'm not right now). I'll have to check if they are one of the good HFT ones or bad HFT ones.

Regards,
Brad


----------



## alctel

I'm a bit confused - I read the Maine Sail article, but the ones he recommends as a good mid-price option are apparently made differently now.

If I wanted a really solid pair of crimpers, for connecting wires to terminals and each other with heat-shrink connectors (which are the recommended kind, right?) for around 100 bucks or less, what tool should I get?

This one?

ET94230 - FTZ 94230 Electrical Terminal Ratchet Crimp Tool (94230) - KL Jack Industrial Fasteners and Supplies


----------



## miatapaul

alctel said:


> I'm a bit confused - I read the Maine Sail article, but the ones he recommends as a good mid-price option are apparently made differently now.
> 
> If I wanted a really solid pair of crimpers, for connecting wires to terminals and each other with heat-shrink connectors (which are the recommended kind, right?) for around 100 bucks or less, what tool should I get?
> 
> This one?
> 
> ET94230 - FTZ 94230 Electrical Terminal Ratchet Crimp Tool (94230) - KL Jack Industrial Fasteners and Supplies


This looks like the same tool (has same numbers on it) for 20 bucks cheaper.

LED lighting, soundproof, Sailor's Solutions Inc.

Supposed to be a good company, though I have never dealt with them.


----------



## mitiempo

Both the tools in the last 2 posts are good. I have the Ftz one. 

The Seadog one linked to earlier is interesting. I wasn't aware that they sold one. I ordered a few for the store I work in and they are virtually identical to the Ftz crimper I use. For less money.


----------



## freeskier44

mitiempo said:


> Both the tools in the last 2 posts are good. I have the Ftz one.
> 
> The Seadog one linked to earlier is interesting. I wasn't aware that they sold one. I ordered a few for the store I work in and they are virtually identical to the Ftz crimper I use. For less money.


Ended up getting this one ET94230 - FTZ 94230 Electrical Terminal Ratchet Crimp Tool (94230) - KL Jack Industrial Fasteners and Supplies Says Made in China on it. Wasn't sure if that was right or not. is the Seadog one made in the USA or?


----------



## mitiempo

I don't think Seadog has any product made in the US.

I compared them and made a few crimps with the Seadog and the results seem to be identical to my FTZ. I think either is a good buy.

FTZ



Seadog


----------

