Elbow Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Hi, I need to make up a couple of battery connections to get my fuses and shunt hooked in. I bought some cable and some ring terminals at Jedelect in Paarden Eiland. But the crimper was way to expensive to buy to just crimp a few connectors. Is there somewhere I can go where they would be willing to crimp them up for me at a reasonable price? Thanks, Elbow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBass9 Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Has anyone every tried soldering terminals onto cables? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) I feel your pain. Have this one if you want to pop around to crimp the lugs. One has to crimp a few consecutive crimps like so - this is on a 50mm2 wire. 15 minutes ago, DeepBass9 said: Has anyone every tried soldering terminals onto cables? Have seen videos on that. There are pro's and con's. Personally I will never ever do that. Edited January 31, 2019 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 31 minutes ago, Elbow said: Is there somewhere I can go where they would be willing to crimp them up for me at a reasonable price? The crimper isn't THAT bad anymore. I mean these probably aren't heavy duty ones, but perfectly good for the occasional crimp. 14 minutes ago, DeepBass9 said: Has anyone every tried soldering terminals onto cables? Never solder them. Soldering rarely makes the connection better, and it can hide problems that only show up much later (when the solder melts out of it). Also, solder makes things less flexible and therefore causes more mechanical stress around the joint. Just crimp the hell out of it is my motto... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughanT Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 2 hours ago, plonkster said: The crimper isn't THAT bad anymore. I mean these probably aren't heavy duty ones, but perfectly good for the occasional crimp. Never solder them. Soldering rarely makes the connection better, and it can hide problems that only show up much later (when the solder melts out of it). Also, solder makes things less flexible and therefore causes more mechanical stress around the joint. Just crimp the hell out of it is my motto... At that high DC current - you want to ensure that every strand in that 50mm2 (or larger) multi-strand cable is accounted for and I'd only advocate crimping them. Years ago I made up some heavy duty jumper cables using welding cable. I didnt have the crimping press to put the lugs on with - so I used a heat-gun to heat up the 'ferrule' and soldered them on. The lugs in turn got bolted onto the jumper cable clips...I also recommend using bootlace ferrules on any multi-stranded conductor that is inserted into a terminal that uses a screw for making contact - particularly where high current is being spoken about (regardless whether its AC or DC)...those need to be crimped on using an appropriate press... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elbow Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 7 hours ago, plonkster said: The crimper isn't THAT bad anymore. I mean these probably aren't heavy duty ones, but perfectly good for the occasional crimp. Jedelect's one was north of R1000 which was too much for me. R795 I might have gone for. But I have a couple of kind offers to help me out including someone round the corner so I'll make these ones up with that help and maybe next time I'll add my own crimper to the toolbox. Elbow ___ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VisN Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Is this crimper https://www.acdc.co.za/products/hex-crimping-tool-6-50mm2-unins-terminals?variant=30479611212 good enough for occasional use or would it be considered crimping tool blasphemy? Should I shell out a bit more and get the Hellerman one that I think TTT has? Should I not even bother with cheaper crimping tools at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 7 hours ago, VisN said: would it be considered crimping tool blasphemy? My dad was buying a bicycle chain breaker one day. There were two on the shelf, one was three times the cost of the other. So how long will this one last (pointing to the cheaper one)? Sales person: So how often do you break a chain? My dad: Oh, maybe once a year. Sales person: Then it will last at least a year. I think that crimper is fine. VisN and Ronnie_V 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 9 hours ago, VisN said: Should I shell out a bit more and get the Hellerman one that I think TTT has? No, don't. I paid way less than R1k for it a few years back, as I was at Helleman buying lugs, asking them for the lowest cost nice one. At that time I thought it was cheap. And my "bicycle's chains" break more than a few times a year. The ACDC one is perfect, will serve you very well as there is no magic in crimping. All that must happen is take this lug, squash it to that preset size and form ... done. Seems to me the more expensive ones simply needs less "arm power". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 I have a cheap hydraulic one, and the one thing I can say about it is that it is heavy and almost clumsy to use sometimes. But it does make beautiful crimps in one go, and it even leaves a nice "35" imprint on the lug so you know the cable size. But the local place I normally used to crimp my cables has a normal "hand-operated" one, and those crimps look equally good. The expensive ones are just meant to work harder. Some of the DeWalt electrical ones do 18 000 cycles (and then you service them and go again...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.g00 Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Google "hammer crimper" for real economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krokkedil Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 When i had to make up my cables i crimped the lugs using my bench vice. squeezed them properly. they do not look as good as the one on top but they will not pull out ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 3 hours ago, Krokkedil said: When i had to make up my cables i crimped the lugs using my bench vice. squeezed them properly. they do not look as good as the one on top but they will not pull out ever. The old farmer way of crimping welding cables involved using a bolt and a hammer, basically indenting the lug in the middle so it pushes down on the cable. I would suggest this above just squashing the thing in a vice, and even then I don't think it is good enough (long term) for solar use. What you need is more than just "it won't pull out". You want the best possible contact between the lug and the cable, that is you want as much of the surface area (cylindrical in shape) of the one to touch the other, and the only way to really get that done is to crimp "inwards" at great pressure (several tons), as a hex-crimper does. anotherbrownbear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elbow Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 Hi Big thanks to @Carl who lives near me and helped me crimp my lugs on my cables with his frightening looking hydraulic crimper. (Well actually he pretty much did it for me!) What a nice guy, thanks. My battery circuit is now properly done with fuses and the BMV702 - came out looking nice and neat. Thanks again, @Carl Youda and Carl 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 3 hours ago, plonkster said: ... crimping welding cables involved using a bolt and a hammer, ... If I recall, and don't shoot me, it has to do with air pockets inside the crimp. You want as little as possible if it is for longtime continues use, like solar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaws Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 On 2019/02/03 at 11:15 PM, The Terrible Triplett said: If I recall, and don't shoot me, it has to do with air pockets inside the crimp. You want as little as possible if it is for longtime continues use, like solar. On site we will cut open a crimped stranded cable, when you look into the crimped cable the stranded cable must look a like solid copper cable, then you know the contractor is using the correct equipment. ___ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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