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jtry54
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2018
Posts: 9
Location: 19939
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 Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:22 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| Ashman, have you used that Iwiss crimp tool yet? I just bought the same tool last week and returned it the same day I got it... I could not get a good crimp from it... every crimp I did came out looking very nice but I was able to pull the wire out of every one I did... got tired of wasting good connectors and time and sent it back... maybe you could share your secret with us if you got it to work right... |
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Cusser
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Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 31362
Location: Hot Arizona
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mascrappo
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2012
Posts: 535
Location: New Mexico
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mascrappo
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2012
Posts: 535
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 6:59 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| Quote: |
This may come in some type of kit--the crimping tool, as well as the connectors together.
Anyone know for certain?
Tim |
Look through that site I posted, lots of hard to find connectors as well |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24735
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 8:51 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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Those are junk. The proper crimpers create far more pressure so as to seal the connector to the copper wire inside so oxygen and thusly corrosion can not get in between the two.
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Last edited by Eric&Barb on Tue Jan 29, 2019 8:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mascrappo
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2012
Posts: 535
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| Eric&Barb wrote: |
Those are junk. The proper crimpers create far more pressure so as to seal the connector tot he copper wire inside so oxygen and thusly corrosion can not get in between the two. |
Sorry you had issues with them, I have not. We are talking about uninsulated connectors right? Do you have issues with Harbor Freight products as well or just this German brand? What brand of crimpers do you use/recommend to seal uninsulated connectors? |
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ashman40
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2007
Posts: 15982
Location: North Florida, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| jtry54 wrote: |
| Ashman, have you used that Iwiss crimp tool yet? I just bought the same tool last week and returned it the same day I got it... I could not get a good crimp from it... every crimp I did came out looking very nice but I was able to pull the wire out of every one I did... |
What type of crimp on terminal are you using? The insulated terminal is most likely to just pull off. Especially if you are using a terminal too large for the wire. For example, if you inserted an 18AWG wire into a "yellow" insulated terminal (12-10AWG) the wire will just fall free.
My crimper wasn't the same brand as the one I listed. I was just illustrating it was an identical "ratcheting type" crimper. Similar to this:
When using this style, you squeeze the handles together until they click and re-open on their own. There is a camming action that requires a good deal of force to re-open the jaws. This ensure you are fully crimping the connector. You need to select the correct crimp slot for the size of wire and connector being used. If you use a wire smaller than the connector was designed for it will often pull free.
Here is a pics from Ratwell's site that shows how the F-crimp terminals look like when properly crimped:
Notice how the terminal edges are rolled into the wire conductors.
I used my crimper primarily for non-insulated F-crimp terminals (bottom of the following pic).
Notice how this style has one area that crimps to the conductors while the second area crimps to the wire insulation which reduces stress to the conductive crimp. This double crimp makes for a reliable crimp that doesn't fall off (as long as the proper size terminal is used with the proper size wire).
Notice how the cheap colored insulated terminal at the top does little to grab INTO the wire. It only compressed around the wire which is why these types of terminals often slip off.
You can try to use the second style crimp jaws to create a better crimp but you risk breaking thru the insulation and create shorts.
Here is what the different jaws look like:
You can see the insulated crimp jaws at the bottom left. They create oval crimps that just compress the terminal around the wire.
The jaws at the middle right create the second crimp for non-insulated terminals. They dig into the terminal collar and wire conductors. They don't do anything to grab onto the insulation.
The middle left set of jaws are for the F-crimp. You can see how the shape causes the edges of the terminal to loop back into the conductors/insulator. This style of jaw actually has two rows of jaws. One row for the conductor crimp, the second row for the insulator crimp.
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24735
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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The set we got are not brand named. They were about $35.00 including shipping about ten years ago. Main thing is they have that double action ratchet function like the ones shown on page one of this thread. Same image below used from page one.
Only complaint with what manufacture did these is the jaws are not perfect. If one crimps with the proper size slot (middle one in the jaw) that is used for most of the VW connectors the wire insulator part of the crimp does not always curve down just right to poke into the insulation. Instead they can wrap over each brass crimp end. Found that if I use the next up in size jaw slot to start the crimp, then slide the wire inside the connector and use the middle slot to finish it works fine.
Since it rare for me to do more than ten in a day, so has not been a big hassle, but someday would like to get another better set of jaws.
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mascrappo
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2012
Posts: 535
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| Quote: |
Only complaint with what manufacture did these is the jaws are not perfect. If one crimps with the proper size slot (middle one in the jaw) that is used for most of the VW connectors the wire insulator part of the crimp does not always curve down just right to poke into the insulation. Instead they can wrap over each brass crimp end. Found that if I use the next up in size jaw slot to start the crimp, then slide the wire inside the connector and use the middle slot to finish it works fine.
Since it rare for me to do more than ten in a day, so has not been a big hassle, but someday would like to get another better set of jaws. |
That ratchet action looks like the cat's meow, will have to look at getting a set of those someday! |
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Tim Donahoe
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Joined: December 08, 2012
Posts: 11740
Location: Redding, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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I ended up buying (actually, it was bought for me from my Christmas list) a decent Iwiss crimping tool from Amazon. I didn’t know for certain if it would work well with the German connectors, but I bought a stash of them from a Samba guy in the Classifieds, and I had success with the very first crimp. The trick is figuring which impression to use with the two crimps necessary for a successful connection.
Now, all I need to do is get up the energy to redo the choke/electromagnetic cut-off jet/back-up light wiring in my engine compartment, that I had done previously with crush connectors  .
Tim
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24735
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24735
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 9:57 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| mascrappo wrote: |
That ratchet action looks like the cat's meow, will have to look at getting a set of those someday! |
Think you will like them much better.
Many years ago met a fellow bus owner at a VW meet. He was showing his bus, and mentioned every so often his engine would miss.
Looked around in the engine compartment, and saw one of those badly crimped connectors on the power side of his coil. Reached up, ever so gently tugged and the wire fell out. Fellas eyes popped open and jaw dropped open. Do not think I could have gotten much more of a reaction if I had sucker punched him in the gut.
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Eric&Barb
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Joined: September 19, 2004
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Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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ashman40
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2007
Posts: 15982
Location: North Florida, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:18 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| mascrappo wrote: |
| That ratchet action looks like the cat's meow, will have to look at getting a set of those someday! |
To give you an idea how the ratcheting action works and how you normally only squeeze and don't have to OPEN the crimper by changing your grip (this is not a pair of pliers).
In this video he is installing the insulated style connectors, but the tool function is demonstrated.
Link
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!} |
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VengeanceASX
Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2018
Posts: 98
Location: Bakersfield
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| Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:47 am Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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I have a set and they work great. The only problem I have is one jaw screw came a little stripped so it is hard to get started when changing the jaws. Mine actually came with another set of wire strippers, too. I also bought a set of crimp ends that don't look original, but they function pretty well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FCFH84Q/ref=p...&psc=1 |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24735
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| VengeanceASX wrote: |
I have a set and they work great. The only problem I have is one jaw screw came a little stripped so it is hard to get started when changing the jaws. Mine actually came with another set of wire strippers, too. I also bought a set of crimp ends that don't look original, but they function pretty well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FCFH84Q/ref=p...&psc=1 |
Thanks for that info!
You could get a thread chaser for that size thread or just get a whole set and fix that problem. Thread chasers reform the threads and not just cut out material like a tap will when you do not want to loose more of the threads.
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shakers73
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2011
Posts: 820
Location: Saltville, Va
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| Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| Tim Donahoe wrote: |
I ended up buying (actually, it was bought for me from my Christmas list) a decent Iwiss crimping tool from Amazon. I didn’t know for certain if it would work well with the German connectors, but I bought a stash of them from a Samba guy in the Classifieds, and I had success with the very first crimp. The trick is figuring which impression to use with the two crimps necessary for a successful connection.
Now, all I need to do is get up the energy to redo the choke/electromagnetic cut-off jet/back-up light wiring in my engine compartment, that I had done previously with crush connectors .
Tim |
Could you post a link to the tool you have?
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Multi69s
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Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 5363
Location: Lefty, CA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:01 am Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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Since the question was, "what is the best crimping tool", I have to once again say AMP. Of all of the responses I have seen, maybe one of the tools would be considered decent. I don't just play with VWs, but I have my hands in a lot of pots, and I do a lot of electrical work. Here is my set of crimpers (minus the "red" one), and they are AMPS. My son has finally gyrated to the garage, but he doesn't always put the tools back.
I have picked all of these up from swap meets, with a total cost of about $60. The sizes range from 22 to 10 gauge. The secret is that you don't buy tools from the folks that have them sitting out nice and pretty. Instead you look for the sellers that just have them thrown in piles, and you dig though every box of old rusty tools that you see. I paid $25 for the 12-10 gauge crimpers, and I just about had a bowel movement when I looked them up on line. This is what they cost new.
https://www.te.com/usa-en/product-59287-2.html?te_...gIeHfD_BwE
Did I find them all over night? It took me about two years to find them all. In fact I really haven't paid anything for them. The AMP brand is the professional industry standard. Even though I have a full set, I still look for them. When I find a duplicate unit it goes on eBay, and my worst return was a quadruple of MY purchase cost.
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Al Capulco
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Joined: October 31, 2005
Posts: 532
Location: Northridge, CA.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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| There is no doubt that AMP is the best. It's what VW used. Amp is an American company but had factories in Germany and Europe. I have an authorized VW crimp kit used by the dealerships in Germany and it is made by AMP. |
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baldessariclan
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Joined: October 14, 2016
Posts: 1378
Location: Wichita, KS
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Best wire crimping tool? |
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The write-up in link below is one of the most informative I have found on this subject, giving a lot of detail about the AMP-type wire terminals themselves, plus the related crimping tools used to install them.
http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Terminals.html
Per leads in the above listed resource, I bought one of the crimping tools from Del City a while back: https://www.delcity.net/store/redirect/p_714008
I can report that it works very well when mated with AMP wire terminals bought from DigiKey: https://www.digikey.com/
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