Crimping Tool

[sleong]

Just want to get your thoughts on a crimping tool.

Ratcheting crimping tool vs Manual crimping tool

Where would one go to get the tool? I mean I see them here at local hardware stores like Home Depot and other similar stores but they are usually the manual crimping tool and they run for about $35+ which seems like quite a bit for a simple tool, yet it seems like the tool is not very sturdy and may not produce a good crimp.

I've got all the insulated quick connects for the buttons and joystick but now just need the tool to crimp it.

[JDFan]

Harbor Freight has these for $3.79 ( http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-four-way-crimping-tool-92410.html )

[RandyT]

Ratcheting crimping tools are the best, especially if you have a lot of them to do.  It may seem like a lot of money, but you'll save time, get better crimps, and your hand won't be hurting by time you finish.  They are also handy around the house/garage for making repairs.

And, here's one for just $10.  How can you go wrong?

[Nephasth]

Harbor Freight has these for $3.79 ( http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-four-way-crimping-tool-92410.html )

Piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Worst example of a crimping tool you could have posted. You get what you pay for.

[PL1]

http://www.pimfg.com/ is a great source for affordable ratcheting crimpers.

The jaws on page 74 of the catalog PDF work with the HT-336 frame or the Harbor Freight crimpers that RandyT linked above.

The Harbor Freight crimpers are slightly lower quality than the HT-336 -- check the HF crimpers before you buy them to ensure they are working properly. (The first pair I checked weren't functioning/adjusted properly.)

These P/Ns are the ones I ended up getting.
HF Ratcheting Crimp Pliers for QDs
HT-336-FM Crimp Tool Frame (for D-subs)
HT-236-2C4-DIE (236 dies work in the 336 frame, check out the "data sheet" tab for detailed view)
HT-236-2U-DIE
HT-225D Crimp tool (for D-subs)


Scott

[sleong]

Ratcheting crimping tools are the best, especially if you have a lot of them to do.  It may seem like a lot of money, but you'll save time, get better crimps, and your hand won't be hurting by time you finish.  They are also handy around the house/garage for making repairs.

And, here's one for just $10.  How can you go wrong?

Saw this before but to ship to Canada they want something like $35-$40 just on shipping alone for that one tool!!

Randy now if I was to be getting some joysticks and buttons would you be able to pick this up and ship it with the package together? 

[sleong]

http://www.pimfg.com/ is a great source for affordable ratcheting crimpers.

The jaws on page 74 of the catalog PDF work with the HT-336 frame or the Harbor Freight crimpers that RandyT linked above.

The Harbor Freight crimpers are slightly lower quality than the HT-336 -- check the HF crimpers before you buy them to ensure they are working properly. (The first pair I checked weren't functioning/adjusted properly.)

These P/Ns are the ones I ended up getting.
HF Ratcheting Crimp Pliers for QDs
HT-336-FM Crimp Tool Frame (for D-subs)
HT-236-2C4-DIE (236 dies work in the 336 frame, check out the "data sheet" tab for detailed view)
HT-236-2U-DIE
HT-225D Crimp tool (for D-subs)


Scott

Scott,

Probably for the amount I will be crimping which I don't see a whole lot of!  Maybe for a few cab only it would be sufficient. 

I didn't see any prices on the PI Manufacturing catalog so I cannot really compare between price.

If the cost difference isn't all that much and it justifies to get something of better quality then I may consider it but again will depend on the freight charges to Canada.

Anlot of places are making a killing profit from shipping charges!

[PL1]

I didn't see any prices on the PI Manufacturing catalog so I cannot really compare between price.

If the cost difference isn't all that much and it justifies to get something of better quality then I may consider it but again will depend on the freight charges to Canada.

The PDF has hyperlinks embedded or plug the part numbers into the search box in another tab/window.

I think the items you want are the HT-336-FM frame and either the HT-336H-DIE or the HT-336W-DIE dies -- not sure about the differences between them.

The PIMfg crimp frame and die set will cost about twice as much as the Harbor Freight, but they are definitely higher quality and you might make up the difference on shipping charges. 


Scott

[yotsuya]

My ratcheting crimping tool is the best investment for this hobby I made, after my soldering/desoldering station.

[RandyT]

Randy now if I was to be getting some joysticks and buttons would you be able to pick this up and ship it with the package together?

I would, but we only get to Watertown about once a month.  Maybe the next time I go there, I'll pick up a few to put on the store.

[keilmillerjr]

I have these tools.

http://www.delcity.net/store/search/p_714008.h_715344.t_1.n_y.jsp?item=990168&search=990168
http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-11063-Katapult-Stripper/dp/B0035KF232
http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-11081-Adjustable-Katapult/dp/B00776SK7U

[sleong]

Randy now if I was to be getting some joysticks and buttons would you be able to pick this up and ship it with the package together?

I would, but we only get to Watertown about once a month.  Maybe the next time I go there, I'll pick up a few to put on the store.

Randy when is your next trip there?  Then I can plan when to place an order for the parts I need.

[ArcadeNerd]

I am seriously angry that I didn't buy a ratcheting crimper sooner.  I used the yellow piece of like shown above and after a project my hands would actually hurt from using it.  I recently bought http://www.amazon.com/Tool-Aid-18900-Professional-Ratcheting/dp/B0002STTSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383149952&sr=8-1&keywords=S%26G+Tool+Aid+18900+Professional+Ratcheting+Terminal+Crimper and I was amazed how much better it was.  This was after MANY MANY MANY crimpings for projects with the other and plenty of pain afterwards.

Never again will I use that yellow piece of  .  I wish I would have seen a post like this when I was getting started working on games so I could have saved myself the pain and anguish.

[severdhed]

I bought a ratcheting crimper from harbor freight for $10 and it worked great.I wish I would have purchased it years ago.I wired up my 4 player panel..48 switches, 96 crimps and my hand did not hurt at all when I was done.


http://www.harborfreight.com/ratcheting-crimping-tool-97420.html


Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2

[mann0mann]

Have the same one...works very well for me. 

Took a few tries to sort of get how it worked but I'm a pro at it now.  ;-)

[paigeoliver]

Harbor Freight has these for $3.79 ( http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-four-way-crimping-tool-92410.html )

Piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Worst example of a crimping tool you could have posted. You get what you pay for.

I have one that looks like that. It isn't Harbor Freight sourced but I have been using it for 13 years.

[RandyT]

I have one that looks like that. It isn't Harbor Freight sourced but I have been using it for 13 years.

Good versions of this variety aren't too bad.  It's a very simple design, so there's not much which can go wrong with them.  Just like anything, you tend to get what you pay for, so if you get the real deal (i.e. a proper electrician's tool) rather than the dime store home variety, there's a big difference in comfort, stability and longevity.

Regardless, a decent, lower cost ratcheting crimper will still probably be better than an expensive "plier" type.

[harveybirdman]

I'm using this..


My crimps look like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---

[lcmgadgets]

Yeah, I've got 1 of those yellow handled pieces of crap. Not only does it kill my hand, the wire strippers on it r s**t too.

[yotsuya]

For stripping and quick disconnects, I use one like this (it was recommended by someone here):

http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Industrial-Tools-2078309-Stripper/dp/B000JNNWQ2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1383230502&sr=8-7&keywords=crimper

Note the construction is backwards compared to the yellow one. The stripping occurs at the top, where you don't need as much force, and the crimping occurs on the other side of the pivot point, where you get more leverage. No more sore hands! 

For Molex, it's a ratcheting crimper.

[HaRuMaN]

For crimping, I use a racheting crimper.  For wire stripping, I use one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-11063-Katapult-Stripper/dp/B0035KF232/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1383240440&sr=8-10&keywords=wire+stripper

[Franco B]

My weapons of choice...

Cutting:


[Lindstrom 7191]


Stripping:


[Abeco Microstrip]


Crimping:


[Hozan P-706]

[pbj]

Why would anyone spend money on wire strippers?  You were born with a set of them.

 

[lcmgadgets]

Yeah, when I was a kid, I used to strip 26awg with my teeth. But I think they've gotten dull over the years; I can't do it now.