Is this crimper a bad idea?

[Cardude]

I was having trouble finding the exact right length cables and lug sizes for my van system, so I bought this cable crimper/lug set and some cable off Amazon thinking I will just make the cables myself!

https://a.co/d/9oLW4CP

I know nothing about big cable crimping however, so now I wonder if I made a mistake. I have not used the tool and can return it. I don’t want to burn up the van with bad crimps and lots of amps.

My cable sizes range from 8 awg to 4. Eg3 3000w inverter. Two eg4 48v batteries.

 

[SparkyJJO]

The reviews talk about the lugs being really cheap. And for the price, I'm not surprised.
Also, nothing quite matches anything. They have a chart saying "smilir (sic) to AWG" which while nice they have a conversion chart (is it accurate?) there are huge gaps in it. They include lugs for "6 AWG" but no crimp fits? Hmm....

 

[hwy17]

I purchased a different branding of the same crimper to use for 1/0 lugs and it's ok. It pinched a little bit of the lug neck out on the crimp.

You can't really know with these until you try it on your specific lugs and see how it crimps. Otherwise you have to spend hundreds on a true western designed awg crimper, and USA spec lugs.

I'd be more concerned about the lugs included with that crimper, than the crimper itself.

 

[Mattb4]

Should work. Just be aware that sometimes metric and AWG wire sizes will mean you might have to make some adjustments to the crimp to ensure it is tight. The copper lugs included may not be suitable for locations that are subject to a corrosive atmosphere such as marine use.

 

[Cardude]

Where is a better place to get good lugs? Harbor Freight? I really don’t need to cheap out on this part of the project.

 

[seneysolar]

Where is a better place to get good lugs? Harbor Freight? I really don’t need to cheap out on this part of the project.

Check out Windy Nation.

Good source for cables and lugs of all sizes.

 

[hwy17]

Where is a better place to get good lugs? Harbor Freight? I really don’t need to cheap out on this part of the project.

On the extremely meticulous quality end of the spectrum: Panduit pan-lug from Digikey. I like the long neck ones. Make sure it says copper material, panduit does make some aluminum lugs. They sell them elsewhere too, but Digikey has the biggest selection I have found.

Long neck:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/panduit-corp/LCB8-14-L/4565152

Short neck:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/panduit-corp/LCAS8-56-L/4564804

The long neck have room to make 3 crimps with the crimper.

Panduit | Mechanical & Compression Lugs & Splices

www.panduit.com

McMaster will also carry equivalent quality to Pan-lug from generic or other brands, their thing is they don't tell you which brand you just trust them that it will be good, cause it's from McMaster:

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[SparkyJJO]

I read good things about Selterm lugs you can get on Amazon so I bought those. They feel hefty enough, but I don't have anything to compare them to.

 

[740GLE]

https://a.co/d/9vsjOWJ

I made a total of 4 2/0 lugs so far, first one I tried the you know the 2/0 labeled dies, I got like 3 pumps before the dies were touching, I the did a 1/0 and a 2/0 die and it still didn’t feel right, not that I had much to compare it to. I then finally did both 1/0 dies and it seemed much more stout.

This is on windy nation 2/0 and their lugs.

I have also had good luck with Selterm lugs.

 

[DougfromdaUP]

Look for lugs that are marked with a wire size and UL or other agency listing. The Selterm are fine.

They have to have a large, stiff contact area too.

Go to the hardware store and look at some name brand welding lugs, to get an idea of the weight they should be. My wife ordered some no-name ones on Amazon and they were much thinner, no good at all. I have used many of the Selterm "heavy duty" and they are properly sized, and make a nice low resistance connection.

You won't go wrong with the Panduit either.

 

[JRH]

I have a couple of crimpers similar to them …they are at best OK… I I have more that are better…

But if your Gona “ Gona do solar stuff ”, when things are priced far to low to contain great product in the total package , it almost always is not a good deal…
Look at that add…it has red flags waving like crazy…
170 Good lugs are not cheap .. good wire cutters are certainly not cheap .. not to mention good crimpers…even good glue sealing shrink wrap isn’t cheap…
Ya gotta be on the look out for stuff that’s too cheap in the solar arena …it’s everywhere..

You don’t have to buy Snap-on , but you shouldn’t buy cheap…or you will waste money rebuying good stuff later…

Best of luck.
J.

 

[Cardude]

OK, thanks for all the good info on the lugs. So you think this crimping tool will be OK though?

Edit:

whoops, I posted that right before I saw the last message. What is a better crimping tool? This will probably be a one used tool type of thing for me.

 

[JRH]

OK, thanks for all the good info on the lugs. So you think this crimping tool will be OK though?

Birds of a feather flock together…….simple answer is I wouldn’t even consider it looking at the total of what’s presented for sale…
go buy a decent set crimpers…., Then order a small amount of name brand lugs and shrink wrap ..try em out and test your crimps ….cut them in half and see how they look….out and make an informed choice of what right for you..then spend money.

J

 

[DougfromdaUP]

Birds of a feather flock together…….simple answer is I wouldn’t even consider it looking at the total of what’s presented for sale…
go buy a decent set crimpers…., Then order a small amount of name brand lugs and shrink wrap ..try em out and test your crimps ….cut them in half and see how they look….out and make an informed choice of what right for you..then spend money.

J

Cutting apart a connection you made is a great idea.

 

[seneysolar]

I have one of these and I really like it. Greenlee is an expensive brand but i expect to have it the rest of my life. They can be found used on ebay frequently.
Heck at least with name brand stuff you can sell it when you're done.

 

[HarryN]

What I do is just run a 10 or 14 awg wire and put on the terminations. Leave some slack.

Then I remove it, measure and order the wire that I need on line from a pro wire builder.

I have all of the stuff to make 14 and 10 awg all day - pro level panduit results. Low volume 6 awg as well. That stuff I make.

The competition in heavier wire making on line, US components - is intense. I cannot even buy the parts for what I can buy the wire all made for me. It is very much an economy of scale business and there is no way that I can buy a dozen lugs for what a wire maker buying 1000s at a time can.

 

[JRH]

Cutting apart a connection you made is a great idea.

It’s not my idea …….! I saw people online doing it…made sence..
how else do you know if what your doing is working…I must have cut about 25 different lugs in half with a hack saw ( not electric wheel) on large 6 Awg to 4/0 wire apart when starting out to check the strands and compression.
some crimpers did good some not…some times it was my fault and sometimes not…
Some lugs suck…some don’t fit as labeled , some have a lot of porosity in the manufactoring..

I trust very little at face or stated value at first use ……….. test test test..!.

J.
…

 

[12vDC]

I have one of these and I really like it. Greenlee is an expensive brand but i expect to have it the rest of my life. They can be found used on ebay frequently.
Heck at least with name brand stuff you can sell it when you're done.

I have the TEMCO like that. My buddy returned his crimper after using mine.
And it does 4/O ftw. I think it goes down to 8ga? At least 6ga I know.

I believe there are a couple threads on crimpers here.

 

[Brett V]

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

AC/DC and TEMco have been my go to sources

 

[Cardude]

I’m starting to wonder now if I should just measure exactly and buy the cables premade. I was trying to do that on Amazon but got flustered when I could not find all the right cables with differing lug sizes that I needed.

I saw this site and it looks like I can easily specify exactly what I need. Is this a reputable place? I’m so out of my depth here.

6 Gauge (6 AWG) Marine Grade Tinned Copper Battery Cable with Ends UL1426

www.batterycablesusa.com

They have options for regular cable, “extreme” copper cable, and marine tinned cable. What to choose?

Sorry for all the dumb questions, but I need to get this right.