Temco crimper adjustment fail

[wmills_92105]

Just bought the Temco crimper linked by Will and it doesn't go al the way down to #8. Blocked at #9 size by the shoulders of the pin. We'll see if it has to be adjusted with a grinder to work on 8 Guage.

Bummer.

 

[Zil]

Save me the trouble of revisiting all Will's videos. Please link to the crimper.

 

[HRTKD]

Could be off-standard lugs.

With my hydraulic TEMCo crimper, the 1 gauge die was loose but the 2 gauge was just right.

 

[wmills_92105]

Save me the trouble of revisiting all Will's videos. Please link to the crimper.

This page https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/tools.html

 

[wmills_92105]

Could be off-standard lugs.

With my hydraulic TEMCo crimper, the 1 gauge die was loose but the 2 gauge was just right.

I haven't crimped anythign yet. The jaw won't adjust to the #8 mark because it hits the shoulder of the pin/wedge piece.

 

[schmism]

Pick the right tool for the job. That is not the tool I would choose to crimp #8 wire connectors. (despite what the description claims)

 

[Zil]

Before you grind anything, make a few 8awg crimps using the tightest setting on the tool.

 

[HRTKD]

I haven't crimped anythign yet. The jaw won't adjust to the #8 mark because it hits the shoulder of the pin/wedge piece.

I'm not sure what you're describing. A picture would help. It sounds like the crimp area of the lug isn't large enough or you're not positioning the lug in the crimper properly.

The smallest gauge I crimped with my hydraulic crimper was 8 gauge. No problems, but I'm using a different tool.

 

[wmills_92105]

I'm not sure what you're describing. A picture would help. It sounds like the crimp area of the lug isn't large enough or you're not positioning the lug in the crimper properly.

The smallest gauge I crimped with my hydraulic crimper was 8 gauge. No problems, but I'm using a different tool.

Picture attached. The jaw is bottomed out at #9. Given that I am using decent lugs I may be ok.

 

[Zil]

If the tool is set a bit too tight for a lug, does it just go-on crimping until every thing is squeezed out like the opossum that didn't cross the road, or does it stop when the crimped terminal lug and wire is cold welded?

 

[wmills_92105]

If the tool is set a bit too tight for a lug, does it just go-on crimping until every thing is squeezed out like the opossum that didn't cross the road, or does it stop when the crimped terminal lug and wire is cold welded?

Great question! I hope someone can tell us. This thing has a whole lotta leverage.

When I get lugs an wire if I have any spare I'll try but that might be a while.

 

[HRTKD]

The marks at the bottom of the gauge appear to be ...2, 4, 6 and 8. I don't see a 9.

As long as you can't pull the cable out of the lug you're OK. Creating "wings" is undesirable from an aesthetic standpoint, but I can't think of a reason that small wings would be a functional problem. Slap some heat shrink tubing on there and it may not be noticable.

 

[Zil]

Are you sure that is a six?

 

[wmills_92105]

Yeah I read it upsie down. Range is 8 through 2/0, it just doesn't go all the way to 8.

 

[HRTKD]

Are you saying that you want the mark on the moveable portion of the tool (on the right) to match up with the fixed position gauge on the left?

Is it possible that the plate on the bottom of the crimping area can be adjusted down?

Nevermind. It's not adjustable. The label is just off a bit.

 

[wmills_92105]

Are you saying that you want the mark on the moveable portion of the tool (on the right) to match up with the fixed position gauge on the left?

Is it possible that the plate on the bottom of the crimping area can be adjusted down?

Nevermind. It's not adjustable. The label is just off a bit.

Label off a bit is not awesome if that's a settings guage.

 

[HRTKD]

Contact Tech Support. They have been very responsive to the couple of issues I had.

 

[RickP]

I have the same crimper, it crimped 8, but is really too big to be practical for that. With this (and other) crimpers, those lines are guides. Heavy lugs need a bit less... you just have to adjust it in a bit at a time until it’s right.

That said, it was much easier to crimp #8 lugs with plier-type crimpers. It’s almost impossible to hold that small of a lug and the wire while operating the Temco tool. I use that crimper for bigger things, and it works very well.

 

[Zil]

I bought a Grote 83-6519 crimper for the 8 awg cables from the panels. It crimps 8 awg down to 22-18 awg, heat shrink terminals. It makes better crimps than most tools I have. Made in Taiwan. It did cost in the area of $100.