From what I'm hearing I think may go with a hammer crimper. Being able to crimp in a box might be handy, but it sounds like the quality of the crimps produced by the hammer crimper is where it's at.
Maybe a hammer and a long handle?! Thanks! Jesse RE-Power Sent from my iPhone > On May 1, 2014, at 1:08 AM, Ray Walters <r...@solarray.com> wrote: > > Here's all the battery lug crimpers I tried over the years in order of the > best to worst connections they produced: > <bdbagfhj.jpg> > Yes, believe it or not: the venerable Hammer crimper makes excellent > connections. Its also Cheap, but its Slow, cumbersome, and can't be used in > a J box. > The V and indent connection with the thin wall lugs makes the ideal battery > and DC connections. They look just like the crimps from Outback, Trace, > Midnite,etc. I've cut them open on a band saw, and the fine strands are > practically fused together into an almost solid cross section of copper with > no voids, but no tearing of strands at the edges either. > This crimper goes out on most jobs, as it fits in the bottom of the tool box. > <fhibhicd.jpg> > The Greenlee indentor crimper makes the same V crimp connection as the > hammer crimper, but is faster, and can be used up in a j box. More > expensive, and adjuster readings can't be counted on. I tighten the adjuster > until I can just pull the handle down with putting some body weight into it, > but not so much that I'm standing on it or straining the tool. Depending on > the cable and lug combination, the setting may be 2 sizes smaller with thin > wall lugs. > Overall, this is what we use most of the time. I found that this set in a > drill vice makes a good bench crimper, when you need to do a batch of battery > jumpers. > > <fcafcjdi.jpg> > I used this one for many years, also a V crimper, but has different dies. > Crimp quality was not as good, as the dies tore into the lug some. Also > changing the dies took time, and we once lost one of the dies, and it took > months to get a replacement. Not adjustable for different lug and cable > combos. > > <bfdddceg.jpg> > The "UL" Hex type crimper that you will find at regular electrical supply > houses. Quite expensive, but I am not a fan. The dies bend slightly under > pressure and so the hex crimps are not aligned with each other. The dies > tear the lugs, leaving sharp edges that can tear heat shrink, and there is no > adjustment available to account for different cable and lug combinations. > We have X flex from Cobra, MTW from Quick Cable, and some DLO from another > supplier. All are UL listed 4/0 and all somewhat different in diam. and how > the strands crush. I have had a connection failure with this tool, and > cutting through a cross section of the lug was not as solid a crimp as the V > type. I removed this tool from our shop, to avoid mistakes. > I'm sure with regular Class B stranded THHN, and the heavy wall, color > coded lugs, that this is a good tool, but for battery connections, it does > not work as well with thin wall lugs. > Finally, I do not recommend the heavy wall, long barrel lugs on batteries. > The square lug end is just too big and thick, and can't bolt to battery > terminals in some cases. We have had to grind away a corner for instance to > have the heavy wall lugs land on an battery Flag terminal. > The heavy terminals some what negate the advantages of flex cable in the > first place. > R.Ray Walters > CTO, Solarray, Inc > Nabcep Certified PV Installer, > Licensed Master Electrician > Solar Design Engineer > 303 505-8760 > On 4/30/2014 7:33 PM, Solar wrote: >> I'd love a battery crimper, but a little out of my price range. >> >> I think a hand crimper will do. >> >> Jesse >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Apr 30, 2014, at 1:42 PM, Jerry Shafer <jerrysgarag...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> hydraulic or long handle bog difference in price >>> >>>> On Apr 30, 2014 8:32 AM, "Solar" <dahlso...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> Hello all, >>>> >>>> I am looking for recommendations for a battery cable crimper. I'd love to >>>> get one with the dies built in, but the ones I've looked at are only for >>>> non-fine strand wire. >>>> >>>> Suggestions? >>>> >>>> Thanks! >>>> >>>> Jesse >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> List sponsored by Home Power magazine >>>> >>>> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >>>> >>>> Change email address & settings: >>>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>>> >>>> List-Archive: >>>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>>> >>>> List rules & etiquette: >>>> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >>>> >>>> Check out participant bios: >>>> www.members.re-wrenches.org >>> _______________________________________________ >>> List sponsored by Home Power magazine >>> >>> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >>> >>> Change email address & settings: >>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>> >>> List-Archive: >>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>> >>> List rules & etiquette: >>> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >>> >>> Check out participant bios: >>> www.members.re-wrenches.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Home Power magazine >> >> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >> >> Change email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List-Archive: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List rules & etiquette: >> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >> >> Check out participant bios: >> www.members.re-wrenches.org >> > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org >
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