For 4/0 terminals.. what provides a better, long lasting connection for what it's worth?

 

There is a big price difference here and i'm fine with buying a hydraulic crimper but i hear that a hammer crimper is just fine.

 

But how fine is it?  

 

I will probably be crimping around 250 terminals.

 

What is the more logical choice between the two to purchase?

I dont have any input on 4/0 wire, but I know for my 1/0 I used a friends hydraulic crimper for my first time around, then the 2nd time wiring my Jeep I used a $20 hammer crimper off amazon and both ways were sufficient, couldnt pull the terminals off if I wanted to.

Main difference was the hydraulic crimper was a bit easier to use.

Edited June 25, 201312 yr by DanP

I never used a hammer crimper. I believe that a hydraulic crimper would be easier to use. Price wise the hydraulic crimper maybe more expensive. I think i bought mine at Harbor Freight for ~$20.00. I never had any issues with mine and have had it at used it for years.

the two i'm looking at is either $110 or $160 for 12ton vs 16ton

my hammer crimper has helped me make a few hundred K and I've not one lick of trouble

just make sure you get the type from welding supply that is NOT cast steel.

what should the terminal look like or how many times do you hit it with a normal hammer before it's "secure"?

no i mean what shoudl the terminal look like to know it's been hammered right?

 

I typically vice my terminals and then punch them afterword.

 

Some of those terminals still got loose which had me leary about using a hammer crimper since the punch n vice were unsuccessful on some of my last batch i did.

mine is going on 11 years old

 

 

 

 

oh damn!

 

Ok, looks good man.

all you gotta do is beat the shit out of it.  A loooooong time ago I had a customer fuck around with my install and the power wire got wrapped up in the front tire on a f150.  The wire wound up ripping the battery post off the battery.  

I have a hammer crimper I got mine from Temco on ebay for like $17.00 I like it better than soldering 1/0 with a propane torch. I imagine a hydraulic crimper would be a lot better but it costs more too. 

I just mushroom stamp them until it's crimped.

BOOMSHAKALAKA.

i would say that propane and some solder would be alot cheaper.

 

Just come up with a vice mechanism that can hold multiple tips...lol... tips

 

and go down the line..

 

But if your set on a crimper..I have no idea, i just have a big ass hammer called Molly Mall

I used that exact crimper on my last install. Faster than soldering and it held strong. My dad has had one for 20+ years and swears by it.

I've owned both. I like my hydraulic crimpers a lot. I would definitely send the coin again. I would stay away from the HF ones, they barely fit 1/0. 

 

Hammer crimpers are great on a budget but you can't use them in a car

On my 4/0 I just used hydraulic crimpers from harbor freight

Only gripe i have about my 8 ton from HF is the size of the dies supplied with it. using copper 1/0 lugs i had to use the die labeled as 00. Be sure to check how large of a terminal can fit with that 4/0 wire.

That is going to be a lot of hammering on ~250 pieces. For that large amount personally I would buy a hydraulic crimper.

For smaller amounts like a single build > solder or hammer.

I used my hammer crimper for years and loved it until a few months ago when I smashed my thumb, threw it away after that. Looking to get a hydraulic one soon.

I used my hammer crimper for years and loved it until a few months ago when I smashed my thumb, threw it away after that. Looking to get a hydraulic one soon.

I have one but it sucks on the bigger gauges. Its like they didnt make the dies the right size.

I actually use a framing hammer. That is it.

I have even skipped using an anvil and just hammered against concrete. I had to do it before when making a cable for welding and it worked. It wasn't pretty but 4 men couldn't pull the wire from the terminal so we called it good. I was suprised the copper itself didn't give with that much tension.

Edited June 26, 201312 yr by dem beats

I do have beast mode forearms though.

Well at least my right forearm....

I used my hammer crimper for years and loved it until a few months ago when I smashed my thumb, threw it away after that. Looking to get a hydraulic one soon.

I have one but it sucks on the bigger gauges. Its like they didnt make the dies the right size.

Sounds like a personal issue, never had an issue with bigger gauges.