im looking for a crimper like this one but id rather not have to hit it with a hammer. does anyone know where to buy an impact gun driven crimper for 30 bucks or under? i found some 250.00 ones from snap on but thats it.

 

http://www.nagca.com/grandtech/Tech%20Photos/crimper.jpg

Alternative?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html
 

It's pretty easy to get a 20% off code from them as well. A little over your budget, but I think worth it. I got one of these and love it. Don't plan to crimp anything larger than copper 1/0 terminals with the supplied dies though.

It's easy enough to rig up something if you have a table vise and some ingenuity. The large Guage crimper that I have at work is stupid expensive for what it is.

I love mine... still haven't gotten different dies .... I just crimp in pieces ... 

 

 

Alternative?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html
 

It's pretty easy to get a 20% off code from them as well. A little over your budget, but I think worth it. I got one of these and love it. Don't plan to crimp anything larger than copper 1/0 terminals with the supplied dies though.

I put the wire in the terminal and hammer the shit out of the with a large hammer. I have been doing that since day one and has always worked good for me. I can yank on the wire and it won't budge. Nice free way to get it done.

cant do that at work, its not allowed. we need to use a crimper tool and solder it and shrink it/tape it.  i think i may look at the harbor freight tool, we dont sell larger than 0/1 anyway so id think it would be ok. the bulk is a little disconcerting however. man id love a way to just use my impact hitachi but meh, it is what it is. my boss has 2 that also stamp + or - on the terminal when you hammer it. trouble is when running cable i run into a shorter run that's through the fire wall in the front of the car so i cant stretch it anywhere to hammer on it.

Its called a swedge tool.. Home depot or lowes sells em for about 20-30 bucks

I just filed the biggest jaws down slightly enough to fit 4/0 terminals. I love my harbor freight set.

My bad I forgot you work at a shop.

Look like bolt cutters kinda except the jaws arent sharp. They work really well and make a tight connection..

now that you mention it our shops smaller crimpers are also filed down, they were slightly narrowed due to the crimpers being wider than the crimp termals we mostly use (for remote start grounds and such).  before getting into this job i only soldered a few things and quite badly at that. we have to solder every wire we tap or connect at the shop tho. ive got some new parts coming for various areas of my truck so when i put them in ill be ripping out most of my existing wiring and getting ready to do things right.

now that you mention it our shops smaller crimpers are also filed down, they were slightly narrowed due to the crimpers being wider than the crimp termals we mostly use (for remote start grounds and such). before getting into this job i only soldered a few things and quite badly at that. we have to solder every wire we tap or connect at the shop tho. ive got some new parts coming for various areas of my truck so when i put them in ill be ripping out most of my existing wiring and getting ready to do things right.

Soldering isn't necessarily the best. They tend to be prone to breaking especially if it isn't supported or it has the tendency to move imo from my shop experience crimp caps are the way to go. But all shops are different

I bought the hammer style crimper off of ebay for ~25 buck- and it works fine, but the harbor freight hydraulic crimper posted above looks intriguing...prolly pick on of those up.

I bought the hammer style crimper off of ebay for ~25 buck- and it works fine, but the harbor freight hydraulic crimper posted above looks intriguing...prolly pick on of those up.

I have one and it sucks. It's like not the right size for bigger gauges.

 

This pos model 66150 from central hydraulics made in china.

 

 Somebody likes to neg everything! Adapters aren,t big enough for the larger sizes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

 

Edited December 12, 201311 yr by pmureika

The hammer ones are better for the larger sizes.

I have found a pair of hydraulic i plan on buying for around $115 that works up to 4/0.

 

My next build again has over 200 4/0 terminals to crimp so hammering isn't ideal.

^^^ DANG!(Joe Dirt)