pannawonica wrote:

Just seen a cheap hydraulic crimper on flea bay. Now generally I buy top gear when it comes to tools.
Me thinks you do not have to go back twice. However I want to do a dual battery installation and I do not want to have to pay for it to be done .This will enable me afford a no compromise installation sooner than later.
I,m looking at about a ton in Pommie money, but hey not like it will be used every day!
Being remote generally you can save a big quid by doing it your self, I read the Landie comic,s and cannot believe the cheap prices you pay! This crimper is coming in at only an hour labour cost, 14 ton hydraulic with dies.
Yes I Know where it made but Iif I get one go out of the thing I,m infront.

Have you got a link?


I bought a cheapo Chinese made Hydraulic Crimper, for 4 to 70mm² Cable, on eBay 4 years ago.

I've used it for lots of projects and it's still going strong

I don't know if it would stand up to professional everyday use, but for what most vehicle tinkerers want, they're ideal.

. Paul.
1989 Arles Blue 2.5TD 110 Hardtop
1999 Epsom Green Discovery II 4.0 V8i 'XS'

ickle wrote:

Why not solder the ends? _ We used to do that on the fire engines years ago.

I agree with ickle.

You get a much stronger hold and better conductivity from a soldered joint.

I had to spend hours on end in the footwells of Mastiff armored vehicles in 50-60 degree Celsius heat because Thales in their ultimate wisdom decided to crimp all the connections and they were working their way loose in the heat and the vibrations.

Reminds me I need to get some heat shrink and solder for the weekend for a few jobs

Glyn

Mark_110DCPU wrote:

A soldered joint is far more likley to break in a high vibration environment. A correctly made crimp is better in those circumstances.

When you solder a joint you end up with a solid lump upto the end of the solder. This then becomes the point at which the copper is moving, and then very quickly work hardens and snaps. A crimped joint will allow a degree or movement meaning it can flex, which spreads the stresses out.

Mark

blackwolf wrote:

If you do opt for a soldered joint, then you must ensure that you use a non-corrosive flux, and you also need to support the joint so that any movement is excluded from the soldered area. The best way to do this is with a high quality, preferably adhesive lined, heat-shrink sleeve. By the time you factor in the cost of labour to do this in a commercial environment, it soon becomes a very expensive option.

^^^ For me there wouldn't be any other option. Fortunatly for me all the materials are sourced at a very very very cheap cost (thankyou everyone ), and yes it is a very long process of about 10mins per terminal from start to finish compared to about 3mins to crimp and heat shrink.

But when you are on top of a vehicle in the middle of Afghanistan repairing 'crimped' joints that have worked loose on a remote weapon system you quickly learn to hate crimps.

I agree that crimps are now recognised as the norm, but that is only due to cost. I have NEVER had one of my solder joints fail on me compared to hundreds of crimp joints I have had to repair. If you have play in a termination there is the possibility of failure- a little movement will work its way to a lot of movement and then fall out. I would also say bombing through the desert of Afghanistan in vehicles weighing 50 tons on leaf springs creates more vibrations than a coil sprung Defender weighing less than 3 tons.



Glyn

Glynparry25 wrote:

... I have NEVER had one of my solder joints fail on me compared to hundreds of crimp joints I have had to repair. ...

Glyn

Aha, I agree entirely, but you (and I) know how to do them properly!

leeds wrote:

... If you decide to go down solder and crimp route I understand that it is better to crimp first and solder second.

leeds wrote:

Solder v crimp or solder and crimp?

People will discuss the merits of each method.

We normally crimp.

If fitting a small diameter wire to a large tube terminal then we solder (i.e. compressor on an Anderson connector)

If you decide to go down solder and crimp route I understand that it is better to crimp first and solder second. Reason being that if you crimp a solder joint the forces involved in crimping can fracture the solder.


Brendan