Rosin is the same material used in solder paste and flux to make the molten metal flow to create a solid connection. Use a heat gun or flameless torch to apply heat evenly on the tube’s outer surface until it shrinks and firmly wraps around the joint. Crimping securely attaches electrical connectors to the relevant cable. Types and sizes can vary enormously, from those on computer circuit boards to mains (the high-voltage cables that bring power to your home). Q. Is soldering better than crimping?

Although many use a simple squeezing action like ordinary pliers, a ratchet is often employed to provide consistent, repeatable pressure application. Jaws vary to accommodate different types and sizes of terminals. To offer increased range, some handheld crimping tools have interchangeable jaw sets. They may also incorporate wire strippers and/or small bolt cutters, making the tool multipurpose. Hydraulic Perfect for battery and welding cables, the Mofeez hammer lug crimp tool handles a variety of wire gauge options and wire sizes from eight gauges to 4/0 gauges. The high-strength iron means that even after hundreds of uses, it will remain durable. For example, a hammer crimping tool is often found in auto shops for refitting battery cables. If it’s only needed as occasionally as once a month, an inexpensive tool may offer adequate performance and good value. If the same task had to be undertaken several times a day, a hydraulic crimping tool would make more sense. These cost more, but they’re faster and require less effort. A few other factors to keep in mind when on the hunt for the best crimping tools to crimp wires are the wire sizes that the tool you’re interested in can cater to. If smaller wires will most often need to be crimped, i.e., for electronic components, then crimping tools with crimper jaws specifically made for small wires are a must. Ideally, a set of crimping tools that can cater to a variety of wire sizes would be ideal.Our tests showed us that the Wirefy crimp tool has a lot going for it. We liked its relatively compact size, and despite a shorter grip than some of the competitors, it was easy to apply pressure and crimp terminals. The grip was also fairly comfortable, and size identification (it’s color-coded) was a breeze. It also has one of the smoothest ratcheting motions in the test.

If you replace your vehicle’s battery cables or lugs, you must firmly crimp the terminal lug to the wire. Cut the battery cable on the end where you want to fit the terminal. Use a sharp wire cutter to make the surface straight and flush. The TemCo Hammer Lug Crimping Tool was truly one of our favorites. We used it for battery lugs and heavy-gauge wire. Although it’s specifically designed for use with larger wires, we tested it with terminals much smaller than suggested, and it actually did great. It was the fastest method for securing a terminal in the test, but it does need a solid work surface to operate, so it’s definitely better for a shop than a tool belt. However, it made excellent crimp connections, and it’s also fun to use as a battery cable crimper.It isn’t often that we’d use a cable crimper like the Iwiss single cable lug crimping tool, but we found that it made crimping heavy lugs a breeze. It has long handles that apply plenty of force to the jaws, ensuring strong connections. And despite the weight and front heaviness, the textured grips make controlling the crimper easy. Most battery lugs have marked crimping spots, so you won’t have trouble crimping them in the right areas. And they usually need double crimping. A hammer crimper doesn’t use dies but instead consists of a height-adjustable, wedge-shaped ram on a sliding carriage with a V-shaped groove at the base. The crimp and cable to be connected are simply placed in this groove. Crimping is equivalent to creating a cold weld. When well done, a crimp can make the wire and connector barrel one solid piece of metal, creating a moisture, gas, and corrosion-resistant connection. And loose crimps can cause high electrical resistance on this battery connection when drawing high electrical current.