50mm to 95mm^2 Cable Crimpers

[Hood]

I also have a big set of manual ones, that put a square crimp on, they worked well but since I got the hydraulics I never use them, no idea the make though, can look tomorrow and see if there are any markings.

 

[jimbo84]

These are mine. Very lucky find for £20 round the corner at a business bankrupt recovery company type place. Can't see the handles fully but it's ratchet.

BICC components.

As mentioned keep your eyes peeled for ebay second hands. Think you're supposed to get them calibrated if it's for critical stuff, you make off some terminals to the calibration companies spec and send them off for testing but you can probably count on one hand the number of people that do that.

 

[Brad93]

I've got a set of these, they will easily do up to 120mm CSA. Hydraulic crimper is massive overkill for welding cable size.

Surely you don't bust enough leads to warrant buying a set?

48 hours continuous welding breaks cables pretty quick.

 

[Welderpaul]

48 hours continuous welding breaks cables pretty quick.

You must be some boyo Brad to weld 48hrs continuous?

 

[mtt.tr]

I've got a set of these, they will easily do up to 120mm CSA. Hydraulic crimper is massive overkill for welding cable size.

Surely you don't bust enough leads to warrant buying a set?

they are £30 far less than mamual crimpers

 

[sako243]

48 hours continuous welding breaks cables pretty quick.

If it's the cables breaking down due to the current that sounds like it would benefit going up a size or two.

 

[mtt.tr]

If it's the cables breaking down due to the current that sounds like it would benefit going up a size or two.

Unless the crimps are poor to start

 

[brightspark]

This is what you need Brad.
View attachment 269245
They'll do 10 > 120mm with a bit of fine adjustment if you get a thin lug.
I had a pair of these for 19 years at my old firm but had to give them back
This pair didn't have a plant number though....
Ebay linky,
124522860011

ive got the same ones . been using them 2 day on 25 and 35mm mainstails lugs and ferrules joining swa . ive had them for 50 years

 

[jimbo84]

Unless the crimps are poor to start

There's a lot of garbage ones about, too big for the cable size they're intended for and made from thinner material too.

 

[Hood]

There's a lot of garbage ones about, too big for the cable size they're intended for and made from thinner material too.

Aye, I always buy from RS now, seem to be decent quality and not that much more expensive than others

 

[Bornfree]

I have the cheapo hydraulic type and one of these hammer type, you just cant beat these manual crimpers at times.

It rattles around in the tool box just for that day....



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-...-/383807570985?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I've got one of these I use for battery leads on tractors and trucks. I paid quite a bit more than that though. But it looks the same

 

[Brad93]

You must be some boyo Brad to weld 48hrs continuous?

Gotta do those hours

 

[brightspark]

48 hours continuous welding breaks cables pretty quick.

what breaks apart from the cables fraying where the lugs are crimped on due to constant bending and getting fatigue

 

[Brad93]

It’s not so much the cables breaking down it’s between the lug and the cable. That oxidises.

The process induces incredibly high resistance too and is subject to repeated stress on the lugs.

 

[brightspark]

This is what you need Brad.
View attachment 269245
They'll do 10 > 120mm with a bit of fine adjustment if you get a thin lug.
I had a pair of these for 19 years at my old firm but had to give them back
This pair didn't have a plant number though....
Ebay linky,
124522860011

was using them in a 3 phase cabinet that was live extending the armoured cables to go in to a meter outside the cab hmmm safe isolation. could hardly get them in it would be a bummer if you shorted the phases out 100 amp each

 

[hotponyshoes]

I have got a pair of klauke k5 manual ones that go up to 50mm.
They are a breaze to use. I can't see you would need to go to hydraulic over the klauke ones for 90mm.
Maybe if you are doing loads of crimps at once but for any less than half a dozen at a time it's a lot easier to use the manual ones than faff about setting up a hydraulic set.
Even if you do have hundreds to do the waiting for the dies to open again on a hydraulic will drive you nuts.

 

[sako243]

It’s not so much the cables breaking down it’s between the lug and the cable. That oxidises.

What about simply soldering the lugs then?

And before the debate gets started on crimp vs solder. I worked designing and building systems in some pretty damn harsh environments and we saw equal failures between crimped and soldered connections. Ours would usually be both (solder to improve the electrical connection chiefly). The only thing that matters is proper strain relief.

If you're suffering with oxidisation and a poor connection then flooding it with solder will remove the ability to oxidise and also improve your connection.

 

[Brad93]

What about simply soldering the lugs then?

And before the debate gets started on crimp vs solder. I worked designing and building systems in some pretty damn harsh environments and we saw equal failures between crimped and soldered connections. Ours would usually be both (solder to improve the electrical connection chiefly). The only thing that matters is proper strain relief.

If you're suffering with oxidisation and a poor connection then flooding it with solder will remove the ability to oxidise and also improve your connection.

Not a bad idea. I did solder some connectors a little while ago (because I didn’t have a crimper) and they seem to be holding up.
Strain relief like you say is the main issue and I’m looking at sorting that out.

perhaps some heavy duty thick shrink tube.

 

[mtt.tr]

Not a bad idea. I did solder some connectors a little while ago (because I didn’t have a crimper) and they seem to be holding up.
Strain relief like you say is the main issue and I’m looking at sorting that out.

perhaps some heavy duty thick shrink tube.

Look at the adhesive heat shrink

 

[dobbslc]

Some of that adhesive heat shrink should make it even better.