Crimper to make battery cable?

Charles Erwin · Oct 3, 2013

One approach is measure the lengths, the wire gauge, and the lug (terminal) sizes. Make a detailed list and send the list to GenuineDealz. They will cut crimp and return the cables exactly as you have listed them.

This approach is very cost effective, but depends on you being accurate in listing what you need. An acceptable crimper is $150 or thereabouts but Genuine Deals will crimp for $1 each terminal ($2 per cable.)

I think this is a pretty good approach - but remember this approach does not permit you to make alterations in cable size or length as you go.

http://www.genuinedealz.com/

Charles

Rich Stidger · Oct 3, 2013

Check the Gear ads here or place a wanted ad. There are probably people who bought a crimper and are not likely to use it again. Ask all your friends. Are you in a marina where you might borrow or rent the crimper from the yard? Craig's list?

Delezynski · Oct 3, 2013

Back in 1997 or so I bought one like the photo from West Marine. Use it a LOT and all of the crimps I made are still working very well.

Cut wire to size, strip back the shielding, add a bit of dielectric grease to the wire end, insert and wack with a hammer. Then put a bit of heat shrink tubing on the end and your done. Still in my tool box.

Greg

Rich Stidger · Oct 3, 2013

Delezynski said:
Back in 1997 or so I bought one like the photo from West Marine. Use it a LOT and all of the crimps I made are still working very well.

Ditto for me. This is the same tool that I used when I wired my 1997 h40.5. I never have had a crimp fail yet. This probably isn't the best crimper, but it has worked for me. I think you can get one for $75 or so.

Alan Gomes · Oct 3, 2013

How about one of these? http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html I've never used one but the price seems good and it would work for thicknesses up to size 0, anyway.

Rich Stidger · Oct 3, 2013

The HF tool only goes to down to 0 gauge. When I was making up battery cables I was crimping 1-0 and 2-0.

Check the range of crimp capability before you buy.

woodster · Oct 4, 2013

you can also buy your cable and terminals along with the heat shrink from geniunedeals and he has a loner crimper that he will charge you a return shipping fee and make your own ...when done just put it back in the shipping box that he has provided with shipping lable and send it back ...he does hold on to your charge card number till it returns to him and you are good to go....obtw you can tell him that woody told you about this if you like ....ya just cant beat Mike for service and product ....

regards

woody

Maine Sail · Oct 4, 2013

Making Your Own Battery Cables

Bosman · Oct 4, 2013

That is one excellent write-up Maine Sail!

Eric M · Oct 4, 2013

Depending on your needs, check your local WM store. If you buy the cables and the ends from them, one of their associates will be happy to make up whatever cables you need, typically free of charge. I just needed some short cables for expanding a battery bank so while I will usually buy the tools I need, in this case it simply didn't make sense.

Maine Sail · Oct 4, 2013

Eric M said:
Depending on your needs, check your local WM store. If you buy the cables and the ends from them, one of their associates will be happy to make up whatever cables you need, typically free of charge. I just needed some short cables for expanding a battery bank so while I will usually buy the tools I need, in this case it simply didn't make sense.

Very few WM stores actually have battery lug crimpers. I have been trying to get our local store to get them but they won't spring for it. They have nicopress crimp tools but those are different and the sizing is incorrect for battery lugs.

There are many crimp tools out there from China that use MCM/mm² standard dies not US AWG dies so one needs to be careful when buying crimp tools from Harbor Freight or eBay that you get a tool that is correctly sized for US AWG wire and AWG terminals. Often theses tools tell you it will work for AWG but the sizing is different so they often either over-crimp or under-crimp.

Over crimping can be just as bad as under crimping....

Alan Gomes · Oct 4, 2013

Rich Stidger said:
The HF tool only goes to down to 0 gauge. When I was making up battery cables I was crimping 1-0 and 2-0.

Check the range of crimp capability before you buy.

Indeed. 0 gauge would be good for many applications but you couldn't use this model for the really thick stuff. For anything I'd ever use on my boat it would be great. The user comments seem really positive.

Alan Gomes · Oct 4, 2013

Maine Sail said:
There are many crimp tools out there from China that use MCM/mm² standard dies not US AWG dies so one needs to be careful when buying crimp tools from Harbor Freight or eBay that you get a tool that is correctly sized for US AWG wire and AWG terminals. Often theses tools tell you it will work for AWG but the sizing is different so they often either over-crimp or under-crimp.

Over crimping can be just as bad as under crimping....

Thanks for the warning!

Maine Sail · Oct 4, 2013

njsail said:
Thank you all for the information. I think I have enough info to make an informed decision. I previously bought the crimper mainsail recommended for solar pigtails and that worked great. Now it is time for a bunch of battery cables and a clean setup...hence the need for a cable crimper. I wanted to make sure the job is done right. There is a lot of juice in those lines.

If you buy one throw it up on the SBO Gear Here classified section when your done, for $30.00 less, and the whole deal only cost you $30.00 and the next guys saves $30.00......

Maine Sail · Oct 5, 2013

Maine Sail said:
Making Your Own Battery Cables

For those interested I added my experience with the Harbor Freight Hydraulic Tool at the end of the article (begins on page 3)... Eye opening stuff...

Making Your Own Battery Cables

jviss · Oct 5, 2013

Maine Sail said:
For those interested I added my experience with the Harbor Freight Hydraulic Tool at the end of the article (begins on page 3)... Eye opening stuff...

Making Your Own Battery Cables

Thanks for the review. What I hear is that the issue with this tool is the dies. I was wondering, since it seems so far off, could it be that they are intended for a different type of crimp terminal than the ones you are using?

For example you describe in some detail on page one of your article that there are different dies for different terminals. Perhaps we're being unfair evaluating this tool for a terminal it was perhaps not intended for.

I have the Ancor lug crimper, and even that has two different die sizes for lugs and terminals.

Other than the dies, what do you think of the rest of the tool?

Any thoughts on making dies, or modifying the supplied dies?

Thanks,

jv

Maine Sail · Oct 6, 2013

jviss said:
Thanks for the review. What I hear is that the issue with this tool is the dies. I was wondering, since it seems so far off, could it be that they are intended for a different type of crimp terminal than the ones you are using?

For example you describe in some detail on page one of your article that there are different dies for different terminals. Perhaps we're being unfair evaluating this tool for a terminal it was perhaps not intended for.

I have the Ancor lug crimper, and even that has two different die sizes for lugs and terminals.

Other than the dies, what do you think of the rest of the tool?

Any thoughts on making dies, or modifying the supplied dies?

Thanks,

jv

Jviss,

1/0 is 1/0, is 1/0 under the AWG (American Wire Gauge) standards. The largest dies are labeled as 1/0 for AWG.

I also used the thinnest walled 1/0 lugs I know of. They are commonly referred to as "starter lugs".. A 1/0 heavy duty lug will not even fit between the 1/0 dies with them fully opened.

I am at a loss as to how it is even possible to get a 1/0 lug & wire from ANY manufacturer, that uses the AWG standards, to crimp properly in that tool.

It took four sizes smaller, than the dies are marked for, in wire/lug combination, to make a crimp that is considered a decent crimp. The 1/0 AWG die makes a decent crimp on 4GA wire using a thin-walled starter lug.. This is a LONG WAY from 1/0... Heck the 1/0 die is multiples smaller than just 1/0 bare wire..

Also, can you get me some 7 AWG wire..?

When you mark a tool for 1/0 AWG don't you feel it should at least crimp 1/0 wire and lugs....? It is not marked for SAE wire or MCM or any other standard, it is marked AWG...

Getting into custom dies is going to cost you more than simply buying a tool that works as it is labeled for such as the Greenlee, FTZ or Quick Cable tools........

Tymadman · Oct 6, 2013

Maine Sail said:
1/0 is 1/0, is 1/0 under the AWG (American Wire Gauge) standards. The largest dies are labeled as 1/0 for AWG.

True with regards to conductor cross sectional area but not for conductor diameter due to the number of strands. The number of strands therefore determines the lug size and crimp die required. Generally flexible cables will need larger lugs than building wire cables. Also, flared lugs are made specifically for flexible cables to make it easier to get all of the strands in the barrel so it's interesting that you avoid them