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04-05-2016, 01:20 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,502
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2/0 & 1/0 gauge cable crimping tool recommendation
Hi,
I don't need Snap on tool quality and am ok with Harbor Freight quality for the few crimps that I need to make.
Can someone recommend a good crimper for crimping 2/0 and 1/0 cable? Prefer an Ebay or Amazon recommendation. Most list metric dies and not sure which metric size will work for 2/0 and 1/0 cable.
Thanks!
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04-05-2016, 01:29 PM
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#2
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Some guy in back...
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 218
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West Marine used to sell a tool that you use with a vise and a hammer. I just checked and they may only sell it as a kit now, but ANCOR makes it ( Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Lug Crimper, 6-4/0 AWG | Ancor)
and I think it's sold on amazon.
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ChateauV10
St. Charles, MO
Ex-SF Bay Area
'99 Ford E350 V10
'16 Rockwood 8329SS
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04-05-2016, 01:31 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 981
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I made mine years ago from a med size HF bolt cutter.I just welded a 5/16" bolt out on one jaw,then built the edges of the oher one up w/weld and used a die grinder to shape it. They have cheap little cast crimping tools that you squeeze in a vise,but no one I know ever got a good,tight ,crimp.A place that sells welders would probably do it since they change cable ends and make stingers every day.
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04-05-2016, 01:43 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Orange Fl / Garden City Michigan
Posts: 699
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I have used the vise type crimper for years, Works well, I Always solder all the crimps and shrink tube them.
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2014 SUNSEEKER 3010DS
TOADS, 2012 FOCUS OR 1998 JEEP WRANGLER,
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04-05-2016, 02:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Don't use one. Always solder them with rosin core solder and a torch and then put heat shrink over them. (Don't forget to put the heat shrink on before you put the lug on...been there, done that.)
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2015 335DS
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04-05-2016, 02:42 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 7,916
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The hammer type works good...be sure and add grease to wire and shrink. You have to get to ground or something solid.
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2017 Puma 297RLSS
2005 Ram 2500 4X4 diesel SMOKER!!
I love puns, irony and tasteless jokes...
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04-05-2016, 02:44 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iwannacamp
The hammer type works good...be sure and add grease to wire and shrink. You have to get to ground or something solid.
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Never heard of using grease. I have, however seen bad crimps that had heat shrink where the shrink covered the evidence of corrosion. That's why I prefer solder.
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2015 335DS
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04-05-2016, 02:47 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southwest Alabama
Posts: 9,850
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Here are the conversions from AWG to Metric wire sizes.
Amazon sells several hydraulic crimpers that would work for about $50.
AWG ... D ... mm. mm²
2/0 .. 0.365 9.26 67.4
1/0 .. 0.325 8.25 53.5
1 ..... 0.289 7.35 42.4
2 ..... 0.258 6.54 33.6
3 ..... 0.229 5.83 26.7
4 ..... 0.204 5.19 21.1
5 ..... 0.182 4.62 16.8
6 ..... 0.162 4.11 13.3
7 ..... 0.144 3.66 10.5
8 ..... 0.128 3.26 8.36
9 ..... 0.114 2.91 6.63
10 ... 0.102 2.59 5.26
11 ... 0.091 2.30 4.17
12 ... 0.081 2.05 3.31
13 ... 0.072 1.83 2.62
14 ... 0.064 1.63 2.08
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Gotta go campin!
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04-05-2016, 02:57 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 7,916
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein
Never heard of using grease. I have, however seen bad crimps that had heat shrink where the shrink covered the evidence of corrosion. That's why I prefer solder.
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Have used dialectic, lithium and wheel bearing. It stops/slows corrosion.
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2017 Puma 297RLSS
2005 Ram 2500 4X4 diesel SMOKER!!
I love puns, irony and tasteless jokes...
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04-05-2016, 05:33 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 513
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Solder makes your best connection.
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04-06-2016, 11:14 AM
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#11
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Some guy in back...
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 218
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mfMcFroggierPod
Solder makes your best connection.
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Sorry, but "Best" and solder and electrical connections can be looked at a number of ways. I look at it differently.
In industry, very, very, few large gage cable terminations are done using solder. Soldering a termination is highly dependent on several variables that need to be controlled with the biggest one being the skill, training and motivation of the human doing the soldering. The may not fully apply to a personal/casual/hobby activity like RV mods done by the owner or a buddy but it is still a significant variable.
Soldering is not always the best and can all to often result in joints that look good but result in damaged insulation from heat, wicked solder that results in a long, mechanically problematic connection, no true mechanical bond between the connector and the cable and personal exposure to toxic fumes.
from my perspective, crimping is the way to go for wire/cable terminations.
Cheers!
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ChateauV10
St. Charles, MO
Ex-SF Bay Area
'99 Ford E350 V10
'16 Rockwood 8329SS
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04-06-2016, 11:20 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChateauV10
Sorry, but "Best" and solder and electrical connections can be looked at a number of ways. I look at it differently......
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True, you have to know about these things, as well as have experience soldering. However, the same can be said of crimping with substandard tools or incomplete solutions.
Rosin core solder is quite safe and these cables are so big that they take to it quite well. Of course...heat the lug and not the cable and the lugs are really big as well. But then I have soldered a lot of things in the past.
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2015 335DS
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04-06-2016, 01:14 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 939
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Do both, crimp and solder.
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Rockwood 2104S, 2014 Ram 2500 Diesel.
USMC 68 -70
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04-06-2016, 02:11 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 2,058
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Check the local auto parts door. When I replaced the cable terminals on my Hummer years ago, the local auto parts store rented me the tool for a few hours for five bucks.
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04-06-2016, 02:18 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 34
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I bought one of these TEMCo Hydraulic Cable Lug Crimper TH0006 - 5 US TON 12 AWG to 00 (2/0) Electrical Terminal Cable Wire Tool Kit 5 YEAR WARRANTY through amazon. But I had a lot of terminals to crimp.
gw
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04-06-2016, 02:19 PM
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#18
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Some guy in back...
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 218
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein
True, you have to know about these things, as well as have experience soldering. However, the same can be said of crimping with substandard tools or incomplete solutions.
Rosin core solder is quite safe and these cables are so big that they take to it quite well. Of course...heat the lug and not the cable and the lugs are really big as well. But then I have soldered a lot of things in the past.
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Scott, I think both of us have soldered a lot of things in the past. I started in 1964 and I'm not old enough for Social Security (yet)!
And that is it. If you have experience and patience and a bit of knowledge, it can work out ok. BUT: decent tools and a little bit of technique allow almost anybody to make a great crimped joint!
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ChateauV10
St. Charles, MO
Ex-SF Bay Area
'99 Ford E350 V10
'16 Rockwood 8329SS
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04-06-2016, 03:09 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Pleasant Gap, PA
Posts: 458
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I us this this hydraulic crimper from Amazon: Robot Check
For $40 it works great for the home handyman. I don't think it would hold up to daily use.
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2015 Solaire 201SS
2015 GMC 2500HD Duramax
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04-06-2016, 03:18 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 593
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Might check with an Industrial electrical contractor to make the crimps if it is a one time deal.
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