Let me know your tricks for crimped connections! *Cheap but Great Crimp Tool* amzn.to/3V79Jb7 Crimp Assortment Insulated: amzn.to/437CNRL Non-Insulated: amzn.to/3wR9ZB2

Crimpin’ ain’t easy

So logical...but for 55 years I have been unaware of this...great content as usual SC

This explains the problems I've had for three decades with amateur wiring in my car. Genuinely, this video has made my life better. Thank you.

Retired now but built low and high current power supplies much of my early adult life… a couple that are no longer in this solar system. A few that vanished in a flash…. Nice to see someone on KZfaq teach this right. The orientation really becomes critical when dealing with high strand count small gauge wire - 1400 strand 12ga Teflon jacket is a bear to get mechanically connected.

What you say is correct but If you buy brazed-barrel crimp terminals this failure mode cannot happen. They cost a lot more than the cheapies but are worth it. They often are made from thicker copper material, so they are sturdier. Nylon insulated terminals are good to higher temperatures than the cheaper PVC insulated ones. Many critical applications specify brazed-barrel terminals. For smaller screw size terminals 1/16 stick out of the wire may be too much. Any wire past flush is not part of the connection, so just make sure the wire strands are just a little past flush and not in the way of the screw head. Ratcheting crimping tools are great and often take a lot less force to crimp. I have carpal tunnel damage from crimping terminals and cutting wires with less than the easiest tools over fifty years of tool use.

"Stop pulling out" thanks Chris, I'll take this to heart

One of the few KZfaq videos that actually shows the importance of seam and crimper orientation. Thank you.

Another potential issue, primarily with the insulated connectors, is getting some of the wire insulation into the crimp. Using the right size connector, as you pointed out, can help avoid that because only the wire will fit. But if the wire is in the smaller range for a particular connector, it is possible to get some of the wire insulation into the crimp, and then it impedes a good connection and it’s difficult to notice if the connector has an insulated collar around it.

I am 70+ years old and can't even begin to count the crimps I have done. Crimps I have done wrong. Thank you for this video. You would think that I would have figured it out long ago.

Been doing this all of my life. My dad was a brilliant electrical engineer. So glad he taught me well.

Zero time wasted in laying it all out very simply. Subbed 👍

Although technically your using uninsulated crimpers on insulated terminals, you are correct about the orientation which is easy to see by looking down the inside of the terminal. Insulated crimpers are what typically result in soft crimps, also good quality terminals have grooved interiors that help with getting a good bite on the wire, unlike the cheap Chinese terminals which are usually smooth.

This is a great video. No one has ever taught me the right way to do a crimp in all my years of using them

OMG .... forty years later and I've now learnt how to (i) identify the lug's hole size & wire size and (ii) how to crimp correctly! What a great lesson you've taught me .... thank you, thank you!

The crimp tool you used on the uninsulated terminals is for closed barrel connectors. The open crimp uses a die that rolls both wings of the open crimp down into the wire. You mean well but are actually not helping.

I've done a lot of stranded 10-14. I had some long handled crimpers like the Gardener/Bender in the vid. Came up missing. I ended up welding 6" extensions on the pair I use now, as I couldn't find another. Crimps like a bench vice. Fixing a pulled crimp on a submersible pump a couple hundred feet below ground motivates one to make good crimps.

In the UK we can only buy insulated crimps in the shops. So I cut off the insulation, crimp the wire on, solder the joint then cover in heatshrink. Never had one fail on me yet.

I lessoned myself about 30 years ago in getting the crimp right, and using the correct heat shrink tube. Insulated connectors have the insulating shell removed and thrown away, and crimped properly as shown. You can get the uninsulated solid tube butt/end connectors at Napa usually, or any Commercial truck supply store. Ancor Marine Grade heat shrink tube only, all I use now. No more Harbor Frightening Chinashrink. The Ancor is expensive, but you'll thank me later. When shrunk properly, it will ooze sealant out of both ends of the shrink tube on the wire or connector., sealing and locking the connection. You could tow a vehicle with the strength of that adhesive/sealant. I made my own crimping tool because I was tired of folding the china crimpers over, when I would squeeze tight. All big high amp connections get a hydraulically crimped end, and solder and Ancor. You can also get the shrinkable butt connectors and others at Napa. Most of those are junk. Don't buy them. Some of those better marine connectors do both with a shrinkable insulator and being loaded with Dielectric grease from the factory.

OUTSTANDING, as usual. I've seen MANY folks do this the wrong way and use regular pliers to crush the connector down. The "brute force" method.

This video finally talks about how to orient the seam in the connector in the crimping tool. This is the first video that takes that question head on, to make sure that the dimple is on the side that does NOT have the seam. So simple and yet almost NEVER talked about-thank you for this video!

Excellent video. The only thing I would have mentioned is. All those crimp connectors are made of aluminum. And we all know it oxidized rapidly. Whenever I do any wiring with these connectors. I smear a dab of Dialectic grease on the wires. I was taught that years ago as a kid. And I have never had an issue with oxidized connectors. Even here where they salt the roads in the winter. Thanks for the great video

Thank you for doing this. I was lucky that in the senior year, my High School had a vocational electronic program (the entire afternoon). The instructor covered all types of practices, tips & tricks. I went on to college, and couldn't believe all the double E's that didn't have a clue about any of this, and most had never wired anything!

I use a hex crimper always, from #22 to 4/0 . But the variation in insulation size, hardness, etc makes me prefer uninsulated terminals. The crimp is visible for QC inspection, and I use heat shrink afterwards.

This shows why you need to be more involved with the tools and materials you’re working with, especially when it has to do with electricity. Follow manufacturer’s directions, but also utilize your critical thinking skills to figure out why it’s done that way. Thanks for posting this video.

This is the MOST useful video I have seen in years. I HATE connectors such as this in HVAC, and now feel foolish. Thank you!

I’ve never crimped a connector like this and probably never will. But the video had me hooked from the beginning.

No mate, you are using the wrong crimp tool; That is meant for solid barrel connectors; these are cheap folded ones you have there

Me and a friend put an aftermarket ignition system on his motorcycle and needed to connect all kinds of wires with these connectors. Real glad I'd watched this video for fun a few days back and remembered to put them into the tool upside down. Not a single connection failed!

I've never seen all these points highlighted, and so well demonstrated, in any crimping how to video. Thanks, once again, for going a little deeper into the details that can make, or break, the success of a project.

Yup. I knew about the seam but had been doing it the opposite way. Sometimes the two halves on the seam would both curl in nicely and make a good crimp but your way is better and more predictable. Earns a sub, thanks!

Unisulated crimped this way plus adhesive lined heat shrink is the best. Good content. Just be careful as many automotive connectors require special crimpers and they do go on the seam.

I built industrial control panels 30 years ago and learned early on how to make the most robust "staked-on" (crimped on) terminations. Use quality terminals, a dedicated crimp tool (those all-in-one tools are for the backyard amateurs) and for high-current-carrying terminations, crimp, then coat with flux, and immerse in a molten solder pot. I learned Mil Spec soldering for those high-grade data signal-carrying plugs and sockets. I was also involved in setting the ISO900X series of QMS standards.

I’ve done a lot crimps, and I’ve idly speculated on which way is best, but never put serious thought or research into it, which is probably why I’ve had inconsistent results. Now I know the correct way. Thanks!

Thanks for this. I have been frustrated many times with loose connections on these connectors. Now I will look for this in the future.

I've watched a lot of crimping videos over the years as I've always struggled to get satisfactory crimps. This is by far one of, if not the best. I have three of those ratcheting crimpers including the one that you used and I was never able to get satisfactory crimps out of it. I don't know if I'm just using it wrong or the wrong dies, but it never seems to work well. I just started using the uninsulated ones so I could make sure the wire and connector deformed together solidly.

Good advice. I always give a crimped connection the "tug test" as well.

It took me a while in my younger years to figure out which way to crimp terminals correctly. Great Video!!!! You are saving folks a ton of frustration and some downtime from a failed connection.

I never use these because they don't work well... turns out I was just doing it wrong.

Excellently done video. For me, sometimes crimping just isn't enough. Like when you are repairing wires behind a dashboard and re-accessing them would be a hassle. When I need a bulletproof connection like that, I remove the plastic insulation, put heat-shrink tubing on the wire, crimp properly as demonstrated here, then Silver Solder, then finish with the heat-shrink tubing. That will last forever!

I use to work in a wire harness manufacturing facility. I use to teach a lot of this stuff lol. We had hydraulic presses and ratchet hand crimps. On the hydraulic presses, once you did the initial setup for whatever wire gauge and terminal, you had to do a "pull test". We had specific machines for this, that would pull until failure. We had specific rates for what each should fail at. Some manufacturers asked that we solder the terminals as well. When I do this at home , I always solder them, because I was so use to having the pull test, and I don't have access at home, so I solder it lol.

Bought my first ratcheting crimper this week and am going to try it out using your tips!! Always such great content thank you!!

Great explanation! I've seen several professionals saying to put the teeth of the pliers pressing on the terminal tabs and it's actually difficult to get it right. There are always those who will argue: "but it's just training". I don't see it that way, because it doesn't make sense to train to correct something you're doing wrong. This video was shared with my channel followers, but not all of them speak English. If you allow me, I would like to use your script as inspiration to film a Brazilian Portuguese version. And of course giving credit to the original creator. Thanks for the class!

I’m in my middle 50’s and I never knew this. I’ve only done this a handful of times but I was a squisher and hoper until today. Thanks

I never knew about the orientation issue. But I alway checked what the joint looked like and would re-crimp as needed-crude but effective. Thank You!

You covered a great topic and glad you showed it done the right way, NICE JOB. If I may add, I ONLY use Ideal crimp connectors with either a ratchet crimper or a Klein regular crimper to get the best results. Whenever I rewire any kind of automotive application, especially boat trailers, I remove the insulation off the connector, slide 2 pieces of heat shrink tube with the last heat shrink to go on being a little longer before I crimp my connection. Last, all my crimps get sprayed with white lithium grease before I heat shrink them. Truly a long lasting, almost bullet proof connection. Hope you like the method to my madness. Mike. :)

Details like this are so important but so hard to come by! Thank you for passing along this knowledge.

Thank you for making this. It seems like such a simple solution. Nobody ever told me they needed to be spun the proper direction. I always wondered why I'd have to do it 3x to finally get a good connection. Here I just by chance would end up with it turned properly.

It still embarrasses me that when I was a young man it took me longer than it should have to figure this out. I'm now 65 and I can still remember my moment of realization. I was 19 years old. This video is the first instance that I've ever seen anyone, or anything describe the proper method of crimping. Good on you for doing so.

Great video! I learned this 30 years ago and have always crimped the correct way using a Gardener Bender (tooth one side) type tool.

Good video. Years ago when I actually paid attention to this and figured it out, I spray painted one side of the tip of my crimpers so at a quick glance I knew what way they were. So now I just have to look at the terminal. I got a ratchet style crimpers but honestly don’t like them that much.

Wow this is an unexpected great find this morning. I work in the HVAC industry and no one ever taught me this. I always wondered what I was doing wrong crimping. I check every crimp to make cure it wont pull it. Now I understand why my failures were happening. Thank you.

Always felt like I was guessing when doing crimps, this cleared it all up. Thanks for taking the time to educate us and doing it for free, very appreciated!

Great post. After 43 years of doing crimp lugs, I concur with your observations. It would've been nice to show not only failed and poor crimps like you just did.. but with high current connections.. the TIN plated with insulated connections.. the plating becomes destroyed by the heat due to higher resistance from the bad crimp, creating more resistance.. cycle, repeat.. until at some point, lug gives out and either fails.. or flames.. or both. THAT is the big danger with crimp lugs.. necessitating as perfect a crimp as possible. As one who went through multiple UL, CSA, TUV, cUL, and ETL certs for products.. it was important that we had to get this one right. Thanks for a great, concise, video!

I've been doing this wrong all my life......

This is the main reason I’ve cussed wiring for 65yrs. I always wrongly blamed components. Thanks for teaching an old dog!

Awesome video, things I already knew through trial and error. However, I'm sure there's a lot of people who learned the proper way to crimp wire connectors keep up the good work. Again, great job! Thank you

Wow, this is interesting. Never knew this. Retired as a service tech after 28 years. I never had any bad connectors. I guess I was very lucky.

This video is one of the most informative. Keep up the awesome work you do .

Hooray! I have been teaching my workers this since the 70s. So good to see a vid on why we do it this way. The hard part is the butt crimps, but all you have to do is look down the barrel of the crimp to see where the rolled ends meet.

Great information for most people who are doing anything to do with crimping wires. I learned this from doing it wrong for years then I learned from an old school dude that showed me how. After that I would say 90 plus percent would never come apart. Great tip.

I'm an aircraft mechanic and electronics technician. The information provided in this video is accurate.

Spent my whole life doing it incorrectly. Thank You !!

Thanks for the great tip, I use to do this but not much anymore but I learned something new today and I appreciate that, I'm 65😊

Wow thanks I am 75 years old done a lot of wiring off and on and never knew how to use the crimper. I certainly had a lot of failures and resorted to other wrong methods. Bet ya by golly gee; I will never forget. Thank you.

Yes, I always try to remember 'the knob doesn't always go into the slot' 😬

10,000 crips later,= CARPEL TUNNEL DAMAGE

This made my day, if you know you know.... This is incorrect, the seam of crimp must curl around the wires evenly, also there must be a insulated shrink wrapping over wire and crimp. There only needs to be the length of wire only the size of crimping area.

I knew of this for years. And you are totally correct about this. I have pointed this out to a few friends. And all of them had no idea . Thanks , great video.

Very simple but incredibly valuable information!

Excellent video answered all questions anyone pondered...I personally solder any connector and then shrink tube then dielectric grease connections...wire routing is the problem I’ve experienced... and those pesky 🤬mice

I think you made the perfect video for this topic. I mean that - nailed it.

The right crimp for the right wire, the right tool and correct preparation will make a long lasting crimp every-time. I can say that because I am one of a handful of EWIS, Electrical Wiring Interconnect System, experts on USN/USMC, a few USAF an a half dozen foreign military aircraft. If you’re going to do more than a dozen crimps in a year and you can afford it buy the ratcheting crimper. You’ll get interchangeable heads and you won’t be able to crush the crimp like so many do. It really takes about 15 minutes to train someone to be able to properly one crimp after another. Other than the lug breaking I can’t remember seeing a failed crimp in years. Thanks for a great video!

I didn't think that many people didn't know how to use crimpers... pretty wild to see all the comments from people that just had no idea. I thought it was just common sense. Good video!

This is great information! Thanks for making this video. These sorts of things should all be in a pocket book of how to do things the right way.

If you want your crimp connections to work then don't use the cheapest connectors on the planet. There's a difference between Wang Hung Lo brand and name brand connectors.

This video is going to really crimp my style.

I’m 42 and have been using crimp connectors probably since I was 10 or 11. Man I have done this wrong a lot of times. Thanks for the lesson.

Glad I saw this, seen that split area for years and never thought twice about if I was smashing it right, Gave up a few times and used solder over the years because of my lack of knowledge. Finally, I might be able to wire up some shit correctly.

After 40 years experience in the commercial and military electronics industry, if you don’t have the best reliable crimping tool, then solder the connection with flux, then clean with 99% isopropyl alcohol. But what about the crimp connector plastic? Use an un-insulated connector and add heat shrink tubing This is only my opinion and experience.

Are the ratcheting crimp tools symmetrical? If so orientation would matter?

Very good article about the crimping tool. I agree having the right crimping tool is paramount, but the connectors in the article I never like to use those I like to use the ones that are made out of brass the types that are used on the older automotive, electrical, harnesses. But I’ve only been repairing parts of my electrical harness on my vintage sports car.

I appreciate the effort it took putting this together, but want to address some information that is potentially misleading or confusing. A ratcheting crimper is objectively better than a cheap non-ratcheting crimper in almost every regard. It completes a full calibrated cycle to the proper depth each and every time, and when paired with the proper terminal with good wire fill, has an extremely high reliability rate. The other is that the orientation of the indentation, which is the main point he is making, is valid only for dimple or “staking” type crimpers and these *really* suck, especially for small gauge wires. Just don’t use them. There are better crimpers. He uses the cheap non-ratcheting crimpers as an example for seam orientation but that style of crimper really is best suited for insulated terminals (if you *must*), and a proper ratchet crimper will provide better support and deliberately folds the seam down between the wires forming a “B”. You can see the results of this termination done properly shown in the examples and specifications by the FAA, NASA, ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Club), NASCAR, Formula 1, SAE, IEE, and NEC. And they all unanimously agree on this. As just one specific example, if you are using uninsulated terminals with wire strain support, they start off in a U-shaped with open wings and the die of the crimper is meant to guide and curve those wings downward into the wires and the indentation will ALWAYS be on the seam side. There is a second set of prongs behind the electrical contacts meant to crimp around the insulation. Because of the larger diameter including insulation, the crimp is set to less of a depth. A proper ratcheting crimper will do both electrical contact and insulation strain-support crimps in a single die at the same time, and you can see on the inside the die it looks like a stairstep. The bottom side of the terminal away from the seam will be perfectly flat and and level, the side with the seam will have two different heights. If you were misunderstanding this video and thought the dimple should be on the bottom of those terminals with crimpers *other* than crappy dimple dies, you would be crimping them EXTREMELY incorrectly.

I am not agree with you on which side of the connector facing the crimping claw of the tool. Crimping the connector your way will deform the connector itself and cause poor connection, thus overheating ... The claw of the crimping tool should fold the two edges of the connector from end to end. In order to achieve that, you should crimp the connector two to three times depending on the size of the connector

When I do this and I want the best connection possible, I remove the insulation, crimp, solder, and heat shrink the wire/plug. Nothing else beats this process!

Good video for beginners. I have known this for 40 plus years, having been trained in the RAAF. The best advice for newbies is buy a decent ratcheting crimper, saves your wrists when you get to my age. Kerp up the grewt videos

Here's how I use crimp connectors: 1. Remove insulation and put a piece of heat shrink over wire. 2. Crimp each ear of the connector down, one first, then the other on top. This keeps the connector from deforming like it does if you crimp from the back. 3. Heat the connector with a lighter and put a little solder on the tip of the wire allowing it to soak in between the conductor and the connector. 4. Apply heat shrink in same spot where connector insulation was. You can't beat it.

Well well well. I never knew. As a mechanical engineer I crimp only occasionally, but often my crimps have failed the ‘pull’ test, now I know why. Thank you for the advice

Wowsers what a rad video :) 20 odd years of crimping that led to me just soldering everything out of necessity for reliability I’m now off to buy some nice crimping pliers ❤

I have always crimped as you suggest. Thanks for educating those that didn't know the proper way.

Very good and helpful V-Log for fail-safe and optimum crimping technique. Thank you so much!

That’s the first time in my decades of experience that I’ve realized the orientation matters. Thank you!

I've struggled with that type of connector for my whooooleee life, I just thought that either they are trash or I'm dumb. Or both. So thank you so much for this very informative video, I'm looking forward to using this knowledge next time I need to use this type of connector.

I don't use a lot of connectors but if i was ever taught to orient them I have forgotten. Grandad was usually pretty thurough too but i learned something new today. Thanks.

I picked up a ratcheting crimper recently, the larger surface area really helps!

Really one of the most important video's I've seen - I'm smart but dumb and never took the time - well actually at times I wondered - what the right way to use the simple crimp tool - impatience and 'get it done' just resulted in the crappy crimp followed by some primitive man follow up 'crush it down !" - and 'its' all good' right ? wrong - years later - being older and all - you notice looseness or just falling out - and burned wires because the full wire strands were not bunched tight - and so this could be a fire hazard - could result in your car being stranded out in nowhere's ville - could be opening back up a wall because some device stopped working - so yeah - this video is ultra good and ultra important

I just solder non-insulated crimp connectors. The only failures I've had were as a result of using extremely thin wires. Good to know about this trick!

This advice will surely put an end to my copper scrap pile from growing.

Great video! This is why I love KZfaq! 66 yrs old and learning new things! Cannot believe that I have been having problems because I was using the crimper wrong! Just thought I was using bad crimps. I finally broke down and spent money on ratcheting crimpers and using them for most of my connections solved my problem. Glad I didn't throw out my old crimping tool. Is there a correct orientation for crimps using a ratcheting tool?

I've mostly eliminated the insulated ones from my toolbox, and have largely just gone with uninsulated ones and heat-shrink tubing. I find the end result looks better, and for certain applications, is even more durable. I've also recently started using Wago's wire stripper, model # 206-1125, which is absolutely excellent for getting repeated strips at the same length, and has the ability to leave a bit of the insulation at the end of the strip, so if you're doing a bunch of wires at once, you don't have them fray between stripping and crimping. It's sizing guide isn't as prone to slipping as the guide on any other stripper I've used, be it inline, "katapult", or perpendicular, which is, again, great for batches