Dupont crimp tools that don't suck? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Evil Lurker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 02:04:35 am
content: I bought a cheap pair from China and got what I paid for. Problem is with the way the jaws were designed for metric on one side and AWG on the other. Female connectors when placed in the tool would either crush the wire stress relief or the "box" that slips over the pin. Anyone know where I can get a pair that don't suck?

author: wblock
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 02:57:54 am
content: I was looking for these today, too. Isn't the die different side-to-side, one part for the strain relief and one part for the conductor? The box part of the connector should be outside the tool when crimping. This video is not too bad:. (Sorry if that is obvious, it's not to everybody.)

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 03:40:12 am
content: Quote from: wblock on December 02, 2015, 02:57:54 amYes.Larger gap in the die is the insulation crimp, and the smaller is the conductor crimp. Set the terminal in (tabs aimed to the B shape), squeeze the handles until you hear the first click, then insert the prepared wire, and finish the crimp (squeeze until the ratcheting cycle completes).Also, there's usually an adjustment wheel that controls the crimp pressure. And if you're using quality terminals, you can get the go/no-go measurement data from the manufacturer (may have to email a request). I mention this, as it and a micrometer can help you set the crimp pressure correctly instead of just trying to eyeball it.FWIW, I've found the Chinese made ratcheting crimp tools tend to have a lot of variance in both their dies and the crimp pressure set during manufacture, so the additional effort would be worth your while IMHO if you're unable/unwilling to buy a better make of tool (insufficient funds, not enough justification for cost based on usage, ...).

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 04:11:34 am
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/crimping-dupont-vh-xh-ph-and-kf2510/Read both pages of thread, on second page I updated about another ratchet tool I bought which works better than the one in the first post.But YMMV, going by another poster in that thread they found the opposite so it might be a quality consistency issue (or operator error).

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 04:52:35 am
content: What's surprising about many of the demonstration videos (like the one wblock linked, and the iheartengineering video demonstrating the PA-21) is how little care is taken to terminate the connector neatly. Simple things like using a ribbon-cable stripper for ribbon cables or marking so the wires are all stripped to the same length. Many types of wire stripper accept accessory end-stops so that the length of bared wire is repeatably the same, but the videos that show up in searches don't typically show them. For crimping small open-barrel contacts I have a quite expensive SAHT, but it looks like there are clones on ebay for cheap that come with dies for "MC4" and work the same way. The better ones have a contact retainer that clips onto the male/female part of the contact and a locator curtain that slides down between the wire and insulation barrels.

author: smbaker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 07:03:45 am
content: I own three ratchet crimp tools and not one of them crimps the damn connector correctly. The insulation crimp is always slightly oversize and won't quite fit the housings. I have to go back over them with a needle-nose and give each one a slight squeeze on the insulation crimp.Hopefully someone here has a known-good tool (that doesn't cost $500).

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2015, 08:47:20 pm
content: Quote from: smbaker on December 02, 2015, 07:03:45 amI can think of a few.What exactly are you doing?What's your budget?I ask, as I'm wondering if you'd be best served by a fixed tool or one with interchangeable dies.For example, brands such asPressmaster,Wezag,Rennsteig, andSargentare most of the primary ODM's that produce the crimp tools for terminal manufacturers such as Thomas&Betts, Molex, Panduit, AMP, Amphenol, and others. They can also be found under tool brands such as Xcelite, Wiha, Gedore, and Waytek (best prices on the Pressmaster MCT crimp tool & dies in the US market I've ever seen). And as they're not branded by the terminal manufacturer, they're notably less expensive (go directly to the source = less money, same tool).Knipex makes their own AFAIK.If you're willing to buy used, you could add Daniels Manufacturing (very expensive new), as well as terminal branded units for say ~$125 max per in very good condition if you're patient. Some of the new units in the above ODM brands can be had for around this as well, depending on the die profile (i.e. MetriPack and WeatherPack are a lot more expensive; bare dies for these tend to be in the ~$150 - $200 range, where as an open barrel crimp profile is typically around $100 or so max,ifthe dies are available separately).One thing to note, the interchangeable models are excellent for prototyping/bench work as well as field repairs IME as they're a lot more cost effective. The tradeoff however, is they typically don't have any locators, so you'll need to be rather proficient at placing the terminals in the die correctly. Fixed units tend to include the locators, but at a higher cost per terminal type.

author: smbaker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2015, 05:47:19 am
content: My budget would be ~ $100. I might be talked into spending more for a crimp tool with replaceable dies that would allow me to evict all of the other crimp tools from the hand tool drawer.I'm crimping dupont-style contacts, in particular these ones:http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?keywords=952-2157-1-ND.The tool that digikey links to this particular contact is $424.I don't crimp very many of these, a typical project might be as many as 32 crimps, and a project or two a week. I would just like a reliable one-step tool. I'm pretty proficient at positioning them. I'm currently using an HT-225D (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JLN93S) and that's where I'm having to go back over the insulation crimp and squeeze it a little to make it fit the housing. This is only a $23 tool, so I probably got about what I paid for.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2015, 06:07:03 am
content: I did think there no were really good and affordable tools. I'm tired of crappy cables over my breadboard.That $23 seems like a good start. What's your issue specifically?

author: smbaker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2015, 09:09:31 am
content: Quote from: timofonic on December 04, 2015, 06:07:03 amThe contacts won't fit in the housing. I have to go back over them with a pliers to squeeze the insulation crimp. Same thing as in the video wblock linked at about 2:40.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2015, 09:24:01 am
content: Quote from: smbaker on December 03, 2015, 05:47:19 amAn open barrel D-sub crimp will definitely work on 0.100"/2.54mm, so the pair you've got either needs adjustment, or the dies are too far out to adjust back into anywhere close to spec.Have you tried to adjust them (not uncommon to be out from the factory IME)?As per a replacement pair, the closest to your budget I located for a quality tool, is a usedAMP HD20 crimp tool($99 starting bid, and it comes with another pair of crimpers; HD20 is made by Wezag, second set look like Daniels Manufacturing to me). There may be other brands to check used though, such as Molex, Tyco, and 3M (don't know all the P/N's, and too tired to do the research ATM).New:Xcelite MIC3020BLfor ~$126 shipped (made by Pressmaster)AMP 58448-2new, these go for ~$290 (made by Daniels Manufacturing). Make an offer closer to the Xcelite, and see what happens (FWIW, I own a pair).

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2015, 03:30:50 pm
content: Quote from: Evil Lurker on December 02, 2015, 02:04:35 amWhich model did you get?

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2015, 04:42:34 am
content: I bought a cheap "SN-28B" from China, and it doesn't suck. I made about 10 bad crimps before I got the hang of it, but now it's fine.Note, some wire is much easier to crimp, but I'm not sure why.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2015, 12:57:48 pm
content: I also have a cheap Chinese SN-28B and it works fine. Hence why I'm curious which model the OP has.

author: Teste
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 06, 2015, 02:40:36 pm
content: I use Sargent 1028CT when I build prototype harness. It works fine and the price is fair. (Costs ~$35 on EBay)http://www.sargenttools.com/ToolsByTrade/Type_B_Insulation_and_conductor_medium_size_wire_crimp_tool/http://www.amazon.com/SARGENT-Tools-1028-CT-Contact/dp/B00CIRFSEG/ref=pd_sim_469_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=31PL4Kz0hUL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=15760DCCPHW4SBP65Q0G

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2015, 03:21:57 pm
content: That isn't a Dupont crimper. Zero percent chance of making correct Dupont crimps with that, as it is far too big, and not the correct crimp shape for the connectors.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2015, 04:23:30 pm
content: There were several cringe-worthy methods demonstrated in that video which I would NOT RECOMMEND.1) Separating the wires by the method shown is VERY susceptible to cutting into the insulation if you are not super careful. NOT RECOMMENDED. Unless you suffer from onychophagia, you should be able to safely separate the wires with your fingernails.2) Using THREE DIFFERENT stripping die to strip three IDENTICAL wires is just asking for trouble. It is lazy, sloppy and inexcusable. The video even demonstrates the failure by stripping the wire TWICE because of the faulty technique.3) It doesn't look like all three contacts were pushed far enough into the connector shell to engage the little barb that holds them in place.Can't people turn OFF the "auto-focus" when they make these videos?It seems to do nothing but keep the object of interest constantly out of focus.