Lets Talk Open Barrel Crimpers - Reviews and Discussion

[Mattax]

So the consensus is that no one crimper works 100% and they all suck in some way. Sounds like everything else.

Pretty much.
And there's hardly anyone in the business that can tell us end users in plain english what each one is made to do.

I'll say this, the jaws doing both crimps at the same time is least versatile arrangement.

Look for used ones or borrow?

When TMM posted that MAC tool number in the other thread - I found a used one ebay for less than half new.

 

[Mattax]

So where is a good place to buy those F type ring terminals? #8 - 5/16 stud size would be nice. 14-16 & 10-12 wire sizes.

You can poke around webstores like Rhode Island Wire, Terminal Supply, etc.
What I did was download a Tyco (TE) AMP catalog of open barrel ring terminals.
narrowed down the type and style and ordered the p/n from one of the supply houses (Mouser, Newark, etc)

Dont remember the URL,

Some of the ones I bought were pretty thick and much more difficult to crimp with the crimpers I had available.

 

[Mattax]

Photo Comparison:
American Autowire supposed copies of Packards
for series 56, 58, 59.
92971118 Yellow grips for standard terminals
92971119 Blue grips for double wire terminals
Molex 63811-1000
MAC TCT 1028 similar to Sargent 3187 CT and GM 12085271 ?

Close up of the jaws.

It looks MAC/Sargent C is close to the conductor on a standard terminal. While its A and B is similar to the insulation crimp of a standard terminal.
Perhaps D and E could be useful for situation where 20 ga wire and terminals are used?

FWIW, here's a photo of a genuine Packard Electric crimper that American Autowire seems to have been copying.
GM/Packard 06285487

 

[Mattax]

MAC TCT 1028 similar to Sargent 3187 CT and GM 12085271 ?

Unlike the Sargent tool in the drawing below, there's no ratchet on the MAC

 

[mopardude318]

I just bought the jaws for the MSD ratchet crimper that does these and it seems to do a pretty good job.

here are some terminals I found that are supposedly for Chrysler.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...tandard-ignition-wire-terminal-clip/std0/cg49

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ion-wire-terminal-clip/std0/cg48?q=Cg48&pos=0

 

[Mattax]

So where is a good place to buy those F type ring terminals? #8 - 5/16 stud size would be nice. 14-16 & 10-12 wire sizes.

This may not be a good place to buy if you need just one, but the part numbers should be good everywhere.
Delphi 56 Series Ring Terminals

If I did the math right these convert back to .040" material. I don't fully trust the metric conversions. its always a crap shoot if it was typed correctly.

 

[ESP47]

Don't buy these off of Amazon. They don't "curl" the crimp down at all and are useless for packard 56 crimping.

Amazon product ASIN B07JNSCH83

 

[ESP47]

Don't buy these off of Amazon. They don't "curl" the crimp down at all and are useless for packard 56 crimping.

Amazon product ASIN B07JNSCH83

I figured out how to get them to work. You have to trim the ears down a little bit on the packard connector. This allows them to curl when being crimped. When I don't do this, the two ears just meet at the top and form a triangle over the wire, which is useless.

Maybe they work fine with some connectors but definitely not the ones I bought off ebay.

 

[4spdragtop]

I got 2 Iwiss, both junk. The dies werent machined properly.

I figured out how to get them to work. You have to trim the ears down a little bit on the packard connector. This allows them to curl when being crimped. When I don't do this, the two ears just meet at the top and form a triangle over the wire, which is useless.

Maybe they work fine with some connectors but definitely not the ones I bought off ebay.

 

[volaredon]

I've tried several crimpers, crimping and me don't get along without a drop of solder for reinforcement

 

[RustyRatRod]

I will come back to this and say I have two pairs of these.
Klein Crimpers
They are actually the best crimpers I have. If it fits in the jaws, it will crimp the piss out of it. Are they perfect? No. But if you're careful (like you should be) they do a nice job.

 

[4spdragtop]

I eyed those up as I know Klein makes good stuff, Mac has a similar crimper.
My concern was that it basically has a universal cavity for 7 different wire sizes?? Plus $45 up here lol.
Rob did u use them on Chrysler type terminals?

I will come back to this and say I have two pairs of these.
Klein Crimpers
They are actually the best crimpers I have. If it fits in the jaws, it will crimp the piss out of it. Are they perfect? No. But if you're careful (like you should be) they do a nice job.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I eyed those up as I know Klein makes good stuff, Mac has a similar crimper.
My concern was that it basically has a universal cavity for 7 different wire sizes?? Plus $45 up here lol.
Rob did u use them on Chrysler type terminals?

I have, yes. They do a good job too.....but as mentioned, they can slap fff some stuff up too if you're not careful. lol

 

[volaredon]

I have a pair of those same crimpers, still no joy. Better than the others I have (forget the brand, the others are blue) but still have pull out issues

 

[RustyRatRod]

I have a pair of those same crimpers, still no joy. Better than the others I have (forget the brand, the others are blue) but still have pull out issues

I like Del's solution. Takes a little more time and effort, but after the crimp, SOLDER the beeotches. They won't pull out then, by gum.

 

[ESP47]

I will come back to this and say I have two pairs of these.
Klein Crimpers
They are actually the best crimpers I have. If it fits in the jaws, it will crimp the piss out of it. Are they perfect? No. But if you're careful (like you should be) they do a nice job.

I've had a pair of those for 20 years. One of my favorite tools.

Klein makes really good stuff. You buy once and you'll never need an upgrade.

 

[slant six]

Thank you. I have always used the cheap hardware store crimpers or whatever I had handy, I sure need to upgrade my equipment - thanks for sharing Matt.

 

[shittyslant6]

What I really find annoying about most crimpers is that they're really bulky or too stiff to set the connector in the jaws with one hand. or what I have found with most of those factory style open barrel crimpers is that the connectors get stuck in them sometimes. The ones that I like the best are just the harbor freight doyle crimpers.
9-1/2 in. Wire Crimping Tool
They're small enough to get under dashboards and you can still do those open barrel crimps they just take two or three adjustments. however I am going to look into those MAC crimpers as the doyle ones cant really do the 18-22ga. stuff.

 

[RustyRatRod]

What I really find annoying about most crimpers is that they're really bulky or too stiff to set the connector in the jaws with one hand. or what I have found with most of those factory style open barrel crimpers is that the connectors get stuck in them sometimes. The ones that I like the best are just the harbor freight doyle crimpers.
9-1/2 in. Wire Crimping Tool
They're small enough to get under dashboards and you can still do those open barrel crimps they just take two or three adjustments. however I am going to look into those MAC crimpers as the doyle ones cant really do the 18-22ga. stuff.

That's a carbon copy of the Klein tool I posted.

 

[shittyslant6]

That's a carbon copy of the Klein tool I posted.

yeah it is harbor freight

 

[Mattax]

Looks like a closed barrel crimper to me.
If it was easy then there wouldn't be any discussion about it.

Those W style crimps are pretty tricky. You have to line everything up perfect and you will need to practice on a handful of connectors first.

The point of this thread is to make good open barrel crimps, or more specificly, crimpers for making it possible.

 

[Mattax]

This is a perfect open barrel or "W" style crimp. One crimp secures the conductor and the larger crimp is a restraint securing the insulation. The second photo is the correct crimp tool to make these style crimps. There are also some ratcheting tools that make larger gauge crimps. Spark plug wire terminals are crimped with a W style crimp too. I sell those crimp tools also. tmm

Step by step: A bit of Wiring 101

One of the tricky parts is matching the jaws to the terminal and conductor size.

I always start with a larger cavity and finish with the proper gauge one. You need to get the tabs starting to bend in the proper direction.

Crimpers

 

[92b]

I have, yes. They do a good job too.....but as mentioned, they can slap fff some stuff up too if you're not careful. lol

Which way do you put a packard 56 terminal in the klein crimper? Which set of jaws are you using?

 

[DionR]

Looks like a closed barrel crimper to me.

I was thinking the same thing and wondered how they applied to open barrel crimpers.

At the same time, I bought a bag of 100+ closed barrel butt splice connectors without the the plastic sheathing years ago and have found them to work well in my open barrel crimpers to do a butt splice. They are a tube with a split so I just orient the connector so the crimper pushes the ends down and continues the rolled portion and finishes like an open barrel connector. The typical open barrel type splice connectors I have are a side by side type and make the wire run wider at that point while the repurposed closed barrel connectors these keep things inline. Covered with some heatshrink with the glue and they seem to work well.

Big drawback to that is there isn't a strain relief to it since they don't crimp onto the insulation like a true open barrel connector would. My hope is that the heatshrink works for that some.

Pretty sure there are inline open barrel connectors that would work similarly, but my usual source (Eastern Beaver) does show any.

Eastern Beaver Inc Open Barrel Terminals

 

[Mattax]

I was thinking the same thing and wondered how they applied to open barrel crimpers.

At the same time, I bought a bag of 100+ closed barrel butt splice connectors without the the plastic sheathing years ago and have found them to work well in my open barrel crimpers to do a butt splice. They are a tube with a split so I just orient the connector so the crimper pushes the ends down and continues the rolled portion and finishes like an open barrel connector. The typical open barrel type splice connectors I have are a side by side type and make the wire run wider at that point while the repurposed closed barrel connectors these keep things inline. Covered with some heatshrink with the glue and they seem to work well.

Big drawback to that is there isn't a strain relief to it since they don't crimp onto the insulation like a true open barrel connector would. My hope is that the heatshrink works for that some.

Pretty sure there are inline open barrel connectors that would work similarly, but my usual source (Eastern Beaver) does show any.

Eastern Beaver Inc Open Barrel Terminals

For the inline splice, I've used the terminals from easternbeaver but since there is no insulation support, use a stiff heatshrink when possible. The instructions from the Dodge Ram manual that 67Dart273 posted are basically what I follow. In some situations I've skipped the soldering. I forget why at the moment.