crimpers, which work best Options

[mightyohm]

I want to invest in a nice set of crimpers for uninsulated crimp terminals. I want something better than the $9.99 radio shack style. Ratcheting would be nice if it makes a better crimp. Does anyone here have any suggestions? I don't want to spend over $100.

This is the kind I don't want:
(IMG:http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/ccp51/media/images/product_detail/crimper200.jpg)
Sorry I couldn't find a better pic.

[lapuwali]

I've found the ratcheting doesn't really make a better crimp. It mostly helps when you're making a LOT of crimps fairly quickly (assembly line style) to get consistent crimping. Just go slower and use more care, and you can use a non-ratcheting style and get good crimps.

If you take a squint at the factory spade and ring terminals, you'll see how the crimped bit folds back in and down into the wire. The only way to get this is with a die that's basically heart-shaped. I picked up one of these at Radio Shack ($30-35), or you can get them at Fry's. As the Cap'n says, you'll need terminals for the gauge of wire being crimped. I have 16-18g and 12-14g spade terminals, and 18, 14, and 10g ring terminals. I use 14g terminals when crimping two 18g wires together to daisy chain things (+12 to the gauges, or to the gauge lights, or gauge grounds). Make sure the crimper can handle 10-12g wires (many only go to 14g). There aren't many places you need to use wires that big, though the 10g size is handy for crimp terminals that also crimp to the wire insulation for strain relief. On a 14g wire, you'll often use the 10g crimp die on the insulation part.

The only place I've found the non-heart-shaped crimpers work well is on large gauge wires (8g and bigger), just because there's so much wire involved. You can see factory examples looking at the ends of the big wire that runs from the battery + terminal to the starter. There are very few such wires on the 914.