I like to solder all my lugs on for an even better connection. And in the example at the end where you cut through the 4 - 0 lug, you chose a location where it had not been crimped thereby showing an uncrimped gap inside. Not a nice demonstration. Solder has always been superior to crimp, throughout the history of cable lug use. Not sure where you went to school but we actually tested crimped vs soldered connections for resistance and noticed failures in current draw tests. The solder, when done correctly always produced better results than crimps when done correctly. In most applications, either will suffice. However, for pure results solder wins. Silver based solder is 5% more conductive than copper (copper 100%, silver 105% using copper as the standard conductor). Heating wire tends to distort the insulator so care must be used. I like to use a wet rag to cover the insulation near the end or an cooling paste which is available from most HVAC wholesalers. Silver requires a bit more heat than propane, though so most opt for the crimp. We're talking about the purest method here...in real life and in most situations the crimp will suffice. Its important to know the composition of the lug being used as well. Some are made of aluminum while some are copper and other's copper with a tinned coating. Best to choose one with copper, either bare or tinned, since aluminum tends to oxidize over time which creates friction within the lug. I've seen 'em glowing red like a toaster element from bad connection. I got about 50 years experience in this subject.

@guytech7310

3 жыл бұрын

Issue with solder is can make the cable brittle near the lugs, which can cause some or all of the strands to break, as well as damage the insulation.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

My **opinion** on solder is that if the connection is not strong enough without solder, then adding the solder is a band-aid. From my experience, over time if the connection heats up, the solder can melt, increasing the resistance therefore creating more heat leading to total failure... I used to believe strongly in soldering terminals, that is, until I had one fail from the solder melting out of the terminal. It was a poor crimp to start with, and the solder was exactly as I said; a band-aid. There are loads of options when it comes to making cables like this, but at the end of the day, the critical thing in any case is to make sure the crimping itself is done right, anything else on top of that is just icing on the cake. While Icing can make a good cake better, it can't change a dried out piece of cardboard into a tiramisu. Hydraulic crimpers are the way to go!!

@Flying0Dismount

3 жыл бұрын

I designed backup battery systems for telecom in a past life, and wired up more than a few test systems in the lab.. Solder or crimp depends what the application is.. Yes, if you are after the ultimate in conductivity, solder is the way to go, but for parts subject to flexure and vibration, solder can wick into the strands past the crimp and the wire will eventually break just past the lug. In such cases, you have two choices: you can use mechanical crimp connections only and oversize the lug and conductor to handle the current, or you use specially designed lugs that you first crimp and apply a carefully controlled amount of solder to a port in the "closed" end of the lug (or we had special order lugs that came with a small controlled amount of solder paste deposited in the lug). In this case, the crimp being done first is critical as it mechanically seals the lug (and a proper crimp is hermetic- we cut apart a lot of crimps to come up with specs and tooling for making the crimps) and the wire and prevents wicking of the solder into the wire past the lug, but just bonded the surface and ends of the wire, which we found to be indistinguishable in performance to fully tinned wire ends. Now this worked great for pre-made cables, but out in the field, the techs much preferred the crimp only lugs- those thick heavy cables and lugs are basically big chunks of copper and take a lot of heat and are difficult to do precisely in the field. Properly engineered, you can account for the minor differences in conductivity, and ease of installation is quite often the overriding design requirement.

@ckm-mkc

3 жыл бұрын

In both automotive and aircraft, solder joints in wire are a no-no. Many service manuals have large bold warnings never to solder wiring. Like @flyingodismount says, it somewhat depends on applications, but generally mechanical crimps are more reliable than solder. There was a study about this a while back and it showed that a proper mechanical crimp using a hydraulic tool will "cold weld" copper to the terminal. I'd link to the study, but I've never been able to find it on the inter-webs.....

@SkypowerwithKarl

3 жыл бұрын

In marine applications solder joints are forbidden and in most jurisdictions residential and industrial power circuits, soldered joints and lugs are not code. The reasoning is that if the conductor is overloaded, the solder would begin to flow and the juncture would overheat catastrophically. In marine environments the dissimilar metals of the solder lead/tin/zinc to the copper just adds more issues. MerCruiser used this in the past and I’ve had the displeasure of redoing a few wiring harnesses. Best is a quality lug, quality fine strand tined wire, quality crimp, adhesive lined heat shrink tube. Done right and it’ll outlast you in most environments.

#excellent crimping :D

Dude, great point about the crimp rotation. 3:15

Very nice! Those lugs are HUGE

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

They carry a ton of power! When I get a second Sol Ark I need to upgrade my 300 amp fuses to probably 500 amps

To improve your correct technique for crimping, when you are removing the sheath from the cable make two cuts, one at correct depth and one 10mm (3/8') or so before. Then pull off the majority of the sheath, leaving the strip. Pull the strip to the end of the cable but not off. Push on your lug. Then cut remaining strip off. This way no strands are left behind.

Mad.

One thing I do when I crimp cables and need to worry about the orientation of the ends, I always add a little witness mark with a sharpie to make sure I do not accidentally twist the lug while inserting into the crimper.

Well done.

Best video ove ever seen crimping large gauge wire which i use for car audio

Wish I could have seen this two years ago. Thank you.

I have this tool or rather the "younger brother" version of it. The one I got can easily handle 1/0 and 2/0 size battery cables. I found the last part of your video quite educational as I never considered chopping up the crimp. Good to know that it does the job right.

Cool video for someone (me) who doesn't know anything. I think you did a great job showing my how to use my new hydraulic crimper. Really Helpful. New Sub.

Excellent video. Thanks! 👍

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

So how many tons are needed in a crimp? How do you choose?

Thanks for this. I always wondered how it was done.

Air gaps can happen with any crimped connection, home or professional. I suggest applying Burndy Penetrox A to the wire or a pretty good dose of it into the lug before crimping. That will fill any gap, keep conductivity high, and prevent corrosion. You have the proper amount when it bleeds a small amount out of the end of the lug after the crimp. Other than that small detail, your video is very helpful and spot on.

@alsavage1

Жыл бұрын

Isn't Burndy Penetrox A for assemblies in which one or more of the elements is aluminum? I don't see a recommendation from Burndy to use Penetrox on copper-copper assemblies . . . but I didn't look everywhere.

Well done

very interesting

This saw cuts like butter

Looks like you should invest in a decent fly swatter in addition to all your tools.

Great video

On the 500 pro lug, try and cut directly on the crimp lines and see if the copper is tighter there.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

I went back into the shop and took a look at where I cut, it was actually on one of the crimp lines, the 1/8" kerf of the blade cut off half of the crimp....It wasn't much tighter at all, it had about the same amount of air gaps on it. I like the 6 point crimp much more.

well done well worth it

Thank you for the video for taking the time to explain and compare. I have a feeling it didn’t take you 50 years to figure that out Lol like some knuckleheads here Seriously though I learned a lot much appreciated

I bought a TEMCo hydraulic crimper for my solar install. If I had known how easy it was to make my own battery cables, I would have been doing it years ago! I've come to the practice of rolling the cable insulation along the utility knife instead of cutting with the knife. The end result is that I have no cut strands.

@stovepipe9er

2 жыл бұрын

Are you happy with the hydraulic crimper? I just ordered one, I like the 1/2 sizes so you have some leeway for different thicknesses of copper lugs

@jimegan7077

2 жыл бұрын

@@stovepipe9er Yes, still happy with the TEMCo hydraulic crimper.

@stovepipe9er

2 жыл бұрын

@@jimegan7077 excellent, thanks for letting me know

@anthonymarino4260

Жыл бұрын

@@stovepipe9er I have the same crimper. works great

I'm no expert but my crimps when cut look like a solid piece of copper on those individual strands are very visible

Thanks very much for the tutorial. Your technique is second to none. I've been looking through several videos with regards to crimping and I found it with yours. Thanks again. Keep up the great videos. Joe

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!!

Man love that saw

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

The thing is pretty awesome I will admit

Great video, I watched a few videos before yours and thought to myself, hmmm, I don’t think they should crimp battery terminals with a chisel. I don’t think they realise that it should be compressed it to a smaller cross section. I was checking this out because I wasn’t sure if I should tin the cable before crimping, but you’ve answered my question. Thanks👍

Helpful and educational video. Good and straight to the point. Looks like you choose a die that's one step smaller than the cable od. Like your 4/0 cable using the 95mm2.

@peckerpeter2078

10 ай бұрын

AWG chart AWG # Diameter (inch) Diameter (mm) Area (kcmil) Area (mm2) 0000 (4/0) 0.4600 11.6840 211.6000 107.2193 000 (3/0) 0.4096 10.4049 167.8064 85.0288 Must of got a good crimp connection then.

You could increase the crimping force by sanding the anvil surfaces by 1mm ideally!

070521/1128h PST 🇺🇸 Thanks for the demo. Saw the difference between your crimp and the “Professional” one. Take care and 73s…

That red pixel drove me insane

excellent video! Goplus should be paying you a commission on every unit they sell... your video answered the specific questions i had about how good of a crimp i can get with this toll on large wire... no where on their pages does it actually make an actual crimp with the detail you have... thank you, i've subscribed!

I have a 10 meter tape,will that work,or do i need a bigger 1 thanks

Nice video. The only thing I like to do different (personal preference), I like to wipe the insulation and lug with a rag dampened with isopropyl alcohol prior to applying the shrink tube. I find the heat activated adhesive in the shrink tube really adheres better if any fingerprint oil or contaminate left by the manufacturer or by the crimper is removed. Also, I’d note TEMco sells referb units on E-bay. Mine I couldn’t tell from new, other than an oily residue (I suspect it had a failed or mis-installed seal and was returned and rebuilt). Saved $$$

Manufacturer Knipex Part Number 16 20 165 SB This stripper is infinitely adjustable and cuts the insulation quickly with no nicked strands.

I like to sand the inside of the lug before inserting the wire. But to each their own. Looks great

@aday1637

3 жыл бұрын

Lugs are tinned (solder coated) in many cases so you're just removing the solder. Silver based solder is 5% more conductive than copper.

@frankz1125

3 жыл бұрын

@@aday1637 I also do not get new ones often. I have an old box of lugs all different sizes.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Great idea for older lugs! Luckily for me, these were brand new.

I think that crimp you cut in the end had a gap totally because of the location you cut it. Very obvious to me.

Funny - I just bought a hydraulic crimper, some lugs and some welding cable to make up a battery test stand. First video on my recommended list is yours, showing how to use one properly. Is KZread stalking me? ;)

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Quite possibly!!

@jasonbrown467

3 жыл бұрын

i am pretty sure all the big companies share info, buy something on amazon then youtube starts recommending videos related.

I followed your instructions but I ended up with sharp flanges on either side of the lug where the gap in the die met. Any idea why this happened and how I can stop it from happening?

I don’t think the current-sensing shunt-bars are in the proper orientation. Many have the current carrying terminals oriented up/down, you want those oriented left/right. This way, air is drawn up through the precision manganese strips via convection for cooling. Although float current on the battery is small, discharge currents can be high enough to discolor the manganese without proper air-flow. Once discolored (purple-ish), their precision resistance is permanently out of calibration. Also, I’d avoid using metric dies on AWG wire. Metric with metric or awg with awg.

Thank you for this video. I see in the background you are using some screw-down lugs. How do you decide when to use a crimp versus a screw-down?

I use a cigar cutter to strip the insulation. Works on 2/0, I dont know about 4/0.

I always partially close the crimp dies but not so tight that it extrudes the lug material between the dies. Then I back off and rotate a flat then finish the crimp. If you extrudes and material between the dies it reduces the security of the crimp. I see so many poorly done crimps. Usually because of the wrong dies used or wrong lug for wire size.

@LawAbidingCitizen117

Жыл бұрын

Should we use die that is one size smaller for better crimp?

@jackster2568

9 ай бұрын

​@@LawAbidingCitizen117How is that a question? If it makes a better crimp then why would the manufacturer not make a smaller die to start of with? All you're going to do is damage the cable and lug and produce a point of failure.

What connector lug would you use going from a 2/0 cable into the small opening of a breaker?

Has anyone tried using Silver (Ag) foil between the lug and the bus bar to improve contact and reduce resistance across the joint?

So I'm having to redo my parents solar battery bank because our lead acid bank took a dump on us last year, we are replacing with lifepo4, would it be worth our while to go get one of these crimpers or could I make due with a hammer and swage block for crimping, also since we live in an area that gets rather humid would it be worth our while to use marine cable for the batteries

I worked in a shop rebuilding locomotives. I saw both soldered and crimped cables, but we only crimped...

What lug would you get and where to take a 2/0 cable to connect to a small breaker opening?

The explanation of the process is very good. One question though : Is it possible that your "evil chop saw" may have heated the cross section and fused the strands together making it look smooth almost solid copper.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

No, the stands are still distinguishable, just very tightly packed

so what size heat shrink does one need for 4/0

@HighTechLab

Жыл бұрын

I recommend 1” diameter

Great post!!! Those connectors you used to connect the batteries in series, I am looking to connect six 12v batteries in parallel. Where can I buy something similar to those?

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Email me at info@currentconnected.com

Nice video, but now I'm more interested in that saw blade! What make and model number is it? I'be been looking for a good metal chop-saw blade.

You gotta eye ball it all

Great video, thanks. Just one question, why do you use the heat shrink?

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

To keep things nicely sealed and to prevent any corrosion getting to the copper especially if you're using them with lead acid batteries

@SeriousSchitt

3 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab Thanks cobba. I reckon heat shrink can also dampen vibrations and help preserve the join by preventing conductor strands from fracturing. I think you need to view this guy's video, he says, nearer the end of his video, that heat shrink is only for cosmetic purposes, plus he's got a good style of crimping. Anyway check it out. kzread.info/dash/bejne/ip-Bxs6Jo6Xem8Y.html

@jasonbrown467

3 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab is is the fumes of the acid? or something else? maybe keeping oxygen from the copper?

@jackster2568

9 ай бұрын

​@@SeriousSchitthappen? The lug is mounted on a bus bar and the only way for the vibration to stop would be for the heat shrink to be between the lug and the bus bar. Do you think if I put a spring on the top of my car it will help with the suspension? Good thing that heat shrink is only for cosmetics and not for stupid things like insulation.

@SeriousSchitt

9 ай бұрын

@@jackster2568 Haha, good luck to ya.

8:17 I can still see individual strands indicating there is still air in between wire strands. Not tight enough. use one die size smaller and crimp it again, or insert shim to reduce the die radius and crimp again.

Curious what wire you are using, from what supplier? It looks quite good and flexible!

@carllennen3520

9 ай бұрын

Ancor has the best wire out there. Its highest quality marine grade wire. Each individual strand is tinned, and its VERY flexible.

Doesn't anybody make a crimper in the United States?

I used to make 500kcmil wire.

The gray cable looks like it came out of an AT&T installation

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

It's possible that it did!! I know telecom has a LOT of backup battery systems.

What brand wire is the best

Why do you need the heat shrink?

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Keeps moisture out of the joint. For best results use heat shrink that has glue on the inside.

@ursodermatt8809

3 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab and insulation for the stub

hey bud i watched your video and used your links to get the crimper, wire and the lugs and thanks for that. i do have a small problem, i hope someone can help. i am using 2awg wire and the die marked "35" in the hydrolic crimper tool, it crimps the lug just a tiny bit but the lug just falls off. i tried it several times, i am mechanically inclined and love a good puzzle but i cant figure this out. so then i moved onto the die marked "25" which is my next smallest die and is made for 3awg wire, and it just crushes that that poor lug onto the wire lol. it looks super solid but it looks wrong and abused. is my "35" die wrong? is my 2awg wire wrong? are my lugs wrong? its the lugs they send with the wire and the wire is clearly marked "2awg"......................please anyone, there is no damn local store that knows anything about this stuff. for now i guess i will crimp as if its 3 awg, but continue to use the "2awg" and lugs they sent, but i really need this solved asap.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

With my crimper I find the dye that is a little bit larger and just shave down the flat spots where the dies hit before the crimp is fully made. I use an angle grinder but a Dremel might work. This allows things to close up a bit more and establish a proper crimp

@jasonbrown467

3 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab that sounds like a good idea, do you think the "35" die was marked wrong, and maybe was for a bigger wire? or do you think my "2 awg" wire from windy nation or the lug was marked wrong? i have 2 giant battery banks i am building and i want to know for sure i am using 2 awg wire with the proper crimps. thanks again for all your help, you should see the cables i made a few years ago, they suck bad and i bought all the wrong stuff, none the less i am on the right path due to content like this.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

@@jasonbrown467 they are marked with mm² not awg. It's like thinking a 10mm wrench is an incorrectly marked 7/16 wrench. Sure you can grind a wrench to make the larger size fit but that doesn't mean it's wrong it's just a different unit of measurement. Windy Nation lugs are good ones. If they match your wire gauge then you should have no problem modifying the dies a little bit. I write with sharpie on all of mine when I get them dialed in for a particular lug and wire gauge.

@jasonbrown467

3 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab they are marked using mm², it doesnt say mm² specifically they all just numbers and i found a chart that says 2 awg wire requires the die stamped "35", for the record i never even heard of "mm²" before cracking open this set, who knows maybe i am missing something and will unravel this mystery in a few days.

@raydoescoolstuff1135

2 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab I used a grinder to adjust my 35mm to 2awg. It meant taking off about one mm. After I got it close, I dressed the surfaces flat and back into mating with one another by putting them back in the too and closing them down to almost snug on a thin metal file. The file takes off the high spots and you can keep tightening the tool a bit at a time as you get the surfaces back into sync with one another. Close is good enough and way better than what I can do with my eye alone. I've used the same kind of trick to fit stone, wood and metal objects together with a joint you can't get a piece of paper into. It's a bit of a pain with this tool because it is a little loose in the way it holds the dies. Thanks for the video.

what is the size of the heat shrink tubing?

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

When it is flat, it measures 1 1/2" wide, Not sure what that actually converts to in terms of diameter...I bought a kit that had the wire, lugs & heat shrink, so I didn't really have to figure out what size it should be.

@apivovarov2

2 жыл бұрын

wrong size

That's one bug terminal lug

Your crimp is OK, but I could see gaps on the one side after your cut. Your die was slightly undersized. There should be no gaps in a good crimp - it should be gas tight. The larger lug you cut open had gaps mainly due to your cut being in between the crimp zones. That was a poor cut more than a poor crimp.

@5:56 Sir, you need smaller diameter heat shrink for this connector/cable. Remember to slide it over BEFORE crimping!

@HighTechLab

2 жыл бұрын

Why smaller???

@apivovarov2

2 жыл бұрын

Example: Lets say we have 1" tubing 2:1. It can shrink to 1/2". The best fit will be in the middle - for 3/4" cable.

@HighTechLab

2 жыл бұрын

@@apivovarov2 based on your example I did this perfect. I am using one inch heat shrink that is a 3:1 tubing.

@dontblameme6328

2 жыл бұрын

@@HighTechLab All these people that don't have a KZread channel or any verifiable credentials whatsoever are sooooo critical of your effort.

If you're a full-time electrician why don't you just get a Greenlee battery-operated crimper? Everybody in my area uses them. Allot faster and way tighter. Looks a lot better in front of the customer if they ever walk in lol ;)Thanks for the vid!

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

Those are absolutely beautiful tools to have. The crimper I used however is about 60 bucks on Amazon and for the average Joe that doesn't do it for a living but wants to work on their RV it gets the job done a lot better than how some people cobble things together. By making a video showing how someone can do something cheap but still properly we save a lot of diyers the risk of having fires from doing things wrong and having bad connections

You forgot to mention where you got it from.

Holy crap, the big lug by itself costs $200? I thought those things are pretty cheap.

At 9:50 Why did you NOT cut the connector at the crimp, but at the high part where it was not crimped?

$200 for one lug, wow.

@VinoVeritas_

3 жыл бұрын

I don't believe that to be the truth.

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

So, I just went and looked this up - I totally misspoke. I recalled the $200 figure from research years ago. What the real situation was, was that I went to The Geek Group National Science Institute, a Nonprofit based out of Grand Rapids, MI. I was looking through their available materials and whatnot and offered $200 for a couple of fuses. Essentially, they were like !!! $200?!?!?!? Okay sure, but here, you can have the fuses, and this wire, and this shelf of capacitors, and these 3 NST's and OOOH Here's a 4000 Amp Current Transformer!!!! When I got home, I looked up the value of what I had got, and the reality is that the lugs are around 50 bucks each, and the 4 of them that were attached to the cables (Seen in the video) would be valued at $200, which is nowhere close to what I had paid. I was in-fact mistaken, and you can find them on Platt and Graybar for 40-50 bucks all day. The $200 figure was new price for all 4 lugs on the two cables, combined. I'm too young to be forgetting things already, lol.

What is the pressure in tons that your crimping tool delivers? 10t/12t/or 16t?

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

16. We have a link for it in the description

As a german i want my DIN VDE to cry with me :(

95mm² is actually 3/0 not 4/0.

I use a hammer... Just pound it against something solid, like a cement floor. I've never had one come off.

I will sell you a bunch of new 500 MCM lugs for $40 each

While reading the replies to my post below, regarding use of solder over crimp, I had to install my 'BS-prevention shield'. So many comment without practical experience. I've compared tens of thousands of crimp and solder joints in over 40 years experience (I'm 72). I've looked at and repaired more than most of you put together. Solder is far superior to crimp in so many ways. Yes there are codes, written by fools sitting at a desk. There are specific reasons why you would want a crimp (for convenience) over a solder. But I see none listed below in any of the replies that display any validity (only statements about dissimilar metals, overheating wires, etc - all of which apply to both crimp and solder). I'll take my practical experience over your book learned nonsense.

What’s with the sun glasses? Was the sun shining? Not cool!

@HighTechLab

3 жыл бұрын

They are 3M safety glasses...They just happened to be tinted. It's all that I could find at the time and wasn't going to use the saw without safety glasses. Ever had metal shavings in the eye? THAT is what's NOT COOL!!!!

@BenCos2018

3 жыл бұрын

You always want to wear some kind of safety glasses when you are using a saw

A 50 dollar amazon crimper is not going to give you "propper crimps"...