Hydraulic crimping tool for battery cables

[fishrdan]

I'm looking to buy a hydraulic crimping tool for battery cables, automotive and boat. I've never used a hydraulic crimper, but they look like a better option than soldering on cable lugs. I don't have an issue soldering on lugs, but have a project that a crimper would work much better than soldering (and possibly melting things close to the cable).

Will an 8-ton crimper be sufficient to crimp up to 4/0 gauge cable? If not, what will fit the bill, 10 ton, 12 ton, 16 ton? I doubt I'll be crimping 4/0 gauge cable, more than likely 00 gauge or less most of the time.

Are the HF hydraulic crimpers any good, Ebay. Any horror stories or models to stay away from? I'm not looking to buy a high dollar crimper, something in the $30-50 range.

Suggestions?

 

[sam am I]

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/othe...rminal-crimper


One of our underground Mancha's battery boxes I re-did not too long ago, new batts and customs cables , needed a decent crimper

 

[fishrdan]

Thanks Sam, that's one of the models/sizes I was looking at, and glad to see it worked well for those heavy cables you were crimping. Appreciate the thread link, it answered a bunch of my questions.

 

[sam am I]

No problem and glad it helped...

 

[blamtro]

I bought this and was impressed with it: https://m.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html

Very happy after a couple dozen to rewire the dual battery system with ACR.

 

[harringtondav]

I bought something very close to this to swage cable fittings. It's basically double hinged bolt cutter with four sizes of crimping sizes. Very powerful. "Swaging tool" is the search keyword. BTW, I swear by Harbor Freight as shown above.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-S...CABEgJdZfD_BwE

 

[MTboatguy]

I use the HF ones and have been for over 10 years now, when I was helping out at my buddy's camper shop, they got used a lot and held up just fine.

 

[poconojoe]

If you're just doing a few crimps, you can get a manual one that you hit with a hammer. This is what I did and it worked great.

EDIT:
Whoa! Those hydraulic ones are way inexpensive! I just looked them up. 10 ton kit for like $40! No brainer...buy the hydraulic one! I'm used to the very sophisticated super expensive units I've used as an electrician. (I'm retired now)

 

[sam am I]

EDIT:
Whoa! Those hydraulic ones are way inexpensive! I just looked them up. 10 ton kit for like $40! No brainer...buy the hydraulic one! I'm used to the very sophisticated super expensive units

:thumb:

 

[fishrdan]

Looks like I'm going with the 10-ton model. Thanks for the input guys!

Whoa! Those hydraulic ones are way inexpensive! I just looked them up. 10 ton kit for like $40! No brainer...buy the hydraulic one! I'm used to the very sophisticated super expensive units I've used as an electrician. (I'm retired now)

I know where you're coming from. The RJ45 crimping tool I have was $80, 20 years ago, but it's top of the line... I bet it's still working perfectly fine when the $40 hydraulic crimper has made it's way into the trash bin.