Need help finding dealer & best model 10 -120mm2 Crimp tool for my cables

LOL Cracker, you hijacked your own thread. Tee Hee. Angie

Cracker
One suggestion I could offer is that the same results as crimping can be obtained by soldering. Abet more messy but would save the cost of crimping tool. Also use heat shrink over the finished product would neaten up result and cover any shrinkage of the wire sheath.
Congratulations on the new van.

Laurie

Are you using it on critical systems (brakes/traffic lights)? If not, could you tow it to the bloke who was going to help & get him to do it on-van at his location? Griff

Be a little careful soldering connections that are critical (can deliver high amps ). Because of differing hardness of the area ... a soldered wire to copper wire sets up an early fatigue break at the copper wire/solder interface (with any movement). Before any heat shrinking can be done the flux salts have to be removed from the soldered joint to stop corrosion in the joint also. Modern vehicles and aircraft are crimped for this reason (long fatigue life at the joint) amongst others. I'm not sure what my crimpers go to, 35sq mm is the largest I've done on it but it might go higher as the jaws rotate to give a selection. They were over $600 some 7-8 years ago .... I'll check the specs. There was a pic of it some time back in the messages section I think ? When sealing cables I like to use the epoxy heatshrink that protects crimped joints from capillary moisture to stop copper electrolysis (external crimps). Purchased them from Carroll Terminal Company in Bris. Regards Anthony Explore this Great Land ...Do it Easy ...Tow a Bushtracker

If you find anything decent under $350.00 you will be lucky. These Carroll Crimp Tools are about the best and cheapest you will find. By the time you buy a small range of lugs that would probably add another $150.00 on to the price. I either go down to the local auto electrician and crimp the cables there, or if I have to do it at home I solder them. For that size cable you will need an LPG gas torch.

Cracker Check with you local marine store for a swaging tool. tgintl/jay

My crimper is the HDBTC Heavy Duty in the Carroll listing. It is adjustable from 16 to 120 sq mm. Shame I'm so far away .... from Vic. You might get away using a swaging tool for sail wire cables if you are familiar with the right crush for the terminal/cable used. Use the "jaw hex" , in the swaging tool, for the same outside diameter of the battery cable terminal as the sail wire swaging terminal (o/d). If in doubt compress it lighter rather than heavier as too heavy will crush copper strands and possibly sever quite a few. This will raise cable resistance and leave a cable/terminal joint that might fail over time. It needs to be quite firm but not crushed (which is easy to do with a hydraulic swage tool). Rotate the cable 90 degrees between the first crimp and the second ...this sets up a slightly different crimp alignment making it even harder (my theory anyway) to pull out. Regards Anthony Explore this Great Land ...Do it Easy ...Tow a Bushtracker

I always solder the smaller terminals < 10mm for security . I'm not prepared to solder on terminals for cable THIS BIG . I tried once and started to melt the outer sheath before the ( highly conductive copper) started to accept the solder........no, the only way will be crimping. I would drag the van to the original guy for crimping but he is in Newcastle and it appears that we will be heading North up through Mt Isa - Ayres rock etc... that's the plan as of todays date anyway ( changes every 2nd day or so ). So I will need to finish my electics prior to leaving Bribie Island with the van. For those that are intersted I have installed the Xantrex regulator with optional alternator sensor. I have equalised the two start batteries - in a hope to rid them of sulphation, which appears to have started...see how we go. Definatley a better regulator that the standard unit. The 70mm2 cable is ready to be layed inside the chassis rail ( when the crimper arrives ) .......yes it is welders cable. But don't get too excited......(some of you did). The reason that I use the welders cable ( and will wherever possible ) is that it is comprised of .18mm strands of copper as opposed to "auto stuff" which I measured was .30....SO you ask ? Less resistance / far more flexible / and is the same grade of cable (.18mm strand) as supplied by the "marine suppliers - except I pay about 30% less The other less obvious reason is that more .18 circles will fit inside 70mm2 than will .30 circles - so less "wasted" air gaps, in between the strands giving - .000272 ohms per metre resistance for the 70mm2 cable Cracker