These crimpers are a bit expensive in my opinion but they came very highly recommended. They are made in Japan and are well known.
I searched for them by name because someone I trust told me they were the best. I don't mind spending a bit more to get high quality tools but at first glance, they didn't seem very special to me. They are light. The grips are very fancy but nothing too special. They do work really well so I do not regret the purchase. They make good reliable and verifiable crimps. (more on the verifiable part later)
I have only used them on Molex Micro-fit so far but I plan to use them for JST and other connectors in the future. They do not ratchet like some less expensive crimpers but for small connectors the ratcheting is not needed. (maybe not even good) With the ratcheting crimpers I could destroy a plug and not even feel it. With these you get more of a feel for what you are doing. (you feel it when you destroy a connector or when you get it work perfectly) You can over crimp a connector with these and I don't think you can do that with the ratcheting crimpers.
You can actually see what you are doing with these. They are so thin you can look from both sides. You crimp the wire and insulation separately unlike the big thick ratcheting crimpers that do both at the same time.
I start with the stripped electrical wire crimp first. I close the wings of the terminal just a little with the end of the tool, then insert it into the appropriate groove with the wings facing the bottom of the groove. I squeeze the crimper very carefully to get the wings in the right spot. (so it bottoms out in the groove) Then I put the wire in the right spot between the connector and the grove, holding it tight against the connector and squeeze to crimp. It rolls the wings up on both sides and looks like a factory connection if everything goes well.
I check that connection since it is the most important one and them move onto crimping the insulation. I tug on them a bit and if it falls out I start over.
I crimped a dozen or more connectors worth of crimps with it so far. (and more to come)
I had so much trouble crimping small connectors in the past that I dreaded doing it again. (with the cheap ratcheting crimpers)
Those ratcheting crimpers are ok but you can't see much, you can't feel anything and my failure rate was pretty high. Even if I was successful, the wires would fall out randomly.
These didn't exactly make it easy but my success rate went way up as did my confidence in the actual connectors. That was the most important thing to me, to get good crimps and have solid wiring on my project. (no wires falling out)
I guess the biggest thing is that these have very small grooves and the thickness of the crimper varies based on the size of the groove. I found that matching the thickness of the tool with the area to be crimped was more important than the width of the groove. Because of this, I use the end of the tool which works a bit like a needlenose pliers, to squeeze the wings in just a bit. Then I fit it in the groove that I select. (not based on the width of the groove) You don't want a larger groove if you are going to crimp part of the connector that you didn't want to. When I first got the tool, I picked a groove based on the opening of the groove. That didn't work well because the tool was too thick there and crimped by insulation wings or the connector itself. Making the wings of the connector fit the groove with the proper thickness works much better. (just my opinion) Ok so there are several steps that didn't exist with the ratcheting crimper now that I think about it.
After I crimp I had to pull the connector out of the tool. (it was stuck in the groove) Not a very automated process but a verifiable and repeatable multistep process instead. (with a higher success rate though)
I really do like being able to pull on the wire after I crimped it. That is the reason to buy this tool. You can't do that with the ratcheting crimper and at times when I crimped with the ratcheting crimpers, the only thing holding the wire in place was the crimp on the insulation!!! Those were failed crimps but they weren't always obvious.
This two step process avoids that issue and you can test the crimp on the wire before proceeding to the insulation. You can still mess up the second crimp but you know the first one was good either way. Again I squeeze the wings in a bit to get them started.
In summary, the tool is expensive. It feels ok but doesn't feel like a $40 crimper until you use it a bunch. (even then seems a little overpriced) I know there are knockoffs but my friend told me to get this one and that it would make my life easier and my crimps more reliable. I watched some videos and decided to get this brand instead of a knock off. Crimping tiny connectors is a pain. (if you don't do it often that is) This tool seems to make crimps more reliable once you figure it out. Verifying the crimp on the wire alone is very valuable!! I still dread the idea of crimping tiny little connectors but I have more confidence now because I have a better tool.
| Brand | ENGINEER |
|---|---|
| Color | Orange |
| Item Weight | 0.14 Kilograms |
| Handle Material | Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) |
| Grip Type | Ergonomic |
| Product Dimensions | 6.89"L x 2.24"W |
| Manufacturer | エンジニア(ENGINEER) |
| Part Number | PA-09 |
| Item Weight | 4.8 ounces |
| Item model number | PA-09 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 極小端子用 |
| Style | 1) For Micro Terminals |
| Material | Body: High carbon steel (S55C); Grip: Elastomer |
| Pattern | Single Item |
| Power Source | No |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Measurement System | metric |
| Usage | Professional |
| Included Components | No |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
