Home Made Battery Cables

[Gary Lewis]

Further to my thinking about crimpers, the previous one I listed is overkill for what we are doing as it has die for very large wire.  But TEMco has this smaller one: TEMCo Hydraulic Cable Lug Crimper TH0006 V2.0 5 US TON 12 AWG to 00 (2/0) that is "only" $115. And it looks to be just the right size for what I do.  Plus, its die are also AWG sized, like its big brother.

However, you need to be careful in the reviews on Amazon.  In the case of both the TEMco crimpers they are advertising the V2.0 crimper, but most of the reviews are for the earlier version, which didn't have the AWG die.  The 5 ton V2.0 says that it came out on Sept 1st, 2020, so any review prior to that, and maybe even after that, would have been for the old version.

[Andrew1983F100]

Gary Lewis wrote

Yep, and I've tried to pull them apart.  They seem to be truly fused.  And the insulation goes right up to the spot where they are fused, so there wasn't much heat.

I've been thinking about my 16-ton crimper, and I don't want people to think it is the best thing since sliced bread.  It has worked for me, but I have always had the problem of it not crimping correctly, which I attributed to the die being sized for metric wire.  To compensate I've been using the much thicker Magnalugs, but even then the die leave "wings" sticking out to the side.

Given that and the fact that my crimper is now failing I've been keeping my eyes open for a possible replacement.  And I may have found one.  It is called TEMCo Industrial Hydraulic Cable Lug Crimper TH0005 V2.0, and while it is $140 it has AWG die instead of metric ones.  In fact, it has 32 die sets from 10 gauge to 600 MCM, including half-steps between sizes so you fine tune your crimps.

And, on the TEMco site they say "Leading competitors flattened hex profile attempts to compensate for poor die to terminal fit. This under crimps and often leaves sharp “wings.”  That seems to perfectly describe my die.

I'm not ready to buy, but I am saying that the run-of-the-mill Chinese crimpers don't have the right die.  So if any of you know of other crimpers that appear to have the right die, meaning ones that are in AWG sizes, please let me know.

Nice find, i am liking what i see

[Gary Lewis]

Don’t miss the smaller, 5 ton TEMco crimpers. I’m going to call them in a bit to make sure I understand, but I think the die are narrower and that probably makes the PSI adequate for up to 2/0 wire.  And I don’t need to go larger than that, so I think the smaller device is what I want.

[kramttocs]

I have the one (different brand but same thing) in the first post of Gary's as well as the smaller version of it and have no complaints. I've used them quite a bit over the past year and they have always done great.

[Gary Lewis]

Scott - Just to make sure I understand, the Chinese yellow-colored one.  Right?  Not the TEMco ones?

Speaking of TEMco, I had several questions for them about their crimpers so called this morning at 10:00 and had to leave a message to call me back.  As of 2:00 they hadn't called so I called back and spent 30 minutes on hold.  At the end of that time they booted me off hold and had me leave another message.  Not too pleased, but I'll give them a chance.  

[kramttocs]

You got it - the Chinese yellow ones that are rebranded under who knows how many names.

You said yours (large one) gave out? Anything the repair kit they provided would fix?

[Gary Lewis]

Mine didn't come with a repair kit.  Looks like it needs an o-ring.  But I'm not really wanting to take it apart and go find the right o-ring as I'm not all that happy with it anyway.

So I'm seriously considering just replacing it and maybe giving it to my nephew if he doesn't have one.  Obviously he will need to replace the o-ring.  And, he'll need to use Magnalugs.  But even then it doesn't really do the job as it leaves "wings".

[kramttocs]

I know what you mean. I start with a larger size and then work my way to the "correct" size. That helped a lot but on occasion I still had to take the finished cable over to the bench grinder to remove the wings before I applied the heat shrink. Fingers crossed this AWG one doesn't require any extra steps.

[Gary Lewis]

I fold the wings back on the terminal with the crimper by turning it such that the wings catch in the corners of the die and then lightly crimping them.  But I get wings on all the crimps using this crimper, which is why I'm hoping the AWG-sized die make the difference.

However, I'm learning a bit about crimping, wire sizes, terminals, etc.  And apparently there is a correct crimped "size" for each terminal.  Still reading and searching...  

[85lebaront2]

There is also on Navy work a pull out spec that varies with cable size. I tested many of them for X31 (electricians).

[ArdWrknTrk]

I was watching a Canadian guy that does audio and first responder fit outs with that same lug press (I wouldn't call it a crimper) and he doesn't seem to have the issue with 'wings'.

I will have to burrow into my viewing history and find it.
Maybe you will notice something he does different?

[Gary Lewis]

Bill - So far I've not been able to find any specs on crimp sizes.  In fact, I just spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Amy at QuickCable, who make the MagnaLugs, trying to find that info.  She asked around and no one seemed to have it, so she sent a note to Engineering.  But what she suggested was to test the pull-out.  Yes, I'm sure that's the best way to test, but obviously we don't have the equipment with which to do that.  

One thing I've read is that there is a volume for a successful crimp of a given size of wire.  And since each terminal manufacturer knows the the thickness of the walls on their terminals, they should then know the outside dimensions of a successful crimp.  But I'm sure not finding that info.

One thing that the TEMco page touts about their crimpers is that they are truly hex shaped - as you can see on the page below.  That got me to wondering about the die on my crimper, so I measured a couple of them.  The one marked 300 is 21.86 mm high and 23.86 mm wide.  The one marked 70 is 12.36 mm high and 13.82 wide.  In other words, as you crimp they are pushing more to the side, which probably contributes to the "wings".

[Gary Lewis]

Jim - Maybe he knows something I don't, but I'd sure like to know it.  So if you can find that video I'll happily watch it.

[Machspeed]

Look what I started....lol! After searching and studying and knowing that I may use a crimper/swedging tool  for battery cables 2-3 times at best, I'm gonna have mine made by the outfit I posted previously. Have fun with your crimpers guys...   

[Gary Lewis]

You and I, John, are doing very different things.  In your case you are replacing factory cables, and the lengths aren't critical.  Plus, you can usually turn to the factory lit to find the length they used.

But the majority of the cables I've made have needed to be custom lengths.  The first use of my crimper was on the boat where I made 2/0 cables to go from the battery selector switch on the starboard side to the batteries on the port side.  And, from the switch to the alternator.

For Big Blue the first use was installing the 3G alternator, and I needed a cable from the alternator to the megafuse on the power distribution box.  Then one from the megafuse to the battery.  And neither of those were standard lengths.

Then on the driver's side I made cables to go from the aux battery to the battery isolator, from the isolator to the megafuse, and from the megafuse to the aux power relay.  All of that was in about a 3' run, and with #2 cable you'd best get the length and clocking correct as there isn't much twist to that cable in those short runs.

Then I had a ~10' run from the aux power relay to the inverter, down the fender liner, under the rocker panel, up into the cab in the corner, across the cab under the "step" that the carpeted trucks have, and up into the storage unit and the inverter.  That length was critical but it wasn't going to be easy to measure at all as getting a tape to conform the way #2 wire does wasn't going to be easy.  So I decided that starting with a terminal on the end at the inverter and just running the wire where it needed to go was the best way.  Got it run from the inverter up to the relay, marked it, fished it back, and installed the connector.

Plus, 10 different ground cables, as shown below.  True, two of them are what you are doing, but the other 8 weren't.  

Oh yes, there were 6 cables for the winch: power & ground from the battery to the connector; from the connector to the winch; and the 10' jumper that goes between the two connectors to allow the winch to be on the trailer.

All in all, I just counted 23 cables I made for Big Blue.  (I forgot to tell you about the ground from the inverter to the frame.)  With the 3 cables I made for the boat, that makes 52 terminals I've crimped - successfully.  And a few more that didn't pass muster.  I think maybe I see why the o-ring gave up the ghost on this crimper.  

[Machspeed]

Yeah Gary, you needed cable crimpers after all that, for sure! I think I may just take a ride to Skiatook should I need some serious cable crimping. A guy I know there will have one of those high $$$ crimpers and just itching to use it....

BTW, I read today that soldering those connectors in is actually a stronger hold!

http://test.quickcable.com/products.php?pageId=74

[Gary Lewis]

Come on up, John!

Seriously, I do plan to replace this crimper as it is leaking and I don't want to repair it 'cause I don't like it anyway.  But right now the TEMco crimper isn't available until April, so we'd have to make do with Old Yeller.

[Machspeed]

I passed through Collinsville today on my way to Nowata and thought about ya! I gotta get up there sometime and check out the place, Big Blue, Dad's Truck, and that Super Bee!!!

[Gary Lewis]

I missed the bit about soldering.  Hadn't seen the Fusion Connectors.  Your link takes you to battery connectors, but there are also Fusion® Solder MagnaLugs®.  And those are game changers.  Hmmmm, maybe I don't need to crimp?  

[Gary Lewis]

We probably were close as Janey and I were in Owasso running errands and came back through Collinsville.