I have been using screw terminals one way or another since I was a kid, and they have not changed much, but oddly I have never heard of bootlace crimp ferrules. I blogged recently about how annoyed I was with screw terminals, and they were recommended.
Turns out they are very common, sold in electrical stores, RS, Farnell, even Maplin. I ordered from RS, and got the recommended crimp tool. I then did some re-wiring of an alarm system and used them.
Summary: I like bootlace crimp ferrules and will use them - but get the right crimp tool.
They are simple, a metal tube and a plastic shoulder/sleeve. You poke the wire in, and crimp.
I used the RS crimp tool, this one...
The result was a tad unexpected. The crimp was crimped to the wire by alternating flattening of the crimp at 90 degree angles...
This made the ferrule weaker, and likely to snap - it can even happen trying to remove from the crimp tool itself!
Whilst it is well connected and crimped, this can make it a pain to try and push in to a screw terminal.
Even so, I continued, and found I massively prefer using these to not. But I thought I would investigate more, and found a different crimp tool - this one (also from RS)...
The end moves so you can crimp on the end or the side, which is a nice touch, but the crimps it makes are much much nicer...
This does not snap or bend, and is securely crimped. Stripping the wires very long like this ensures the wire is all the way through, and as it happens the crimps (you can buy different lengths) were slightly too long, so you clip them down to fit once crimped...
The only thing that needs slightly more planning is when putting two wires in, for that you use a double ferrule which is wider and a bigger tube. It means planning ahead slightly more, but well worth it.
And they work really well.
And as promised, here is the video...
P.S. This crimp tool is awesome...
Actually, very fine wires don't crimp perfectly, but AWG22 is fine. The other Weidmüller crimp works even on very small wires...
Yeah - never look back! I use and like http://amzn.to/2A6XhLe for most of the sizes I work with (1mm^2 to 6mm^2). Also, if doing mains stuff, check out Wago connectors - THE best thing for solid and stranded termination.
ReplyDeleteOK then - power of the Internet - what is the absolute best for (a) RJ45 plugs; (b) RJ45 sockets; and (c) RJ45 patch panels. Although I am perfectly technically capable of all three, and indeed I do not do many of them at all, when I do fit them they are very frustrating because the work is so slow and fiddly and my brain is working 10 times faster than the work can be done. Is there a better way?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the purpose of the plastic bit on the ferrule? I was expecting the plastic to be crimped around the wire's insulation to provide some strain relief, but it doesn't look like that happens.
ReplyDeleteProbably mostly to provide colour coding, each diameter of ferrule is a different colour.
DeleteWell, they are "insulated" so I assume to provide extra insulation. The colours are indeed by size as per my video, but there are two standards for that (at least).
DeleteAlso a larger hole in to which to poke the wires, which is always useful.
DeleteI've always used this style of tool for crimping ferrules:
ReplyDeletehttps://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp-tools/8485620/
They make very satisfying hexagonal crimps.
That looks very nice
DeleteI have one now, and it is nice.
DeleteBet you’ve spent the best part of 500 quid on these three crimp tools!
DeleteI like the idea but £157 for the Weidmuller tool is a little expensive. Is it really that much better than the £14 device mentioned by Christian above? Are there any others that people recommend?
ReplyDeletejust a note, that the amazon link above is an affiliate tracking link, in case anyone is opposed to ordering unwittingly from a link that gives commission
ReplyDeleteLike many RS Pro crimping tools, stock number 399-2031 is actually a rebadged Pressmaster product, in this case the PZD 3. http://www.pressmaster.se/product/pzd_3
ReplyDelete