That $80 crimper set I bought on Amazon is a total waste

Tbh I thought I was saving money by skipping the $200 name brand crimper and grabbed a cheap set off Amazon. It worked fine for about 15 connectors before the jaws started slipping and crushed two pins on a harness I was building for a Garmin install. Wasted about 4 hours re-doing that harness and another $30 on replacement connectors. Has anyone else had luck with a mid-range brand that doesn't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_hayes1mo ago

Bought a middle of the road brand once and it worked okay but I swear the ratchet mechanism felt like it was about to snap off every time I squeezed it. Actually had to take a break and shake my hand out like a wimp after like five crimps. That Amazon special definitely got me too, ended up tossing it in the back of a drawer where tools go to die. Now I just borrow my buddy's expensive one and pretend I didn't crush half the pins on my own project.

blake_cooper1mo agoMost Upvoted

lol "tools go to die" - that's where my last two crimpers ended up too. @david_hayes I swear I still have a scar on my palm from squeezing one so hard it slipped and the ratchet caught my skin. Borrowing your buddy's nice one and pretending you didn't mess up any pins is the real pro move.