YQK crimping tool

Hmmmm, Nice, ure would be easy to make up battery innerconnects eh? I'd also like to get a crimper for solar SMK connectors as well.

I have the same unit you ended up with along with a harbor freight smaller unit. between the two units all my larger lugs are now covered. has worked well for several years for me.

Thanks for the mini-review, Jim.

Whew. I had thought the 16-ton set with 11-dies would do everything up to and including 4/0 lugs. If it can't reach then 2/0 with cast copper lugs is out of the question. Thanks dor the 1/0 limit heads-up!

Mex

The 12 ton is limited to 1/0, the 16 ton should handle 4/0 as there are three die sets beyond the 120 size needed of 1/0. The 240 die set is a inch across the opening and 13/16 between the two dies when closed.

I'll dig up a mic and list the die sizes as they relate to inches/MMs.

I did ask the seller if I could buy the smaller die sets even though I have smaller crimpers. One I found on ebay as a "vintage" crimping tool, lol click

I really don't want to buy 1/0 lugs at $5 each to test, nor do I want to waste much of the wire. 3/8's copper tube might fit 1/0, if not 1/2 inch will. come to think of it, cut it, clean it, tin it and either flatten and drill the end or keep recrimping the end down to a 2 gauge size for the controller and I'd have lugs.

The shipping weight of the tool is 9 pounds and the case is 3/4s of the size of the sawzall case. Here at the house the basement and garage are full of 30 years worth of tools and I have room. I wouldn't want to have to store two of these in a RV.

When I make lugs, I set up an assembly line
I flatten the end of the copper tube in the vise
Then I center punch where I want the hole
Then drill the hole ( this way I can hold on to the pipe/tubing)
Then I cut off the lug from the tubing and start over
Only takes a couple of minutes per lug
I'll make more than I intend to immediately use
And make several sizes ( if needed for back up supply)
This happens about once a year,
Just went through this last Friday, I needed lugs for making inter connects for the new batteries

MrWizzard, Can you provide PICS of your process, sounds interesting. Never thought of making my own!

I'm thinking of going this route as just connecting the controller would take over $50 worth of lugs. I have the monster vise and a drill press. Do you tin before or after making them?

The cast lugs I like are about 3/8" thick. It takes a full-on 4/0 die which barely fits over a cast lug and battery terminal clamp. I make up 2/0 AWG cables for diesel pickups and I don't screw around with cheap terminals. The clamps and lugs I use are TTMA lead coated not tinned. Yes I carbon rod solder them and yes I use a cartridge filter mask and vapor-proof goggles for Pb Protection.

The mic is in a tool bag at work so I used a compass and ruler to measure, things might be a mm off.

these are the dies that came with the 16 ton tool. The first number is the opening across the die, the second is the opening between the two dies closed.

#240 1 inch by 13/16

#185 7/8 by 3/4

#150 27/32 by 11/16

#120 23/32 by 5/8

#95 5/8 by 17/32

#70 17/32 by 15/32

#50 7/16 by 3/8

#25 3/8 by 5/16

#16 1/4 by 1/4

One thing I did notice is with a few of the die sets I had to flip one over to get the dies to line up properly.