Walked into a hangar in Phoenix last week and saw 3 mechanics all using different crimpers for the same connector

I was out in Phoenix for a job swap and noticed nobody could agree on which tool to use for D-sub pins. One guy had a ratchet style, another used a manual squeeze, and the third just twisted and soldered. Has anyone else run into this kind of tool chaos on the line?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellas568d ago

And that twisting and soldering method is a good example of why we have this mess. I've seen guys who swear by the ratchet style for the consistent pressure, but then you get a pin that's a little off and it crimps crooked. The manual squeeze gives you more feel but you better have strong hands for a whole panel of pins. What really gets me is that nobody ever seems to check their crimp height afterwards with a gauge. They just pull on the wire and call it good. That's where most of the intermittent issues start, especially in the Phoenix heat where the insulation gets soft.

mila_reed8d ago

The "pull on the wire and call it good" thing drives me crazy, I've seen way too many failures that trace back to that exact mindset. It's like people forget that a crimp that feels tight now can loosen up after a few heat cycles or vibrations. Idk, maybe I'm just overly cautious but spending that extra minute to actually verify the crimp height seems like a no-brainer to me.