"Bud--" wrote in message
.. .

Do garden variety crimps, like panduit, work reliably on #14 and lagrer
wire?

Yes. But as was mentioned before, they will not work with garden variety
crimp tools. This doesn't mean to have to spend a fortune - just get one
that's more than two flat or almost-flat jaws that do nothing but flatten
the sleeve. They need to have a groove into which the sleeve fits snugly -
that keeps the crimp from moving sideways. Some tools have several grooves
to fit different size crimps. Fancier tools use different dies that you
install based on the work you're doing. This is probably overkill for
household work because you're likely to be working with at least two wire
sizes - 12 and 14, so you'll want to be able to switch quickly.

On the opposite jaw, there'll be a tooth which creates a deep dimple in the
metal sleeve. The sleeves have a split on one side - a seam, actually. The
whole system works best when the dimple is made at a point that's 180
degrees opposite that seam. This is one reason why the translucent
connectors are better - it's easier to see the seam, so you can work more
quickly.

If you stay tuned, I'll post some pictures over the weekend, showing the
tool, and properly made connections.