On Dec 2, 2:45*am, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:

My dislike of the pre-insulated types is the crimp consists of flattening
the part in contact with the cable.
[ want cardioid crimp cross section, not oval]
You can't produce this sort of shape with a pre-insulated type as it would
pierce the insulation.

The large crimp tools I've used have hydraulic rams and make a hexagon
shape; it works fine, and is very reliable. Smaller ones make a
cruciform
shape (and those include military/aircraft grade crimpers), also very
reliable. Very small crimpers for sheetmetal U preforms also can be
very reliable.

And the good insulated terminals I use are compatible with the
cardioid
crimp, it apparently doesn't destroy the plastic (but the part of the
insulation where the crimp tool bears down isn't always pretty
looking).
My crimp pliers are good forged steel Kleins, but some of the better
sheetmetal pliers (buy a brand name, like AMP or Channellock, there's
some baddies out there) also work. I always thought the OVAL
crimp was intended only to deform the insulation over the wire to
make a dirt seal, not to make the electric/mechanical crimp.