On Mon, 17 May 2021 13:52:45 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I've got in excess of a dozen sets of assorted pro crimp pliers. All for
different jobs. And still often haven't got the correct one. The three
quid DIY ones only suitable for the scrap box.

The most used one by far came from Vehicle Wiring Products, and works
nicely on car spade etc terminals. That were once the norm. It's a
double lever non ratchet type which cost a lot of money, and is NLA. But
produces a perfect heart shaped crimp exactly as you'd find on OEM
wiring.

IMHO, if you've not got the correct crimp tool, solder is likely better.

One of the few non correct crimp tools I've found satisfactory is a BNC
one, which works nicely for car plug leads. If you have to make your own
to get the correct lengths.

I bought a US navy set in a beautiful wood box off Ebay. Mint condition,
has about 20 interchangeable jaws. Sadly never found anything it fits.
;-)
Probably why it was mint.

I have a couple of Hellermann ratchet crimping tools from the 60s each
have a triple size jaw, which folds the crimped sleeve over the insulation
and conductor.