[kwlug-disc] RJ45 crimper -- good brand?

Fri Jun 17 14:43:11 EDT 2016

If you're only looking to do a few 'here and there', check out Orion
Electronics or KW Surplus.  The crimpers they sell are... or were... only
about $25 and they have served me well over the course of about, probably
three to four hundred crimps in their life, so far.  They're not fancy, but
they have a sharp blade for stripping and another for cutting the wires
flush...

They are similar to these:

http://www.cameras-cctv.com/fs/img/product/rs-800x600/13314-1291933603-se-alcm02.jpg

Again, cheap, work pretty well for a few crimps now and then, but
definitely not for commercial work.

On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 9:47 AM, CrankyOldBugger <crankyoldbugger at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I have a crimper but to be honest, I really suck at CAT5 cabling.
> Electrical, stereo and phone cabling I can do well.  But CAT5 always gave
> me trouble.  And I have a lot of cabling that needs to be done at home.  I
> usually just buy pre-cut cables and trust in the manufacturer.
>
>
> On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 at 09:42 John Van Ostrand <john at vanostrand.com> wrote:
>
>> I've used a few and I don't really prefer one over another. Since I've
>> stopped working, and left all those cool tools with my former business
>> partner, I've had to acquire a new crimper to do some home cabling. Now
>> that I only do a few plugs every year I just bought a cheap one at Home
>> Depot for about $60. I think it was "Ideal" brand.
>>
>> The technique I use to ensure a good crimp is that I cut back the
>> insulation, rip cord and core (if it's cat6)  an extra half centimetre,
>> arrange the wires in order. You can straighten curly wires by pinching the
>> wire between finger and thumb and bending back and forth slightly while
>> pulling the wire through the punch, shift it 90 degrees and do it again.
>> Once in order do the same pinch technique with all the wires at one, it
>> tends to make them stay put better. Trim the extra half centimetre off to
>> get a nice straight edge. Now that the wires are prepared here re the most
>> important steps.  I insert the wires into the plug and push firmly to seat
>> them. I do a visual to make sure I didn't accidentally cross wires and that
>> the wire insulation extends under the cable clamp, then I put it in the
>> crimper and ensure that I can see all 8 "dots" (wires) clearly from the end
>> of the plug. This ensures that all wires are fully seated. After a firm
>> crimp (or two) I inspect the brass contacts to ensure they are all sunken.
>> Running a thumbnail over the ridges to ensure they are all sunken also
>> works.
>>
>> To get a feel for what the dots looks like, experiment a little. Leave a
>> wire out and see if you can tell the difference.
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 11:17 PM, Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> wrote:
>>
>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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>>>
>>> I've got one similar to this:
>>>
>>>
>>> https://shop.primespec.com/100054c/ez-rjpro-hd-crimp-tool-platinum-tools.html
>>>
>>> It's meant for the kind of RJ-45 plugs where you can push the wires
>>> right through the front of the plug, to make sure you've got them in
>>> the correct order. The plugs with the open fronts cost a bit more, but
>>> you end up wasting fewer from bad crimping.
>>>
>>> The ratchet is handy too; closing the tool most of the way before the
>>> ratchet disengages is a handy way to put it in storage.
>>>
>>> Biggest beef: The wiring diagram on the shank lists the correct
>>> colours and pin numbers, but it's exactly UPSIDE-DOWN from the way the
>>> plug is inserted in the crimper. Never thought I'd be complaining
>>> about UX on a hand tool, but there you are.
>>>
>>> Although I linked to Primespec, I'd see if they're available from
>>> Sayal, who seem to have an amazing collection of tools. Primespec does
>>> differential pricing, depending on which customer you are. When I've
>>> bought stuff (cable, conduit) for one customer it's one price, when I
>>> buy for a different customer it's a different price. And if you get a
>>> vendor account with them they tell you their price list is
>>> confidential. No wonder.
>>>
>>> - --Bob.
>>>
>>> - --
>>> Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>          Phone: +1-519-635-9413
>>> SOBAC Microcomputer Services             http://sobac.com/sobac/
>>> Software   ---   Office & Business Automation   ---   Consulting
>>> GnuPG Fngrprnt:04F7 742B 8F54 C40A E115 26C2 B912 89B0 D2CC E5EA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2016-06-16 09:44 PM, William Park via kwlug-disc wrote:
>>> > I posted this to GTALUG... so please ignore if you've seen this
>>> > before.
>>> >
>>> > I know some of you (at least 2) are pros at cabling.  I want to buy
>>> > RJ45 crimper, so I can - make ethernet cables of exact length I
>>> > need, and - re-crimp when the plastic tab breaks off.
>>> >
>>> > Which brand do you recommend? What do pros use, anyways?
>>> >
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>>> iEYEARECAAYFAldja6sACgkQuRKJsNLM5eoo+QCfZfCsyVqCsamLiP09igu2MeKA
>>> 5lIAoLesjU2yp9tD8XwL6EBF0e5DK+Ie
>>> =Za/4
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> John Van Ostrand
>> At large on sabbatical
>>
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