Crimping terminals with a hammer vs. proper crimpers - night and day

I used to be that guy who would just smash ring terminals onto battery cables with a hammer and call it good. Did it for like 5 years on customer trucks because I figured tight is tight right? Then last December I had a 2016 Kenworth T680 come back to my shop in Tucson with a no-start. Found the main positive cable end hanging loose at the starter. I had put that on 3 months earlier. I felt like an idiot when I saw it. Now I use a proper hydraulic crimper for anything 4 gauge or bigger. Cost me $150 but I havent had a single cable fail since. Anyone else ever cheap out on crimping and regret it later?

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2 Comments

cole_patel413mo ago

Used to be the same way honestly, thought a hammer was good enough for anything bigger than 10 gauge. Then I had a battery terminal melt on a buddy's backhoe and realized it was my sloppy crimp causing resistance. Changed my mind real quick after that.

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casey8433mo ago

Switched to a hydraulic crimper after that. Night and day difference.

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