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bad luck
07-03-2013, 06:15 AM
I know a lot of people really disagree on whether to solder terminals or not. I think if you do it right soldering is very good, but if you get carried away, and let the solder wick up the wire it will make it brittle and may break there, especially if you don't use heat shrink tubing on it. But I don't solder the terminals, aircraft, and auto manufactures do not solder any of the wiring and it is not just for cost savings. It has proven to be more reliable, I read that Nasa doesn't either. From what I have read if a wire is terminated correctly it is cold welded into one solid conductor. I have cut some of the terminals I crimped and it sure appears to be that way. And as Josh has said the el cheapo crimpers from most auto parts stores won't do a decent job. I have a few crimpers, but I like the Xcelite ratcheting crimper, it has interchangeable dies and is made by Pressmaster in Sweden. The boat guys have a lot more vibration than we do in our jeeps, and I don't think any boat builders solder their terminations either. But make sure to use heat shrink tubing on all of the wire terminals, it is great stuff.

Mudderoy
07-03-2013, 07:04 AM
I know a lot of people really disagree on whether to solder terminals or not. I think if you do it right soldering is very good, but if you get carried away, and let the solder wick up the wire it will make it brittle and may break there, especially if you don't use heat shrink tubing on it. But I don't solder the terminals, aircraft, and auto manufactures do not solder any of the wiring and it is not just for cost savings. It has proven to be more reliable, I read that Nasa doesn't either. From what I have read if a wire is terminated correctly it is cold welded into one solid conductor. I have cut some of the terminals I crimped and it sure appears to be that way. And as Josh has said the el cheapo crimpers from most auto parts stores won't do a decent job. I have a few crimpers, but I like the Xcelite ratcheting crimper, it has interchangeable dies and is made by Pressmaster in Sweden. The boat guys have a lot more vibration than we do in our jeeps, and I don't think any boat builders solder their terminations either. But make sure to use heat shrink tubing on all of the wire terminals, it is great stuff.

When I installed my alarm system I split the multi thread wires in half making a hole, passed the other wire thru that hole and wrapped it around the wire I just passed thru. Then soldered it.

I think soldering a wire makes it very much like a solid core wire. This is good for electron flow, but bad for flexibility. So I think the right answer is, it depends. :D

bad luck
07-03-2013, 07:18 AM
I think if you solder wires together to splice them or tap into an existing wire, as long as it is not fastened down where it will vibrate and cause it to fatigue and eventually crack and break. Like you said it all depends on the conditions. I used to think I needed to solder every terminal, but after having to fix quite a few broken ones, I no longer do that.

Mudderoy
07-03-2013, 09:18 AM
I think if you solder wires together to splice them or tap into an existing wire, as long as it is not fastened down where it will vibrate and cause it to fatigue and eventually crack and break. Like you said it all depends on the conditions. I used to think I needed to solder every terminal, but after having to fix quite a few broken ones, I no longer do that.

Well there are two groups I'd pay the most attention to. NASA being the first, the military being the second. It's not a guarantee but where there are lives on the line...

NW99XJ
07-03-2013, 12:12 PM
I figured I'd chime in real quick..... Nothing beats a GOOD mechanical connection (ie crimp) ....and you're right Robert....those ratcheting crimpers with interchangeable dies ARE really good.
Especially for some of the larger gauge wires.
To me - personally - for 99% of what we run into in the automotive field nothing beats a good set of Klein Crimpers....
http://www.ctcsupply.com/images/product-detail/2100.jpg

I have ONE set of these...... its my favorite tool (I'll prob be buried with these - lol)
I have had them for ages, and use the hell out of them... and I have NEVER had a connection fail.
I would HIGHLY recommend these to anyone who would ever be doing any of their own electrical work.
Granted.....when doing my charging system wiring upgrade in the jeep.... I DID solder the terminals....but not before i did a double crimp on each one to ensure a good solid mechanical connection FIRST.
There are a hundred crimp tools out there that will all provide some degree of mechanical connection.... but when it comes down to it, it's the user...the quality of terminal, and the desire to ensure a long lasting installation.

bad luck
07-03-2013, 01:14 PM
I have a pair of those crimpers too. And I agree they are very good, but what is nice about the ratcheting crimper are the interchangeable dies. I use them for weatherpack connectors, deutsch connectors, and other things. With just one tool you can crimp almost anything. And it is not possible to over crimp the connector, which can sometimes happen with the klein crimpers. But the klein is what is in my jeep tool box.

Brasscatz
07-03-2013, 08:29 PM
I know it's sad, but I crimp everything.... I don't have a soldering iron :( but it IS a helluva lot better than the ol' "twist and tape" that I used to do!