I finally learned the hard way not to cheap out on termination tools

Bought a $15 crimper off Amazon last spring to save some cash. It worked okay for maybe 50 terminations before the blade got all dull and started smashing connectors sideways. Ended up having to redo a whole house run for a customer after three of my ends failed their signal test. Lost about 4 hours of labor and had to buy a proper Klein tool for $60 anyway. The worst part was the customer watching me struggle and asking if I knew what I was doing. Has anyone else had a cheap tool cost them way more time than they saved?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel85712d ago

Turns out cheap crimpers don't just mess up connections, they actually mess up your hands too. That $15 Amazon special gave me blisters on my palm after a full day of terminations because the grip was trash. Had to wrap electrical tape around the handle just to keep going. The Klein tool I bought later has that cushioned grip that saved my hands big time. Nobody talks about how bad tools can literally hurt you while you work.

zarab2411d ago

My buddy Mike spent a weekend rewiring his garage with a cheapo crimper and his hand was cramping up so bad he couldn't grip a coffee mug Monday morning. Did he learn his lesson or just tape the handle like you did?

wyatt5211d ago

My buddy Mike used that exact $15 Amazon crimper and ended up with a blood blister on his thumb after 50 connections. He taped the handle with hockey stick tape (you know, the cloth stuff) and it actually helped a bit, but the tool still made crap connections. Ended up borrowing my Klein and finally got reliable crimps without the hand pain.