Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors

DaBit

I think PA-09 is what I use at work also, and the one I don't really like. Maybe PA-21 is a different animal altogether?
I am mostly using 2mm and 2.54mm terminals (JST, Wurth), and not all that many. Maybe 100 crimps a year or so.

dc42

@DaBit said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

I think PA-09 is what I use at work also, and the one I don't really like. Maybe PA-21 is a different animal altogether?
I am mostly using 2mm and 2.54mm terminals (JST, Wurth), and not all that many. Maybe 100 crimps a year or so.

The JST VH terminals as shipped need the PA21 because the wings of the crimp pins that go over the insulation are long, which needs the different shape and larger die of the PA21. But I've heard of users cutting the wings shorter and using a different crimp tool.

The PA21 is also OK for the Molex KK connectors, but not for smaller ones such as JST PH (the PA09 does those).

A Former User

think PA-09 is what I use at work also, and the one I don't really like. Maybe PA-21 is a different animal altogether?
I am mostly using 2mm and 2.54mm terminals (JST, Wurth), and not all that many. Maybe 100 crimps a year or so.

I've used the PA-09 for pretty much everything except some circular amp connectors (where I had the $$$ amp tool) and only time I've had terminals stick is with the cheapest of cheap chinesium terminals where I with the naked eye can see the variance from terminal to terminal. Mine has been through a lot of chinesium terminals, most are just fine.

I only got the Iwiss to test as a cheaper alternative to reccomend; and for the value its pretty good, but still prefer the Engineer.

But I've heard of users cutting the wings shorter and using a different crimp tool.

I find it faster to just reduce the width of the terminal; if that doesn't work then the wire is too thick for the tool anyway. The VH in the picture above is on a thin insulation 0.75mm2 wire; woudn't have worked with regular 0.75mm as it would have been too wide for the 2.2 die.

DaBit

Most of my contacts come either directly from Wurth, or from Farnell/Digikey/Mouser.

But oh well, every crimp tool needs a bit of feeling and a bit of exercise, I am probably just not doing it enough and the Iwiss is simply more idiotproof. I suspect most people here crimped an RJ45 to CAT5 at least once. Remember how long it took before you got the first one correct?

arhi

I think I have more than 200 different crimping tools/pliers in my drawers, boxes, floor, shelves ... PA09 and PA20 are the only ones "non stop on the table" (recently got PA21 too but not using them that often). When you need to crimp a single pin, especially if that's new - unknown pin, and especially to "not the default size" wire PA09/20/21 are indispensable. Now if I need to do a 100 terminals, all same, all same size wire, the "dual" tools like iwiss are faster. I have some moderate experience (I crimp in average 2-3 pins a day past 35 years let's say) with dual, rachet type tools, in "ideal conditions" (good pins, proper wire size) around 1% of the pins will not be ok (bad crimp - wire falling out or pin bent/destroyed/broken or everything looks secure but bad contact, usually if insulated part goes under wrong part of the pin). On the other hand, I'm yet to have bad crimp with engineer PA## crimpers They are slower but super precise, and I don't do the 4 step, find no need for it, 2 step is more than adequate if you are using proper wire and proper die the first time. It is only important to select proper width of the die for every crimp.

A Former User

@arhi said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

the "dual" tools like iwiss are faster.

iwiss makes both types btw. i did the hastedly VH crimp above with the simple type which is just a tad too small.

Apart from that very much agree.

A Former User

@DaBit said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

Maybe PA-21 is a different animal altogether?

Maybe the recent popularity of the Engineer tool has lead to fakes, or rejects finding its way to eBay? IDK, seems strange that there are so varying experiences if the tools are the same.

arhi

@bearer said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

iwiss makes both types btw

Hm, did not know, never tried iwiss of that kind.

has lead to fakes

Very possible, but I have never seen them being shipped out of any country but Japan. Also I have 09 and 20 for a while, 21 arrived few months ago, no difference in quality. And the "flimzy" spring few reviewers complain about comparing to other tools I actually like. I don't really want to fight the spring while crimping bunch of pins.

video that was mentioned where bigclivedotcom is not happy with engineer, and than shows how iwis came with "great manual", very similar, more detailed manual comes with all engineer tools too and he did not follow that manual that's why he got pin stuck in and bent and deformed...

dc42

Since I purchased the PA09, 20 and 21 I've stopped using my old ratchet crimp tool. I do everything with the PA09 and PA21 now. I don't think the PA20 does anything I have that the 09 or the 21 won't.

A Former User

@DaBit said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

Remember how long it took before you got the first one correct?

can't say i recall those things ever being troublesome except for putting a A on the other end of a cable someone put an B on; which I'm sure was done on purpose to mess with me. mind you that happened a while before youtube so less "alternative facts" abouts.

DaBit

@bearer: then you must be a natural talent

Oh man, the just post-RG58, pre-youtube era. Hubs instead of switches. RJ45 plugs without much guiding of the individual strands. Crimping tool from the local shop, not the best, and no guide at all. Trying to untwist, straighten and align the wires so they would just nicely slide in the RJ45. Crimp, and find out two of them somehow magically swapped location. Cut, one more. Yay, everything OK. But no network, argl. Third is a charm they say. Oops, good crimp but mirrored, looked at the wrong side of the 'example cable'. Sigh, one more...

In my opinion crimping those contacts is the same. If you get a good crimp on the very first try ever you are a natural talent. I am not.

A Former User

@DaBit said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

If you get a good crimp on the very first try ever you are a natural talent.

It most certainly didn't happen with these types of open terminals until I got a proper tool. (That might be the case with the RJ45 except I started off with a proper tool, possibly Krone or Knipex but that was last millennium so can't be sure).

Anyways getting OT.

gtj0

Well, here's my contribution to the cause...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knfcoCRh1Sc

Don't all upvote the production quality at once.

A Former User

@gtj0 said in Which crimper to get for JST-VH connectors:

Well, here's my contribution to the cause...

JST PH? You mean Molex KK?
(and another time code;)

Edit: One thing I would have added was to always crimp the connectors on the wire in the same possition sort of speak. I.e. Wires tend to have a natural coil/helix shape from the spool and if you always say, let the direction of the coil run the same direction (clockwise and anti-clockwise) in adittion to always letting the cable curve down behind the crimper your cables will look so much better once in the shells.