TRENDnet Crimping Tool, Crimp, Cut, And Strip Tool, For Any Ethernet or Telephone Cable, Built-In Cutter And Stripper, 8P-RJ-45 And 6P-RJ-12, RJ-11, All Steel Construction, Black, TC-CT68

Excelente producto

I recently picked up the TRENDnet Crimping Tool, and let me tell you, I feel like a certified network technician. Sure, I may not know the difference between a router and a modem, but that doesn't stop me from crimping like a pro.This tool is easy to use, and even easier to pretend like you know what you're doing. The built-in cutter and stripper make preparing the cables a breeze, and the all-steel construction makes me feel like I could crimp through concrete if I wanted to (not that I've tried...yet).I've used this tool to crimp Ethernet cables, telephone cables, and even some random cords I found lying around my house. It works like a charm every time, and my friends are always impressed when I whip it out (the tool, that is).So, if you want to feel like a network wizard, or just need to crimp some cables for whatever reason, this tool is definitely worth checking out. Plus, it's black, so it matches all of my other tools, which is a nice bonus.

After having installed 30 or so RJ45 connectors, I can confirm this is a quality tool. The ratcheting action ensures all eight contacts are pressed firmly into the wires. I considered many other tools from other manufacturers and I am glad I chose this one.

I have experience with similar, higher-priced versions of this tool. The lower quality construction is evident, and the documentation poor. That said, this is a very nice product for the price. It does exactly what the casual user needs. 1) It cuts and strips flat cable, and the cutting depth for the stripper is adjustable. 2) It will cut the covering off of round CAT5/6 cable, but one must be careful, and there doesn't seem to be a way to measure how much of the insulation to remove. I didn't see this noted in the limited documentation. It is a round opening in one of the handles with a cutting blade in the other handle. That blade cuts through the insulation, and reasonable care must be used not to nick the wires within. I removed more of the insulation than I thought necessary, then trimmed the excess once I had the wires all lined up to go into the connector. I would trim some anyway, because the wires are not even after they are fanned out to go into the connector. I used a small wire nipper for this, not a wire cutter designed to cut 12-18 gauge wire. 3) The feature that "locks" the handles for storage is not correctly described. This feature actually comes from better-quality tools. The purpose of the feature is to require the operator to fully close the handles during crimping. The point is to ensure that the connector is fully crimped. The handles are supposed to release when the connector is fully crimped. This feature doesn't work all that well on this tool, in my opinion, but the tool still makes good connections. If you close these handles all the way, they release, just as the better-quality tools do. If you want to /store/ the tool, close the handles most of the way, and they will stay closed. Close them all the way, and they will spring open again. I store mine in the package it came in. I used the tool to make RJ45 connections, and had no faulty connections, so I give this a 5 for doing the job, and less for the overall quality of the tool and the poor docs. If you are in the business, spend a lot more; I don't think any home user will regret this purchase.

Affordable, yet more features and a solid metal construction (compared to the more expensive cheap plastic one I previously bought at the big-box store). Stripping Cat5e/6 cable is so easy, and crimping feels very sturdy.These ratchet until they reach their full clamping, after which the ratchet releases. The release knob is designed to release the ratchet if something gets jammed; I did not experience the "does not work" issue that another review mentioned.There are a couple of caveats though, especially for newbies:- There are little to no instructions on how to use. If you are not mechanically inclined, this may be a problem- The crappy set I got from the big box store has a wire chart on the back of the package which is a great reference. No such charts are supplied with this tool- If you are using the cable sheath stripper, it's a little tricky if you let go of the tool because the ratchet releases, and makes it difficult to rotate around the cable. In that case, you have to fiddle with it a bit.Still, for the price, I can forgive all of these shortcomings. As an occasional home user, this is great and far exceeded my expectations. As a professional, I might want better.