BUCHANANInsulated Crimper, 8 in L

The handle coating didn’t hold up but a few days. Cheap made compared to a pair I bought a few hrs ago.

This crimper is not your typical "squish till the wire might not fall out" type tool, this is for making sure the wire and terminal are as mechanically solid as possible. This tool does a deep staking of the conductor itself on 4 sides, not just one like the better cheap crimpers. This is so the crimp sleeve and wire doesn't become loose if subjected to heat or stress. A regular crimper with a stake only stakes one point, so applying torque in the right direction can roll the wire out, 4 stakes on all sides prevents this failure mode.This CAN over-crimp if you are using cheap terminals, so use a good tool with good parts for best results. Test your terminals and tool on some scrap wire to be sure you know what results to expect, but that is true for anything safety critical.

I've been doing electrical work since 1972. I bought a pair of these crimpers because I was required to by the company I worked for. I still use this same tool (never been replaced) every single day. It has crimped well over a hundred thousand times, probably in the half million range to be quite honest. I'm a house mouse, apartment junkie and we crimp our grounds in every electrical box we cut in. It's the ONLY tool that I haven't had to replace. I have no connection with Buchanan what so ever. This is just a complete and honest review. You can't wear this thing out. It's very expensive but well worth it if you are young and just getting in the electrical field because it will last a lifetime. Probably not a good choice for a homeowner who is gonna use it a few times in their life. Way too expensive for that.