Hey guys, I'm looking to crimp some Molex KK connectors for 30 AWG wire. I was expecting the usual 400$ pair of pliers, instead I find the hand tools to be discontinued.
Are there generic tools to crimp these connectors? How do you do it? Soldering not acceptable. The crimping is better.
How about the non-ratcheting universal set, Molex part 638111000? It's doubled in price since we got our pair at work 8 years go, now $61 at digikey, still $49 at mouser, and I bet if you open an account at
----- Regards, Carl Ijames
I use a YAC-4 (decent picture at )
There's a very similar model 300-009 from Eclipse (catalog at )
It looks like they may even use the same die. They're each roughly US$40. The YAC frame has a tension adjust, the Solar frame doesn't.
I've not personally used it down to AWG 30; typically 26 is the smallest I go with those connectors. That might bias in favor of the YAC-4, which would allow you to crank up the tension a notch or two to get a good squeeze on the small wire. Or, there's always the fold-over option...
There's one included in their KK-series kit (example at which is a decent price for a tool and some assorted connectors.)
FWIW, though, the tool that was included with the kit several (gag! how long has it been?) years ago wasn't all that great. Could be a different story now, though, so caveat emptor.
I *do* have an old non-ratcheting AMP "Service Tool 1" (AMP 696202-1) that I just love. One needs to pay attention but it makes great crimps.
My Paladin PA 1645 has the engineering numbers for the KK line terminals stamped on the die. It cost about $100 several years ago.
I suspect that a lot of the chinese ratcheting crimpers are a clone of this.
Mark Zenier snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)
atwww.heilind.comthey will beat them all.
Doesn't go down to 30AWG though, thanks anyways.
OK, I'll look into it.
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