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| Reviews Summary for West Mountain Radio PWRcrimp Powerpole crimp tool |
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Reviews: 24
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Average rating: 4.7/5
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MSRP: $$49.95
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Description: High performance Powerpole crimp tool for a reasonable price. Crimps all three sizes of Powerpole contacts; 15, 30 and 45 amp. Ratcheted mechanism assures proper crimps every time. Contact positioner holds contacts correctly while crimping. Far faster and better than soldering.
The highest strength and the lowest resistance connections possible. Long high leverage handle makes even 45 amp 10 gauge crimps easy.
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More info: http://www.westmountainradio.com/HAMintro.htm
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write your own review of the West Mountain Radio PWRcrimp Powerpole crimp tool.
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NS6Y_
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 20, 2006 18:41
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great JAWS
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Get it for the JAWS. The jaws are the same kind that fit in every other premium crip tool on the market, they all use the same bolt-in jaw system. And most are MUCH easier to use. I'd love to see 'em sell the jaws alone for $30, which you could then use in your Greenlee, Paladin, Ideal, etc tool. For some reason the tool these jaws come with does not work well for me, there are some great compound-leverage tools out there you can get and put these jaws right in.
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AB0RE
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 20, 2006 17:16
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I'd agree - great tool to have!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I had a hard time shelling out the money for this tool. $50 is a lot for a tool that only crimps one kind of connector. However, after my first couple crimps I found myself asking how I did so long without it. This crimper consistenly produces quality crimps that, I feel, are superior connections to other methods.
When crimping with the GB tool... the GB tool would often affect the angle the powerpole "blade" sits to in relation to the "barrel" - not so with the PWRcrimp. Also, the non-ratcheting GB tool is not able to produce nearly as strong of a crimp as the PWRcrimp. I don't think I could pull one of these off if I tried.
When soldering... getting a solder blob on the powerpole would make it difficult or impossible to slide the contact into the housing. The connections produced by the PWRcrimp are perfect every time - no exceptions. Plus crimping with the PWRcrimp can be done in a small fraction of the time it takes to solder.
This is $50 well spent. As with everything in life the quality of the work produced is often a direct relation to the quality of tools used for a job. Buy one. You won't regret it.
73,
Dan / ab0re
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AH6RH
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 20, 2006 16:04
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Awesome!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Having recommended the use of the Anderson Powerpoles as the universal power connector for the ARRL Emergency Communications Course (ARECC), I've been working with various products and methods over the years that use the Powerpoles.
I used to solder the connectors, but got inconsistent results. I used the Gardner Bender GB-88 crimp tool and also got inconsistent results.
One could also shell out over $100 for the Sargent crimp tool. Does a beautiful job, but kinda pricey.
Then, I saw the West Mountain PWRcrimp tool at Dayton 2004. For the price, I figured I couldn't go wrong. I took it home, tried it, and fell in love with it. I'll never solder another Powerpole connector and haven't touched the Gardner Bender tool since.
Since then, a number of us in Hawaii have picked up the tool and make it available at ham club gatherings so that others can fashion their power connectors. We also use them to mass produce fly-away radio kits complete with radio, tuner, power supply, coax and antennas. With a good pair of wire strippers (or diagonal wire cutters) and the PWRcrimp, you can crank out power cords in no time. That reminds me -- I gotta pick up one for the EOC.
If you're going to be making power cords with Powerpole connectors, you'ld be crazy not to get one of these.
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KC9GGH
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 1, 2006 19:12
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Right Tool For The Job
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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On the first few crimps it was hard to get the tool to open up after the crimp was completed. After a few crimps I was able to make a tight crimp without fear that I would not be able to get the tool open. I have very small hands for a man and do not have that strong a grip so that may have been part of the problem.
This tool is the only way to go if you are going to use the Andersen Powerpoles.
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W9GB
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 1, 2005 17:10
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Right Tool for Powerpoles!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Purchased the tool 2 weeks ago and quickly assembled 8 cables with PowerPole connectors in one evening.
Well worth the $50 cost -- if you are going to be crimping PowerPole connectors - its racheting action is easy on the hands and provides proper pressure for a reliable crimp.
I have previously used a Klein Journeyman crimper that is very good, BUT does not have racheting action - and uniformity of the crimps can vary with that tool - depending upon my hand strength.
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N0FPE
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Rating: 5/5
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May 27, 2005 05:23
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Alternative tool
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I can not give a review of this tool as I dont have one.
BUT I use a Thomas and Betts StaCon crimper and it works well with the power poles. I have never had a crimp fail when using the T&B.
While the PWRcrimp is $50 the T&B is abt $30.
It is still way better than the cheap GB tool
So if you dontwant to drop the big bucks try a StaCon crimper.
IMHO
Dan
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AE6RF
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Rating: 5/5
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May 26, 2005 22:58
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Just bite the bullet and do it
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've been using Power Poles for a couple of years now. Initially I "cheaped out" and went with the cheesy $9-12 crimp tool.
BAD CHOICE! Even being fairly careful the crimps were iffy at best.
So I spent the money for the West Mountain crimper. What a difference! Perfect crimp every time. No worries about the wire sliding out later. No hassles getting the pin to go into the housing...
So... Don't cheap out and waste your money and time. Go with the correct tool the first time.
You'll be much happier.
Trust me!
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K5ADF
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 2, 2005 23:33
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Excellent tool
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Like several others on here, I saw the PWRcrimp tool at Dayton last year and tried it there. It worked great, so when I returned home I immediately ordered one (I did not want to pay Ohio taxes but that is another story). I have been using Powerpole connectors for a few years now and this tool makes it much easier to crimp the connectors on correctly every time. I would recommend this tool to anyone using Powerpoles. 73's
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NS6Y_
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 1, 2005 03:22
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This thing is cool!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This thing REALLY crimps, the first crimped contact you take out of there, you'll be amazed - this baby really does it!
I am not a large person, and have been crimping the smallest type of connectors on #18 fluke probe wire and some smaller stuff, which should be the easiest crimp. I found I can do it by resting the handle on the bench and putting my weight, most of it, on the top handle. The length of the handles gives this tons of leverage so you know any of the other tools would be MUCH harder to properly crimp one of these connectors.
This takes the same jaws that are used with the other tools made by Paladin, Ideal, etc that interchange, so you not only get a great PowerPole tool, you can also crimp your BNCs etc in style.
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KB0XR
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 4, 2004 05:24
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Heavy Duty Tool
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought a big bag of powerpoles on Ebay. I had such a rats nest of 12 volt wires. I had been using small crimp terminals and binding post power panel. I looked at the powerpoles and decided that soldering was not an option I wanted and the puny crimp tool in my box would be useless. I bit the bullet and paid $50 for the PWRcrimp tool at a recent hamfest.
I have been happily crimping the powerpoles on every 12 volt power cord I have. After one aborted attempt, all the rest of the crimps have turned out fine. I also bought the 12 terminal powerpole power panel from West Mountain. This is the way to go! I don't know what I will do when I run out of gear to power up. I also equipped all 4 of my motorcycles with powerpole connectors to connect up a trickle charger for their battery maintenance over the cold winter.
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