I know I hail the Wiha (Viha) wire ferrule crimper as the holy grail of ferrule crimping tools! This German-made tool is an absolute game-changer when it comes to quality, precision, and usability. However, the quality comes at a price, and boy, is it a hefty one!
But fear not, fellow DIY enthusiast! There are other fantastic wire ferrule crimpers out there that won’t break the bank. You should explore them first before whipping out your wallet. You never know, you might just stumble upon a hidden gem that’ll blow your mind just like I did with the new Kaiweets ferrule crimping tool kit.
I received the kit from Kaiweets Tools to test it and I am impressed. So, in this article, I will share my experience with it but, first things first.
Why Should You Crimp Wires With Ferrule Connectors?
As you may have read from my previous post, wire ferrules are tinned metal sleeves for terminating stranded wire ends. They help tidy up the flex wire by keeping the stranded wire ends intact. Ferrules keep the wire strands from fraying thereby ensuring safe and reliable electrical contact.
To install a ferrule connector on a wire end, you need a ferrule crimping tool. The most popular tool for crimping wire ferrules is the wire ferrule crimping pliers. I have discussed them extensively in this article: Best Wire Ferrule Crimpers
In this post, I will share my experience with the Kaiweets ferrule crimping tool kit to help you decide whether it is worthwhile
Kaiweets Ferrule Crimping Tool Kit Review
The tool kit includes the ferrule crimping pliers, over 1000 pieces of ferrules sleeves, and a simple wire stripping tool. Everything is nicely packed in a lockable plastic storage case.
Carry case
The carry case has separate compartments for the tool and each of the ferrule connector sizes. This helps to keep everything in place even when running with the kit in your tool backpack.
The case has a transparent acrylic cover that lets you see the tool and ferrules without opening. However, you should have it in mind that acrylic is brittle and can shatter easily upon high impact.
Ferrule sleeves
As I have mentioned, the Kaiweets ferrule crimping tool kit comes with 1200 pieces of wire ferrules sleeves ranging between sizes 7 AWG and 22 AWG. These are the quantities for each size:
- 40 pieces – 7 AWG (10mm2)
- 50 pieces – 10 AWG (6mm2)
- 50 pieces – 12 AWG (4mm2)
- 215 pieces – AWG (2.5mm2)
- 240 pieces – 16 AWG (1.5mm2)
- 215 pieces – 18 AWG (1.0mm2)
- 210 pieces – 20 AWG (0.75mm2)
- 180 pieces – 22 AWG (0.5mm2)
Kaiweets Ferrule Crimping Pliers (KDC01)
The Kaiweets ferrule crimping pliers tool is nice and compact. It measures about 6.8 inches from end to end. The head is 1.6″ wide and 0.45″ thick.
Handles
The handles are ergonomic and have comfortable rubber grips that are gentle on the hands. In the closed position, the handles are only 2.7 inches apart. This is sufficient for small and big hands.
The handles of this tool boast vivid red and black hues, which make the tool highly visible and easy to locate on the job site.
Jaws
As you perhaps know, most ferrule crimping pliers have either a square or hexagonal crimping jaw. This tool has a square tooth, meaning that it crimps round ferrules into square shapes. This is the perfect shape when terminating wires for terminal blocks.
Typically, ferrule crimping pliers have a crimping regulator that lets you adjust the crimping pressure on the jaw. The regulator is essential for adjusting the pressure especially when crimping small ferrules. Unfortunately, the crimping regulator on the Kaiweets KDC01 does not work. It is probably there as a cosmetic feature because I tried to turn it even with pliers and it could not even budge. However, I did not have any problem crimping small terminal sleeves.
Mechanism
The crimper has a ratcheting mechanism with three steps. This enables you to progressively apply pressure on the sleeve connector. The three-step ratcheting mechanism is especially useful when terminating wires smaller than 18 AWG because you can close the jaw one step to fit the barrel without smashing the plastic sleeve.
Lock
The pliers have a lock lever to keep them locked. The lever engages on each ratcheting step and disengages when you squeeze the handles all the way in. Sometimes, however, the lever stays locked and you have to disengage it manually.
Operation
These pliers operate quite smoothly. They squeeze the ferrule sleeves to a square shape and uniformly dimple the barrel three to four times along the length. This ensures a tight fit on the wire end.
However, I noticed that the pliers do not work so well with electrical wires larger than 10 AWG (6mm2). This is the wire you will find in applications that use around 30 Amps such as electric cookers, electrical water heaters, and electric clothes dryers. Most of the ferrules I attached to 10 AWG and 7 AWG wires failed the pull test.
If you are not aware, the pull test is the ultimate test for ferrule sleeves. A properly installed ferrule connector will not come off if you try to pull it off.
Conclusion
Overall, the Kaiweets KDC01 ferrule crimping tool kit is a nice value for money. For less than $30, you get the tool and 1200 pieces of wire ferrule connectors, providing more than enough supplies for a small wiring project.
However, my biggest concern is the tool’s performance when crimping wires larger than 10 AWG (6mm2). The pliers don’t seem strong enough to attach large connectors securely. In fact, most of the ferrules I crimped on 10 AWG and 7 AWG flex wires failed the pull test.
Nonetheless, the pliers work superbly with small wires. They are ideal for small electronics projects and anything that uses wires smaller than 12 AWG such as panel wiring.
Also, this kit can be a good choice if you are terminating wires to terminal blocks. Square-shaped wire ends offer the best contact in square terminal connections.
