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MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 1:37 pm
by Mr Gus
Not a bad price for anyone after some hobby solar kit to "Git er done eh boys" !?
1 left @ £22.99 amazon prime delivery currently.
Wallet makes them less hunting amongst your mass of tools

Saves looking endlessly for best price & 15 day delivery on "Bongo" Express.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L4ZGFQJ? ... yp_imgToDp

DasMorine Solar Crimping Tools for 2.5/4.0/6.0mm² Solar Panel PV Cable,Wire Stripper and Cutter,10pcs Male Female Connector, 1 Pair Solar Connector Assembly Tool Spanner

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Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 1:41 pm
by Stinsy
I've always managed with ordinary strippers/pliers...

Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 1:51 pm
by Mr Gus
Understood, but if you have 100+ pair to do then you might consider something a wee bit better maybe stinsy?
I get too distracted & less rythmic with pliers.

Good price for generic kit (as if I needed more connectors) imho.

Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 8:02 pm
by spread-tee
I'm not over impressed with MC4 crimped terminals TBH. I inherited a bunch of cable with quite a few connectors from a dismantled system and nearly half the cables pulled out of the crimps with not much force, a gentle tug by hand only. The insides of an MC4 terminal is IMHO a bunch of shyte, I ended up soldering all mine. To be fair they could have been assembled by a chimp, or were the cheapest of a bad bunch, I couldn't say.

Desp

Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 8:11 pm
by Mr Gus
Big fan of the solder method myself Desp, vital peace of mind, yes, of course i'm too tight to buy a set of soldering helping hands, i'm loathe to simply do the plier fold method, ..just as i'm loathe to spend £140 on an allegedly proper set of MC4 crimpers.

Belt & braces.

Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Thu May 26, 2022 8:20 pm
by Joeboy
Stinsy wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 1:41 pm I've always managed with ordinary strippers/pliers...
With you on this Stinsy, nice kit though!

Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Fri May 27, 2022 9:34 am
by billi
:D Am too , Wirkung 20 * 50 Watt Panels , Gott them from the Sale of the Last Forum , unfortunatly , no cables connected to them at all , takes a while 😜.... So will use crimped connectors with heat shrink skin
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Re: MC4, cable strippers & connector crimping kit

Posted: Fri May 27, 2022 10:43 am
by ALAN/ALAN D
I have got 35 panels on various systems going back to before Fits on some of them.
No panel has ever failed.
Various MC4 connectors have failed high resistance. Some caught fire. :o
The last thing you want is fires on roof mounted systems Or MC4 connectors going high resistance with needing panels on roof lifted off to find the bad connector.
All of my roof mounted systems have got the cables soldered and extended to inside of the roof so the each panel can easily be tested by itself if required.
All MC4 connectors have been cut off and cables soldered together.

Do not spend money on a crimping kit. Buy a soldering iron.