ENGINEER PA-20 Engineer Precision Crimping Pliers for Open Barrel Terminals

This made in Japan version is an authentic Engineer precision PA-09. Please Don’t be full by the Made in Taiwan version. My first order on Amazon was fulfilled by one of the sellers from Japan, but it was made in Taiwan, so I immediately know this was fake and return it. Thus, I reached out to another seller based in the United States and it was confirmed he had Made In Japan version which is true authentic. ( why? When you buy it from other parts stores, it’s all made in Japan)The tool is excellent to crimp all kind of connectors, after I received it today, I had already crimped 20 JST-XH connectors without any issue.

If you are a Hobbyist, buy these. Skip the cheaper ones you can find. These were so good, that I ended up buying a size up, and an extra pair so I always have one in reach. These are a must have whenever I work on my 3d printers, Electronics etc.Pros- High quality and durable- Versatile and compatible with various connector types (JST, Molex, etc)- Precise and consistent crimping results- Comfortable handle / Feel Good to Use- Easy to use- High level of controlCons:- Expensive compared to others- You might need some practice before you master them (due to them being completely manual)- Doesn't work with barrel connectors (IE Spade, etc) that you commonly find at local hardware storesAdditional Details:2 versions of these pliers exist, Taiwan and Japanese made. I've had both in my hands but of different sizes. The Japanese ones are subjectively better, but I wouldn't return the Taiwanese ones. The only major difference is that the Japanese ones have the crimped connectors slide out easier. There are some minor visual differences as well.I mostly view these as a hobbyist tool, if I were using these everyday 9 to 5, I think I might get something else. They are very much a "do it once, do it right, take some more time to do it" type of tool instead of churning out millions of connectors. Though I'm unaware of anything better, these are just so dang good.

Was shocked at how well these work. I didn't originally get them because I thought crimping JST-XHP's would take longer (two crimp steps instead of one), and these were also not ratcheting, which I thought would be better. Wrong.The one-step iRandomNameGoesHere crimpers were fussy. They're too deep. Not only can you not do it in one step, but you also can't do them in two because, again, they're too deep. The ratcheting is totally unnecessary too for any of the crimps of this size, and worse, if you need to readjust, once you start, you're locked in.The dies used with most crimps are trash. The iRandomNameGoesHere were good but too deep, and the rest simply mangled everything. Engineer's on the other hand make picture perfect crimps.Without the ratchet you can "feel" (and see) a good stopping point for crimping the jacket, and a full squeeze is perfect for the bare wire. It turns out to be way faster. Within 5 crimps I had the hang of it, and my connections have been the absolute best I've ever made. Worth every penny. I actually enjoy crimping terminals now.

Like many here I first tried two cheap racheting crimpers with dismal results. If I got one successful crimp out of ten I was doing well. I use crimpers for "Dupont" pins as found on servos, Arduinos, etc. Here's the problem--researching crimping tools I found no specification for how thick the jaws are. The cheapies have jaws about 8 mm thick with two cavities, one for the wire crimp and the other for the strain relief crimp. The problem is that inserting a pin just right, so the two cavities line up and the ears are vertical is almost impossible. A slight misalignment, either in-out or rotated, ruins the crimp. And the ratcheting action makes it even harder to capture the pin without starting to bend the ears before inserting a wire.As many instructional videos correctly state, the way to crimp these connector pins is to do it in two steps, first the wire crimp then the insulation strain relief crimp. I tried doing this with the thick-jaw crimpers, but found it impossible to crimp one without mashing the other. These crimpers provide the solution, jaws that are only about 3 mm thick. Plus, the NON-ratcheting action gives you a delicate touch in gripping the pin before inserting a wire. I had to stop my initial crimps (10 for 10!) to write this review. I found the 1.9 mm well is perfect for the wire and insulation of 24 gauge stranded wire. After the first crimp I pinch the insulation ears so they stand straight up and fit best into the well. One tip--It doesn't take much pressure; you can feel a little "tick" when it's enough. This superb tool proves that you get what you pay for.Added tip--the amount you strip off the wire is very critical. It should not be more than about 2-3 mm. If you insert more than this into the connector for the first (wire) crimp the end of the wire can extend into the socket, and may block full entry of a mating pin, resulting in a loose, probably non-functional connection.

Making the female end of XT30(2+2) cables is nigh impossible by hand, because of the small-gauge data wires. This tool is exactly correct for crimping the tiny ends. This is an important tool to have in a robotics lab