Recommended Electrical Connectors?

mrblaine said:
All I know is I spend more time chasing down good electrical parts, wire, and loom than should be legal. It just wears me out.
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Your knowledge and experience for things like these and fasteners blows my mind.

I used to be a VERY much into hobbyist electronics in my undergrad days and when I used to work in India before coming to Florida. The amount of cheap crap that gets sold at stupid prices is insane and this was the pre online shopping era. Now it has become harder to determine good from bad unless you spend a LOT of time or be a guinea pig.

I fully understand your comment regarding getting worn out.
 
As it has already be alluded to good connectors are not inexpensive but there is nothing worse than doing wiring twice. I use rebranded NSPA https://www.nspa.com/ I buy from my local truck parts shop. They are good quality and the prices are not too bad with the exception of the Crimp Solder Seal connectors. They are $1.50 each per 100 so it does hurt when you mess one up so having good tools makes all the difference. I use these currently https://www.grote.com/electrical-connections/tools/crimping-stripping-tools/83-6524/ they are single crimp specific for shrinks. There are better but not without spending significantly more.
 
Blackjack said:
As it has already be alluded to good connectors are not inexpensive but there is nothing worse than doing wiring twice. I use rebranded NSPA https://www.nspa.com/ I buy from my local truck parts shop. They are good quality and the prices are not too bad with the exception of the Crimp Solder Seal connectors. They are $1.50 each per 100 so it does hurt when you mess one up so having good tools makes all the difference. I use these currently https://www.grote.com/electrical-connections/tools/crimping-stripping-tools/83-6524/ they are single crimp specific for shrinks. There are better but not without spending significantly more.
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Thanks for this too. That second link allowed me to see the different types of crimping tools. The one I have, and have been using with my vinyl connectors, looks a lot like 83-6511.
 
I also prefer the non insulated route, my favorite crimpers are these from molex:

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/64016-0038?qs=c0uEScvPYN2Epwdyt3kjgg==
If making harnesses on the bench i prefer Open Barrel crimps for splices but this is a major pain in the ass to do in tight spaces on the vehicle.

I also use places like Del City and Mcmaster to find what i like. Once i find a product of crimps that i like, i try to find them cheaper from Mouser or Waytek or Digikey. It is a pain keeping track of part numbers. Atleast Del City gives you a good picture and solid description. The other supply houses do not...

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Lou said:
I also prefer the non insulated route, my favorite crimpers are these from molex:

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/64016-0038?qs=c0uEScvPYN2Epwdyt3kjgg==
If making harnesses on the bench i prefer Open Barrel crimps for splices but this is a major pain in the ass to do in tight spaces on the vehicle.

I also use places like Del City and Mcmaster to find what i like. Once i find a product of crimps that i like, i try to find them cheaper from Mouser or Waytek or Digikey. It is a pain keeping track of part numbers. Atleast Del City gives you a good picture and solid description. The other supply houses do not...

View attachment 300359
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I failed to mention it but the nice thing about those heat shrink butt connectors from DC is you can use the staking part of the crimper intended for non insulated and the heat shrink won't split, it just seals up the hole.
 
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SSTJ said:
Thanks for this too. That second link allowed me to see the different types of crimping tools. The one I have, and have been using with my vinyl connectors, looks a lot like 83-6511.
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There are so many tools out there from good to garbage. And the more wiring you do the more of them you will collect. Wait until you start dealing with Weatherpack or Deutsch connectors.
 
Blackjack said:
There are so many tools out there from good to garbage. And the more wiring you do the more of them you will collect. Wait until you start dealing with Weatherpack or Deutsch connectors.
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I use the Weatherpacks, and have a large inventory of 'em, but only because when I got into it I did not know about the Deutsch. I've aways suspected the Deutsch may be superior, is that the case?
 
NashvilleTJ said:
I use the Weatherpacks, and have a large inventory of 'em, but only because when I got into it I did not know about the Deutsch. I've aways suspected the Deutsch may be superior, is that the case?
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110% in every way except cost.
 
NashvilleTJ said:
I use the Weatherpacks, and have a large inventory of 'em, but only because when I got into it I did not know about the Deutsch. I've aways suspected the Deutsch may be superior, is that the case?
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Yes Deutsch are better but not so much better that I would stop using Weatherpack if I already was invested in them.

Lou said:
110% in every way except cost.
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And you have to decide if you are using closed or open barrel and have the tools to match.
 
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Blackjack said:
Yes Deutsch are better but not so much better that I would stop using Waetherpack if I already was invested in them.


And you have to decide if you are using closed or open barrel and have the tools to match.
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Thanks Black. Good to know. I’ve never had an issue, and I do have a bunch of the stuff.
image.jpg
 
If you are going to use deutsch terminals, go with closed barrel. Cheap crimpers are like $30 but they only do one of the 3 common size terminals. A good crimper that does all sizes can be had for around $150-200. I use the Jready DT2 but there are tons of other knock offs of the original Deutsch crimper.

There are 3 common connector types and contact size.

SZ20 contacts are used in DTM connectors and are small. They are rated for 7.5 amps and are a great choice for just about anything inside your jeep. Way smaller than a weatherpack connector, I use these the most but the largest wire you can use is 18awg.

SZ16 is the most common size and is used in DT style connectors.

SZ12 is for DTP style connectors and are for higher current. There aren't many places on a jeep i would use this size.

I also do not recommend buying those kits. It is way cheaper to buy the pins, sleeves, wedgelocks, and connectors in bulk from Mouser. However, over the past year these have been tough to get a hold of as they have had large backorders. I have spent significantly more money than i normally would because the only thing available was a "kit", which is both connectors, both wedgelocks, and pins and sleeves for that connector set.

Amphenol also makes these connectors and they are marketed as ATM, AT, and ATP.

I dont think there is anything wrong with weatherpacks, I just do not even consider it an option for anything over a 3 pin connector.
 
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Lou said:
I dont think there is anything wrong with weatherpacks, I just do not even consider it an option for anything over a 3 pin connector.
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The only thing wrong with Weatherpack is they are old technology and they are very bulky. Good solid system that was at one time about the only thing you could get easily that was adaptable to a lot of different situations. I only wish I didn't have a couple of hundred of them with pins and seals for all three wire ranges.

Well, that and getting into Deutsche is not cheap if you have to start from scratch.
 
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NashvilleTJ said:
I use the Weatherpacks, and have a large inventory of 'em, but only because when I got into it I did not know about the Deutsch. I've aways suspected the Deutsch may be superior, is that the case?
Click to expand...
Yeah, Deutsch is better but more expensive. Better as in much smaller profile and way more options. The only reason I keep the weatherpack stuff around is because they are very useful for older Jeeps. They were at one time one of the only good solutions.

Deutsch is better although you have to be careful buying knockoff pins and plugs. And restocking up on pins and such is not for the faint of wallet. Stay away from Amazon, the stuff on there is mostly 14 gauge and does not crimp tightly to the typical 16-20gauge wires you want to use with a DT. I have had wires pull out and I use the way expensive Deutsch HDT48 crimper. Definitely need to use legit Deutsch pins which adds to the cost. I usually buy from prowire or Deutschconnectorstore.

I try not to make things “connectable” unless they need to be. When I first got my Deutsch stuff I made way more items be pluggable than necessary. Eventually I got tired of paying for that so now I don’t use Deutsch unless I truly have a reason to think I’ll need to disconnect that item again, like on lighting or similar. If I for sure don’t need to unplug, I crimp it solid with a butt splice.
 
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Lou said:
If you are going to use deutsch terminals, go with closed barrel. Cheap crimpers are like $30 but they only do one of the 3 common size terminals. A good crimper that does all sizes can be had for around $150-200. I use the Jready DT2 but there are tons of other knock offs of the original Deutsch crimper.

There are 3 common connector types and contact size.

SZ20 contacts are used in DTM connectors and are small. They are rated for 7.5 amps and are a great choice for just about anything inside your jeep. Way smaller than a weatherpack connector, I use these the most but the largest wire you can use is 18awg.

SZ16 is the most common size and is used in DT style connectors.

SZ12 is for DTP style connectors and are for higher current. There aren't many places on a jeep i would use this size.

I also do not recommend buying those kits. It is way cheaper to buy the pins, sleeves, wedgelocks, and connectors in bulk from Mouser. However, over the past year these have been tough to get a hold of as they have had large backorders. I have spent significantly more money than i normally would because the only thing available was a "kit", which is both connectors, both wedgelocks, and pins and sleeves for that connector set.

Amphenol also makes these connectors and they are marketed as ATM, AT, and ATP.

I dont think there is anything wrong with weatherpacks, I just do not even consider it an option for anything over a 3 pin connector.
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The kits are way overpriced. And while I have used them many times out of convenience, you pay a huge premium on them. Especially if you’re paying shipping on every order. Agreed best bet is buy as many loose pins and such as you can afford and then store them in a good drawer organizer or similar so you don’t lose them. Otherwise you’ll pay through the teeth to keep buying pins and such if you lose them due to them being small, loose, and easy to lose track of.
 
mrblaine said:
The only thing wrong with Weatherpack is they are old technology and they are very bulky. Good solid system that was at one time about the only thing you could get easily that was adaptable to a lot of different situations. I only wish I didn't have a couple of hundred of them with pins and seals for all three wire ranges.

Well, that and getting into Deutsche is not cheap if you have to start from scratch.
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Well there are always Metripack and Micropack to muddy things up too.
 
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mrblaine said:
All I know is I spend more time chasing down good electrical parts, wire, and loom than should be legal. It just wears me out.
Click to expand...
Amp, raychem and toyco are not cheap but are top quality so it’s just a matter of how many you can get the price break at. Most of what I used is from aircraft spruce because I only need a few dozen at a time.
 
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