TH1818 Hydraulic Dieliess Lug Crimper Tool 10AWG to 400MCM

Choosing the right crimper for your needs

There are a few things to consider when selecting a crimper. TEMCo Industrial offers a lineup of choices and depending on what your needs are, we have the right tool for the job.

Hover over the various boxes and consider what's right for you.

If you decide the TH1818 is not the right fit for you, or you're curious what other crimpers TEMCo Industrial has to offer, scroll down to check out our comparison chart.

Working in tight spots?

If you have to make crimps in tight spots, consider the length of the handle on the crimper. In tight spaces, you'll want to avoid manual crimpers that use longer handles to leverage a good crimp. Hydraulic models like our TH1818 have shorter handles since power is generated through the hydraulic system.

In addition to the shorter handle length, the TH1818 head rotates 360 degrees, and easily adjusts while you work.

Finding the perfect die and its challenges.

With a die crimper it can be frustrating to get the right die to work due to the difference in tolerance of wire strand size and terminal wall thickness. For example, if you have a 2 AWG cable from one brand, a 2 AWG lug from another, and a crimper with a 2 AWG die, you might not be able to get the perfect crimp because of the varying differences. The benefit of a dieless crimper like the TH1818 is that there are no dies to choose from and it's infinitely adjustable.

If you just need to do a handful of quick solid crimps and don't want to fuss with sizing issues, an indent crimper is a solid solution.

The pros and cons of hydraulics

There are some obvious benefits of a hydraulic crimper like the TH1818 over a manual crimper, like that it's much easier to pump a small cylinder than it is to muscle through a manual lever. But also consider that hydraulic cylinders have parts that could go wrong, the most common being blown seals.

If something does go wrong, remember that TEMCo Industrial tools have a one year no-questions-asked return policy, which means you're not going be stuck with a leaking mess. Depending on the issue, we'll either fix the tool for you, send you parts, or just send you a replacement unit, of course all at no further cost to you.

Step 1: Preparation

Strip insulation off and install lug terminal on wire.

Step 2: Place Wire in Crimper

Loosen knurled screw if necessary and insert wire into crimper jaws. Tighten knurled screw until it contacts the lug terminal.

Step 3: Close Valve

Turn release valve fully clockwise.

Step 4: Pump Handle

Pump handle until solid pressure is felt. You don't want to go too far and crimp through the lug terminal. Below is a guideline for number of pumps.

Turn release valve counterclockwise and loosen knurled screw to remove wire. Verify crimp quality.

Not all wire and lug terminals will have the same fit with a particular gauge due to the variance in terminal wall thickness and wire strand count. This will sometimes makes a die crimper the wrong tool for the job. Because an indent crimper like the TH1818 is adjustable, it can reliably get a solid crimp.

NOTE: Crimpers with dies use the shape and size of a die to complete a crimp; and therefore, assuming a proper die fit, over-crimping (generally) is not possible.

An indent crimper can over or under crimp, though it is free from having to figure out which dies are correct for any one crimp.

You may need to increase or decrease the number of pumps due to lug terminal wall thickness and wire strand type (coarse or fine strand). Use the chart to your right as a starting point.