Swapped to a different crimper for D-sub pins and it saved me so much headache

I used to fight with the cheap ratcheting crimper from the company tool crib for years. Pins would always pull loose or the insulation would get chewed up. Finally borrowed a Daniels M22520 from a guy I work with and the difference was night and day. The crimp was perfect every time, and I finished a whole harness job at Dallas Love Field in half the usual time. Has anyone else found a tool swap that just clicked like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa_hill232h ago

Man, I felt every bit of that. I showed up to a job with one of those cheapo crimpers once and by the end of the day my hand looked like I'd been wrestling a badger. Lucky I didn't end up with a permanent claw grip like some kind of weird lizard person. Borrowed a proper M22520 from a buddy and my only regret is not stealing it from him sooner.

ryanf662h ago

Man I felt this in my soul. I spent a solid week swearing at one of those cheap yellow crimpers from Harbor Freight on a DB25 job and nearly threw it across the hangar. Bought a used M22520 off eBay and suddenly my pins actually stayed put and I didnt have to redo half the connections. My coworkers still make fun of me for the way I used to have to squeeze so hard my hand would cramp up by lunch.

thea1432h ago

Funny you mention the cramping, @ryanf66, because I had the exact same issue. Turns out the cheap crimpers don't just make bad connections, they also make you work way harder than you need to. The M22520 has that little ratchet that does most of the squeezing for you, so your hand doesn't turn into a claw by noon. Night and day, really.