www.aircraft-tool.com
www.aircraft-tool.com
Please note that the crimpers from aircraft spruce are made like MSD crimpers, unlike all the other imported/imposter crimpers available everywhere for cheaper.
PIDG Faston Receptacles By Amp | Aircraft Spruce ®
PIDG Faston Receptacles By Amp *Style A: Has no dimple with wire stop.www.aircraftspruce.com
Ring Tongue Nylon Insulated Pidg Terminals | Aircraft Spruce ®
Ring Tongue Nylon Insulated Pidg Terminals Each insulated PIDG terminal consists of a tin plated copper body, a tin plated copper wire support sleeve and a color-coded insulation sleeve.
Or, if you feel like spending more on a crimper,.....
AVIATION GRADE TERMINAL CRIMP KIT from Aircraft Tool Supply
AVIATION GRADE TERMINAL CRIMP KIT - Aviation grade terminal crimp kit includes ratcheting crimper plus an assortment of Molex AviKrimp ring terminals, and AMP PIDG butt splices packaged in a custom case.
TERMINAL CRIMPER KIT from Aircraft Tool Supply
TERMINAL CRIMPER KIT - An economical electrical terminal kit that includes an ergonomic ratcheting crimper, plus an assortment of SAE insulated terminals and splices. Crimper features an adjusting wheel to control pressure and a safety release mechanism.
The main issue with the cheaper crimpers is they won't hold their adjustments and the crimp dies tend not to be uniform. However, name-brand crimpers tend to hold their own without breaking the bank. The need for top end crimpers and calibration requirement only comes into play at the upper tier operations or when crimping cannon plug pins where crimp depth critical. But you can find deals on these better crimpers in the used market for sometimes pennies on the dollar. A lot of my specialty tools were bought in this manner.
You'll find the aviation guidance prefers crimping vs soldering whenever possible for several reasons. Plus, any soldered connection will need strain protection of some sort to maintain joint integrity in most installations.
Does your school offer Snap-On tool discounts? The ones I'm familiar with still do which can be as high as 50% which is a great deal. Unfortunately, even at 50% off you're still into the $1000s. However, Proto make a nice basic aviation mechanics tool set for <$1000 that should serve the purpose, or there still is the Craftsman route available as well.
Must be about 20 years ago that the FAA revised AC43.13 to demand calibrated ratchet crimpers for aircraft work. Transport Canada inspectors did an aujdit of our shop about that time, and asked where my calibrated ratchet crimper was.
They do offer a discount, and yes it's still very expensive - more than full price of other brands. Is Snap On really better than other brands / that much better? I have my doubts, but others who have used multiple brands can chime in.
Snap-On, Mac, MATCO, Wright, etc have their place as their manufacture tolerances are very specific. Beyond that, a tool is a tool in my opinion. Some invest $100K+ in boxes and tools and some, like myself, "struggle" to make a $10,000 investment outside of specialty tools. Its very subjective to the mechanic what tools they use and how much they want to spend. For me, I stuck with Craftsman and Proto with some Snap-On and Mac where I needed the higher specs, however, I also didn't lose any sleep when I took one of my Proto wrenches, cut it in half, and grinded it to fit into a tight spot. Regardless, a mechanic needs tools to do their thing, and even if you end up a Delta or some other place that provides tools, you still need to have your own set just in case.
Craftsman used to be quality. Now it’s just a trademark that gets stamped on bits outsourced to lowest price manufacturers.
I remember once seeing an A&P student using a micrometer as a C-clamp, the instructor almost had a cow.
I'm not and probably never will be an A&P, but already have 90% of the tools one would need just from years of fixing cars and other things. (hmmm, autocorrect changed "cars" to "cats" which completely changed the meaning of that sentence.
)Yup. They're hit or miss now, some Craftsman stuff is still decent while other stuff is crap. Snap-On is probably no better than some others but they just feel so nice in the hand. Flea markets and even ebay are a good source for used quality tools.
Let me guess - the TC guy had never been an actively working A&P, had he?
He had to have had that experience, but it may have been before the ratcheting crimpers were mandated. I think his experience was airline stuff, and he wondered why we weren't using nitrogen in the tires of our Cessnas and Citabrias. He was going to flag that, but another inspector overruled him, an inspector with small-aircraft experience.
"Where is this Taylorcraft's APU?"
"Contact!"
