[RE-wrenches] Ferrules for large fine-stranded wire.

[MD Electric & Solar]

I was purchasing pre-made battery cables from my vendor, but we kept
getting cables that had loose lugs crimped on, we could actually land them
and then pull the cable out of the lugs.
We started buying raw battery cable and crimps and making our own, and
haven't looked back. We feel we make a much tighter/better connection.
Mike

On Wed, Sep 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM Kent via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Ray,
>
> I believe that there was a burned wire/lug issue with a loose connection
> in a DC 250 box that caused the big concern about fine stranded wires only
> being used in lugs identified for fine strands. The old Trace 250 boxes
> were UL listed prior.
>
> I've never seen a problem with a loose wire in the DC250, but I check them
> every time I run into one of those old boxes.
> Kent Osterberg
> Blue Mountain Solar
>
>
> On 9/3/2025 1:39 PM, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> I've got to ask: Are none of the lugs on these Chinese inverters approved
> for fine strand cable?  I just have not had a problem with that, but I've
> mostly used Magnum, Midnite, and Outback equipment over the years.   What
> were the lugs on the old Trace DC 250 boxes?  Were they fine strand rated?
> They sure were tough to get 4/0 into, as William mentioned.
>
> Ray
> Remote Solar
> On 9/3/2025 12:57 PM, Kent via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> William,
>
> If the only reason the ferrule wouldn't fit after using the hex crimper
> was the ridge left where the dies meet, you could rotate the cable 120
> degrees and crimp the ferrule again.
>
> I doubt that the indenter crimper will do a decent job with large ferrules.
>
> I do like your thin piece of copper solution. Not UL approved but I dare
> say wrench approved.
> Kent Osterberg
> Blue Mountain Solar
>
>
> On 9/2/2025 8:55 PM, William Miller via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> Friends:
>
>
>
> Thank you for all of your input on this question.  I feel it only right I
> report back how this turned out
>
>
>
> I tried a crimper like this:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> It left a jagged ridge on both sides of the ferrule where the dies met.
>
>
>
> The crimper below was suggested but I have not tried it:
>
>
> This was suggested but I have not tried it either:
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the other:https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out or update participant bios:http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the
> other:
> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out or update participant bios:
> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
>
>

-- 
Michael D Nelson
MD Electric & Solar Inc.
Office: 707-412-3181
Cell: 707-684-0064
www.mdelectricsolar.com
www.facebook.com/mdelectricandsolar
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20250903/e58d5180/attachment.htm>