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

Blair May tump3391 at gmail.com
Thu Sep 4 15:53:07 PDT 2025 

There are different ferrule crimpers on the market. Square, half moon and round, square crimpers sometimes don't fit the lug as well as the 1/2 moon design which what Schnieder used for their OEM PDBs  work best. I also use No-Ox-ID “A special” wire grease, to tame the fine strands w/ these cables.  One thing that has yet to be mentioned here is; its important to look at the OD size of the insulation on your wires as the ferrules are also designed for the insulation of said wire to be inside, and if you don’t look & order the right internal end (insulation end) of ferrule size you will have a bunch of ferrels that u never use. 
I use Cobra X flex and the X Flex 150 wire and have found it to be great to work w/ and it offers larger ampacity ratings. XFlex150 #6AWH is ~150A
When I’m making battery cables I only use the lugs available from my Cobra dealer. I assume that UL tests/ listings are given when using the lugs designed w/ the Manu’s crimper. 
Battery cable; I have found that making 2 cuts on the insulation the first is around 1/2 “wide, and removed, the second one which stays on the cable is 1/8th wide is then slid up to the end of the cable and when its inserted in the lug one, it slips down then cut off allowing you to insert the rest of the stripped wire.   
> On Sep 4, 2025, at 1:23 AM, William Miller via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>> wrote:
> 
> James:
>  
> Sorry I forgot to include the fine option you introduced.  Thank you for the reminder.
>  
> William
>  
> Miller Solar
> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
> 805-438-5600
> www.millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
> CA Lic. 773985
>  
>  
> From: James Jarvis [mailto:jj at aprsworld.com <mailto:jj at aprsworld.com>] 
> Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:33 PM
> To: william at millersolar.com <mailto:william at millersolar.com>; RE-wrenches
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Ferrules for large fine-stranded wire.
>  
> William,
>  
> None of the crimpers you sent photos of are for ferrules. Those are all lug crimpers. Some are barely that. Nobody should be seriously considering anything you hit with a hammer to be a proper tool for installing any type of connector.
>  
> Ferrule crimpers produce a square crimp and do what they are supposed to.
>  
> Last Wednesday I sent you a note with this link:
> https://www.ferrulesdirect.com/collections/hand-crimping-tools/products/vag240 <https://www.ferrulesdirect.com/collections/hand-crimping-tools/products/vag240>
>  
> It makes a square shape and won't have weird edges and the artifacts you mention you get when you smoosh a ferrule with a non-ferrule crimper.
>  
> Ferrules are highly useful and reliable when installed correctly. You just need the right tool.
>  
> The other thing I mentioned last week were pin adapters. They are crimp on fittings that are rated for fine stranded wire and they convert it to course stranded or solid shape. Here was the example I sent:
> https://www.ilsco.com/Ilsco/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=F2C-1%2F0-1%2F0-ILSM-ILS&cclcl=en_US <https://www.ilsco.com/Ilsco/ccrz__ProductDetails?sku=F2C-1%2F0-1%2F0-ILSM-ILS&cclcl=en_US>
>  
>  
>  
>  
> Best regards,
>  
>  
>  
> -James Jefferson Jarvis
> APRS World, LLC
> +1-507-454-2727
> http://www.aprsworld.com/ <http://www.aprsworld.com/>
>  
>  
> On Wed, Sep 3, 2025 at 6:10 PM William Miller via RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>> wrote:
>> Friends:
>>  
>> My understanding is if the lug has a set-screw that contacts the strands, fine strands can wind around the set screw, get into the threads and not tighten adequately.  If you are crimping fine strands inside of some type of barrel your connection should be OK.  
>>  
>> I had been using Outback until they imploded and all of the battery connections were via studs or bolts that required crimped-on rings.  Now I am back to set screw lugs and fine stranding became an issue again.
>>  
>> I did try another experiment: I took a 4/0 ferrule that would not fit into the Envy lugs and snipped a section out of it.  I curled it into a slightly smaller diameter and it fit into the lug.  I suppose one could cut the ferrule in half longitudinally and insert a portion of the ferrule between the set screw and the strands.
>>  
>> I am pleased with the copper sheeting wrapped around the fine strands.  That will be my SOP.
>>  
>> William
>>  
>> Miller Solar
>> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
>> 805-438-5600
>> www.millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
>> CA Lic. 773985
>>  
>>  
>> From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org>] On Behalf Of Ray Walters via RE-wrenches
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 3, 2025 1:40 PM
>> To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
>> Cc: Ray Walters
>> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Ferrules for large fine-stranded wire.
>>  
>> 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:
>>>>  
>>>>  
>> 
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Blair “TUMP” May
Solarwinds Northernlights east
"We must all learn to live together as brothers,
 or we all will perish as fools."
MLK





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