SG Tool Aid SGT18980 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit (Quick Change with 9 Die Sets)
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Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Sunday, Jun 28
Features
- Quick changing ratcheting tool with 9 die sets for most popular auto terminal crimping applications
- Quick and easy die set change with the press of a lever
- Ratcheting action ensures a perfect crimp every time
- Supplied in a durable blow molded case
Description
Value-priced, high quality tools - leading the market by ensuring that products are rugged, reliable and reasonably priced.
Brand: Tool Aid
Color: Factory
Item Weight: 3.5 Pounds
Handle Material: Plastic
Grip Type: Ergonomic
Brand Name: Tool Aid
Model Number: SGT18980
UPC: 767654449202 638570189803 733353344704
Manufacturer: SG Tool Aid
Global Trade Identification Number: 03
Set Name: 9
Manufacturer Part Number: SGT18980
Included Components: Tool Aid - Quick Change Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit W/9 (18980)
Item Type Name: Tool
Unit Count: 1.0 Count
Specific Uses For Product: Automotive electrical system crimping applications
Item Weight: 3.5 Pounds
Size: One Size
Color: Factory
Handle Material: Plastic
Grip Type: Ergonomic
Handle Type: Lever Action Plastic Handle
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Sunday, Jun 28
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View our full returns policy here.
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View our full returns policy here.
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Top Amazon Reviews
TL;DR: After exhaustive research and comparing numerous crimpers, I went with these for a good balance of quality and price, not wanting to spend a fortune since I don't use them professionally but not wanting something cheap, either. These are great because they are good quality, you get a lot of capability from the included dies, and presumably you can use other dies to expand your crimping options. They work great for computer power cable terminals, work well, and the company has great customer service. Based on my research, I think this is probably the best value, with (slightly) cheaper options being of questionable quality and better quality options being much more expensive, and almost certainly not being 2-3x as good for costing 2-3x as much. Highly recommended for hobbyists and probably even professionals, with one caveat: I've experienced the dies getting stuck together to the point one of them is pulled from the jaw's quick-release mechanism, and while it's happened only rarely for me (typically when doing a crimp wrong), at least one other reviewer has had the same issue, and for them it happened a lot when crimping insulated connectors. So be sure to test that out right away. Full review: I spent many hours over the course of a few weeks researching crimpers before finally deciding on these, and I definitely feel I made the right choice. I wanted ratcheting crimpers, to help make good crimps, and that's what most people recommend, and it definitely helps a lot. I also wanted quality, but since they're something I will just use occasionally, as a hobbyist, and not regularly as a professional, I didn't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money (there are many crimpers for $150-200 and many for much more). But looking at the cheaper options, I found lots of reviews saying similar things about the dies being poor quality and breaking easily. While many crimpers use compatible, interchangeable dies (which is something I definitely wanted so I could just buy a die if I needed to crimp something else vs a whole different pair of crimpers), I figured I was best off buying a set where at least the tool itself is good quality, so if the dies break I can just get different, better ones, but of course try to find a set with decent dies as well. My primary intended use is for various insulated and, especially, non-insulated terminals used in automotive wiring, computer cable terminals (SATA power, molex, fan connectors, etc), and, if possible, Anderson PowerPole (APP) connectors. I went with these for multiple reasons. They're highly recommended in forums, well-reviewed here, don't seem to have quality issues with the dies like others in this price range, they're made in Taiwan (I prefer made in the US, and I think these used to be made here, but I prefer Taiwan to China, party due to the fact it's generally better as far as quality, and it seems S&G still has them made to high standards), they can go all the way to 22 gauge non-insulated, replacement/additional dies can be easily purchased individually for relatively cheap, they can do coax, and, of course, the price is great for what you get. Also, S&G appears to stand behind their products and improve them, as evidenced by the fact they changed the quick-change lever from plastic to metal after complaints about the jaws separating sometimes and causing an incomplete crimp (which, by the way, was the only common issue I saw with these). And while I haven't confirmed it myself yet, I'm fairly certain it will accept other manufacturers' die sets, which means it could probably even do Ethernet, which only leaves APP, and I think they might work with a couple dies I found for that. One is the Andy-Crimp Pro Die (gsradio), which would be great since it's apparently one of the very few with the ability to do 75 amp APPs, but I have my doubts about this one, since the holes on the APP die are decentered more than the ones on S&G dies. The other is an MGS 7505-DIE I found on eBay which looks more similar to the S&G dies as well as those of other brands, which can also supposedly do 75 amp connectors. The dies can also be placed in any orientation, so you can put the part you're using toward the front or back and so the terminal goes in rightside-up or upside-down. I didn't realize this until I just tried it, because they're not symmetric so I just assumed you couldn't put them in backward. It certainly would have helped with some of my crimps had I figured it out before, so I wanted to mention it. I've used them quite a bit now for making some custom computer cables, and for the most part they've worked perfectly. I've only had two very minor issues with them, and both are probably user-error. The first is that they were bending the SATA power terminals, which didn't cause any harm, but was a bit annoying and made me think the die should be designed a bit differently. I contacted S&G support, and we emailed back and forth several times. They responded quickly and were very helpful, and we decided I should try a #18937 (non-insulated open-barrel terminals 30-18 AWG including Weatherpack terminals) instead of the #18922 (non-insulated open-barrel terminals 22-10 AWG including Weatherpack terminals) I was using. They even sent me one to try, since I couldn't find it anywhere, though I noticed later one comes with this kit, so I already had it. I didn't even think to check because I had told them what kit I had and it didn't occur to me they wouldn't realize and mention that. Based on the description, it would seem both would work for the same terminal types 18-22 AWG, and I was crimping 18-gauge wire, some with one wire and some with two, so it would seem the #18937 would be either borderline or too small for what I was doing, which is why I went with the #18922. But it did work very well, and it didn't bend the terminals. So for anyone looking to crimp SATA power terminals, hopefully that helps you. The other issue is that occasionally the jaws will get stuck together (it seems the terminal almost welds them together), and one will come out of the jaw's quick release mechanism, so I can't use the crimpers to pull them apart. I have to grab one or both of them with pliers and pull them until they separate. So this problem is twofold: the sticking, and the quick-release not holding on well enough. I thought maybe that was intentional, to prevent damage to the tool, but S&G said they'd never heard of the problem (I'm assuming they meant both the sticking and the die separating from the jaw). The good news is this is pretty rare, only happening 4-6 times in over 100 crimps, and each time it seemed it was due to a bad crimp (e.g. putting the terminal in the wrong way on accident). Still, it would be nice if the release mechanism was a bit stronger and could hold the jaws in place better to make it easier to pull the jaws apart, and this is my only criticism of this set, but it's a very, very minor one. And at least one other review has mentioned this same thing, in their case with insulated terminals. I haven't tried insulated ones yet, but if it is indeed common with them that would be a significant issue, so make sure you test that right away. It would also be nice to have the option of a bag (like the Snap-On below) instead of the case, with room for a few extra dies, as it would take up less room and probably even cost a bit less. That said, the case is well-made and holds the dies snugly, though unfortunately each spot is shaped exactly for a specific die, so if you use one other than the one that comes mounted in the tool, you'll be swapping a lot, since the "default" one won't snap into the case (you could put it in the small space in the corner, but it wouldn't be held tight). ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATIONS Other than these, I looked at the Snap-On Blue-Point PWC48 (PWC48NJ for the kit, which is what I would get), Powerwerx TRIcrimp with interchangeable die set, Greenlee Communications 1322 Non-Insulated Terminal And Lug Crimper, Greenlee PA8025 Ergonomic CrimpALL 8000 Wire Ferrule Crimper, Ideal Industries Crimpmaster Crimp Tool, and Paladin Ratchet Crimper Frame. Snap-On tools are usually good, but I find them to be overpriced and typically not a good value, though this kit isn't too bad in that regard. But I couldn't find much as far as reviews or opinions on it, and it appears to be limited to the dies it comes with, so no chance of APP or even coax, much less Ethernet. It also can't do 22 gauge non-insulated. Pros are that it (presumably) has a very good warranty and that replacement dies can be purchased easily and are relatively cheap. Also made in Taiwan. The Powerwerx is an interesting one, because it's the opposite of the others: it's main purpose is APP connectors, but you can use it for regular terminals as well with the various dies. The main crimper is very well-reviewed, and I actually bought one several years ago (the main crimper, not the extra dies), but unfortunately I don't have access to it right now. The problem is, the great reviews it has are likely based mostly on using it for APPs, for which it excels at a reasonable price point, and it may not be so great for other crimps and/or it's not held to the same standards because of the different primary use and different user base. I've seen one person comment in a forum that it works great for a while, but after 1-2,000 crimps it starts to weaken and can't crimp well anymore. Of course, if it lasts even just 1,000 crimps that would probably be several years at least for me, but still, all else being equal, I'd prefer whatever I buy to have long-term reliability. And there's only two reviews on the dies. I also have no idea where they're made, which means probably China. It also can't do 18 gauge and smaller non-insulated. So it's the most limited for standard terminals. And, as with the Snap-On, it's limited to the included dies. The last four all have interchangeable dies and you can get Ethernet dies for them and, as far as I can tell, they're all pretty comparable, good quality, and are compatible with APP dies. But they're significantly more expensive.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018 by S
This is a great wire terminal crimper for the money by FAR! The construction, action of the racheting, release mechanism, the plastic molded case and variety of dies for different terminal types is great. The only thing that isn't very well made is the die retention setup. The plastic pieces aren't very strong and can possible be broken if used in a rough manner. I was going to buy knipex, stak-on, and weatherpak ratcheting crimper tools but I would have cost me close to a $1000 easily. I do a fair amount of control wire work, and small amperage electrical wiring, but not enough were I need to have the very best ratcheting terminal crimper made. Just like i use socket sets and combination wrenches I don't use them, or need the quality of a snap on tools. Some other tools I do need the best money can buy. I can a sure you these are well made and come with the majority of dies you will need to do most crimping. I did look around at alot of brands of ratcheting crimper because my klien crimper didn't produce a nice looking tight crimp everytime and it made me second guess the job causing me to replace terminals may times. Made in Newark, New Jersey too!! I'm from NJ and didn't think any business were in Newark anymore like Trenton...unless it's illegal substance buisness. JK! I want to know what other dies I can get for this set. Weatherpak? Heat shrink terminals?
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Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015 by Nytefog
Overview: I bought this because I needed to do a few sealed Metripak crimps and decided to replace a few other non-ratcheting crimp tools in the process. I was impressed was with the normal insulated, non-insulated and non-sealed Metripak connectors. They looked great and were very solid. It did the sealed Metripak crimps OK (unsealed Metripak crimps where great), but I needed to use my manual tool to make the crimps around the silicone boot circular instead of heart shaped. Positives: Insulated, non-insulated and un-sealed (no silicone boot) Metripak connectors looked great and were very solid Consistent crimps Large die selection kept me from digging for a different crimper when I unexpectedly had to replace a different style connector. Good indication of what die to use on lid of case. Negatives: The silicon boot on the sealed Metripak connectors did not crimp properly, requiring manual intervention. When I tried to use this tool to crimp the connector and boot at the same time, it would puncture the silicon boot with the back tabs because it bends them in a heart shape instead of a circle. The die that comes inserted in the tool does not have it's own slot in the case and either has to be stored in the accessory hole or in the tool (very minor issue). Final Thoughts: I am very happy that I purchased this crimper. It has already paid for itself with the quality of the crimps it did and it's versatility. I did have issues with crimping the sealed Metripak connectors, but the unsealed ones were rock solid. I realized after the first few test crimps that the dies for the Metripak connectors are really for the unsealed versions (the ones without the silicon boot). I was happy with the adjust ability of the tool because I could still use it on sealed connectors and finish the rear crimp with a hand tool. This allowed me to complete my project and get great results. Using this tool, I was able to fix the wiring harness and electrical connectors/wiring on a skid steer for 1/4 the price. I used sealed and unsealed Metripak connectors, regular insulated and uninsulated spade connectors, insulated heat shrink butt and spade connectors, and a few other random connectors to compete the project and the wiring system is now rock solid. All of the crimps (even the ones that move a lot like the operators seat switch) have held up to hours of standard skid steer usage (which is pretty extreme compared to most other applications).
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Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2018 by TheWildMan
I had a problem in my light manufacturing company with wires coming out of connectors due to assemblers different methods. This tool solved the problem. if you use a correctly there is no way a wire is going to come out of the connector. Its a little awkward at first because it is somewhat bulky compared to traditional crimpers. Also it is definitely meant for assembly not repair. You are not going to get this tool into a tight spot to try and fix an already assembled harness that is installed in a machine for example you need plenty of space to get the crimp head to where you need it. But for bench assembly or as long as you have plenty of room to maneuver the tool around in it is definitely a well-built well-functioning tool
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Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019 by Edretic
A new, beefier quick change mechanism, longer handles, and easy to use release mechanism make the Quick Change die tool found in this kit 18980 and kit 18960 far superior to the Screw mounted die tool found in kit 18920. As of the date of this review, Tool-Aid sells three ratcheting terminal crimping kits: S & G Tool Aid 18920 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit- 5 Piece Kit 18920 - Screw mounted die tool (18926) with five dies: 18921 For insulated terminals 22-10 AWG 18922 For non insulated open barrel connectors 22-10 AWG including Weatherpack terminals 18923 For fully insulated quick disconnect terminals with thinner wire barrels 22-10 AWG 18924 For non insulated terminals 22-8 AWG 18925 For miniature insulated rings, spade and butt splices 26-16 AWG S&G Tool Aid 18960 Quick Change Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit Kit 18960 - Quick change die tool (18972) with seven dies: All of the dies in kit 18920 plus… 18928 For RG-6 and RG-59 coaxial cable 18929 For 8mm and 8.5mm spiral core spark plug wire. Strips the insulation, crimps the spiral core to the spark plug terminal and crimps the terminal to the spark plug wire insulation. SG Tool Aid SGT18980 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit (Quick Change with 9 Die Sets) Kit 18980 - Quick change die tool (18972) with nine dies: All of the dies in kit 18960 plus … 18937 For 30-18 AWG non insulated open barrel terminals 18938 For 22-14 AWG insulated flag terminals There are major differences between the Quick change die tool found in kit 18960 and kit 18980 and the Screw mounted die tool found in kit 18920. 1) The handle on the Quick change die tool is 1.25” longer providing *significantly* more torque. 2) The release lever on the Quick change die tool is located on top and easy to use even when under load. The release lever on the Screw mounted die tool is located between the handles and is almost impossible to use when the tool is under load (exactly when you need it). 3) The Quick change die tool has an improved quick change mechanism that includes metal handles and a more beefy mount. Based on previous reviews and the video on the Tool-Aid website, an earlier quick change model had a plastic quick release mechanism that hindered a full crimp in certain circumstances. In a head to head test between the Quick change die tool (18972) and the Screw mounted die tool (18926), the Quick change die tool created very nice crimps that held up well to a pull test, and due to its longer handles, the crimps were easier to make. The Screw mounted die tool created inconsistent crimps, many of which did not hold up well to a pull test. The Screw mounted tool also was harder to use to create a crimp. When we needed to back out of a crimp that was very difficult to complete with the Screw mounted die tool (the exact same crimp completed successfully with the Quick change tool), it was nearly impossible to trigger the release mechanism. We finally were able to do so using a screw driver between the handles and trying to lessen the pressure on the release mechanism at the same time. In summary, choose either kit with the Quick change die tool (kit 18960 or kit 18980), but the kit with the Screw mounted die tool (kit 187920) is not recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017 Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017 by Brian Hammerhead
A great tool for any electrical hobbyist. I use this tool for professional looking installations of electrical accessories on my vehicle. Before taking the plunge and purchasing this tool, I've always used sub-par crimping tools that could be found on a cheap pair of wire strippers. After using Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit for the first time, I was amazed at how much easier and better looking my crimps were. On top of that, the crimps from this tool feel far more secure than any cheap crimper can do. If you work on any significant wiring projects, just buy this tool. It will last you a lifetime, make your life so much easier, and you'll gain the satisfaction of knowing you did the job right. Thanks for reading.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2017 by Mark E.
the posts are true concerning the weak quick release mechanism and the ability to only do 10ga wire is not a problem. these are made for light control work, you need the hydraulic or compound 8 ton units for battery cable size. they will not crimp over 10ga without damage to the tool. If they are used correctly they will last a long time. I have larger units for larger wire. this model is my main tool for system wiring, control wiring, relays etc. heavy motor or heater wiring gets done by the larger compound or hydraulic crimping tool. I found the plastic quick release mechanism with a defective spring and the steel ball bearing was falling into set hole to deep and getting stuck. returned and got another one and all those defects are not on this one. very happy with quality and storage case. I ordered additional dies to do other special connectors.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2015 by hvacr
I bought the Tool Aid 18980 to use on a Kubota tractor restoration. All the terminals are an open barrel style crimps. I did extensive research on all the different crimpers out there and kept coming back to this one based on reviews. Tool aid did a design change a few years ago from using a red plastic housing for the die quick release to metal type lever. I did read where some reviewers had problems with the old design and that the die would occasionally get stuck together during a crimp and pull the die out of the frame. I was extremely disappointed when I opened the case and saw I was shipped the old design. On my very first crimp the dies stuck and pulled from the frame. I am only giving it two stars based on the old design tool I received. On the other hand the rest of the tool and dies are extremely well made. I did call Tool Aid and the gentleman I spoke to was very helpful and offered to send me the new frame but I had to ship the old one to them. I decided to return this one and will just re-order it again but making sure I’m getting the newer version. When I do I will try it and give an update. Update: 4/16/21, After using the crimper with the new quick release mechanism I decided to do away with the quick change feature. I like the feel of the tool and the quality of crimps that it produces but the quick release has be troublesome. When doing larger 8 gauge terminals the frame flexes out causing the die to fall out. I ended up using a 8-32 screw and a brass thumb screw to hold the dies in and keep the frame from flexing out. Kinda beats the point of buying a quick change die crimper but It’s still relatively quick tho change the dies and solves all the problems. I would would buy it again with the thought in mind of converting it to the thumb screws cause I do like the crimper and dies very much, just not the quick release feature.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2019 Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2019 by DIY GUY