Anyone got any experience with crimp tools for insulated terminals?

[indianajo]

The Thomas & Betts & Ideal first line crimp terminals are seamed. They are not made in the orient, and are quite expensive. The last box I got was $11 for a box of 100, and that was 6 years ago. The metal is thicker in the crimp area than Panduit, 3M, everything else. If tyco a new name for AMP, I have used AMP but only with an industrial air powered bench crimp machine. They only sold terminals in reels for machine installation when I was specifying them. You can get a "dimple' crimp with the Ideal tool by using the "non-insulated" slot after using the "insulated" slot to start. I usually do. I have found pvc insulation to be entirely adequate for hooking up automotive & lawnmower engines. Reliability is important to me because I drive my 51 year old car 42 miles round trip to the country 100 days a year, and there is only one pay phone in route. No, I don't use a cell phone. The engine and ignition harness, the windshield wipers, and now the turn signals, are all self manufactured harness using crimp terminals. Pro grade crimp terminals. I eliminated the weird Murray rider mower 11 terminal "starter" switch last year when the connector on the back rusted through, and did that entire harness in crimp terminals. The only problem has been thick woody saplings grabbing the charger wire and pulling it off at the terminal- force a bit higher than any terminal is meant to withstand.

[dangus]

The "ins" position is for crimping the sleeve over the wire insulation, if the terminal is of the appropriate type. (That is, with a thinner sleeve of metal under the plastic. I haven't seen many terminals that were suitable, other than a vintage box of name-brand ring terminals.)

I think the seamed connectors are OK; I just make sure the dimple is on the non-seamed side.