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Tool Aid SG SGT18980 Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit (Quick Change with 9 Die Sets)

  • Based on 153 reviews
Condition: New
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Availability: Only 8 left in stock, order soon!
Fulfilled by National Tool Warehouse

Arrives Dec 30 – Dec 31
Order within 23 hours and 17 minutes
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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.


Manufacturer: ‎SG Tool Aid


Part Number: ‎SGT18980


Item Weight: ‎3.52 pounds


Product Dimensions: ‎2.8 x 12 x 8.2 inches


Item model number: ‎SGT18980


Size: ‎One Size


Color: ‎Factory


Power Source: ‎Hand Powered


Item Package Quantity: ‎1


Handle Material: ‎Plastic


Included Components: ‎Tool Aid - Quick Change Ratcheting Terminal Crimping Kit W/9 (18980)


Batteries Included?: ‎No


Batteries Required?: ‎No


Date First Available: June 26, 2012


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Dec 30 – Dec 31

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Great quality, value, and customer service, versatile, one caveat
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018 by Steve

  • Tool-Aid crimping tools compared – which to buy
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017 by Brian Hammerhead

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