Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

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Tom Cleary
Tom Cleary Solar Expert Posts: 37 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Hello,

I'm looking to connect an Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug 280 Amp 1 AWG to some 1 AWG cable, and don't know whether to crimp or solder the connection, or even whether the contact pins CAN be crimped. They are very thick. One electric shop worker I consulted had a professional crimping tool that could crimp 1 AWG cable, but he said he would not trust his crimping tool to do the job, he said it might break if he tried to crimp the contact pins. Can anyone recommend something that will allow the cables to be attached? Thank you..

Tom Cleary
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  • South Africa
    South Africa Solar Expert Posts: 295 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    What I have gathered, do not solder connections.

    More importantly, use the correct crimping tool to ensure a very tight, proper crimp of the cable to the lug.
    5kVA Victron Multiplus II, 5.2kW array, 14kWh DIYLifepo4 bank, all grid-tied.


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  • rgk1
    rgk1 Solar Expert Posts: 135 ✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    I have done both. For solder they make a lead pellet you drop down inside, then heat and push in as it melts. Also supposed to use liquid flux. I cut one open and the connection looked great. But.. the solder wicked up a ways on the wire. That gave me an uneasy feeling as it made what I felt was a weak point of flexible wire immediately meeting a non flexible point. Also, the heat required to get the larger lug and wire hot enough to do the job damaged the wire insulation close to the lug.

    Next was a trip to the local trucking parts house to borrow their crimping tool. That did not appear to get a good enough bite to suit me so I resorted to my own hammer crimp tool. After putting a few crimps down the barrel of the connector I discovered it now had a bow to the lug and would not slide into the plastic housing of the connector. After a beating to straighten it a bit and a lot of pushing, it went into the connector housing and I have never been able to get it out again. Bottom line.... very confident with the crimp connection.
    4-Risen 320 watt in series/parallel, 8-215ah 6 volt GC2 batteries in series, Exeltech 1100 watt/48 volt inverter, Tristar 45 MPPT controller.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,448 admin
    #4
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    You can get "reasonably" priced crimping tools from HAM Radio suppliers:

    http://www.powerwerx.com/powerpole-accessories/tricrimp-crimping-powerpole-contacts.html
    http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=PWRcrimp
    http://www.hamsource.com/app.html

    Above links are suggestions for places to start researching--I have not used the tool or any of the above suppliers.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • SkiDoo55
    SkiDoo55 Solar Expert Posts: 414 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    I have manual crimpers from one of those ham sites and they only do up to 45 amp size lugs. He is going to need a hydraulic type crimper to do the size he is talking about. 1 AWG cable in a 280 amp connector is going to be loose. Would have to look at Anderson literature to see if that is even recommended.
    Alway! Crimp first then solder if desired. Need mechanical connection, ALWAYS!, solder only has no real mechanical strength for pullout and if heated becomes worse, to total failure and possible fire!
    looked at literature you buy the correct AWG lug for the housing for correct fit.
    GT3.8 w/4600W Trina 230W, TX5000 w/5000W ET-250W, XW4024 w/1500W ET-250W, 4 L16, 5500W Gen. (never had to use) Yet!!
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  • jonr
    jonr Solar Expert Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Harbor Freight sells a $53 hydraulic crimper that they say will go down to 0 AWG.

    I am available for custom hardware/firmware development

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  • Desert Rat
    Desert Rat Solar Expert Posts: 138 ✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Can't comment on the HF crimper but I own this one and it is a quality tool that will crimp from 6AWG to 4/0.
    Pricey, yes, but it should last a lifetime and more.
    Attachment not found.

    http://www.delcity.net/catalogdetails?item=990000
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?
    jonr wrote: »
    Harbor Freight sells a $53 hydraulic crimper that they say will go down to 0 AWG.

    They lie. The die have number marks on them. Marked at random. 0 will not fit 0 gauge wire.

    I got a 6 ton hydraulic crimper off ebay. works great.

    Attachment not found.Attachment not found.
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Some crimpers can be funny about the lugs they will crimp. Lugs come in Standard and Heavy Duty. Some can do both and some cannot. Some crimpers will crimp one brand of lug and not another. Sometimes the specifications will change and then you cannot get the lugs in or out of the jaws or die's.

    Added : what I was trying to say is that NEC standard lugs are made for course wire and battery lugs are for finer wire. The flare on a battery lug barrel and the length of the barrel is different and the diameter, even the transition from the round barrel to the flat part of the lug is different. NEC has a color coding system and that match up the crimper and lugs and connectors and the dies stamps the size die that was used for the crimp. Battery lugs your on your own. Some of the Chinese crimpers have enough dies you can go up a size ( millimeter ) and you ok, some not.
    .
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  • SkiDoo55
    SkiDoo55 Solar Expert Posts: 414 ✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    The China version I have from E-bay 16 ton, 10mm2 - 300mm2 for 12 die set, for the 4/0 battery cable with lugs from NAWS took the #95 dies which is just below the AWG to metric conversion number. So it they seem pretty close. Will have to wait and see what the selection would be for other types of wire. Crimping with it is a breeze for effort required, but that is hydraulics working. Now back to HD or Lowe's for a good pair of large cable cutters!
    GT3.8 w/4600W Trina 230W, TX5000 w/5000W ET-250W, XW4024 w/1500W ET-250W, 4 L16, 5500W Gen. (never had to use) Yet!!
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  • Tom Cleary
    Tom Cleary Solar Expert Posts: 37 ✭
    #11
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Thank you for the suggestions. The use of a hydraulic crimping device looked like a good idea, as did soldering the connection after crimping. I looked into renting a hydraulic crimper from Home Depot, they did not rent hydraulic crimping tools, at least in the three stores I called in Los Angeles. I found a local electrical supply house that claims to be the largest in Los Angeles who said that they would rent a crimper that could do the job, a 15 ton hydraulic crimping device.

    One of the forum participants suggested using solder in addition to crimping, something I plan to do after the wires are cramped. The solder can be added afterwards by melting it down the top of the crimped head at the very end of the wire I have been told.

    Thanks everybody, I could not have worked this out without help. Best,
    Tom Cleary
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,448 admin
    #12
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Personally, I prefer a solid crimp and no solder.... Solder makes a "fulcrum" where the copper strands get focused bending/work hardening as the solder wicks up the cable.

    A proper crimp should be hermetically sealed. Solder is not needed.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • SkiDoo55
    SkiDoo55 Solar Expert Posts: 414 ✭✭✭
    #13
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    I crimp and no solder. Use adhesive lined heat shrink, making sure it cover the barrel of the terminal. Never had a problem. If you do solder need to provide close ridged support to the cables to prevent flexing.
    i agree with "BB" on this. My aviation wiring practices kicking in.
    GT3.8 w/4600W Trina 230W, TX5000 w/5000W ET-250W, XW4024 w/1500W ET-250W, 4 L16, 5500W Gen. (never had to use) Yet!!
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  • Tom Cleary
    Tom Cleary Solar Expert Posts: 37 ✭
    #14
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Hello everyone, thank you for the submissions and the excellent suggestions for crimping tools and soldering, or avoiding soldering. In the end the crimped wires were strong enough that it did not seem necessary anyway. Powerwerks has an excellent online selection of crimping tools, and sell an Anderson crimping tool that works for the SB 120 and SB 180 quick connectors. The price was high at $90, but it was a lot less than the Anderson price. I might have gotten an equivalent tool for less at Harbor Freight, but decided to go with the Powerwerks tool because it was designed specifically for the purpose. I was interested to learn that Powerwerks also custom cuts cables and connectors and lugs, Anderson quick disconnect, or other types. Crimping the cables with the necessary connectors by myself was cheaper, as the technician at homework said himself, so that seemed like a reliable recommendation and worth following. The crimper worked fine on the lugs and quick disconnect contact pins, for both the 1/0 and #2 welding cables. Just wanted to let you know, how things turned out, thanks again, I appreciated the help. Tom
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  • ZoNiE
    ZoNiE Solar Expert Posts: 100 ✭✭
    #15
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    Re: Anderson SB175 Quick Connect Plug -- Crimp or Solder?

    Never solder a crimp connector, and certainly never do both. The crimp connectors rely on the mechanical pressure to make contact. Every mfg makes or recommends a crimper for their lugs. I have about a dozen crimpers for different parts.

    Solder usually leaves too much flux in the connector, and over time, will corrode and break down the connection and increase the resistance. This is why you never see pre-made battery cables soldered. Leave the soldering to the solder cup Amphenol or DSUB low current connectors, and better to buy the crimper and crimp type pins for those too.
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