Tried a ratcheting crimper on cannon plug pins after years of the old squeeze kind, and wow

Adam Baker · 2026-10-19T03:20:02.94563+00:00

Spent six years building harnesses with a basic squeeze tool and just dealt with the sore hands and occasional loose pin. Last week a guy on my crew handed me his ratcheting crimper for a set of size 20 contacts on a 737 harness and the difference was night and day. The ratchet won't let go until the crimp is fully seated, so every pin came out the same height and pull tested clean on the first try. I ran 40 pins in about 15 minutes with zero reworks, versus usually eating a couple of bad ones per connector with the old tool. What brand are you all running for D-sub and circular connectors, and has anyone found one that fits tight spots behind a panel?

Vivisector

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Tried a ratcheting crimper on cannon plug pins after years of the old squeeze kind, and wow | Avionics Technicians - Vivisector