Is this type RJ-45 Crimp tool any good?

[Grateful11]

I need to replace some ends and I'd like finish what the electrician left undone. I've done some reg.
electrical work but have never put ends on an ethernet cable. They have what they call an EZ end
and Crimper but man is it high. How hard is it to use the reg. tool like I have listed first.

3 Way Modular Crimping Tool $8

http://www.firefold.com/3-Way-Modular-Cr...6C383.aspx

EZ Crimper $51

http://www.firefold.com/Platinum-Tools-1...7C383.aspx

The ends are bit higher with the EZ tool too.

[GGD]

I've used one similar to the $8 without any problems, the actual crimping is the easiest part of the whole process and it's just applying leverage.

The harder part is getting all of the wires into the proper channels before crimping.

[Grateful11]

I was looking at this page on How To: Run your own network wiring

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/22/how-t...rk-wiring/

[Forrest]

If you're doing more than a handful of cables, I'd invest in a ratcheting RJ45 crimping tool like your $51 tool. I saw a few different brands at a retail Microcenter store last week for around $25.

[M A V I C]

GGD wrote:
I've used one similar to the $8 without any problems, the actual crimping is the easiest part of the whole process and it's just applying leverage.

The harder part is getting all of the wires into the proper channels before crimping.

Yep. Hardest part is the cutting, stripping and getting the wires into the right place. But a bad tool can do a bad job. I bought a cheap tool off monoprice.com and it works great. I bought ends and booties just to replace the occasional broken one.

Grateful11 wrote:
I was looking at this page on How To: Run your own network wiring

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/22/how-t...rk-wiring/

That's a bad example. It's mostly good, but if you look at the crimped end, they cut too much of the sheathing off. The crimp part should go into the sheathing, not the wires.

[dohc76]

I use the EZ-RJ45 connectors and tool at work all the time the work very well and are much easier to make sure the wires are in the correct places. I think a standard crimp tool will crimp them OK it just won't cut the wires that come out the front of the connector. A good pair of flush cutting (small size) pliers should work fine for trimming or a carefully used razor blade should work as well. There is a small ledge on the connector where the wires come out the fron and it should be fairly easy to use the razor blade method.

YMMV

EZ RJ45 connector

[GGD]

M A V I C wrote:
[quote=Grateful11]
I was looking at this page on How To: Run your own network wiring

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/22/how-t...rk-wiring/

That's a bad example. It's mostly good, but if you look at the crimped end, they cut too much of the sheathing off. The crimp part should go into the sheathing, not the wires.
The author of that article seemed pretty clueless, and didn't understand what was different about Plenum rated cables, seemed to think it had to do with signal quality "the good stuff", when it's actually about how it burns in a fire.

The crimping actually compresses two areas, one is the tip where the wire contacts are and that goes through the wire insulation where the outer sheath has been removed, the other is at the base of the connector and that should have the sheathing intact and it locks the cable into the connector pretty well so that any pulling on the cord will not put strain on the contact area.

One thing that you should also get is a cable tester that tests all 8 conductors of the Ethernet cable. I think Geeks.com sells a kit with that cheap crimper tool, the cable tester and several hundred feet of Cat5 cable.

A magnifying glass is also helpful for when the cable test fails so that you can inspect the connectors at both ends to see which one has the wires in the wrong channels, and know which end needs to be re-done.

[M A V I C]

GGD wrote:
The author of that article seemed pretty clueless, and didn't understand what was different about Plenum rated cables, seemed to think it had to do with signal quality "the good stuff", when it's actually about how it burns in a fire.

I didn't actually read it - just looked at the steps for making the cable

The crimping actually compresses two areas, one is the tip where the wire contacts are and that goes through the wire insulation where the outer sheath has been removed, the other is at the base of the connector and that should have the sheathing intact and it locks the cable into the connector pretty well so that any pulling on the cord will not put strain on the contact area.

Yes, you are correct. I was referring to the second area near the base.

[mikebw]

I have made dozens of cables using one similar to the cheap one you linked to. Should get the job done.

[cbelt3]

Meh, I've used cheapies for several years now, never had a problem that wasn't solvable by a re-crimp (well, except for the mixed up wire problem, which is solved by whacking off the oops connector and putting a new one on.

I would imagine if you're doing these all day, every day you *might* justify getting the ratcheting gizmo. But then I remember a network admin in Canada wiring up an entire factory with a pair of scissors and a slip-joint pair of pliers as his toolset.