Member Avatar for sld123

I'm new at networking and I want to start making my own network wires/cables for my office. I ordered this crimping tool from [snipped url] (crimper should be here in a few days) and I wanted to learn if there are any other kinds of network cat5 wire crimping tools out there that would work better? [snipped url] is the location for the crimp plires on thier website, those are the ones that I bought. Funny that it says Germany on the handle of the plires but I would gues they are made in China since the company I bought them from is in China. If you know of a name of a certin cat 5 wire crimper that would be better for me to use then please post it here. Thank you :)

[Moderator Note: I read this question as "please suggest good wire crimping tools", which is a legitimate question. However, the inclusion of links in the question also raises flags that this might be spam disguised as a question. If it's not, please accept my apologies, as I took the safe road and removed them anyway. -Narue]

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Beastmanh

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Practical, hands-on advice for making reliable Cat5/Cat5e cables. asked whether the crimper you bought will do the job, and rightly flagged ergonomics as a real factor. Below are the concrete features, a short step-by-step workflow, and quick troubleshooting notes that matter more than the country stamped on a handle.

Look for a tool that:

  • Fits 8P8C (RJ45) plugs cleanly and supports both solid and stranded wire types.
  • Has aligned jaws that press all eight pins evenly and a cutter/stripper that leaves a neat jacket end.
  • Accepts pass-through / “EZ” connectors if you plan to use those — they simplify wire alignment and reduce trimming errors.
  • Is built for the cable you’ll use (Cat6 has a thicker jacket/gel filler on some cables) and feels solid in the hand; if you make lots of cables, a mechanism that reduces grip force helps consistency.

Simple workflow to produce a reliable cable:

  1. Cut cable to length. Strip about 12–15 mm (roughly 1/2 inch) of jacket so the pairs remain twisted as close to the plug as possible.
  2. Flatten and align wires to the chosen standard (T568B: white-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown). Trim evenly so about 8–10 mm extends into the plug and the jacket sits inside the plug mouth.
  3. Insert fully into the plug, then crimp firmly. Inspect that all eight contacts pierce conductors and the jacket is clamped.

Troubleshooting and cautions:

  • If a cable fails, re-check pair order, continuity (cheap LED testers show pinouts; certifiers are needed for guaranteed gigabit performance), and whether the jacket was held inside the plug. Avoid untwisting pairs more than ~12 mm. Use the correct connector type (solid vs stranded) and discard connectors that look bent or reused. For permanent runs, consider punchdown jacks and a punchdown tool rather than modular plugs.
Member Avatar for Beastmanh

Any crimpers that actually crimp the ends in, will work. The only question is a matter of comfort. Some crimpers demand forearms the size of Popeye's on spinach. Others are called ratcheting crimpers, and take very little effort to get the ends on nice and tight. I suggest the ratcheting type (obviously), but as you might have guessed, those are more expensive. If you are short on cash I would get a cheap pair, then make some decent money with them while building up your grip strength ;) , then buy yourself a nice ratcheting pair.

Happy Crimping!

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