Quote Originally Posted by 460.465USMC View Post
Thanks for the confirmation, Dave. I was wondering if other builders used these. Not sure why it took me SO MANY connections before giving these a try. I was thinking to apply a little solder after the crimp. Do you as well, or is that completely unnecessary?
I just ordered another hundred butt connectors. Shockingly, I used up the first hundred since I ordered them in November of 2024. I believe my main harness took about 40 of them so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I don't think you mentioned it but one key to using these (other than not forgetting to slide the heatshrink on prior to the second crimp) is to use a good crimping tool. I have two of these (not sure why) and although I have other crimpers that will work, these are my go to:

https://shop.channellock.com/product...ye_uHszm3VYnhk

I enjoy their simplicty for both insulated and non-insulated connectors and they provide great leverage. You can crimp up to about 10 gauge fairly easily.

I also never use solder except in very limited circumstances. I think it's pretty well defined by OEM's that a good crimp and connector is superior, doesn't crack or corrode over time and allows replaceability.