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Which DMC Crimper

Sleepy

Sleepy

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I'm getting ready to redo the panel on my RV-4 and will be wiring my RV-8 in the future, so I've decided to take the plunge and buy a DMC crimper. In searching the forum most everyone seems to be using the DMC AFM8 and a few positioners. My local avionics shop has the DMC AF8 with a TH1A turret versus what folks here are using (e.g. AFM8 + several positioners at $65/each).

So what am I missing here? Is there something that the AFM8 will do that the AF8 will not? Here are the links to the DMC models that I am looking at buying.

https://www.dmctools.com/assets/AF8_sl.pdf

https://www.dmctools.com/assets/AFM8_sl.pdf

A DMC rep suggested I look at this one as well.

https://www.dmctools.com/assets/MH860_sl.pdf

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Scott

P.S. Any recommendations on a good PIDG crimper would help. I have a HF pos and it is driving me crazy.
 
I have one of these, been very happy with it.

http://www.steinair.com/storedetail.cfm?productid=291

TOOL-SAT-004_X.jpg
 
I recently went through the same research and decision process. My advice? Shop around some. I found an MH860 lightly used, on Fleabay, with a positioner (the one I needed) for around $50. Picked up another positioner I needed for under $20. There are brands other than DMC also, some of which can be had for a lot less money.

As with most things, you can go anywhere from occasional use, enough to get you through one project, up to full on professional production-line tool that would last you a hundred years.
 
Good Question - the larger units just do larger wire sizes. I got an AFM8 on eBay. Then a couple of days later a guy posted a WTB here and got a like new one for less. Hmmmm.

I only needed a couple of positioners. I got two wrong ones with the unit, and made my own inserts for it to avoid the $65 each. We, RVers, won't need anything smaller than a AWG22 as that is the smallest practical wire to run and bundle. There are AWG26 in the Ray Allen grips but the d-sub pins don't like small wires, so they were stripped an doubled in the pins.

Larger crimpers will easily do the range of wires that we use. Ask Stein guys what you need, but I think that the d-sub and high density positioners did everything I needed.

Get the Stein PIDG crimper, and you won't be disappointed. You can get other jaws for it to do the RG400 antenna ends. I don't use my HF either.

Edit: I have one of the crimpers that Mike showed too. I did not know how much to limit the crimp so got the DMC. I just did not want the risk, but thats just me. Lots of happy users.
 
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AFM8 is your man..

If you're doing DB-xxx style crimping, 20-24AWG wire, get the AFM8; I have one of these and it does a fabulous job. Be sure to get the correct positioned for the contact type(s) you're using. The AF8 is physically quite a bit larger; even though it covers commonly used aviation wire sizes, it's a bit of a heavy and large beast; the AFM8 is nice sizes and easy hold.

Don't know a thing about the third one, though. It does seem like an all-around winner, going up to 16 AWG -- probably the most flexible of the three.
 
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I just recent bought the MH800 which is the newer version of the AFM8. I bought it from eBay and was like brand new. http://www.ebay.com/itm/291148452479

Then you found the positioners the cheapest directly from the manufacturer.

ems
K13-1 POSITIONER - M22520/2-08 1 $43.03 $43.03
K42 POSITIONER - M22520/2-09 1 $43.03 $43.03
SubTotal: $86.06
Tax: $.00
Shipping: $6.79
Total: $92.85


Thanks
Ray
 
the AF8 will not do hi density dsub pins, even though it theoretically goes as small as 26 ga wire; the afm8 will not do any wire larger than 20 ga. The MH 860 (green colored) will do 16-28 ga wire and has positioners for both types of dsub pins. The largest pin I'm using fits a 14ga wire, so I'll use the AF8 for that, otherwise it's set up to do the 'normal' dsubs and the AFM8 is set up for the hi density. The AFM8 is much handier due to it's smaller size, I would use it for all my dsubs if I didn't already have the correct positioner for the AF8...

For PIDG terminals and also for coax I use a Daniels HX-4 open frame crimp tool; you can usually find pretty good deals on these on ebay, but like the other crimp tools you need to get the correct jaws. Daniels will do a complete overhaul and calibration for $105 if it needs it.

==dave==
 
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