Basic Electrical Tools

You’ll need a few specialty tools to tackle an off-grid electrical system project and summarizing those tools and what they are for is exactly what I’m going to cover today in lesson #13 of this Wire Terminals playlist.

Over the last 12 videos of this academy I’ve taught you everything you need to know about cutting, stripping, crimping, and heat shrinking all of the different terminals you’ll encounter during your next electrical project and this video is less of a tutorial of how the tools work, and instead, a summary of what tools you’ll need for what purposes.  The ‘what’ instead of the ‘how’, if you will.

I think it’s also worth noting that, although you do need some specialty tools for an off-grid electrical installation, it’s not going to be thousands of dollars in new tools. All of these together are under $500, and I think you’ll find several of them useful to have in your toolbox regardless. HERE is our Amazon Storefront of our preferred tools

Let’s get started.

Basic Electrical Tools VIDEO

Wire Cutters

I’ve got three types of wire cutters I use for cutting different sizes and types of wire:

• 5” Diagonal Flush Cutters (https://amzn.to/3zCO7KP)
  • Wires 10 AWG and smaller
  • Working in tight spaces
• 9” Diagonal Cutters (https://amzn.to/3zVEcjy)
  • Wires 6 AWG and smaller
  • Multiconductor wires 10 AWG and smaller
    • For example: 10/2 w ground or 12/3
• Klein 63030 1” Coaxial Cutters (https://amzn.to/3S9eleq)
  • Wires 6 AWG and larger
  • All multi-conductor wires
    • Specifically multi-conductor wires larger than 10AWG (6/3 and 6/4 for example)
  • Also used for stripping wire 4AWG and larger.

Crimpers:

• Indent Crimper
  • Battery Lugs larger than 10 AWG
  • Anderson Connectors larger than 10 AWG
• Ratcheting Insulated Terminal Crimpers
  • Insulated ring terminals smaller than 10 AWG
  • Insulated butt splice connectors
• Ratcheting Un-Insulated Terminal Crimpers
  • PV Connectors
  • Anderson Connectors 10 AWG and smaller
• Ferrule Crimpers
  • Pro’sKit 902-160 Ferrule Crimper
    • Trapezoid Crimps for square terminals
    • Wire sizes from 2 AWG to 6 AWG
  • Wovier HSC8 Ferrule Crimper
    • Square Crimps for square terminals
    • Wire sizes 6 AWG and smaller
  • Iwiss HSC8
    • Hexagon Crimp for round terminals
    • Wire sizes 6 AWG and smaller

Note: These ferrule crimpers are mostly ‘amazon brands’.  Nothing special.

Wire Strippers

• Self Adjusting Wire Strippers
  • Wires smaller than 10 AWG
  • Sheathing of Multiconductor wires like 10/2 w/ ground or 12/3
• Klein 11053 Wire Strippers
  • 6 AWG Wire
  • 10 AWG Solar Wire
• Klein 63030 1” Coaxial Cutters
  • Stripping wire 4 AWG and larger
  • Stripping sheathing from multi-conductor cable larger than 10 AWG (6/3 & 6/4)