Lugs: Crimping vs. Soldering

This in not a how-to, it's a how-I-do. If you are planning to do an EV, you should decide which method is right for you. Since this subject has been discussed quite a bit in EV forums, I am going to show how I decided to do my 2/0 cable lugs. I was planning to solder them. There is a great tutorial for that method located here.


But there are some who caution against soldering larger lugs such as this page from the book 'Convert it' by Michael Brown. I have read that crimping is best on welding cable like I am using because it has so many fine strands. In the end, I decided that the best chance I had for consistently good terminations was to crimp.





I started by investing in a good pair of cable shears and a neat little insulation stripping tool.




















This gives a good, clean stripped cable without harming even one strand of copper.













I then fill the lug about half full of Noalox, an anti-corrosion compound.












Before slipping the lug on, I slide a small length of shrink tube onto the cable












Then I crimp.

I weigh 175 pounds so I have to strain muscles I don't even have to accomplish this task.









By trial an error I found that supporting the crimping tool on the lip of a bucket while pulling the other handle down with all of my weight works the best. When the bucket or the handle slips, I bruise places that weren't meant to be bruised.











Here is a successfully crimped cable.












Lastly, I use a heat gun to shrink the tube around the lug and cable.