Ideal Buchanan crimp tool

[fensker]

I have been wiring my home with a buchanan crimp tool and now I wonder if there will be an issue with the electrical inspector. I wrap/twist the ground wires together and clip the excess ground wire ends off and leave one about 6 inches long. The others are twisted tight for about 3 to 4 incheses and crimped. Do you think I will have issues with the inspector?

Thanks Ron

[junkcollector]

Actually, this type of connection may be more sound electrically (when done correctly) than using a twist on solderless connector such as a wire nut. Such devices are approved by the NEC. The only thing I see is it is very difficult to make circuit changes later on. I would rather see all the grounding conductors stay 6 inches instead of clipping them off shorter. Believe me, I used these on a job once and I ended up cutting some of them off later in the project to add a pigtail or another cable's grounding conductor to the splice. This was a pain in the butt!

Just my opinion.

[frenchelectrican]

i agree with you Junkcollector with the way to use the crimp it can be pain in butt with that when ya add more circuit what i do is i make a extra pig tail and leave it in there [ that is pretty common i do that with multi gang boxes ] but i have to be carefull with the space inside of the box you dont want to get overcrowed also lol


merci , marc

[cellularantenna]

Actually, I've found it pretty easy to remove the Buchanan (Ideal) barrell crimps. You just grab the side of them with your dikes and cut 'em and they are off in a jiffy with no wire damage (if you are careful).

[Ohm1]

Actually, I've found it pretty easy to remove the Buchanan (Ideal) barrell crimps. You just grab the side of them with your dikes and cut 'em and they are off in a jiffy with no wire damage (if you are careful).

exactly!
exactly!

[CR500]

You using the copper crimps and four point crimp tool? I just purchased one but haven't used it yet. I plan on using it for the grounding conductor connection inside some plugmold (boy the space is tight in there).

I saw they also sell steel crimps but they don't use the four point tool. Are they supposed to be better than copper?

Have you used them with insulator on a hot conductor?

[junkcollector]

Actually, I've found it pretty easy to remove the Buchanan (Ideal) barrell crimps. You just grab the side of them with your dikes and cut 'em and they are off in a jiffy with no wire damage (if you are careful).


Most of the time you can add a crimp to the pigtail that was left, thus eliminating the need for removing the crimp. In some installations where the installer* put the crimp on the grounds right where they enter the box and then clipped the rest short (crimp way in the back of the box)(where the box is nonmetallic and the device didn't require a ground, such as a switch) it is a pain in the butt. These cases are somewhat rare. Most all switches today have grounding terminals so this should be a thing of the past...
*(The "installer" was me in a couple of those cases....)

I have a pair of lineman's with the crimp die right behind the pivot. Works fine and is legal.
Have you used them with insulator on a hot conductor?

No, but I did see a house where the installer did this. They have these little caps that snap onto the crimp. Those had to be cut off when making changes, but there is usually more wire to work with.

Much of this is opinion, and others may have differing opinions...

[CR500]

I think the Linemans crimp die is only supposed to be used with the steel crimp sleeves and the copper are supposed to be done with the four point tool.