The Best Crimping Tools Tested in 2023

Folks looking for a light-duty crimper they can easily keep in their tool belt while on the job will want to consider Irwin’s wire-stripping tool. This good crimping tool has several built-in capabilities, including stripping wires between 22 AWG and 10 AWG, wire cutters, pliers, bolt cutters, and crimping tools for terminals between 22 AWG and 10 AWG.

This is a light-duty tool, as it performs single indent, single-crimp connections. It also has thick, textured grips for nonslip control and cushioning.

We used the Irwin crimping pliers for the entire test. We cut and stripped all of our wires with it, allowing us to assess its multifunction capabilities. It cut well (even our thick 4-gauge wire), and stripping was sufficient. It also made solid connections, but we did have to make two crimps for the best connection. However, for a tool weighing under a quarter of a pound, it had no problem crimping down on the terminals despite not having a ratcheting function. We also like the control that the nonslip grips offer.

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Get the Irwin crimping tool at Amazon, Ace Hardware, or Acme Tools.