Hydraulic Lug Crimper — 8 Ton 6-70mm² with 7 Dies & Case

Q: What does a hydraulic crimper actually do?
It uses an oil-filled ram to multiply the force you pump through the handles. One hand on the grips puts about 8 tons of pressure on the die, enough to cold-form a copper lug around the cable strands. The lug and cable become one solid piece of copper, electrically and mechanically.

Q: Why do I need hydraulic for 70mm²?
Ratchet crimpers run out of leverage above about 25mm². Above that, the operator cannot close the dies hard enough on a thick copper lug, so the crimp loosens over time and heats up under load. Hydraulic gives consistent full-force crimps up to 70mm² without wearing out your forearms.

Q: Which hex die do I use for which lug?
Match the die number to the cable size in mm². A 25mm² lug crimps in the 25mm² die, 35mm² in the 35mm², and so on through 6, 10, 16, 25, 35, 50 and 70mm². The die stamps a hex pattern into the lug barrel, locking around the strands.

Q: Can I crimp aluminium or lead lugs with this?
No. Aluminium flows differently under pressure and needs oxide-cutting dies plus anti-oxidation paste. Lead is too soft and deforms past the shape the hex die wants. This tool is for copper lugs only.

Q: How does this compare to the Jaylec TO7705 or the Elevate 6-16mm² crimper?
The Jaylec TO7705 is a hex ratchet crimper for 6-50mm² copper lugs: mechanical rather than hydraulic, lighter to carry, and cheaper if you never go above 50mm². The Elevate 6-16mm² ratchet is for lighter work (auxiliary wiring, inline fuses). The hydraulic 8-ton covers everything above 25mm² where either ratchet runs out of grip.

Q: Do I need to seal the crimp with heat shrink?
On automotive and marine installs, yes. Adhesive-lined heat shrink stops moisture wicking up the strands under the lug and corroding the connection from inside. Workshop bench power runs that stay dry can skip it.

Q: How hard do I pump the handle?
To full stroke. Pump through its complete travel until the dies bottom out on each other and the pressure stops rising, then open the release knob. Half-strokes leave a cold crimp — the lug looks squeezed but has not been cold-formed around the strands.

Q: What if the ram sticks or a die jams?
Turn the release knob fully counter-clockwise to drain the ram, then open the head and pull the die out by hand. Jams usually come from a mis-sized lug or cable strands folded under the die edge; check both before trying again. If the ram will not retract after bleeding, the hydraulic oil may be low and the tool needs service.

Q: What about 95mm² or 120mm² lugs?
This tool stops at 70mm². For 95mm² and above, step up to a 12-16 ton hydraulic crimper with a bigger ram stroke, or run those crimps on a bench press. The dies in this kit will not accept lugs above 70mm².

Q: What if I lose or wear out a die?
The dies are a standard hex profile for the slotted head and replacements by size (6, 10, 16, 25, 35, 50 or 70mm²) are available in our range when you need them. A worn die stamps a shallow or uneven hex and should be swapped out before the next critical crimp.