So I’ve got my alternator and 4awg wire. I bought the Sanuke HX-50B to crimp the ends and it doesn’t work for me. Am I doing something wrong. I even watched a couple videos on it.
It just doesn’t crimp tight. I even tried the die for 6awg connectors

 

So 4 AWG wire is about 21mm2 and so the nearest metric standards of 16mm2 is too small and 25mm2 is too big. Long story short, your dies are not for AWG wire.

 

Well shoot. They sell it as for my wire size but you makes sense. Good thing about amazon is that returns are easy

 

I just looked at the instructions again. It says “similar to AWG …”. LOL
Time to look closer when I purchase.

 

In all likelihood, that equivalent chart on the tool is more for adapting wire gauges from AWG to the next largest metric wire to preserve current carry capacity, not exact physical equivalency.

 

So what do you think of the hammer type?
It's cheaper and doesn't have dies.
I found another one that looks just like the one I got except the dies are in awg instead of mm.

 

I have gotten away with just a hammer hammer (traditional nail hammer) and a chunk of metal. The result isn't as pretty as a professional hydraulic crimp, but certainly can work.

I have not used the style crimper you have pictured to comment. I do have a much more expensive hydraulic crimper, but I won't recommend it as necessary.

 

You can also solder it. I have done that on mine as I could never get a good crimp
and don't want to pay for a tool I may only use a couple of times. I have plenty of those!

Some heat shrink over the joint will make it look clean and neat.

 

I second the solder suggestion....

 

I hadn’t thought about solder.
Now where did I put my soldering iron?

 

A full mechanical crimp is better suited to the application compared to solder as crimped connections are more flexible, heat-resistant, and vibration-resistant.

 

I used a small torch. I don't know if a soldering iron can produce enough heat to get the terminal and wire hot enough.

That said @bmoran is far more knowledgeable about these things than me.

 

I don't like talking trash so I'm not trying to step on peoples toes:

Don't solder, its a technique and a skill, and if you aren't fairly well schooled, it's kinda a waste. The whole point of "doing wiring connections right" is that it's supposed to last for years without excessive resistance.

The hammer method Is tried and true and easy. I purchased and used the hammer thing in your post #6, and it worked fine; not pretty and cute, but it was strong. I bought a couple extra terminals and extra wire, and intentionally made a section of wire crimped to a terminal not to be used, I put the terminal in a vice, then I tugged on it REALLY good, didn't let go.

If you're trying to weld together a structure that can fall and kill you or cause great economic damage, do not try welding it together as your first welding project, learning while welding.
I suggest people who are not very skilled solderers not use solder as a method for wire connections because if you do it in any way "Wrong", you'' experience corrosion, weak physical connection, resistance, or total circuit failure. I don't think its worth my time and so I'm fairly against soldering. I know, people swear by it....but I think it's overhyped, also I think many people overlook how easy it is for a relative novice to put together a cold joint, or use the wrong solder, or forget flux, or simply improperly clean the wire/terminal which is PARAMOUNT.
Ok, end rant..


PS I'd also like to note I'm from a dry area of CA, and electrical connections simply corroding away isn't something we deal with here, maybe where you're from, if you simply dry-crimp the terminals, they will quickly corrode and rot away, and in that case a properly soldered joint would be a bit more useful. Where I'm from it's just not a problem.

 

I am neither skilled or schooled. Good points on the solder.
I will get a good non-soldered connection made.

 

We have added many accessories at work using up to 2/0 wire and we have solder slugs. Put the terminal end in vise or vice grips if you can't get it to vice and drop in the proper solder slug, heat with butane torch to melt and insert wire and heat shrink. We have not had any issues with any connection we have done like that. Crimping works in a pinch but I prefer the solder slugs.