Spent $300 on a 'universal' fiber optic crimper that mangled every connector

It was supposed to handle all the common types, but the alignment was off by a hair and ruined a whole batch of ST connectors. Anyone have a go-to brand for a reliable crimper that actually works as advertised?

4 comments

4 Comments

sanchez.julia1mo ago

Remember when those cheap plastic phone cases would crack if you looked at them wrong? That's what your crimper story reminds me of. Some stuff just needs to be the real deal to work right.

tessarodriguez1mo ago

Why do they even sell tools that can't do the one job they have? It's like buying scissors that refuse to cut paper. My rule now is if it says "universal," it probably means universally bad.

garcia.mila1mo ago

Feel your pain. That "universal" promise is a trap. I had a pair that would crimp fine on one side and leave the other side looking like it got chewed. Threw it in the trash after the third try. I saw what rowan_ross said about Klein and it's the same story here. Got one for a big job and it just works, no second guesses. The right tool makes all the difference.

rowan_ross1mo ago

I used to buy cheap crimpers thinking they were all the same. After ruining a pack of LC connectors with a no-name tool, I switched to a Klein Tools model. The difference was night and day. The jaws close perfectly straight every single time. I haven't had a single bad crimp since.