The goal of this ible is to show you how to securely crimp a Anderson Powerpole connector with regular pliers if you don't have the specialized anderson crimper. I figured this out through tiral and error because it is nearly impossible to get one in Canada for under 100$; and did not want to spend 50$ and wait 2 months to get a knock-off from overseas.

With the money you save, you can instead invest in having the essential tools needed for all sorts of projects.

Further down, I have a video demo, and in the coming month, I will be adding a video that compares the strength of soldered, manually crimped, and pro-crimped connections.

Step 1: Material

You will need

-Pliers (needle nose, long nose, or joint will work)

-Anderson powerpoles

-Wiring that matches your powerpole size requirements

Optional but almost mandatory

-Soldering iron.Optional, but recommended if you want to make sure the connectors slip instead of the wiring if there is ever a snag.I recommend a butane one if you are working with larger wiring(larger than 18 gauge, so for any Anderson connector used for 15A or more, possibly not needed for the 15A. Considering 30A is the most common, you will likely be using 14 or 12 GA wiring).

-I recommend that you invest in your health and get a carbon air filter. Solder smoke is an irritant, can give you headaches, make you feel sick, and is a known carcinogen.

Optional (if you have them, use them)

-Wire stripper

-Cutting Pliers

Step 2: Strip the Wire

Stripping the wiring to the correct length will help avoid messes later.

Strip about 3/8 to 7/16 inches (1 cm). If you have a wire stripper good, otherwise, just use the cutting part of your needle nose pliers.
test fit the wire in the metal casing. The wire should bottom out, if the sheething goes in the casing, strip away more of it; if the wire has more than just a bit sticking out behind (approximately 1/8th inch / 3mm) the casing, trim the exposed wiring a little bit.
Repeat step 2 until you are satisfied

Step 3: Crimp Side 1

Push on only one of the two "wings" of the metal sheathing with your pliers. When you do this, push IN towards the center and down.

Step 4: Push the Side Inwards

Push on both sides to bring the wings in towards the centre a bit.

Step 5: Crimp Side 2

Now simple fold the second part in on top. The reason I crimp like this, is when you are crimping manually, if you try to get the pinching action the pro tools get, you are likely to make the sheathing flare, and then it will no longer fit in the plastic casing.

Step 6: Solder

Soldering all this together will secure everything.

Heat the sheathing and wait. If your wiring's sheathing is melting, you waited too long. Apply the tin on the top crack of the sheathing and keep feeding the solder as it melts. It should spread all over the surface and go inside as well. You can finish it off by pushing a bit in the tip of the metal sheathing.