Fast and Easy Wire Butt Connectors
Mark SimpsonEvery so often a new product shows up that simply seems too good to be true. That is exactly how we felt the first time we saw an online video clip advertising these new wire butt connectors. Simply they are a 3-in-1 solution that includes shrink tubing, waterproof sealant and a low temp solder connector. After checking a few online sources and ordering up a 100/piece set for under $15 we couldn’t wait to test them out.
To our amazement these great little wire connectors were everything they were advertised to be. Using only a wire stripper and a heat gun (or lighter) we were able to make fast and permanent wiring repairs. They even worked great in making roadside repairs on our car trailer and to help out a friend at a car show when one of his taillight wires got snagged but stuff in his trunk. They are often sold without a brand name, so search online and you are certain to find and love them too.
Every so often a new product comes along then you know, you're always a little bit skeptical, you're thinking you know, maybe they're trying to pull a fast one. So when I saw these originally and online kind of short video, I was I dunno if they they're what they're trying to sell me here, if this is just some kind of trick, you know that you'll see occasionally on TV. But so I ordered up a set and after trying them out or we've done them on a buddy's Shovel, we used them on my trailer and we've used them on a few cars now, and I have been thoroughly impressed with this new product and anxious to share it with you. And what it is is a new twist on like a wire butt connector. What I'm so impressed by is the fact that these connectors incorporate both a low heat saddle connector two waterproof epoxy sealants and the shrink tube into one easy to use package.
And the way it works is that you insert your wire in each end and then heat it up. You can heat it up with a heat gun, or if you know, you're out in the road or you know away from electric source, now you gonna use your butane soldering iron and just simply heat heat the tubing So it grabs a hold of the wire and shrinks up around and you get that watertight seal and heat the saddle connector and it actually, because it's a low temp saddle, it actually, you know melts you know, at a temperature without destroying the rest of the tubing. And the end result is a really good wire connection. So let's just kind of go through and take a first hand look at how this is done. You know we've got a piece of 16 gauge wire here.
We'll strip the end. And you know you can, if you've got the the room, you can just slide it down and then twist your wires together. You can also just push them together into the center of the saddle connector. And once you've got that, you can just kind of slide that over the top kind of center that saddle over the wires. Now we're ready to start.
And like I said, you can use the butane, you can use just a regular heat gun. I like to heat up the ends more first to try to get it to shrink down and hold in place. Then I concentrate the heat on the lead part in the middle. You just gotta kinda keep the heat on it for a while, you'll feel when you're in that saddle reaches a temperature where it actually melts out into the wire. You can see where the saddle has actually started to flow around the wire.
We will let that cool down. Even at that, I was even skeptical on these at first, and you know here's one I did a little bit earlier and you can see that you get a real solid connection. The led is melted. And when you try to pull on this, there is just no physical way to get these wires apart. And you can't beat that for a wire connection, both you know if you've ever had a car trailer or anything like that bet where there are notorious for having wire connections go bad.
This is like a first grade solution for it. And is easy process to do.
Am very interested in the wire connection kit as shown in this video. Where can I purchase same? Thank You--Ralph
Nothing new here. Military/Aviation has been using them for years.
I found that heating/melting the solder before sealing the ends works best. I've had the solder section burst the shrink tube when I sealed the ends first. Possibly the melting solder out gasses and having one end open allows the gas to escape.
Hi Mark, Bought this kit (the small one) and went through one particular size in about a week. They are great, used them on my snowmobile where vibration is a big factor. I reordered the large kit, and now I have lots. Got to say, was REALLY sceptical on the first order, but now I would not be without them. They really work.
What is the name of the product you bought?
<strong> Ticket#21521 Who manufactures the "fast and easy butt connectors"? Where can they be purchased? Working on restoring an 83 Mustang GT, will be rewired. Thanks!
<strong> Ticket#21521 Looks like a great solution to a nagging problem, wire joints. Having rewired my '57 Studebaker truck completely front to back, I had to redo a couple of joints after chasing them down. Hate to do something twice. Where to you get them and what are they called? Manufacturer?
<strong> Ticket#21521 Any idea what web sites to look for these wire butt connectors?
Where did you order your the Fast and Easy Wire Butt Connectors from? I have researched these and there are many people selling them but my fear is that most are inferior. I would want to order from your source knowing that the product performed as expected. Thank you