What are some general guidelines to follow when using a wire crimp?

Guidelines for using a wire crimp include disconnecting electrical power to all wires before crimping. Another guideline is to select pliers of the appropriate size for the task at hand.

Both ratcheting and manual pliers are commonly used crimping tools. Manual pliers provide greater control, while ratcheting pliers provide greater ease of operation. To begin crimping, strip a small amount of insulation from the tip of the wire. Insert a terminal into an appropriately sized socket within the crimping pliers, making sure the insulation wings point down. Next, insert the stripped end of the wire into the terminal and apply force to the pliers to crimp the terminal shut.