One other important thing to consider is the orientation of the terminal in scissor-style tools. Here the terminal is aligned to give as even a crimp as is possible with this particular tool. While the seam may look fine the off center position of the terminal can cause it to "roll" to the center of the dies once you start to squeeze. This can create an uneven crimp. Center the terminal in the crimp nest and align it well before crimping.


With mid-grade quality tools be aware that the dies can vary tremendously and some can be a pretty sloppy fit for the terminal, side to side in the crimp nest. Some of the low price point tools are actually not even made for AWG sized wire. A sloppy fit will allow the terminal to sit incorrectly in the jaws and can result in a bad crimp. Be aware of this in order to yield repeatable terminations.