Battery Cable - Crimp or Solder

[John Cornforth]

Not having access to a crimp tool, I have always soldered battery connections.  Electrically they are very good and stay good over time.  One downside is that the solder tends to wick an inch or so back along the cores making them difficult to bend afterwards, so form the shape you want first. This inflexibility also makes the cables theoretically more prone to vibration induced fracture, but if properly supported there should be no problem.  Finally, the heat can distort the last bit of the outer insulation or cause it to retract from the end terminal. The cure for this is to use a piece of rubber or heatshrink sleeving but you do need to remember to slip it over the cable first !