Are Solder Seal Connectors BETTER than Butt Splices? (the truth)

[robertschulke]

The low temperature melting solder in these connectors can re-melt in a hot engine compartment, or under high amperage. The heat shrink by itself is not mechanically strong enough to support the wire. A proper crimped and/or soldered connection will have mechanical strength and conductivity.

[patc]

Hey man, thanks for making this video and for the time and detail you provided. This really helped me to make a confident decision and answered a major question i had about this exact topic. I had no real evidence or solid reason to think either was better than the other and most info out there is just an opinion that lacks the real world testing and objective evidence to supoort the final answer. Thanks so much for this!

[desmt]

I do a lot of trailer wiring, and am a big fan of the marine grade heat shrink connectors as long as they're name brand. Wirefy and Haisstronica are my favorite brands so far. I feel they're more durable and easier to use in tight spots than the solder seal ones. Type of crimpers is also important.

[youcanthide]

Instead of sliding the wires into the solder connector. Intertwine the wire strands, making a solid mechanical connection and sliding the solder connector over and melting. It gives you a stronger on mechanically.

[mikegLXIVMM]

When I worked at GE in the harness department, we used solder sleeve connections exclusively.
The went on military aircraft and would experience a lot of vibration and worked fine.

[odetobillyjoe]

I'm a newbie. This was well-designed and easy for a rookie to follow. My application is marine with some occasional tight spots. Thinking I'd rather use a butt crimp and then heat shrink. Spaces on a boat can be tight. Hard to tell from this vid, but it appears that there may be less open flame or heat gun time involved in the butt crimps because the purpose is just to shrink the cover, the connection is already made mechanically. It's all personal preference I suppose, but I like the idea of limiting the time spent introducing heat into a smaller area on a boat. Great vid tho, you are a very good instructor.

[TorxGarage]

Ended up here somehow, but very interesting. If I can’t solder I like the solder seal ones as an alternative. But I like to use marine heatshrink over the solder seal heatshrink. It ends up looking like a soldered connection and makes it more rigid. Slide a piece over before heating the solder seal, let it cool a little then seal it up.

[JeepX]

Have used many Rechem splices and terminations (solder seal style) to repair wiring or to install modifications in fighter/maritime patrol aircraft. Both inside and on externally mounted avionics (pods)(high vibration areas). We never have any problems with them. I use them in my vehicles and for trailer wiring. Aircraft also contain crimp style splices BTW (plugs, bulkhead passthroughs, high current situations) I'd use either style, but prefer solder vice crimp. 35 years working on aircraft and aircraft wiring BTW.

[bobrose]

Everyone misses one big point - solder will not corrode. I would tin the wires first in all instances but differing metals can give a mild diode effect. I'm surprised the solder joint wasn't worse than the crimp, when new. The crimp is considered to be mechanically superior but there should never be that much strain on a cable to test it. Salt water/damp atmospheres destroy copper, so solder rules on a boat... and RV.

[saxplayingcompnerd]

both are completely reliant on competent user installation.

[garyradtke]

Solder seal is mostly useless on old wiring. Probably OK on new wire but difficult to determine if the solder flow is good or not. I find crimp with hot glue sealant is a better choice especially when working in tight difficult to access places for repairs. The correct crimper style is mandatory. Some people use the crimper with the point which punctures the insulation. The glue also helps mechanical strength. One thing to remember is manufacturers only solder in specific areas it at all. Crimping is their go to process. This doesn't mean it is the best but when I see crimped connections that are 50 years old and still sound that has to say something.

[galinstan]

Thank you for the real world demonstration. Consider splicing pieces of loose wire together and subjecting them to various conditions and loads over time, e.g., moisture, excessive current. Then periodically take resistance measurements with a Wheatstone Bridge. This could be a running experiment over a period of years.

[chrisludwig]

It would be interesting to see what happens when more amps are introduced in 5 to 10 amp increments and which connector fails first as the connection/wire heats up

[Rich-icwl]

Excellent video and explaination - nice details and interesting results. Thank you for producing this as I've often wondered which splice works best when using them on my boat or aircraft.

[hraven]

Well done video!
If those wires still exist, it could be interesting to do a follow-up in a year or so. See what difference corrosion makes. Just an idea...

[croma]

Seems like either are a reasonable choice. Thanks for the video.

[gr]

Thanks for doing this comparison. I sometimes wondered about any benefit or weakness the solder seal might have provided, now I know.

[ChaplainDaveSparks]

I must admit to a slight chuckle at the sight of the calculator fastened to the board. Excellent visual presentation.

Perhaps for the more _"OCD"_ viewers, one could crimp on a butt splice (after sliding a piece of _adhesive lined_ heat shrink tubing (HST) on the wire first), flow some solder into the splice, then slide the HST over the splice and shrink it down.

[MichaelCook]

I twist the wires together when I use the solder connectors. I usually just use the regular heat shrink butt splices though.

[bwvideo]

Good job on the video. Very methodical and straightforward. Bravo.