Solder butt connectors - are they crap?

[geolemon]

So I saw this set of connectors that promised to be convenient like a butt crimp connector, but secure like a solder joint and weatherproof like a heat shrink seal.

I picked them up out of curiosity, and have to say I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be.
At first glance, I like that they come in standard sizes, and with standard color codes for those sizes.
I like that there's little rings at the end - I don't know if that really seals better than just heat shrink - but we'll see. And the solder ring in the center - well, again we'll see - but at least it seems to be promising, in size and shape.

I figured worst case, the solder would melt and shrink up with the heat shrink, and at least secure the wires after it cools. These wires are directly in contact (which is already better than butt connectors), and securing the wires is all that crimp connectors do anyway.

I had these marker lights to install in my Civic, and had this wire that's probably 24 gauge. Tiny. So I thought "let's give it a shot, this kit comes with white ones", and I grabbed one and a grill lighter (I don't own a cigarette lighter but that would have been the same).

I took a video. but don't know how to share it.
All I did was slide it over one wire, twist them together linearly, slide it over to align the solder ring over the twist, and hold the lighter underneath, starting with the solder them moving back and forth. Probably 15 seconds total.

You can see from the finished pic though - it seemed to work well. I'll be damned if that solder didn't seem to flow right into the wire!

I don't know well it compares to a truly proper hot solder joint quite - heating the joint then flowing the solder in - but it seemed to create a reasonably hot joint! I even held the flame on, a whole 15 seconds, as one of my concerns was melting a hole in the shrink before the solder did it's thing. I let the thing catch flame - I blew it out and it was fine.

Pretty impressive. I already like it better than crimping, although an open flame inside a dash is a bad idea. But great for bench wiring.

Can I attach the video?

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[geolemon]

Here - I guess I can link the video this way:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/r79P4E4BgULDW4bb7

I suck at taking videos with one hand while doing something with the other, but that I was even able to is a testament to this being easy.

I think there's a no-talent repeatability factor here, too, and there's zero risk of forgetting to slip a piece of shrink on before you solder.

If I was still managing a shop I would have at least bought a few kits to trial with the installers - I think most of them would think they were cool.

Take that with a grain of salt because I have NOT given any of these to any installers... I have only done three of these total myself so far - all of them the white size.

So in absence of installers to get feedback from - anyone else try these out of their own curiosity?

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[beak81champ]

I’ve used a bunch of them, and had no problems whatsoever with them! I used a heat gun instead of a lighter.

[geolemon]

I wanted to dive into the most destructive thing first, the most boneheaded simpleton approach first. I figured I'd back off from there, until I got to a "good technique" with the proper amount of care.

The reason I started there (rather than safest) is because most importantly its supposed to solder - my brain wanted to start at the end of the spectrum most likely to flow (but most potentially destructive), and see if the rest of it survived.

It really doesn't get any easier than a lighter flame - so I'm pretty surprised and impressed and pleased that it worked great right off the bay - in the worst-case scenario.

But I'll definitely try with my heat gun also - did you also see a reasonably hot melt, with flow into the joint? Or did it just melt and bind, sort of like I was originally expecting?

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[chithead]

I've used those before too, and never hesitate to grab them for wire harnesses or quick repairs too. With a heat gun, the adhesive on each end seems to grab first, then after a few more seconds you can see the solder melt into the wires. Never had one fail yet, and one harness I did has been in that truck going on 6 years now.