TRENDnetCrimping Tool, Crimp, Cut, And Strip Tool, For Any Ethernet or Telephone Cable, Built-In Cutter And Stripper, 8P-RJ-45 And 6P-RJ-12, RJ-11, All Steel Construction, Black, TC-CT68

Affordable, yet more features and a solid metal construction (compared to the more expensive cheap plastic one I previously bought at the big-box store). Stripping Cat5e/6 cable is so easy, and crimping feels very sturdy.These ratchet until they reach their full clamping, after which the ratchet releases. The release knob is designed to release the ratchet if something gets jammed; I did not experience the "does not work" issue that another review mentioned.There are a couple of caveats though, especially for newbies:- There are little to no instructions on how to use. If you are not mechanically inclined, this may be a problem- The crappy set I got from the big box store has a wire chart on the back of the package which is a great reference. No such charts are supplied with this tool- If you are using the cable sheath stripper, it's a little tricky if you let go of the tool because the ratchet releases, and makes it difficult to rotate around the cable. In that case, you have to fiddle with it a bit.Still, for the price, I can forgive all of these shortcomings. As an occasional home user, this is great and far exceeded my expectations. As a professional, I might want better.

I recently picked up the TRENDnet Crimping Tool, and let me tell you, I feel like a certified network technician. Sure, I may not know the difference between a router and a modem, but that doesn't stop me from crimping like a pro.This tool is easy to use, and even easier to pretend like you know what you're doing. The built-in cutter and stripper make preparing the cables a breeze, and the all-steel construction makes me feel like I could crimp through concrete if I wanted to (not that I've tried...yet).I've used this tool to crimp Ethernet cables, telephone cables, and even some random cords I found lying around my house. It works like a charm every time, and my friends are always impressed when I whip it out (the tool, that is).So, if you want to feel like a network wizard, or just need to crimp some cables for whatever reason, this tool is definitely worth checking out. Plus, it's black, so it matches all of my other tools, which is a nice bonus.

The crimper worked really well, every time i used it, which was 50 times.That's the most important part and that was reliable. The plug fits in there tight, and snaps in.My only gripes, and they are small one, are:1. the wire stripper is hard to use. Many times i stripped the outer casing, only to find i had nicked the inner wires. With time and patience i started to get the hang of it, but it's all in how hard i squeeze and how i position the cable--it's all me--the tool is not helping me. It's a lot like using a razor blade by itself.2. there are 2 wire cutters. One does not cut all the way thru. That might be another stripping tool for flat cable or phone cable--i dont know.But when you lay the wire thru the tool to use the cutter, both cutters are engaged. There's one blade on each side of the tool.So whenever i cut a wire, i make another almost-thru cut 1/2" further down the wire. Didnt notice that the first time (first few times, cuz i'm dense). So as long as i put the wire in so that the almost-thru cut is on the scrap side of the wire--i'm fine. If not, the almost-thru cut is on the good side of the wire, and i have to cut it again. I got used to this eventually and it was not a problem.I used Cable Matters solid copper CM Cat6 1000' bulk cable for this project and that also worked well.

I work in IT in a large organization that sadly doesn't have management support for a full tool kit for their IT folks... So I have to provide my own tools. This is my 3rd RJ11 / RJ45 crimper, and although I don't ever use the RJ11 end of things, the RJ45 crimper is a mandatory tool for my job. This one replaces I believe a "Greenlee" or whatever green handled unit I picked up at the BORG. The build quality, finish, and function of this tool is absolutely fantastic. The contour of the handles is very comfortable and non fatiguing, and the cutter works fast and clean. About the only thing I don't use this for is stripping the jacket back on Cat 5e and Cat 6 cabling. I picked this up based on price, and I was shocked to find that I honestly feel I got more than my moneys worth for once. I will recommend this tool to my colleagues based on performance alone. Simply put, this makes my job easier. Enough said.I am curious about one review where the reviewer stated he wore one out in 6 months. I have had one of these crimpers before in the past, and I do a LOT of network cable work in my job. I tend to replace my crimpers and other network tools due to theft, not wear / breakage. I have never managed to wear a crimper out. I would love to know how many cables one needs to crimp to wear out one of these...

This is just a basic crimper tool that I've used this to crimp five RJ-45 Ethernet cables and so far each one of them appear to be terminated great. I've check both ends of the cables and have not found any shorts or continuity issues that would lead to performance issues. I've also continuously pinged several devices on the network using these cables for a few days and have had a 99% successful packet transmission rate on them. I have yet to use it for the RJ-11 side but I assume it will work similarly. The cut and strip feature on this also works great, however, you will need to be careful about the stripper tool. I've had a few occasions where I stripped the outer sheath too deep and I accidentally cut a few wire pairs in the process. But with some practice I was able to strip cables without this happening. For the low price point of this tool, it represents excellent value for its use and I would highly recommend it.