The debate over whether to crimp or to solder terminal lugs onto heavy-duty cable may go on forever. While some may disagree, the best practice is to crimp all lugs onto wire ends using a proper crimping tool. Should an uncrimped soldered terminal lug secured to a high-current cable ever become loose, it can generate enough heat to melt the solder, causing the lug and cable to separate. A crimped lug will hold to the cable because of its mechanical bond. A crimped and soldered lug will provide maximum mechanical and electrical bonds.
