DO NOT BUY THE ANDY-CRIMP PRO CRIMP TOOL
Not that it's a bad tool. It's that you'll be paying twice as much as you would if you build your own.
Full disclosure: I'm an electronics geek who is now dabbling in HAM radio. Bear with me.
Powerpole connectors are the connector of choice in HAM radio, but do require their own bespoke crimp tools. Quicksilver Radio and High Sierra Antennas are glad to sell you ratcheting crimp tools for these terminals, but they're not inexpensive. Try $50 and up.
Maybe I'm cheap, but that's a LOT for a tool. Surely there's a better way?
THERE IS: BUILD YOUR OWN!
Step one. Buy the Powerpole Crimp dies -- NOT the entire tool -- from either Quicksilver or High Sierra. There's NO getting around this one. Dies alone cost roughly $25.
Step two: Buy a ratcheting crimp tool from Harbor Freight. This tool is usually priced at $9.99, but can frequently be found "on sale" for $7.99.
Step three: Unscrew the standard terminal dies from the Harbor Freight tool, remove and insert your Powerpole dies, insert screws and tighten. Ta-dah! You're done.
WAIT A MINUTE -- HARBOR FREIGHT?
I know, I know; cheap Chinese tools. But look closely at the crimp frames. They are IDENTICAL save for handle colors. Quicksilver and High Sierra appear to put stickers over the stamping that proclaims "CHINA" to be the tool's point of assembly.
GRAND TOTAL:
Count with me now. $25 for the die. $8 for the tool from HF. That's what, $33 total? That's not only $17 less than what Quicksilver or High Sierra wants, but you already have a second set of dies handy.
FYI: the same coaxial connector dies sold through Quicksilver and High Sierra sells will also work in the Harbor Freight tool. Same goes for the various automotive dies MSD Ignition sells for its crimp tool, which is again identical to the HF crimp tool. And, from what I can tell, same goes for these Eclipse Tools dies...
Another FYI: the coax stripper Quicksilver sells? Same thing can be bought at HF for $4, not $20.
This isn't a knock against Quicksilver or High Sierra. But in a hobby like HAM radio where equipment is far from inexpensive, why support markup like this if you can save a few bucks here or there? Hope this helps. See you on the airwaves.
-Evan