Need an MC4 tool?


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Look familiar? It’s a common pegboard hook.
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I did have to squeeze it closed a bit for a perfect fit, but after looking on Amazon at the plastic ones that don’t always fit, (the MC4s and Amphenols are a bit different, and if plugged together you’ll need 2 tools, for the + and - ends) I knew I could find something around the house besides needle nose pliers.
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I thought an open end wrench would fit but it’s like they purposely designed it to make sure none of them worked.
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When you’re finished just hang it back on your pegboard.

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@St8kout Nice ingenuity!

I’m new here. Been looking to make my own cables.
What does this “new” tool do?
Thanks

The male MC4 connector has two prongs to hold it to the female MC4 connector.
See that red ring in the pic? The two prongs are next to it. To disconnect the male and female parts you have to squeeze these prongs and pull apart.
Some companies include a “tool” to do this but most of them suck. Needle nose plies work better, and pinching them with your fingernails sometimes work. The pegboard slips over the gap where the ends of the prongs stick out and will pinch them in to release them.
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Not all MC4s are made with the same quality control. I bought a big box of them from Amazon and half of them would not separate no matter what. The ones that did got mangled from all the tools I used on them. And later outside the ones I wired up, when I needed to pull them apart, I ended up having to break out my dremal and cut the ends off the prongs. (You can also just unscrew the end cap and yank out the center conductor and put it in another MC4.)
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I later bought a small box from a name brand and they connect and disconnect with ease, just using my fingertips. So beware of what looks like a bargain price for 20 or 30 MC4s.

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Making your own is the way to go. Buy the longest roll of wire you can afford and cut to length as needed. Of course, you’ll also need a crimping tool, not a pair of pliers.
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Another advantage of making your own cables is that you can use any kind of wire, especially when you’re just short of the distance needed and you have some spare wire around. (I’m a bit of a packrat of junk parts. They always come in handy eventually.) I’ve had to make some short lengths from solid conductor house wiring.

Can you share the brand name of the MC4 connectors you used that worked well?

BougeRV (adding more characters to get to 20 so I can post this) :stuck_out_tongue:

Thank you very much.