Can anyone recommend a good tool set for crimping DuPont/JR style connectors too? They’re such a pain to deal with in my experience, I end up just harvesting random jumper cables with the right pin count/connecter and splicing/soldering instead, because every cheap crimping tool/kit I’ve come across has crazy high failure rates
Molex 63811-1000, full stop. I do this professionally (automotive harness prototyping), and this is the first tool I reach for when I have open-barrel terminals to work with. If they have a wire-grip section longer than 2.5mm, this is your answer. That means Dupont, most styles from Molex, TE, Sumitomo, Yazaki, etc.
(The second is the Iwiss IWS-2820M, for open-barrels with a short wire-grip section, 2mm or below. That's basically most JST styles. The Iwiss crimper has all the same nest sizes as the Engineer PAD-11 but is much better made, smaller, and cheaper to boot.)
There are, of course, countless $300-and-up official tools for specific terminals, but as far as generics go, these two are the cream of the crop.
Beware ebay triangulation scams with the 63811-1000. It should cost $55-65, any less and you're being lured. Safest to get it from one of the vendors listed on Octopart. For the Iwiss, as much as I hate to say it, just go to Amazon.
I’ve got that tool and I couldn’t be happier with it. Works good, does RJ11, supports pass-through RJ45, has the color coding on it so I don’t have to look it up. Not too pricy too.
Unsure, sounds like a dark pattern or, being generous, maybe liability avoidance wordage. I have crimped >1000 non "Pass-Thru™" connectors(outdoor/shielded) with mine.