Dean Connectors - and them disconnecting....

Hello all,

The kit I purchased came with the Dean connectors and I have seen them used alot.
But as I fit everything into it's proper place (all of it fitting into a tight compact area) the Deans can just come apart on you.
I don't like that one bit.

Alternatives:
I've seen the Andersons and heard pros and conns on those as well.
And then there are the Bullets that others are using.

Anyone used the Tyco Universal MATE-N-LOK connectors?
Any other choices out there?

I going to need to re-wire my kit, and want to use the best.

Thanks all

G

I use Deans Ultras a lot and they are usually pretty hard to pull apart. They don't have a positive lock, I agree, but I've yet to have one accidentally come undone. They seem to need more force than Anderson's to pull apart, in my experience. I actually use a Deans as a power-disconnect shorting link on one of my bikes, with a bit of string on it to pull to turn the power off. The string, with a key on it, just dangles and the plug never shows a sign of trying to come out.

I wonder if the Dean's that you have are proper ones, with decent contact springs? There are a fair few counterfeit ones around, some of which may well be of dubious quality.

Jeremy

Zip tie them together in the middle, between the wires. This can also be done with Andersons and most other connectors. YPedal posted a pic around here somewhere.

Like Jeremy, I've also never had a Dean's connector come apart. But if I did I would just use a small wire tie to hold them together.

This is why I always use these JST VL connectors. They have a positive latch and the contact pins are securely locked inside the housing. This is a superior solution to the deans. I have used these for years without problems. I can sell the mated pair for $5 if anyone is interested.
View attachment 2

Granted, I've got my wires doing some tight bends to fit within my frame.
Some of the bends are near one of the connectors, which is pulling the dean connector apart.
This is one of the reasons for re-wiring the whole thing.
Lots of excess wire and unnecessary stress in tight bends etc.

Thanks for the input

Here's how to connect the pigtail to your battery wires. I use quick disconnects for a semi-permament connection from pigtail to the battery and controller. Quick disconnects are great but not meant to be connected and disconnected often as they don't have a spring contact design per se.