Tools

It is important to get a good connection between the lug and cable. Soldering is not the answer. A home workshop, and even many professional shops, will not have the equipment to do this properly. Without the right equipment, you cannot get the copper all evenly heated to an adequate degree, and you will end up with a "cold joint". In addition, the solder will not coat the cable fibers evenly. However, it will "wick" up a couple of inches into the insulation, making the cable stiff and brittle at a critical connecting point. Any of these problems can cause resistance, heat, and possible damaged connections and batteries.

This tool holds the lug in place in a cradle, and hold a punch in a sleeve above. Several solid blows from a hammer on the punch will make a secure connection that will last for years. If you were to cut a crimped lug in half, you would see that the copper fibers of the cable have been compressed into a solid block of copper, filling the lug barrel.

Copper 2/0 cable is difficult to cut. These snips don't look very impressive, but they will cut through cable like it was butter. Much more effective than hacksaw, bolt cutters, etc. Warning: cutting anything other than copper cable with them will immediately ruin the edge. This is a dedicated tool.

Batteries in an EV can sometimes be awkward to reach with a bulky watering device. This 6 oz. bulb is handy enough to reach those places.

A hydrometer is a valuable diagnostic tool if you suspect you have a weak battery. However, for a truly accurate reading, you need to adjust the specific gravity according to the temperature of the electrolyte. This hydrometer has a fast-reading thermometer inside it. When you read the specific gravity, you can at the same time read the necessary adjustment to compensate for electrolyte temperature.