XT-90 Connectors
 

I bailed on Deans plugs due to similar issues (+ soldering difficulty level) .... they’re just so effing difficult to separate! Anyone have any ‘pit tips’ for this one? I just know I’m going to yank some wires out before too long. I was hoping they’d break in after a while, but they’re really as stiff as the day I installed them...very frustrating !

Thanks in advance.....


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rct...56f5bddc3.jpeg

Squeeze the pins slightly with some needle-nose pliers. If you over do it you can expand them again by putting a small screwdriver in the end and gently prying them apart. Best to keep them as tight as you can without it being too hard to seperate.

I run XT60s and XT90s on my rigs and they're lightyears easier to unplug than Deans.

Ive been running the xt90s for a couple years. They dont get easier to pull apart. Maybe some dielectric grease would help but I havent tried. Ive actually started going away from connectors altogether and just using individual bullets. The xt90 is a good connector though. You just need extra wire so you can yank them apart. Maybe if you pull one side out of the connector and leave it loose would help too. You could probably have someone 3d print a cover for each individual bullet if you werent comfortable with heat shrink or whatever.

I can't make out writing from the blurry pic, but new XT90s should come with an endcap which clips on over the terminals, so heatshrink isn't needed.
It might help get a bit more grab room on them if you install a new set with the caps on both battery and ESC.
I really like the XT90 and ditched deans many years ago, no problems getting them apart since they're big.

They have a lot of solder area so as long as you've soldered well I don't think it should really cause problems to pull partly on the wires, I'd try a fresh set, and either practice your soldering or get a skilled friend to do them for you. You do need to use a 60W+ iron and not hold it on the connector long enough to melt the shell, otherwise it could skew the pins and make it tighter than it should be. It could also just be that you got a particularly tight one. I agree with Bry195 that they don't get any looser but I like that.

Get the new kind with the endcaps. You don't need to use heat shrink if you don't want to and they're much easier to grab.

Thanks for all of the tips! I'll give the 1st option a shot with some needle nosed pliers.. hopefully that'll do the trick.

When soldering, say the female end, connect a male end so that the connectors don't deform if you put your iron on too long.

There are new "Deans" or T-style connectors with insulating caps and also ribs. It makes it easier to pull apart and no longer need heat shrink. I buy them here but they are out of stock right now. I still prefer them over the XT-90 because they are smaller and I assume lighter - although I've never weighed them.

BTW, you didn't say for what application.

XT90's are about twice the plug from the Deans. The Deans are rated at 45 amps, the XT60s are rated at 60 amps, and the XT90s are rated at 90 amps.

Little tip for soldering XT60/90. There are 2 solder cups on the back of the plug that face away from each other.
https://i.imgur.com/Fo2iU4gl.jpg
Take a pair of pliers and rotate them so they are facing the same direction
https://i.imgur.com/qMM3lENl.jpg
This allows you to lay the wire in easier because you are not trying to hold the wire up off your work surface and it makes it much easier to solder in and get it straight.
https://i.imgur.com/hp0tD8rl.jpg