Do I NEED a special tool to put ends on this coaxial cable?

[PottedMeat]

If you just need to do it a few times, you can get by with pliers or vise grips. I did low-voltage electrical installation for a few months.

On the other hand if you're wiring your house or something, the proper tool is going to pay for itself in the time you save crimping and cutting off + re-doing the ones your pliers ruin.

those compression connectors are great, i've used them with a vise + u-shaped piece of scrap aluminum to apply even pressure on the plastic.

i don't think i've ever gotten those twist connectors to work right, or even the crimp ones with the tool.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

If you just need to do it a few times, you can get by with pliers or vise grips. I did low-voltage electrical installation for a few months.

On the other hand if you're wiring your house or something, the proper tool is going to pay for itself in the time you save crimping and cutting off + re-doing the ones your pliers ruin.

Ah chasing down bad crimps on 10baseT networks in old asbestos filled building floors, good times.