I really cant believe I haven't thought about making an area in my shop with dowels poking out, same idea as yours but slightly more permanent. Thankyou so much for this buddy.
I started soldering these not too long ago. I had trouble with the 1st one, but now they are a breeze to solder. A set of helping hands will make soldering these cake. What I do is a disconnect one wire from the battery at a time (this eliminates the need for electric tape and eliminates shorting the wires). I stand the battery vertically and allow the wires to hang down in a natural position and seat it into the bullet connector held by the helping hands. At this point, I can adjust the angle of the bullet connector so that it runs flush with the battery wire. I don't tin the battery wires. They should already have solder and don't need to be tinned. And although tinning the bullet connector / filling it with solder helps, I don't do that for a reason. For one, as long as you bring the bullet connector to the melting point of the solder, then the solder will melt when touched to it. For two, I can seat the wire as far as needed into the bullet connector w/o having to hold the wire straight. Oh and you can't forget flux. You can never go wrong with too much flux. FYI, the surface of anything to be soldered, should always be brought up to the solders melting temp, and then solder applied to the surface of what's to be soldered. It's the same technique plumbers use when soldering copper pipes. While the bullet connector is inside of the helping hand, I apply a bit of solder to the soldering iron. I then hold the soldering iron to the opposite end (bottom of it since it's standing vertical) and wait for the solder around the wire to start melting. Once I see that the solder around the wire is melting, that lets me know that the connector is hot enough to melt solder, and I then start feeding solder into the cup. Tip: If you don't have a hot enough soldering iron, then don't even bother doing this job. I personally bought and use one of those $30 Weller soldering irons from Home Depot which works wonders. Once the solder has cooled down, the easiest way to get the bullet connector into the plug (front feeding plug only) is to use a pair of pliers. You simply take a male bullet connector, insert it into the female connector, put the pliers on the edge of the EC5 connector and on the male bullet connector and compress the two till it pops into place.
Good tip! I use the opposite of the gold pin and push it in with the help of pliers. If the solder hasn't leaked then chances are that it would go smoothly.
Ah man...nice. I was fighting these things forever, but I JUST switched all my stuff over to Anderson PowerPoles. Bought a plane from a local guy that swore by them (and he gave me 6 free batteries!) so I gave them a shot...pretty awesome connectors. Easy on/off and no more soldering...just crimp them on and go!
Those are used in industrial applications such as forklifts. Proven technology. I think Duratrax used them. They are used in robotics as well. The biggest downside I can see with them is that they are a bit long for some applications. Many people will not want to buy a crimper, but it is worth it. You can make connectors anywhere. They can be soldered if needed. I like them and wish the RC industry would have them as an option for batteries and devices.
OMG! This is the video I have been looking for. I tried switching from XT90 to EC5 connectors like just the other day. It was a nightmare pain in the butt. First, I had trouble just trying to get the wire to fit into the EC5 bullets. My bit was sucking up all the heat. I could get the solder to liquify but as soon as I tried to shove that wire from the battery into place....FAIL. I’m skipping all the talk about flux and tinning. After I finally got a good solder, I could not for the life of me get the bullets into the blue plastic casing. Thanks for this vid. I will try again in a couple days.
Good tip! I cut a slot in a small "C" clamp for the wire and removed the flat swivel exposing the round ball end. I press the pins in or through with the fake/copy (Much better.) or out with the real/genuine. It does not work to press the real/genuine in. :( Due to the pin bevel, the copy/fake should always go from front to back and the real/genuine should always go from back to front. I have found the copy/fake to be better for that reason and also the opening of the female (Can I use that word?) is tapered, the wall is thicker and the cup has a notch for soldering. I can't possibly say for all brands and versions. Overall EC5 works well in use, is not too bad to connect/disconnect and is popular. They are terrible to attach to wires! EDIT: Use the female pin on the male pin to have the back side/cup to press against.
Whar about placing the drill bit backwards in a drill press and heat the plastic slightly with a heat gun as you press in the connector. Seems like it would give good control of pressure and you will hear the brass seat home as it goes in.
Hi Dennis, Like someone else mentioned the connectors are designed to be pushed in from the top, not pulled in from the bottom, if you look at the top of the gold connector(s) you will see a taper that pops into place as you push in from above. The way you are doing it forces the sharp edge of the top of the gold connector through the plastic and could cause a split or shave the inside of the connector resulting in a lose pin. Also if you push in from the top always put the two halves of the connector together (I use a spare male / female) to give maximum support. Oh and again as mentioned XT90's are excellent. Cheers, hope this helps
RedHotPheasant I've heard that from others but can you double-check your female connectors? They don't even fit in the back of the female housing. So I don't see how this is possible. The male connectors are different and do actually fit in the back. Also, if you notice the taper on the gold bullet you'll see that it almost looks like it's designed to push in from the front....I'm basing this off the direction of the taper. I will definitely check out XT90s. Thanks so much for the feedback!
I got so frustrated with EC5's that I considered changing them all together. There are awesome connectors from Supra X called S6 which are really, really good. But they are also expensive and I had everything setup to EC5. So I ended up buying an EC5 punch tool from Progressive RC. At first it didn't work for me but I think I was not using it properly. I don't know I may do a video about it one day. But I had originally bent the tool and was about to throw it away because I was not using it properly. Anyways I will give it a try but I also found a great way to solder the connectors with cheap $6 solder help hands from Harbor Freight. I saw the video how the S6 connectors are soldered and the same method can be used with EC5 bullets so I will try that next. In summary you don't need to pre-fill the bullet cup, but rather tin the wire, hold the bullet and the wire in place on the cup and fill it with solder. Will see how that goes.
-I've never used EC5 connectors, but man I just hate EC3 connectors. -In my experience, you can't reuse and de-solder EC3s without cutting or melting the plastic housing. -Also XT60s may be hard to unplug at first, but I've found the EC3 connectors are hard to unplug even when broken in over a couple weeks. -I used to use Deans/T-plugs, but I prefer bullet style connectors like the XT-60s because they seem to collect less residue like the Deans/T-plugs sometimes do. -I like XT60s because they are easy to unplug and de-solder like Deans/T-plugs, and also use bullet style pins that collect less residue over time. -I've heard good things about the XT90 plugs. You can even get some 'anti-spark' XT90 plugs that also come with a removable shroud that covers the solder points and allows you to remove it so you can de-solder them in the future. Here's some 'anti-spark' XT90s at HobbyKing. They may be worth a try if you find you don't like the EC5s: www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__61690__XT90_S_Anti_Spark_Connector_2pairs_bag_.html
Thank You Good advice, weak muscles at 74 so this looks like the trick. Building a Kaos 60 electric and my batteries all have EC5 on them. Now have to do the speed controller .
I've also found the EC5 connectors a pain to solder. That's why I always use XT60 ones. But I have to agree that, it can sometimes be hard to pull the connectors apart. It does require a bit of force.
***** I have use them, and like them a lot, plus you can add a couple of grab plastic things which will help you to have more contact and protect your solder points! Cheers! Ed
***** Will check them out. I've read that they're rated for 90+ amps while as the EC5s are rated for 120A. Not sure what 90+ means..... 100A, 500A? They should be fine on the QAV500 because at max I'd be pulling 80A and only for a short time. Appreciate the suggestion and hope you are well.
I've never done my ec3/5 connectors like this by pulling the wire through. I've always soldered the wire into the connector and pushed it through the back side.
Bjorn Baal Good to hear it. One thing I've noticed with the female connectors is that I can't even get the bullet to slide into the backside of the housing. The male connectors will slide in just fine and I've used the method of pushing it through before, but with these female they appear to be a different beast. Also, if you notice the little taper on the gold connector it looks to almost be design for it to be slid in from the front of the housing. I'm always amazed at how many different ways something as simple as connectors can be done.
Very true. I guess when you do something the same way you can't "see" it being done differently. Moral of the story, functionality is what we're all after.
At first i used this way, first put on the blue connector then solder the bullet and then click it in place. However i bought ec5 connectors from another brand and found out i could do it like that. Even with using tremendous force i couldnt get it to click. No i tried the other way around, soldering the bullet first and then slide over the blue connector, and use a flathead screwdriver, to click it in place. That worked perfect. Maybe there are small differences between the ec5 connectors from different brands.
is that the right side for the battery because i have one of those jump start packs and it is the other way around the females are on the load or cables and also i just made new cables that were a little longer and thicker some 8 gauge which fits but is as big as will fit but with the insulation it will not fit thru so you they have tp go in the back side but i got it with a vice hammer and punch
I've been told by several others that there are two different types of EC5 connectors. Some go in from the front side and others from the back (I'm told). If you got it working with yours then I'd leave it alone since they're a pain to deal with :)
Dennis Baldwin well honestly mine liked slightly beveled on the back side so it probably was supposed to go the other way but the 8 AWG insulation would not fit thru the connector so whatever it seems to hold good
Yes. It can technically handle up to 120 A with the proper wire. I think 10 AWG is what I read. Here is more info: www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1959225
Great vid! I have some EC5 connectors on the way. The EC3's are so bloody hard to snap in, I can't imagine how hard the EC5's would be. Does it matter which way you push the pin thru? I thought they just went in from the back side...which is a b**ch trying to tap it with a flat head on the edge. Thanks Dennis.
I hear you loud and clear. I've heard different schools of thought on which way to push the pins through. I think you'll also notice that the pins are beveled which denote which way to push it through. I know this varies from supplier to supplier. What I show in the video is the way I normally do it based on how my pins are beveled. Good luck to you.
I've found the easiest way is to use a butane torch instead of a soldering iron. It makes it much easier to not get any solder on the outside of the bullet. Also, as soon as the wire is soldered to the bullet, I put it in the housing. With the bullet still hot, it slides right in.
onlythefallen1 You may have given me another reason to buy a new tool :) I've heard others suggest the heated bullet approach so I may definitely give a try. Really like that suggestion. Thanks.
Heating the connector doesn't work with Hobbyking's style EC5 connectors!! It's all about the design !! Motion RC's design is different when you look really close and you can easily hand snap them on after soldering the joints!! Hobbyking's EC5's are a nightmare to assemble!!
This still shouldn't be this complicated to put together!! Motion RC EC5 connectors are WAY easier to solder and assemble. You can just hand snap-on with theirs!! Hobbyking's EC5's are a nightmare to assemble!!!
People have problems with these connectors because they're putting them in the wrong end. They go in the back side. You will see the connector has a taper on it to make it go in fairly easily.
I really cant believe I haven't thought about making an area in my shop with dowels poking out, same idea as yours but slightly more permanent. Thankyou so much for this buddy.
This was probably the best I've seen on these as I was confused as to which post went into which connector...EXCELLENT!
I started soldering these not too long ago. I had trouble with the 1st one, but now they are a breeze to solder. A set of helping hands will make soldering these cake. What I do is a disconnect one wire from the battery at a time (this eliminates the need for electric tape and eliminates shorting the wires). I stand the battery vertically and allow the wires to hang down in a natural position and seat it into the bullet connector held by the helping hands. At this point, I can adjust the angle of the bullet connector so that it runs flush with the battery wire. I don't tin the battery wires. They should already have solder and don't need to be tinned. And although tinning the bullet connector / filling it with solder helps, I don't do that for a reason. For one, as long as you bring the bullet connector to the melting point of the solder, then the solder will melt when touched to it. For two, I can seat the wire as far as needed into the bullet connector w/o having to hold the wire straight. Oh and you can't forget flux. You can never go wrong with too much flux.
FYI, the surface of anything to be soldered, should always be brought up to the solders melting temp, and then solder applied to the surface of what's to be soldered. It's the same technique plumbers use when soldering copper pipes.
While the bullet connector is inside of the helping hand, I apply a bit of solder to the soldering iron. I then hold the soldering iron to the opposite end (bottom of it since it's standing vertical) and wait for the solder around the wire to start melting. Once I see that the solder around the wire is melting, that lets me know that the connector is hot enough to melt solder, and I then start feeding solder into the cup.
Tip: If you don't have a hot enough soldering iron, then don't even bother doing this job. I personally bought and use one of those $30 Weller soldering irons from Home Depot which works wonders.
Once the solder has cooled down, the easiest way to get the bullet connector into the plug (front feeding plug only) is to use a pair of pliers. You simply take a male bullet connector, insert it into the female connector, put the pliers on the edge of the EC5 connector and on the male bullet connector and compress the two till it pops into place.
Great tip. I had lots of trouble trying to push them in from the top with a screw driver.
Good tip!
I use the opposite of the gold pin and push it in with the help of pliers. If the solder hasn't leaked then chances are that it would go smoothly.
+Raj j Good to know that. Thanks for sharing.
Very elegant and practical - well done; such a simple "every person" fix! Cheers from Down Under
Ah man...nice. I was fighting these things forever, but I JUST switched all my stuff over to Anderson PowerPoles. Bought a plane from a local guy that swore by them (and he gave me 6 free batteries!) so I gave them a shot...pretty awesome connectors. Easy on/off and no more soldering...just crimp them on and go!
Dave Gorrie That's good to know. I've heard great things about Anderson PowerPoles but haven't used them before. I'll have to check em out. Thanks.
Those are used in industrial applications such as forklifts. Proven technology. I think Duratrax used them. They are used in robotics as well. The biggest downside I can see with them is that they are a bit long for some applications. Many people will not want to buy a crimper, but it is worth it. You can make connectors anywhere. They can be soldered if needed. I like them and wish the RC industry would have them as an option for batteries and devices.
Great Tips! I just did my 1st connector upgrade and figured there had to be an easier way.
OMG! This is the video I have been looking for. I tried switching from XT90 to EC5 connectors like just the other day. It was a nightmare pain in the butt. First, I had trouble just trying to get the wire to fit into the EC5 bullets. My bit was sucking up all the heat. I could get the solder to liquify but as soon as I tried to shove that wire from the battery into place....FAIL. I’m skipping all the talk about flux and tinning. After I finally got a good solder, I could not for the life of me get the bullets into the blue plastic casing. Thanks for this vid. I will try again in a couple days.
Good tip! I cut a slot in a small "C" clamp for the wire and removed the flat swivel exposing the round ball end. I press the pins in or through with the fake/copy (Much better.) or out with the real/genuine. It does not work to press the real/genuine in. :( Due to the pin bevel, the copy/fake should always go from front to back and the real/genuine should always go from back to front. I have found the copy/fake to be better for that reason and also the opening of the female (Can I use that word?) is tapered, the wall is thicker and the cup has a notch for soldering. I can't possibly say for all brands and versions. Overall EC5 works well in use, is not too bad to connect/disconnect and is popular. They are terrible to attach to wires! EDIT: Use the female pin on the male pin to have the back side/cup to press against.
Whar about placing the drill bit backwards in a drill press and heat the plastic slightly with a heat gun as you press in the connector. Seems like it would give good control of pressure and you will hear the brass seat home as it goes in.
Hi Dennis, Like someone else mentioned the connectors are designed to be pushed in from the top, not pulled in from the bottom, if you look at the top of the gold connector(s) you will see a taper that pops into place as you push in from above. The way you are doing it forces the sharp edge of the top of the gold connector through the plastic and could cause a split or shave the inside of the connector resulting in a lose pin. Also if you push in from the top always put the two halves of the connector together (I use a spare male / female) to give maximum support. Oh and again as mentioned XT90's are excellent. Cheers, hope this helps
RedHotPheasant I've heard that from others but can you double-check your female connectors? They don't even fit in the back of the female housing. So I don't see how this is possible. The male connectors are different and do actually fit in the back. Also, if you notice the taper on the gold bullet you'll see that it almost looks like it's designed to push in from the front....I'm basing this off the direction of the taper. I will definitely check out XT90s. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Dennis Baldwin Dennis, I sent you a PM, check it out
Brilliant, so simple. Great idea. I hate doing battery connectors.
I got so frustrated with EC5's that I considered changing them all together. There are awesome connectors from Supra X called S6 which are really, really good. But they are also expensive and I had everything setup to EC5. So I ended up buying an EC5 punch tool from Progressive RC. At first it didn't work for me but I think I was not using it properly. I don't know I may do a video about it one day. But I had originally bent the tool and was about to throw it away because I was not using it properly. Anyways I will give it a try but I also found a great way to solder the connectors with cheap $6 solder help hands from Harbor Freight. I saw the video how the S6 connectors are soldered and the same method can be used with EC5 bullets so I will try that next. In summary you don't need to pre-fill the bullet cup, but rather tin the wire, hold the bullet and the wire in place on the cup and fill it with solder. Will see how that goes.
-I've never used EC5 connectors, but man I just hate EC3 connectors.
-In my experience, you can't reuse and de-solder EC3s without cutting or melting the plastic housing.
-Also XT60s may be hard to unplug at first, but I've found the EC3 connectors are hard to unplug even when broken in over a couple weeks.
-I used to use Deans/T-plugs, but I prefer bullet style connectors like the XT-60s because they seem to collect less residue like the Deans/T-plugs sometimes do.
-I like XT60s because they are easy to unplug and de-solder like Deans/T-plugs, and also use bullet style pins that collect less residue over time.
-I've heard good things about the XT90 plugs. You can even get some 'anti-spark' XT90 plugs that also come with a removable shroud that covers the solder points and allows you to remove it so you can de-solder them in the future.
Here's some 'anti-spark' XT90s at HobbyKing. They may be worth a try if you find you don't like the EC5s:
www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__61690__XT90_S_Anti_Spark_Connector_2pairs_bag_.html
RoboTekno Great points you make. Those anti-spark plugs look amazing. I want to give them a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
Push the connector in from the other end while it's still warm from soldering with a smaller screwdriver. It'll go in so much easier than that.
Good tip. Thank you.
He is using the fake/copy EC5 which go in from the front. The real/genuine EC5 go in from the back.
Thank You Good advice, weak muscles at 74 so this looks like the trick. Building a Kaos 60 electric and my batteries all have EC5 on them. Now have to do the speed controller .
Very cool. Good luck with your build. Thanks for the feedback.
I've also found the EC5 connectors a pain to solder. That's why I always use XT60 ones. But I have to agree that, it can sometimes be hard to pull the connectors apart. It does require a bit of force.
Greyhat Infiltrator Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to hear someone else that has run into problems too :)
Excellent video. I'm switching all my high power to EC5's.
Once soldered i heat the blue connector with a heat gun . I use a screw driver to push it in but will try a drill but
Hi D., hope all is ok there, nice tip, but why not use the XT90?
I have not tryed them, but as with the XT60, I think they are much easier to fit
***** Dennis Baldwin XT90 are good ... bigger than XT60 and handling is the same ...
***** I have use them, and like them a lot, plus you can add a couple of grab plastic things which will help you to have more contact and protect your solder points!
Cheers!
Ed
***** Will check them out. I've read that they're rated for 90+ amps while as the EC5s are rated for 120A. Not sure what 90+ means..... 100A, 500A? They should be fine on the QAV500 because at max I'd be pulling 80A and only for a short time. Appreciate the suggestion and hope you are well.
Dan iel Thanks.
If you a heat gin and heat that connector including the blue until very warm, almost hot it will slide right over the bullet much easier!
I've never done my ec3/5 connectors like this by pulling the wire through. I've always soldered the wire into the connector and pushed it through the back side.
And BTW, I've never messed up a connector using this method.
Bjorn Baal Good to hear it. One thing I've noticed with the female connectors is that I can't even get the bullet to slide into the backside of the housing. The male connectors will slide in just fine and I've used the method of pushing it through before, but with these female they appear to be a different beast. Also, if you notice the little taper on the gold connector it looks to almost be design for it to be slid in from the front of the housing. I'm always amazed at how many different ways something as simple as connectors can be done.
Very true. I guess when you do something the same way you can't "see" it being done differently. Moral of the story, functionality is what we're all after.
the cheapo ec5 arnt chamferred so they are extremely hard to install buy good ones from PRC and they sell a tool too
He is using the fake/copy EC5 which go in from the front. The real/genuine EC5 go in from the back.
I put a male connector pin into the female pin and use Channel Lock pliers to squeeze the female pin into the EC5 body..
Thanks! Спасибо! Очень подробно и интересно все показано в видео! Спасибо!
Thanks for the demo it helps me alot
At first i used this way, first put on the blue connector then solder the bullet and then click it in place. However i bought ec5 connectors from another brand and found out i could do it like that. Even with using tremendous force i couldnt get it to click. No i tried the other way around, soldering the bullet first and then slide over the blue connector, and use a flathead screwdriver, to click it in place. That worked perfect. Maybe there are small differences between the ec5 connectors from different brands.
Good tip. Thanks for sharing.
He is using the fake/copy EC5 which go in from the front. The real/genuine EC5 go in from the back.
Hey, how would unsolder a ubec onto this? At the connector? Or somewhere down the wire? Thanks
is that the right side for the battery because i have one of those jump start packs and it is the other way around the females are on the load or cables and also i just made new cables that were a little longer and thicker some 8 gauge which fits but is as big as will fit but with the insulation it will not fit thru so you they have tp go in the back side but i got it with a vice hammer and punch
I've been told by several others that there are two different types of EC5 connectors. Some go in from the front side and others from the back (I'm told). If you got it working with yours then I'd leave it alone since they're a pain to deal with :)
Dennis Baldwin well honestly mine liked slightly beveled on the back side so it probably was supposed to go the other way but the 8 AWG insulation would not fit thru the connector so whatever it seems to hold good
You use a punch to drive the brass into the connector in a vise. 0 stress on joint
Thsnks for sharing dude 😎👌
16 Thumbs down? Really? Awesome tip Brother!
Dennis, I did your naza qav500 download to my Taranis plus everything works but if I make and right stick inputs it does not respond? please help
Thank you; super ideas for easy fixture-ing.
You push the female EC5 plug inside with male plug and use a wide pliers to clip it on so the wire contacts click into place.
Very good tip!, tq 👍👍👍
Thank you, I knew I was doing something wrong! 😀
wow, good job and smart move !, I have thrown away many of my connectors. NO MORE !
i like to heat the plastic up a little with a heat gun, the bullets pop right into place when the plastic softens up a bit
+brandon Very good tip. That would make this process much easier. Thanks for sharing.
I did not no wire goes through the connector first that explains a lot thanks
can I use this connector for my 2s and 3s batteries?
Yes. It can technically handle up to 120 A with the proper wire. I think 10 AWG is what I read. Here is more info: www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1959225
RC JOE YES YOU CAN BUT A BIT OF OVERKILL
do you have a charger for this type of connector for your battery
Good tip!
10 or 12 awg??
Great idea. I will try it.
Cool. Good luck and hope it goes well.
Great vid! I have some EC5 connectors on the way. The EC3's are so bloody hard to snap in, I can't imagine how hard the EC5's would be.
Does it matter which way you push the pin thru? I thought they just went in from the back side...which is a b**ch trying to tap it with a flat head on the edge. Thanks Dennis.
I hear you loud and clear. I've heard different schools of thought on which way to push the pins through. I think you'll also notice that the pins are beveled which denote which way to push it through. I know this varies from supplier to supplier. What I show in the video is the way I normally do it based on how my pins are beveled. Good luck to you.
Nice great tips thanks...
What’s about male connector
A small dab of water based lube (KY jelly or glycerine) should help.
Good tip. Will give this a try next time I'm installing connectors. Thank you.
Use a wood working clamp make a notch for wire press pin right in
Great tip. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this.
They're upgrading to 3 pin EC-5 now, and my 2 pin devices do not fit:(
Glad im using xt90's... 👍
Great one thumbs up...
This is 8 years old but today there is no reason to use EC5, just use IC5 which is the same as EC5 but EASY to work with.
I've found the easiest way is to use a butane torch instead of a soldering iron. It makes it much easier to not get any solder on the outside of the bullet. Also, as soon as the wire is soldered to the bullet, I put it in the housing. With the bullet still hot, it slides right in.
onlythefallen1 You may have given me another reason to buy a new tool :) I've heard others suggest the heated bullet approach so I may definitely give a try. Really like that suggestion. Thanks.
When i did this i ended up splitting the connector
Might change them all to xt90 s
Hahaha
Heating the connecter up Dennis also works. It's makes it a little softer. ;)
agrs1974 Thanks. I will have to give that a try!
Heating the connector doesn't work with Hobbyking's style EC5 connectors!! It's all about the design !! Motion RC's design is different when you look really close and you can easily hand snap them on after soldering the joints!! Hobbyking's EC5's are a nightmare to assemble!!
This still shouldn't be this complicated to put together!! Motion RC EC5 connectors are WAY easier to solder and assemble. You can just hand snap-on with theirs!! Hobbyking's EC5's are a nightmare to assemble!!!
You make a great point. I'll have to check out Motion RC's version. Thanks for sharing.
How are those easier?
People have problems with these connectors because they're putting them in the wrong end. They go in the back side. You will see the connector has a taper on it to make it go in fairly easily.
Solder**
these are the fake EC5. Real one just push in. Don't need to run wire through it. Real ones use many contact points not 3.