3M 7000132745 3M, Cold Shrink Insulator 8428-12P, 500-800 kcmil (300-400 mm²), 10/case - Point of purchase

They do two different jobs on the same connection. The Burndy YS6C is a Hylink long barrel copper compression splice - it is the metallic connector that joins the two conductors and is crimped with a compression tool. The 3M 8428-12P is a cold shrink EPDM rubber insulator that slides over a completed connection and shrinks down to insulate and seal it, with no tools required. The 8428-12P ships without a connector, so on a splice job you buy a compression connector such as the YS6C and then cover it with the cold shrink tube. One does not replace the other.

No connector is included. The cold shrink insulator is the rubber tube only, so order the compression connector, splice, or lug separately. A copper long barrel compression splice such as the Burndy YS6C Hylink is the kind of connector that goes underneath it.

No. Cold shrink means the tube is factory expanded on a removable core; you slide it into position and pull the core out, and the EPDM recovers onto the connector. No tools, no flame, which is why crews use it in vaults and other spots where hot work permits are a problem. Heat shrink tubing is the alternative when you want a torch-applied adhesive-lined seal instead.

Yes, it is specified for power cable with aluminum conductors and tape shield construction, one conductor per tube. Color is black. Since the case is 10 tubes, a three-phase run needing one per phase plus spares comes out of a single case.

Match them separately. The 3M 8428-12P cold shrink insulator is sized by conductor range, 600 kcmil to 800 kcmil (300 to 400 mm2), on single conductor aluminum power cable with tape shield, rated 1 kV low voltage. The Burndy YS6C is identified by its Hylink series and is a copper compression splice, so its conductor sizing is set by the connector die and barrel, not by the cold shrink tube. Confirm the connector suits your conductor, then confirm the finished barrel diameter falls inside the 8428-12P recovery range.

The 3M 8428-12P cold shrink insulator installs by hand with no tools and is rated for indoor and outdoor use, holding from -40 to 90 degC (-40 to 194 degF) in black EPDM rubber with 365 V/mil dielectric strength. By contrast, a compression product like the Burndy YS6C Hylink splice is installed with a compression tool and die. If the conductors are already joined and you only need insulation, mechanical protection or repair over the joint, the cold shrink tube is the hand-install option.

Beyond insulating a splice, it seals terminal lug barrels, conduit couplings, and conduit-to-cable breakouts. The catalogued applications are insulation, mechanical protection, and repair, so it also works as a jacket repair sleeve where the recovered 0.949 in diameter suits the cable.

3M lists a shelf life of 1800 days for the 8428 cold shrink insulator, so stock rotation matters on this one. The tube sits stretched on its core the whole time it is in storage, which is why an expired unit may not recover cleanly.