Sta-Kon RB2257-200M EXP INS VIN LKG FRK TERM 18-14 BELT

The RB2257-200M locking fork terminal is sized for 18 to 14 AWG stranded wire. That is the blue insulation color code, so if you are working off color rather than part numbers, blue is your 16/14 range barrel and the same crimp die you use for other blue Sta-Kon terminals applies here.

A locking fork has upturned tangs at the tips of the fork. Once the screw is torqued down the tangs bite under the screw head so the terminal cannot slide out sideways under vibration, which a plain spade can do if the screw backs off. You still get the open-throat advantage of a spade, meaning you can land it on a terminal block screw without removing the screw completely. The RB2257-200M is the vinyl insulated locking fork version for 18-14 AWG.

The barrel is copper, which is what you want for landing copper building and control wire. Copper on copper avoids the dissimilar metal corrosion you get with plated steel barrels, and copper crimps cold-flow properly so the connection holds its resistance over time. The vinyl insulation sleeve covers the barrel and the wire entry.

This is the belted (reeled) version of the terminal, supplied on a belt for feeding an automatic or semi-automatic crimping machine rather than loose in a bag. If you are crimping by hand with a standard Sta-Kon hand tool, you want loose-piece terminals instead; the belted form is for production or bench machine work where you are terminating a lot of 18-14 AWG leads in a run.

Yes, 16 AWG sits inside the 18 to 14 AWG range this terminal is rated for, so it is a correct fit for 16 AWG control, thermostat, and low voltage leads landing on screw terminals. Use the die position matching the blue color code on your crimp tool.

Made in the United States. That matters on government, federal, and transit jobs where Buy American or domestic content language sits in the spec, so this is a terminal you can put on a submittal for that kind of work.