Thomas & Betts RB14-8FL T&B RB14-8FL 16-14 INS SPADE TERM

The RB14-8FL is sized for 18-14 AWG stranded or solid copper wire, and the nylon insulation sleeve will accept conductor insulation up to 0.162 inch in diameter. The blue color coding is the usual visual cue for that gauge band on a terminal bench.

600V is the voltage rating, with a 105 degree C temperature rating on the insulated nylon sleeve. That covers typical 600V class control panel, motor control, and fixture whip wiring with THHN or MTW conductors. The insulation carries a UL 94 V-2 flammability rating, and the terminal is UL and CSA recognized and RoHS compliant.

Thomas & Betts lists the ERG4001 as the recommended tool for the RB14-8FL. Other qualified tools for it are the ERG4003, WT145C, WT2000, WT112M, and WT145A. Any of those will give the correct nylon-insulated barrel crimp profile; a generic plier-style crimper is not on the approved list.

Both are fork (spade) terminals, but they differ in insulation and tongue design. The RB14-8FL uses insulated nylon over a copper barrel with an electro tin-plated finish, and its locking tongue is shaped so it slides on like a fork but stays on like a ring once the screw is tightened. The 3M Highland block fork terminal is vinyl-insulated and has a plain block tongue that lifts straight off the screw. If a panel sees vibration or you want the connection to resist backing off a loose terminal screw, the locking tongue on the RB14-8FL is the differentiator.

A ring terminal has to come off the stud entirely to be removed, which means pulling the screw out on a crowded strip. The RB14-8FL locking fork slides on from the side like a standard spade, but the tongue is shaped so it holds on the screw once tightened, which is why it's used where code or spec wants ring-type retention but the technician needs side entry for service. Choose a plain fork if nothing retention-related is specified, and a ring if the spec demands a closed tongue.

They ship in inner packs of 100 with 500 to an outer carton, and the order multiple is 100, so quantities are bought in even hundreds. Weight runs 2.5 lbs per 1000 pieces. For bulk buyers, Thomas & Betts also catalogs the same terminal under package number RB2233.

The barrel and tongue are copper with an electro tin-plated finish, which is the standard corrosion barrier for terminating copper conductors and keeps the crimp from oxidizing at the wire interface. The body is sleeved in insulated nylon rather than vinyl, so it tolerates more abrasion and the 105 degree C service temperature.

No. The RB14-8FL is built for 18-14 AWG wire on a #8 stud, with a tongue slot sized to that screw and a maximum insulation diameter of 0.162 inch. A #10 or larger screw will not pass through the fork slot, and 12 AWG will not seat in the barrel. For those openings you need the next size up in the Thomas & Betts RB fork terminal series rather than this model; the 3M Highland block fork terminals are another fork-style family to look at when the stud size changes.

Check the temperature rating before you swap. The Thomas & Betts RB14-8FL is rated 105 degrees C, 600V, with a UL 94 V-2 nylon insulating sleeve. The 3M Highland comparable is a vinyl-insulated fork terminal, and vinyl sleeves generally carry a lower service temperature than nylon. For luminaire wiring, motor terminal boxes, or any enclosure that runs warm, stay with the nylon-insulated RB14-8FL rather than substituting a vinyl-insulated block fork.

Overall length is 0.87 inch (dimension A), with 0.71 inch given as the M dimension. That is a compact body for an 18-14 AWG terminal, so it works in shallow junction boxes and device gutters where a longer ring or flag terminal would bind.

Decide by what the terminal has to hold. The RB14-8FL is a 600V, 105 degree C insulated nylon locking fork for 18-14 AWG on #8 studs, UL and CSA recognized and RoHS compliant, crimped with the recommended ERG4001 tool. A block fork terminal such as the 3M Highland is the simpler plain-tongue style for general screw-terminal work. Many shops stock the locking fork for control panels and device terminations where re-tightening is impractical and keep plain forks for quick, accessible connections.