A given is overtorque yielding to deformation, splitting or thread stripping can occur with any metal. A characteristic of termination quality that used to discussed with the earlier "EC1350" aluminum alloy was coldflow. Apparently the modern "AA8000" alloy is compounded with a small amount of iron to reduce expansion and contraction in thermal cycling. Copper is not as likely to have coldflow problems.

With reasonable care, nonreversible hydraulic-compressed splices and terminals—copper or aluminum, are far and away the most reliable, but finding compatible equipment may take more time and planning. They can take up a little more space, but aluminum H-taps are inexpensive and close to bulletproof for Al-Al cable splices and Al-Cu transitions. They are suitable for a wide range of cable sizes with relatively few catalog numbers.