Weatherhead's Coll-O-Crimp system is about as simple as possible. I usually just use an abrasive cut-off saw to cut the hose, put a little chamfer on the end after I cut it, knock the loose rubber grinding out of the hose, spray some kind of lubricant (like PB Blaster or WD-40) on the end of the hose to help when I push the end on, make sure the end is bottomed, line up the hose and end in the crimper with the right die and top plate, and push the button, when it reaches full pressure I hold it there for a couple of seconds, let go and move on the the next end. I have made hundreds maybe even thousands of hoses over the years, as far as I know I have never had a failure. There is no critical measuring to do. The most important things are, using the right ends with the right hose, and making sure the end is bottomed on the hose. I have seen them pop the ends off the hose if they are not bottomed. I had a co-worker that was just learning how to make hoses that didn't get some ends bottomed, and the failure was immediate. The first time the top & tilt was operated it blew the ends right off. Luckily it was still in the shop and had not been delivered to the customer.