Power cord recommendations

William462 · Aug 21, 2009

It used to be when I needed a new power cord for a tool, I just went to the local hardware store and bought a few feet of , say, some 14-3 electrical cord , and I installed my own plug. The type of cord was already selected so that it had fine conductors and flexible insulation and jacket so that it would make an easy to use power cord. Now, however, my local home centers don't even sell such a wire, and I'm having trouble selecting suitable cord from sources such as McMaster-Carr. Extension cord wire from the home centers is cheap, but I feel it's too stiff for convenient portable tool usage. Can anyone specify a type and source of wire in, say, 12-3, 14-3, and 16-3 sizes that is very flexible and made for portable tool usage , and can be bought by the foot ? Thanks.

Hdpg · Aug 21, 2009

I think what you need is called cab tire. It has a flexible rubbery outer sheath and the conductors are fine multi-strand.

BlindViper · Aug 21, 2009

I go to the electrical supply house and just get SJ cable sj = shielded jacket its very flexible

BlindViper · Aug 21, 2009

SJE* cable can't seem to edit the post

PeteM · Aug 21, 2009

SJ is a fairly common cord, with a thin enough cover it will fit some tools. Add an O (SJO) and it's oil-resistant if you'll happen to be using it in an environment that's oily or has incidental solvent contact. The "E" I think is for a thermoplastic elastomer cover. I'm pretty sure McMaster would spell all this out. About the only other thing to check with the jacket type is that for the ampacity you need, the whole thing isn't too large a diameter to replace your OEM cord.

The hard part these days is getting a stranded wire cord with enough strands to be flexible and durable. Lot's of cheap import cords have relatively few strands and they are stiff and also more prone to flex failures. If you can't get a strand count or physically inspect the cord, about your own option is to buy a better quality cord. Some surplus places will occasionally have top quality cords with a molded plug on one end and some weird connector on the other. I'll buy a batch of these and use them as replacements.

BlindViper · Aug 21, 2009

where the hell is the edit button?
http://www.mcmaster.com/#electrical-wire-cable-and-cords/=3ajlzg
this should meet your needs.

Tony Quiring · Aug 21, 2009

Medical grade computer power cords

Years ago I picked up from a surplus outlet a box of medical grade cords, they are 14/3 and 16/3 with a clear and large plug. Easy to grip and you can see the inside. Very rugged and flexible enough.

Should be able to find these cords at surplus or office supply.

Also look at the bulk racks at the box stores and Orchard Supply, found 14/4 superflex for about 0.25 a foot once.

peterh5322 · Aug 21, 2009

S is a "severe service" flexible cordage, rated for 600 volts.

SJ is the same, except rated for 300 volts.

It is certainly OK to use S on 240 volts, but it is not OK to use SJ on 480 (or 600) volts.

Add an O as a suffix to get an oil-resistant sheath.

Add an additional O as a suffix to get another feature (my memory stick inside my brain is failing just now ... might be UV resistant for outdoor applications, hence the other O).

Add a W as a suffix to get a weather-resistant sheath.

SOOW or SJOOW gives you just about all the features in a cord that you're likely to need.

Some of these cords are available in sizes up to #2.

Some are available with hundreds of conductors.

The usual are two, three, four and five conductors and a black sheath.

On my machines, which are all 240 volts, I generally use SOOW cordage.

I believe there is an additional type which is multi-conductor and is extra-flexible as it is usually employed for control signal cables in elevator shafts and hoists, and it is being constantly flexed, perhaps for many decades or even a century.

The real Leigh · Aug 21, 2009

Home Depot and Loewe's both have the S*** type cordage for sale by the foot.

And any commercial electrical supplier will have it.

I'm sure you can find it in numerous outlets in either Wilmington or Dover.

- Leigh

machinistrrt · Aug 22, 2009

peterh5322 said:
S is a "severe service" flexible cordage, rated for 600 volts.

SJ is the same, except rated for 300 volts.

It is certainly OK to use S on 240 volts, but it is not OK to use SJ on 480 (or 600) volts.

Add an O as a suffix to get an oil-resistant sheath.

Add an additional O as a suffix to get another feature (my memory stick inside my brain is failing just now ... might be UV resistant for outdoor applications, hence the other O).

Add a W as a suffix to get a weather-resistant sheath.

SOOW or SJOOW gives you just about all the features in a cord that you're likely to need.

Some of these cords are available in sizes up to #2.

Some are available with hundreds of conductors.

The usual are two, three, four and five conductors and a black sheath.

On my machines, which are all 240 volts, I generally use SOOW cordage.

I believe there is an additional type which is multi-conductor and is extra-flexible as it is usually employed for control signal cables in elevator shafts and hoists, and it is being constantly flexed, perhaps for many decades or even a century.

The second "O" denotes oil resistant conductor insulation.

Your memory isn't failing. It just isn't capable of being as overclocked as your bios is currently set. <G>

jim rozen · Aug 22, 2009

The "J" in SJ cord, stands for "junior."

Basically it has the same conductors and insulation
type as S cord, but the insulation and jacket are
less robust.

SJ cord would be a good choice for portable tool
power cord use. My personal favorite is the yellow
stuff which is still flexibie when cold.

Home desperate does still carry SJ cordage on reels, in
the wire section. Leastwise, around here it does.

Jim

peterh5322 · Aug 22, 2009

"The 'J' in SJ cord, stands for 'junior'"

The "J" does, informally, indicate "junior", but it formally means "300 volt class".

The "non-J" formally means "600 volt class".

I use non-J cordage in my shop as I have several machines which are on roll-around stands, either custom made by the same outfit which makes such stands for many manufacturers, or generic "Shop Fox" stands which have been adapted by me to incorporate thicker-walled, American rectangular tubular steel stock, and non-J is more resistant to inadvertent damage by contact with a wheel.

Mud · Aug 22, 2009

There's a variation the local distributor calls 'yellow jacket'. It's marked SJTOW and has a bright yellow covering, supposed to more rugged than SO. I have a piece on a remote cycle stop switch on my VMCs and it has already lasted longer than SO and still looks fine.

minder · Aug 22, 2009

Mud said:
There's a variation the local distributor calls 'yellow jacket'. It's marked SJTOW and has a bright yellow covering, supposed to more rugged than SO. I have a piece on a remote cycle stop switch on my VMCs and it has already lasted longer than SO and still looks fine.

This is PVC cable, I have often picked up really good deals on on-sale extension cords made with this, it can often be cheaper per ft than the dealer price, and it comes with a plug on the end!.
Minder.

jim rozen · Aug 22, 2009

There is non-pvc yellow portable cordage for sale, that's the stuff I was thinking of,
it behaves very much like the black rubber but is much more ozone resistant and
still flexy in cold temps.

It may well be the sjtow mentioned above.

Jim

The real Leigh · Aug 24, 2009

Here's a good table that decodes all the S*** cable designations:

http://www.iewc.com/content.aspx?id=124

- Leigh

Toms Wheels · Aug 25, 2009

Check Ebay, a few years ago I bought a 200' spool from a liquidator for like $75. 12/3 type SEOOw. It is the larger size diameter stuff, the wife has been unable to cut it with the hedge trimmers. It makes a heavy ext cord, but works well.

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Power cord recommendations

William462

Cast Iron

Hdpg

Stainless

BlindViper

Aluminum

BlindViper

Aluminum

PeteM

Diamond

BlindViper

Aluminum

Tony Quiring

Titanium

peterh5322

Diamond

The real Leigh

Diamond

machinistrrt

Stainless

jim rozen

Diamond

peterh5322

Diamond

Mud

Diamond

minder

Stainless

jim rozen

Diamond

The real Leigh

Diamond

Toms Wheels

Titanium

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