Busterswoodshop
Hunter
Regardless of the cord size.
You need to have a good power supply to begin with.
You need to have a good power supply to begin with.
Extension cords
- Thread starter turd
- Start date
When I upgraded my panel I put a dedicated 30 amp breaker just for the garage.
Paladin
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2013
- Messages
- 112
I think Justice B. Swift has the best answer and Turd's question is definitely not a silly one.
My brother burned up the motor in both his lawn edger and a neighbor's borrowed electric pressure washer by using too many light gauge extension cords.
I took both units apart to see if they could be repaired. The wire windings on both motor armatures were fried. Neither was repairable and he had to buy the neighbor a new pressure washer. Those were expensive lessons.
My brother burned up the motor in both his lawn edger and a neighbor's borrowed electric pressure washer by using too many light gauge extension cords.
I took both units apart to see if they could be repaired. The wire windings on both motor armatures were fried. Neither was repairable and he had to buy the neighbor a new pressure washer. Those were expensive lessons.
Dad was one who dident like carrying 100 foot of cable in a bucket. One fellow who never listened, carried spare tools in the bucket, too. One stop he pulled out both ends of the cable and plugged one end in the wall and another in the drill, left the driver in the bucket, nestled into the neat coils of cable. After some work he smelled something. There was enough power thru the coils to heat up the iron core in the driver, and the wire insulation. Had to chuck everything but the drill, kept the ends for the next piece of cable......electricity is crazy stuff.
The S.C. Chimney Sweep Guild has a 4 day event down on Lake Mury near Columbia every September and we build an outside kitchen for this. Have always had a problem with our need for power for all this, running extension cords from the various outside outlets on the meeting building at the place we stay.... So last year I decided to build a distribution panel just for us and then connect it to a separate breaker in the building.... this was a todo but it worked, I used the 240/30 amp 25ft extension cord for my emergency generator for this... now this year I plan to upgrade the whole system.... Our 40 amp distribution box will be connected to the buildings panel with a 240 volt / 50 amp extension cord.... talk about a 'heavy' cord... this one is 6 gage wire and all four are that size including the ground wire.
Here's the distribution panel I built last year...
Here's the distribution panel I built last year...
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
All my lawn equipment burns gas.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2012
- Messages
- 10,907
Y
Mine too. But towns around me are banning gas powered equipment. Arghh!!!!
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
No way ...
OP
All my lawn equipment is electric - battery powered except this free one. Works just fine and fewer gas cans in my garage. My snow blower is gas, you likely don't have one of those in Texas.
Reminds me of some of the lashups dad used to laugh about at some old mills and shops. As an electrical millwright and contractor, he could walk into a place, tell you how it should have been wired, how it probably got wired, and went with probably. which usually worked. Forensic Electrician. Wiring wizard. He could tell, sometimes before opening a panel, who had been there before him...
One of the most cobbled together electrical systems was at a facility that makes parts for our country's most advanced military aircraft.
The place had been a tannery in its early years. I'm talking early 1900's. After being vacant for well over a decade (the city chased out all of the dairies and other livestock oriented businesses) it was bought cheap by a fellow who built parts for rockets.
Over the years technology changed but in some of the original buildings the electrical had never been upgraded.
The place had been a tannery in its early years. I'm talking early 1900's. After being vacant for well over a decade (the city chased out all of the dairies and other livestock oriented businesses) it was bought cheap by a fellow who built parts for rockets.
Over the years technology changed but in some of the original buildings the electrical had never been upgraded.
Cofaler
Blackhawk
Cordless edgers will be going on sale soon if they haven't already...
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
I have a small generator I use to power tools very far away from an electrical outlet. It saves a lot of grief. If I have a battery powered tool, it's not an issue, but that small generator also does a good job of charging batteries, if I'm going to be out there for several hours. (gas is cheaper than batteries).
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
I agree. I also prefer 3 prong grounded cords.
Another issue with extension cords is age.
Copper gets harder with age, and insulation gets brittle. Extension cords should be replaced periodically.
Sadly, most of my cords "disappeared" before they aged out. Contractors seemed to think any cord they saw was theirs for the taking. More than a few times I would loose power Most of the time some yahoo would simply unplug my cord and plug in theirs. But other To lines they just disappeared.
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
Ki
Basic Ohm's Law stuff.
Kind of depends on how many LEDs being lit. Each LED will have a .7VDC drop across it. Generally not an issue, as they have such a low current draw, but, P=IE, and this will apply for all electrical device. P=Power(watt), I=Current (amperage), E=Electromotive Force (volts).Sort of a side hijack. Recently the National Electric Code (NEC) is now allowing 16/2 wire for LED wiring. LED's draw so little power that it isn't necessary to use #12 or #14 gauge wire. Now how to keep people from overloading 16/2 circuits with conventional bulbs that draw more than the intended LED's is another matter.
I have not seen the specifics of the code in writing yet but they might only allow it for puck lights like you see in many kitchen ceiling lights or undercabinet strip lights. It might be prudent to not allow it in regular screw in fixtures where someone might screw in a 150 watt heat lamp.
Someone on the forum may know the specifics.
I know 16/2 w/gnd is available at Lowe's and Home Depot.
Basic Ohm's Law stuff.
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
I grew up mowing the family lawn using just such a lawn mover. Sears Craftsman, as I recall. Heavy all steel sucker.
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
One more thing to get fried by a sudden voltage spike.
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
If it weren't for the wife's objections, I'd be doing just that, along with a 220V outlet for my welders.
I guess I'd be needing to do a lot more welding to justify it. In the meantime, I have generators that handle my welders. It's just a PITA to have to drag them out every time.
The.Tumbleweed
Blackhawk
Let me guess. California?
Dad was an electrician. He got an electric mower for his asthma and my allergies. Two 50 foot cords. moved with us to several houses. One day it wouldnt run. Turned out it was burntout junk. Somebody had seen it behind the garage and swapped it for their identical model! Have had gas since, locked up because those get stolen around here. Thieves carry cutters. the current one folds up to stand on end in the "garage".
Yaworski
Hawkeye
You had a powered lawn mower? Kids today.
Growing up my brother and I used an unpowered reel mower. After my brother and I moved out, my dad bought a self propelled gas mower. Hmmmm.. .. .
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
I grew up with a hand propelled reel push mower. In the Winter I had a shovel.
When I went to High School and had lots of studying to do Dad bought a push gasoline powered Sears rotary mower.
When I went to College Dad bought a snowblower.
The problem was I still had to cut the grass and blow the snow.
Years and years later Dad got too old to do the chores and I had married and moved away. He gave me the Sears mower and hired the work out. It was NOT steel it was aluminum. I'm guessing it was circa 1963, and it had a Tecumseh engine. I still have it to this day, though it no longer runs. Tecumseh had parts available for many years, but a few years ago they went out of business.
Would a GFI recepticale be good since you are outside?
That story sounds suspiciously familiar. Dad hated heights. So once I was old enough anything requiring a ladder or roof top became my job. When I enlisted he hired folks to do it. Oh, and bought a gas mower.
Don't you love scumbags that pull things like that. I don't trust anyone when it comes to tools or equipment.
I believe the original voltage drop question was answered really well. I would like to add one small thing though. The first step to rolling up a drop cord is to unplug it. Sometimes cords get nicks & or cuts. It is better not to find one by running your hand across it when it is connected.
It has been a long time now but I remember when we would run out & roll up a couple hundred feet of cord every day at work. Now just about everything we use is battery powered. I do still have two or three hundred foot of cord around the house though.
It has been a long time now but I remember when we would run out & roll up a couple hundred feet of cord every day at work. Now just about everything we use is battery powered. I do still have two or three hundred foot of cord around the house though.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
One of my mowers is all wheel drive with a Honda engine. My other is rear wheel drive with a Honda engine. The only two Hondas I ever have or ever will own until the next mower. We can't use electric much for yard equipment in Texas, at least not here in conservative areas.
My 1st wife's sister used to unplug things by playing crack the whip with the cords. She cracked almost every outlet in the house by doing it. I tried to teach her the right way to do it but I would have gotten more attention from a bowling ball.
