Electric pallet jack battery cable issue, need to temporarily fix asap

[ctechbob]

The best place to get a heavy gauge cable that you seek is your local car stereo store. They will have heavy-gauge cable and connectors in stock (or rather 95+% of them should). If you ask them nicely they'll probably even crimp the end on for you with the proper tools. If you only need a few feet, they might even sell you the connector and give you the cable if you ask nicely.

Other than that, a welding supply store. Both of those places are going to have better cable than what you'll find in an auto parts store.

 

[wing0]

Originally Posted by wrcsixeight
That Motomaster switch to starter cable you bought, has the steel ring terminals. Bust out a magnet.

The oversized Picture I posted, sorry, is of a thick wall tinned copper Lug, and is a much much better connector that the terminals which come on that motomaster cable.

I've employed similar auto parts store cables in the past. One of them was in parallel with another cable, the same gauge and length but it had tinned copper lugs. 75% of the current chose to flow through the cable with the tinned copper lugs, and when I cut the steel ones off, and hydraulically crimped on proper lugs these parallel cables shared current equally.

Auto parts store premade cables are often these SAE gauge wire with steel ring terminals. buyer be aware.


Thanks for the info.
For now it's working while I buy myself sometime to find better cable.

 

[wing0]

Originally Posted by ctechbob
The best place to get a heavy gauge cable that you seek is your local car stereo store. They will have heavy-gauge cable and connectors in stock (or rather 95+% of them should). If you ask them nicely they'll probably even crimp the end on for you with the proper tools. If you only need a few feet, they might even sell you the connector and give you the cable if you ask nicely.

Other than that, a welding supply store. Both of those places are going to have better cable than what you'll find in an auto parts store.


Oh, good info. Will those cable have the outer layer shielding? I would assume their is less robust as it's not meant for industrial usage.

For the time being, a lot of stores area still closed due to pandemic. So, it's not like I can "shop" for it as easily.

 

[ctechbob]

Originally Posted by wing0
Originally Posted by ctechbob
The best place to get a heavy gauge cable that you seek is your local car stereo store. They will have heavy-gauge cable and connectors in stock (or rather 95+% of them should). If you ask them nicely they'll probably even crimp the end on for you with the proper tools. If you only need a few feet, they might even sell you the connector and give you the cable if you ask nicely.

Other than that, a welding supply store. Both of those places are going to have better cable than what you'll find in an auto parts store.


Oh, good info. Will those cable have the outer layer shielding? I would assume their is less robust as it's not meant for industrial usage.

For the time being, a lot of stores area still closed due to pandemic. So, it's not like I can "shop" for it as easily.


They are generally rated for gas and oil just like anything else. They're usually 'prettier' than industrial cable, but other than that should serve the purpose well. The only hitch is, there's a lot of aluminum clad undersized cable out there being sold as XAWG when its really not. Good shops know this and either don't sell it, or are honest about it if you ask them.