Extension Cords

[The Critic]

Your compressor, like any appliance designed for nominal 120V, will operate correctly down to at least 110V.

12 AWG is fine:

Voltage drop: 2.38
Voltage drop percentage: 1.99%
Voltage at the end: 117.62

Even 14 AWG would be OK:

Voltage drop: 3.79
Voltage drop percentage: 3.16%
Voltage at the end: 116.21

I used the calculator here with the "estimated resistance" tab and used 15A as the load current, and 50 feet as the distance.

Voltage Drop Calculator

This free voltage drop calculator estimates the voltage drop of an electrical circuit based on the wire size, distance, and anticipated load current.

www.calculator.net

10 AWG:

Voltage drop: 1.50
Voltage drop percentage: 1.25%
Voltage at the end: 118.5

Looks like a minimal improvement.

 

[4WD]

If you value Project Farms testing......he just put out a video on Extension Cords

Shame he used that belt sander and ruined all those cords …

 

[brianl703]

Looks like a minimal improvement.

For a much greater cost and a thicker, heaver cable.

 

[The Critic]

Michael I think Costco sells the yellow jackets at least they used to for a reasonable price

Found this at Costco today:

 

[SC Maintenance]

Southwire is one of the primary manufacturers of wire in the world (there are like 10 at most) and I think there the only US based one. They actually bought coleman cable years ago, which I think is who Yellow Jacket comes from. so I think those two are from the same company at least.

I have a Southwire 12 gauge cord but honestly don't use it enough to comment.

Just don't buy one made in China. They sometimes cheat on the gauge of the actual conductor by using metric equivalent which is slightly smaller and round up - at least this is what we have found with spooled wire.

 

[D60]

Sometimes with brands that try to copy Yellow Jacket - specifically the lighted ends - they'll begin to flicker or just fail altogether early on.

Not the end of the world but annoying IMO

 

[sohccammer427]

I've built my own in the past. Lowes has several gauges available that are sold by the foot off large spools. You can get heavy duty plugs and receptacles, too. Advantage is you can make them custom to your required length. Just another option.

 

[D60]

I've built my own in the past. Lowes has several gauges available that are sold by the foot off large spools. You can get heavy duty plugs and receptacles, too. Advantage is you can make them custom to your required length. Just another option.

When I worked in a local sheetmetal shop that was all they had done. Each station or bench had several shorter, heavy gauge cords. It worked out really well, they stood up to abuse and were easily repairable if damaged.

 

[zzyzzx]

The only thing that I can add here is that if you are using said extension cord in cold weather someplace that's not heated, consider getting an extension cord that will remain flexible at lower temperatures.

 

[D60]

This 100' 12ga Yellow Jacket has been in this weird Wonder Winder thing since 2006, plugged in 100% of the time.

As the years progressed I used it less and less solely because cords are one of my MAJOR pet-peeves in life (thus the Wonder Winder, which is better than you might expect). I've adopted cordless everything whenever possible.

At 100' of #12 this cord technically exceeds the capacity of the Winder, but because the YJ insulation is so "grippy" and yet so flexible it makes it - barely.

You can see the insulation has pulled back from the female end but the orange light still glows.....roughly 16 years and counting, 24/7/365.....

 

[John105]

I am in the market for a 10-gauge extension cord for my air compressor (it requires a 20A circuit).

I am considering the following brands:

- US Wire
- Southwire
- Yellow Jacket

Prices are about the same for all of them.

Does anyone have experience with these brands?

when our central AC broke, I bought some portables and they draw so much I needed to split them up using extension cords (old house). I got some Yellow Jacket 12/3 2' extensions with 3 outlets. This way, I could still use the outlet I had the AC running to. Then I bought Southwire 12/3 extension cords. So both were good. btw those portable ACs are the worst. use more energy than central AC, don't cool down a room. Because its intake is the room, not outside air. DOH.

 

[Escape08]

If it says Made in USA, buy it.........

 

[brianl703]

You can see the insulation has pulled back from the female end but the orange light still glows.....roughly 16 years and counting, 24/7/365..

Probably about time to cut that end off and replace it, or at least make sure it's plugged into a GFCI that works...

 

[Fabulous50s]

Yellow Jacket, or Southwire. Don't look any further. I'm a tradesman and that is all that really holds up. I have a 100' YJ 14awg that is 15 years old, I amazingly flexible and still like new after many years of use, dragging, coiling etc.

 

[D60]

I was recently in contact with Yellow Jacket and apparently there isn't much corporate separation in the market these days: SouthWire and Yellow Jacket are under Coleman Cable (CCI)

I'm unclear if Woods still exists at all, which is how Yellow Jackets used to be marketed.

I will say, if you can get a real person at CCI their customer service is amazing -- more on that later.

 

[Bullet]

Yellow Jacket, or Southwire. Don't look any further. I'm a tradesman and that is all that really holds up. I have a 100' YJ 14awg that is 15 years old, I amazingly flexible and still like new after many years of use, dragging, coiling etc.

I bought two 12 gauge 100ft yellow jackets about 25 years ago that only were used for power outages during hurricanes, about 15 times total. After all this time they are about as flexible as when I bought them unlike others that are hardened and stiff with age.

 

[ripcord]

Instead of buying an extension cord for your air compressor, buy an extra length of hose. Your air compressor will thank you. Extension cords cause voltage drop which increase the amperage drawn by the motor for the same amount of work, which in term produces more heat.

 

[Fabulous50s]

Instead of buying an extension cord for your air compressor, buy an extra length of hose. Your air compressor will thank you. Extension cords cause voltage drop which increase the amperage drawn by the motor for the same amount of work, which in term produces more heat.

This is very true! An air hose is much cheaper than even a cheapo orange 16awg POS cord.

 

[The Critic]

Found this at Costco today:

View attachment 114621

Sending these back. This appears to be a better deal:

100' Southwire 12/3 SJTW Heavy Duty 3-Prong 15-Amp Extension Cord $49 + Free Shipping

Update: This popular deal is still available. Walmart has 100' Southwire 12/3 SJTW Heavy Duty 3-Prong 15-Amp Extension Cord (Yellow, 25890002) on sale for $49. Shipping is free. Thanks to co ...

slickdeals.net

 

[JHZR2]

Yellow Jacket, or Southwire. Don't look any further. I'm a tradesman and that is all that really holds up. I have a 100' YJ 14awg that is 15 years old, I amazingly flexible and still like new after many years of use, dragging, coiling etc.

Agree they’re both great. I’m a fan of the south wire striped cords with illuminated end.